IT General

Prepare for liftoff. March marks the arrival of Project Hail Mary, one of the first event movies of 2026. Ryan Gosling headlines the space odyssey as Dr. Ryland Grace, a science teacher sent into space to save the world. Along the way, Grace meets Rocky, an alien who becomes his friend and a partner in the mission.

Yahoo recently announced new tools within Yahoo Scout, the company’s AI search engine, now in beta, that will support publishers and the open web.

It offers a stark contrast to the more closed ecosystem approach of Google and other AI search products.

Why does this matter? Artificial intelligence has had a devastating impact on publisher traffic as AI companies scrape, train, and repurpose publishers’ stories, typically without permission or payment. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

New research from Chartbeat published this week shows that small publishers lost 60 percent of their search traffic between Dec. 2024 to Dec. 2025. Medium publishers lost 47 percent, and large publishers 22 percent.

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Yahoo has been promoting Yahoo Scout at SXSW 2026, which comes to a close on Wednesday in Austin, Texas. When I first tried Yahoo Scout at SXSW, the first thing I noticed was how many links were included to publishers and other sources. And Yahoo says that’s intentional.

“The open web is essential for building quality AI experiences and we are committed to building Scout in a way that's trusted by users and sustainable for publishers,” said Eric Feng, SVP and GM of Yahoo Research Group. 

SEE ALSO: Pornhub traffic dipped during Bad Bunny's halftime show

Feng added, “Every answer in Yahoo Scout includes clear attribution and referral back to content publishers so we can be transparent with our users and provide them with additional context and coverage where needed.”

So, apparently, you can create AI search tools that support the writers, editors, publishers, bloggers, and creators actually generating the information.

Meanwhile, Google has found many creative ways to keep searchers within its ecosystem of products as long as possible.

Once upon a time, Google measured success by how quickly users left Google. The idea was that if a searcher left the search engine quickly, that meant they had found the information they needed. This was the philosophy of the old “Don’t be evil” Google of old. 

It even used to be part of the company’s “Ten things we know to be true” mission statement: “We may be the only people in the world who can say our goal is to have people leave our website as quickly as possible.”

But Google has changed, and that mission statement has become something of a time capsule.

“Google has had a long history of making moves that keep searchers in their own ecosystem,” said Lily Ray, VP of SEO Strategy at Amsive, in an email to Mashable.

For instance, “on AI Overviews, clicking ‘Show More’ now leads the user to AI Mode,” Ray said. “I would argue this is Google's most aggressive move yet to encourage users to switch to AI Mode. It appears that Google is trying to strike a balance between encouraging more usage of its AI products, while keeping users clicking on Google Ads, which generally still appear prominently in the traditional search results.”

A Google representative declined to comment for this story. However, Robby Stein, VP of Product for Search at Google, has previously said that Google is taking steps to encourage users to click on outside sources. However, the data on declining search traffic paints a very different picture.

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"I see Google's new AI products as an extension of this ‘Zero Click’ trend — it's in their best interest to keep users on Google as long as possible (like any other online platform)," Ray said.

Yahoo introduces MyScout and publisher pages The new MyScout personalized homepage for Yahoo users. Credit: Yahoo

In addition to Yahoo Scout, the company has launched MyScout, a personalized AI homepage for users. MyScout uses content from Yahoo Mail, News, Finance, and Sports to create a custom daily briefing for users, similar to Samsung’s Now Brief.

In addition, Yahoo has launched publisher brand pages within Yahoo News to support publishers that syndicate content on Yahoo.

“Yahoo Scout is built on our 30-year-history as a trusted guide to the internet. We have a proprietary knowledge graph of over 1 billion entities, unique insights from the trillions of consumer events that occur across the Yahoo ecosystem, and personalization signals from hundreds of millions of logged-in user profiles,” Feng told Mashable.

This article reflects the opinion of the author.

Subcompact SUVs have become one of the most popular choices on the road, with buyers swapping small sedans and hatchbacks for something taller and more versatile. Automakers rushed in to meet the demand, packing the segment with compact crossovers aimed at commuters, young families, and city shoppers.

Visual Studio Code has switched to weekly updates, so new features and bug fixes are now arriving at a rapid pace. The new version 1.112 update is now available, with a significant upgrade for web development and a few more AI coding features.

