The Raspberry Pi enjoys the maximum spotlight in the single-board computer (SBC) category. It’s got a versatile lineup of basic to top-tier boards that cater to multiple segments. The Pico and Zero 2W fit into a single-purpose role, while the 4B and 5 series cater towards the more demanding side of projects. But Raspberry Pi isn’t the only deserving candidate on my list anymore. The competition is noticeably outshining the Pi in many respects, some even offering an NPU and a comparable price-to-performance ratio.

Japanese keyboard maker Realforce is teaming up with the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise and releasing four limited edition mechanical keyboards inspired by popular Gundam designs. The four keyboards are based on the Z Gundam and Hyaku Shiki from Zeta Gundam and the Nu Gundam and Sazabi of Char’s Counterattack fame. Realforce’s Japanese site indicates reservations will begin in late December, but there is no pricing.All four models are based on the Realforce GX1 mechanical keyboard, a wired tenkeyless that normally runs $250-ish. It isn’t hot-swap, but it uses capacitive topre switches like the cult classic HHKB and $3,600 Norbauer Seneca. (Though, the Seneca is anything but standard topre.) Realforce mentions both English layout as well as Japanese ISO, so hopefully these mecha-inspired mechs won’t be exclusive to Japan. As a Gundam fan, I’m certainly crossing my fingers they come to the US.But as cool as these keyboards look, I think their designs are a little plain — like the Asus ROG Strix Scope Gundam Edition before them. Elsewhere, there are unlicensed (copyright-infringing) Gundam keycap sets out there that really amp up the nerdy anime fun. I know because I’ve bought some myself. In addition to the Char Zaku II keycaps I put on the Zoom75 Tiga in our recent keyboard buying guide, I’ve got Hi-Nu Gundam and Sazabi keycaps on my Epomaker P75 and Keychron Q1 Max.Now I just need the matching Gunpla kits.

The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is an internet-based protocol that synchronizes the clocks of all devices to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) through the use of a public-facing time server. By using a public NTP server with an atomic clock as a reference, devices can synchronize for accurate and consistent time across a wide range of hardware. It's essentially how all our devices are able to accurately tell the time.

Nvidia is open-sourcing Audio2Face, its AI-powered tool that generates realistic facial animations for 3D avatars — all based on audio input. The change means developers can now use the tool and its underlying framework to create realistic 3D characters for their games and apps.Nvidia’s Audio2Face works by analyzing the “acoustic features” of a voice, allowing it to generate animation data that it maps to the 3D avatar’s facial expressions and lip movement. The company notes that developers can use the tool to create 3D characters for pre-scripted content, as well as for livestreams.Some developers have already used Audio2Face in their games, including Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone creator Farm51, as well as the developers of Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition.In addition to open sourcing the Audio2Face models and software development kits, Nvidia is making the tool’s training frame available, allowing users to tweak its models for different use cases.

Do you often feel overwhelmed by a confusing group chat or a chaotic meeting in Teams? You are not alone. Poor communication on Teams doesn’t just waste time; it creates unnecessary friction and can lead to major misunderstandings. I have spent years using Teams to stay in sync with my colleagues, and along the way, I have discovered a handful of simple yet effective tricks that have transformed my work.

Grooves etched onto the back of a microchip allow coolant to flow through them. Microsoft is making advances with a new way to cool microchips that it says could lead to more energy-efficient data centers in the future. It's a method called microfluidics that involves liquid coolant flowing directly into the silicon. After lab tests, Microsoft found that this strategy can remove heat up to three times better than cold plates currently used in data centers today. The company announced this week that it was able to develop a microfluidic cooling system for a server running core services for a simulated Microsoft Teams meeting. If they can find the same success outside of a lab, microfluidics could cut down the amount …Read the full story at The Verge.

If there's anything I've learned about the Raspberry Pi community, it's that they love to shove hardware into portable shells so they can take their computers anywhere. After all, when the mobo is the size of a credit card at most, why not make it as portable as possible?