When Facebook changed its name to Meta a few years ago, the idea was that the VR metaverse would become a huge pillar for the company. I think we can safely say that's not going to happen.

On its community forums, Meta confirmed that Horizon Worlds, the flagship "hanging out and doing work meetings in VR" app for Quest headsets, will no longer be available in VR after June 15. It's not going away entirely, as Meta recently reoriented its metaverse efforts toward a Horizon Worlds mobile app. But Mark Zuckerberg's COVID-era dream of people spending huge portions of their days wearing VR headsets and messing around in Horizon Worlds seems to be dead.

SEE ALSO: Meta, Snap, and YouTube insiders reveal common mistakes new creators make

In fairness to Meta, the multi-platform approach to Horizon Worlds isn't new. It's been available on mobile and desktop since 2023, and it must be successful enough in the mobile format for Meta to keep supporting and building upon that version of the Horizon Worlds metaverse. But when it was supposed to be a VR system seller, Horizon Worlds was often the subject of mockery online for its underwhelming visual quality, initial lack of legs for avatars, and its reputation as a virtual ghost town.

Of course, as of right now, that doesn't mean Meta is giving up on VR. When it announced that Horizon was going mobile earlier this year, Meta reaffirmed its commitment to VR as a format.

"We have a robust roadmap of future VR headsets that will be tailored to different audience segments as the market grows and matures," Meta said in a press release. "And Meta remains the single biggest investor in the VR industry. Why? Because we believe in VR as a critical technology on the path to the next computing platform."

The enduring popularity of things like VRChat signals that there is a market for these sorts of virtual hangout spaces, but Zuckerberg's specific vision of the metaverse just never really took off as intended. At least we got a few memes out of it.

The Nissan Versa is gone, and just like that, the Hyundai Venue takes the crown as America’s cheapest new car at $22,150. It’s not exactly fresh—this thing’s been around for a while—but it still nails the basics with a boxy design, a simple infotainment setup, and just enough punch for everyday driving.

Amazon is reportedly planning to move up its annual Prime Day sale from July to June this year, a change that would have a huge ripple effect on the retail calendar. The news comes from Bloomberg, which cites "people familiar with the matter."

When reached for comment by Mashable, an Amazon representative said, "We do not have anything to share at this time."

Amazon has hosted its flagship summer sale for Prime members in July almost every year since 2015. The event was moved to October in 2020 due to logistical and supply chain issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

SEE ALSO: Amazon greenlights 1-hour and 3-hour delivery in select US cities ahead of its spring sale

Prime Day has traditionally been a 48-hour sale, but Amazon extended it to four days in 2025. The longer slot gave consumers more time to shop, but lessened the sense of urgency to make impulse purchases, per Bloomberg.

Rivaling retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart always plan competing sales around Amazon events like Prime Day, so if its timeframe shifts, they'll have to adapt accordingly.

Such a move would also affect the myriad third-party sellers that do business through Amazon's Marketplace platform. As of 2025, their listings accounted for over 60 percent of all Amazon sales, according to a company press release.

Bloomberg's sources didn't provide reasoning for the possible Prime Day switch-up. But RetailWire speculates that it's a twofold decision where Amazon is chasing more back-to-school shoppers and distancing itself from the competition. (This assumes other retailers stick with the usual schedule.)

In the meantime, Amazon is gearing up to host its third annual Big Spring Sale from March 25 to 31 — its first major shopping event of the year, and one that also attracts attention from its rivals. Target just announced a concurrent Circle Deal Days sale that will run from March 25 to 27. Best Buy and Walmart will probably throw their hats in the ring, too.

When you get on Linux for the first time, it can be overwhelming just how much free software is available to you. After years of futzing around on Linux devices, I have some fairly uncommon software I've adopted for work and for play.

Google Maps has a long list of hidden (and sometimes, just underrated) features that help you navigate seamlessly. But I was not a big fan of using Google Maps for walking: that is, until I started using the right set of features that helped me navigate better.

A new study suggests that teen girls use so-called nudification apps at the same rate as teen boys. The artificial intelligence-powered undressing tools allow users to create sexualized images of a person, typically by uploading a picture of them.

The results surprised Dr. Chad M.S. Steel, a digital forensics researcher at George Mason University who studies technology-facilitated crimes against children.

"Males tend to be more involved in any type of online sexual endeavors, whether it's sexting or viewing pornographic material or the like, there's usually a much stronger signal for males than females," Steel said of the findings, which were published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.

SEE ALSO: Parents need to talk to their kids about this online danger right now

In Jan. 2025, Steel conducted an online survey of 557 English-speaking adolescents ages 13 to 17. Even a year ago, Steel found widespread use of nudification tools. Fifty-five percent of the respondents said they'd created a sexualized image, and 54 percent said they'd received one.

More than a third of teens said they'd been victims of the technology. More than a third reported that someone had made a non-consensual image of them, and a third said an image of theirs had been shared without their permission.

Roughly 1 in 6 teen girls and boys used nudification tools frequently to see how they looked. About the same share of teen girls shared such imagery "once or twice" with someone else. A slightly smaller percentage of boys reported the same behavior.

Why girls might be using nudification tools

Steel didn't ask the teens why they used nudification tools, though sexting is a common practice among adolescents. He suspects that the popularity of "try it on" clothing and makeup visualization tools among girls builds familiarity with the same type of engagement as nudification apps. Coupled with male coercion for sexually explicit imagery, teen girls may find themselves using a familiar technology to deal with the pressure, Steel explained.

Dr. Linda Charmaraman studies girls' wellbeing with an emphasis on social media and digital health but wasn't involved in the study. She reviewed the findings and told Mashable that teens are in a delicate developmental period as they form their identities and seek social connection and acceptance.

"When you combine that time of development with AI, it can bring further risks," Charmaraman, director of the Youth, Media, & Wellbeing Research Lab at Wellesley College, wrote in an email. "For example, there might be a lot of pressure for girls to create certain kinds of content in order to fit in with their peers and to possibly promote their social status."

Boys did report higher usage of generative AI than girls to create and distribute sexual imagery, both with and without the permission of the subject.

Steel said that he would like to see his results replicated among a much larger sample of teens.

"In this case, I'd love to find out that I had an extremely unusual subset," Steel said.

Charmaraman said that the survey's nationally representative sample and effective quality checks indicate it reached diverse households. Yet she wondered whether the way the survey was advertised could have attracted "technology-savvy" participants, potentially skewing the results.

Top takeaways for parents

• Nudification has become normal.
  Steel said the survey results suggest that teen use of nudification tools has become widespread, and that "we have no idea what the effects will be."

• How to talk to your teen about nudification imagery.
  Steel urges parents to consider the likelihood that their child will encounter nudification tools and imagery, and talk to them nonjudgmentally about the risks. Focusing on abstention won't work, he added, given that teens may see AI-created sexual imagery as a natural extension of exploring their sexuality.
  
  Charmaraman recommends regular conversations about what's happening in teens' digital lives. This builds a strong foundation so that if parents learn about distressing incidents like non-consensual sharing of AI-generated sexual imagery, the lines of communication are already open. Instead of immediately restricting an app or device, Charmaraman suggests learning more about a teen's intentions, such as why they wanted to create sexual imagery and whether they were coerced by strangers or peers.

• Deterring illegal imagery.
  Steel said teens often don't grasp that they're creating what's known as child sexual abuse material when they use nudification tools. It's unlikely that they'll face legal consequences when that imagery is shared consensually with an adolescent peer.

  In order to deter teens from creating and sharing images without permission, Steel recommends policymakers explore a bystander approach wherein teens are taught the value of speaking up if they learn their friends or peers are going to use AI to generate sexual imagery of a victim.

  Charmaraman has previously advocated for a "duty of care" standard that shifts safety responsibility from the user to the tech companies that design platforms.

  "Tech companies must also provide tools that allow minors and their parents to manage their digital experience, including the ability to disable certain product features and protect their personal information," she said.

• The risk of sextortion.

  Teens might not always understand that predators are highly interested in amassing collections of child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated imagery. Adult predators may ask teens for this content online, or they may use a nudification app to create that imagery based on publicly available pictures of the victim. Some predators may even try to sextort the teen using a nudified image they made on their own.

  Steel said both parents and teens should be aware of this possibility. Teens might consider using social media account protections, such as keeping their accounts private and allowing only well-known followers to access their photos.

If you have had intimate images shared without your consent, call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s 24/7 hotline at 844-878-2274 for free, confidential support. The CCRI website also includes helpful information and a list of international resources.