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order recognizing the framework of a deal between ByteDance and the US that would satisfy the TikTok divest-or-ban law. The deal values TikTok’s US operations at $14 billion and puts it under the control of companies based in the US.“I spoke with President Xi [Jinping], we had a good talk,” Trump said during a briefing. “I told him what we were doing, and he said, ‘Go ahead with it.’”Under the deal, TikTok “will be majority-owned and controlled” by companies based in the US. The order states that TikTok’s US-based operations will have a new board of directors that will have to follow rules to protect American data and national security, while TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, code, and content moderation system in the US will come under the control of its new owners.CNBC’s David Faber says Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, which is based in Abu Dhabi, will get a 45 percent stake in TikTok’s US company. Investors in TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, will get 35 percent, according to CNBC.When asked whether TikTok’s algorithm will show MAGA-related content, Trump responded, “If I could make it 100 percent MAGA, I would. But it’s not going to work out that way, unfortunately.” Trump added that, “every group, every philosophy, every policy will be treated fairly.”Since coming into office, Trump has continued to push back the deadline for TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company as negotiations dragged on. Last Friday, President Donald Trump said he “made progress” on an agreement with China, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later stating that the administration is “100% confident that a deal is done.”Just one day before TikTok’s most recent ban enforcement deadline on September 16th, Trump announced that he would extend it a fourth time while the US continues working out a deal. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent referenced a potential agreement ahead of the extension, telling reporters that the US and China have reached a “framework” deal, and Trump said that big companies were lined up to buy into it.Trump was the first to attempt a TikTok ban in 2020, and the idea gained bipartisan support under Biden, resulting in a 2024 divest-or-ban law. Critics of TikTok contended the app could be used for surveillance or propaganda by the Chinese government, rejecting anything short of a full sale. But Trump’s own stance softened, he said, in part due to his popularity on the app — and a potential backlash from young voters during the 2024 presidential election likely didn’t hurt. “Is it that important for China to be spying on young people?” he said in January 2025. “On young kids watching crazy videos?”

One of Nintendo’s most recognizable names is stepping down. Today the company announced that the aptly named Doug Bowser, who took over as president of Nintendo of America from Reggie Fils-Aimé in 2019, will be retiring. He’ll stay on until the end of the year — December 31st, to be precise — and will be replaced by Devon Pritchard, who currently serves as executive vice president of NoA.Bowser, who was in charge of sales and marketing before taking over the top job at NoA, was in the role for six years and oversaw a dramatic expansion for Nintendo, which included forays into theme parks and feature films, as well as the recent launch of the Nintendo Switch 2.Today, I announced my plan to retire from Nintendo, effective December 31, 2025. Nintendo has been an integral part of my life for 44 years, starting with Donkey Kong Arcade as a kid in college. It has been an honor to contribute to this incredible company and bring our beloved… pic.twitter.com/nIzCnHjQ9E— Doug Bowser (@thetruebowser) September 25, 2025“One of my earliest video game experiences was playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong,” Bowser said in a statement. “Since that time, all things Nintendo have continued to be a passion for both me and my family. Leading Nintendo of America has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am proud of what our team has accomplished in both business results and the experiences we’ve created for consumers.”In addition to promoting Pritchard, who has been with the company since 2006, Nintendo’s American arm will be adding Satoru Shibata as CEO. Shibata currently serves as managing executive officer and corporate director at Nintendo’s headquarters in Kyoto, and will continue on in both roles moving forward. In a statement about the moves, Pritchard said that “Doug has been a fantastic mentor, and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation he has helped establish.”

In a four-part series of religious lectures in San Francisco, Peter Thiel - yes, that Peter Thiel - has argued that the End Times are nigh and that a biblical Antichrist - yes, that Antichrist - will come to Earth in the form of onerous government regulations placed on science, technology, and AI. These are, incidentally, areas where the tech billionaire, venture capitalist, and cofounder of Palantir has a vested financial interest.Thiel, 57, has lately expressed a fascination with eschatology, or the study of the end of the world, taking a notably esoteric interpretation of biblical and philosophical texts. Last December, Thiel recorde …Read the full story at The Verge.

It's been a week since Techland finally gave us Dying Light: The Beast, and after a full decade, Kyle Crane was back. Sure, we had a mainline sequel in 2022, but the devs clearly tried way too many different things, a lot of which didn't resonate with the fanbase. So, turning Dying Light 2's major expansion into a full-fledged game (while still keeping it free for DL2 Deluxe Edition buyers) was the right call, because we got Kyle Crane back, and what a return to form it has been.

When we reviewed the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, we deemed it the best CPU for gaming that money could buy at the time. And while some time has passed, it's still a very good CPU, and has gotten even better since we've seen the price slowly starting to drop. Right now, you can score the top-end CPU for its lowest price yet, coming in at $430 on Amazon. So if you've been thinking about starting a new PC build, this one is going to be one to consider.