TL;DR: Live stream Liverpool vs. Galatasaray in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League is showcasing a number of huge second-leg matchups this week, including Liverpool vs. Galatasaray.

The Turkish side hold a 1-0 advantage after the first leg, so everything is still hanging in the balance. Liverpool are probably still favorites to advance into the quarter finals, but they'll need to be at their best to overcome Galatasaray. The likes of Victor Osimhen and Noa Lang will look to cause problems at Anfield. An early goal from the away side would put some serious pressure on the Premier League champions and manager Arne Slot.

If you want to watch Liverpool vs. Galatasaray in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Liverpool vs. Galatasaray?

Liverpool vs. Galatasaray in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on March 18. This fixture takes place at Anfield Stadium.

How to watch Liverpool vs. Galatasaray for free

Liverpool vs. Galatasaray is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Liverpool vs. Galatasaray for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch Liverpool vs. Galatasaray for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Liverpool vs. Galatasaray (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Liverpool vs. Galatasaray in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Things have been going really badly for Spurs this season, but the 5-2 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid was a particularly low point. Now they face Atletico Madrid again in the second leg, looking to build on an improved performance against Liverpool at the weekend.

It would take a heroic effort from Spurs to qualify for the quarter finals, but anything is possible. The reality is that fans would take anything even remotely positive right now. They don't need a 4-0 win. They just need to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Could that come at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight?

If you want to watch Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid?

Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on March 18. This fixture takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

How to watch Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid for free

Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Champions League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

Say what you want about it, but one thing’s for sure, people can’t get enough of Taylor Sheridan. The healthy lineup of Sheridan's shows set to stream this year on Paramount+ proves his popularity.

Best boring but essential deals: Best trash bag deal Hefty Ultra Strong Tall Kitchen Trash Bags, Lavender & Sweet Vanilla Scent (80 count) $11.97 (save $4.02) Get Deal Best laundry deal Cleancult Ultra Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent Soap, Juniper Sandalwood Scent (192 loads) $24 (save $11.99) Get Deal Best toilet paper deal Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong Toilet Paper (24 count) $25.29 (save $11) Get Deal

We all know the drill by now. Amazon announces a giant, week-long shopping event (this time it’s the Big Spring Sale running from March 25 to March 31) and suddenly everyone is trying to justify buying another air fryer or a new TV (which, I mean, fair). But if you want to outsmart the algorithm and save money where it counts, you need to refrain from your wants and focus on your needs.

Which means the absolute smartest way to shop this sale: the boring stuff.

You know, the everyday, unsexy household essentials we are literally forced to buy anyway. Why pay full price for trash bags, laundry detergent, dishwasher pods, or paper towels? You're just going to throw them in the garbage or flush them down the toilet eventually.

SEE ALSO: I'm trying the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai at home — one minute I'm cheering it on, the next I'm cursing it out

Amazon is already dropping prices on a ton of these pantry and closet staples. Just a quick reminder: while anyone can shop the sale, Prime members are the ones who'll get those exclusive "Best Deals." So if you're borrowing an account, now's the time to log in.

Here are the best boring (but entirely essential) deals you can add to your cart right now.

Trash bags and other kitchen essentials

• Lysol Pro Kitchen Spray Cleaner and Degreaser (22 oz) — $2.97 $3.85 (save $0.88)

• Scotch-Brite Zero Scratch Scrub Sponge (6 count) — $5.97 $7.99 (save $2.02)

• Hefty Ultra Strong Tall Kitchen Trash Bags, Lavender & Sweet Vanilla Scent (80 count) — $11.97 $15.99 (save $4.02)

• Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day All-Purpose Cleaner Spray (16 oz) — $14.82 $17.97 (save $3.15)

• Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Pods (71 count) — $19.94 $22.99 (save $3.05)

• Glad Tall Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags (110 count) — $18.89 $23.49 (save $4.60)

• Blueland 100% Plastic-Free Dishwasher Detergent Tablets (20 count) — $20.99 $23.99 (save $3)

• Seventh Generation Multi Surface Wipes (70 count) — $35.82 $23.49 (save $6.12)

Laundry sheets, detergent, and pods

• Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean Odor Blasters Fresh Burst Liquid Laundry Detergent (128 loads) — $13.98 $15.99 (save $2.01)

• all Laundry Detergent Liquid, Free Clear for Sensitive Skin, Odor Relief, Unscented and Hypoallergenic (90 loads) — $15.99 $21.99 (save $6)

• Blueland Laundry Detergent Tablets, Spring Bloom Scent (60 count) — $22.84 $23.49 (save $1.15)

• Cleancult Ultra Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent Soap, Juniper Sandalwood Scent (192 loads) — $24 $35.99 (save $11.99)

• Grab Green Natural 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Pods, Gardenia-with Essential Oils (132 loads) — $37.49 $44.57 (save $7.08)

Toilet paper

• Eco Soul Premium Bamboo Toilet Paper (12 count) — $23.48 $29.99 (save $6.51)

• Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong Toilet Paper (24 count) — $25.29 $27.79 (save $11)

• Ollie & Vince Bamboo Toilet Paper (24 count) — $43.99 $54.99 (save $11)

The market for PC components right now is very expensive. It's tempting to buy everything used and cheaper, but there are some components you just shouldn't buy used. Getting them secondhand, even at a good price, could put your system at risk and just outright waste your money.

The command line has a reputation problem on Windows. To the average user, it looks intimidating, feels outdated, and often feels like something meant for developers. In reality, a few well-chosen tools can make your experience faster and easier than clicking through menus, installing apps, and managing files.

UPDATE: Mar. 18, 2026, 12:28 p.m. EDT It appears that the brief outage of X has been resolved. DownDetector reports are slowing down and Mashable reporters have since been able to access feeds and search on the platform.

Is X down? That's the question thousands of social media users are asking on Wednesday morning, as an X outage causes problems with the app.

The platform DownDetector showed a spike of tens of thousands of user error reports beginning around 10:30 a.m. ET. As of this writing, the platform has received more than 33,000 error reports from X users. (Disclosure: DownDetector and Mashable are both owned by ZiffDavis.)

Mashable reporters were unable to access the X feed, search, and bookmark tools on the X mobile app, suggesting the outage is ongoing.

The search tool is not working. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable A NASA livestream is no longer working. Credit: Timothy Werth

Massive internet outages have been a recurring problem over the past year, with major cloud services such as Cloudflare, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure experiencing outages recently.

SEE ALSO: Why does the internet keep crashing so often? First Google Cloud, then AWS, now Cloudflare.

Mashable reached out to X for comment, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.

This is a developing story...

I converted my home into a smart home over the course of a single year. Placing a bulk order for 50 light switches all at once, because they were on sale, will do that for you. I’ve learned a lot since then—some of which I wish I knew beforehand.

Pokémon Pokopia isn't the only Pokémon game to come to Nintendo Switch 2 this month.

On Tuesday, Nintendo pushed the big red update button and gave Nintendo Switch 2 owners the ability to play 2005's Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, originally released on GameCube. This is, of course, very cool and good, but there is a catch: You can't just buy and download the game.

Instead, Nintendo has bundled Pokémon XD and a growing collection of other classic GameCube titles in with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, which is $49.99/year.

SEE ALSO: 'Pokémon Pokopia': How to get the Suck ability to move water around

Having to pay for a subscription just to play old games is kind of a bummer, but the good news is you get a lot more than just GameCube games for that price. Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and even Virtual Boy games are also included as part of the deal. Also, crucially, this subscription lets you play new Switch and Switch 2 games online. That part matters a lot, too.

Anyway, once you get that subscription business sorted out, Pokémon XD is a cool look at a previous era of Pokémon. In 2005, mainline Pokémon RPGs were still handheld games, leaving fans to dream of what a real big boy console Pokémon game would look like years before games like Scarlet and Violet came out.

Pokémon XD and its predecessor Pokémon Coliseum (which is not available on Switch 2 yet) are interesting little experiments in that they are technically console Pokémon RPGs, but with entirely unique systems and maybe not quite as much adventurous overworld exploration as you might like.

If nothing else, you can use Pokémon XD to flex your Pokémon battling muscles in between lengthy Pokopia construction sessions.

Following the release of version 0.97 earlier in January, Microsoft continues to refine PowerToys with another incremental but meaningful update. PowerToys version 0.98 focuses on improving usability across the board. There’s a redesigned Keyboard Manager, dockable Command Palette, and enhancements to CursorWrap.