Instagram wants to be both YouTube and TikTok, but it’s succeeding at neither

A week ago,Instagram announced it’s taking down the orange IGTV buttonthat was perched on top of its billion-user social networking app. The prominently placed portal to IGTV inside the Facebook-owned app was meant to jumpstart Instagram’s quest to be the new-age YouTube. But two years later, IGTV has seemingly found itself in the middle of an identity crisis. Originally pitched as a vertical video platform for a mobile-first generation of viewers, IGTV has struggled to produce the same figures Instagram’s other recent ventures like Stories have....

August 8, 2025 · 5 min · 961 words · Andrew Miller

iRobot and Google partner to make your smart home smarter

If you have smart devices in your home, odds are pretty good one of those devices is from iRobot or Google. The two companies know how to add functionality to your home, and now they want to get even smarter about it. The Roomba maker and search giant are teaming up to find ways that spatial context can improve the functionality of Google’s smart home suite and the overall smart home ecosystem....

August 8, 2025 · 2 min · 361 words · Donna Garcia

Japan’s space agency destroys own rocket just after launch

Proving that rocket launches aren’t as easyas SpaceX makes them look, Japanese space agency JAXA was forced to destroy one of its own rockets after it developed a fault in the early stages of flight on Tuesday, March 7. Mission personnel had no choice but to send a self-destruct command to the new H3 rocket after the second-stage engine malfunctioned just minutes after launch. The Japanese government described the failed mission as “extremely regrettable,” while Osaka University space policy professor Hirotaka Watanabetold Reutersthat the inability to complete the mission successfully would have “a serious impact on Japan’s future space policy, space business, and technological competitiveness....

August 8, 2025 · 2 min · 360 words · Samuel Brooks

Lightning-fast MSI gaming monitor price slashed by 27% in Amazon deal

Lightning-fast MSI gaming monitor price slashed by 27% in Amazon deal Dedicated PC gaming fans will want the best monitor they can afford, and with 27% off the MSRP, this MSI gaming monitor is in a budget-friendly price range. If you want the best out of your PC games, then you’ll need a cutting-edgegraphics cardandCPU. However, those high-tech components won’t do you much good if you don’t have a monitor that can keep up with what your GPU is outputting....

August 8, 2025 · 2 min · 348 words · Erika Johnson

Meta’s Twitter competitor isn’t Instagram’s first ‘Threads’ app

Meta’s Twitter competitor isn’t Instagram’s first ‘Threads’ app Meta is set to launch their Twitter competitor Threads, which connects to Instagram, on August 19, 2025, and it’s not the first time Instagram has used that name for a companion app. Since Elon Musk took over Twitter in October 2022, many alternatives for the microblogging platform have popped up, but none have been able to dethrone the bird app just yet....

August 8, 2025 · 2 min · 331 words · Kirsten Vance

Monkeys in Bali know how much we love our smartphones

Monkeys at Uluwatu Temple in Bali have been terrorizing tourists for years, stealing everything from bags and bottles to sunglasses and smartphones. While it’s already impressive that the cunning creatures have developed bartering skills to ensure they receive food from the victims in exchange for the stolen items, new research shows that the monkeys there have even learned which things matter most to us, prompting them to hold on to the more important items until an appropriate amount of food is offered....

August 8, 2025 · 2 min · 403 words · Danielle Valencia

Monster Hunter Wilds review: thrilling action RPG is shockingly chill

“Why you can trust Digital Trends – We have a 20-year history of testing, reviewing, and rating products, services and apps to help you make a sound buying decision. Find out we test and score products.“ Mother nature’s fury is raging. Lightning strikes down around me as I clash with an enormous monster, one roaring at a decibel level that can’t be good for my little Palico companion. I leap into the sky with my insect glaive and propel myself onto the beast’s back....

August 8, 2025 · 12 min · 2474 words · Brian Molina

Netflix Already Has The Perfect TV Show To Watch While Waiting For Suits Season 9 To Finally Arrive

Summary Netflix has confirmed thatSuitsseason 9 is finally coming to the streaming service, and there’s another fantastic legal drama show to watch while waiting for its arrival. While the series originally premiered in 2011 and ran all nine seasons on USA Network before ending in 2019,Suitssaw a massive resurgence in popularity upon becoming available for streaming on Netflix in the summer of 2023. The legal drama’s popularity recently led to aLos Angeles-setSuitsspinoff seriesbeing ordered and talks of a reunion movie with the original cast, with this excitement being guaranteed to escalate further when the ninth and final season hits Netflix....

August 8, 2025 · 3 min · 494 words · Jessica Fields

Nightwing & Batgirl's Daughter Has the Perfect Name to Honor Their Shared Mentor

Summary NightwingandBatgirldon’t always end up together in every universe, but when they do, they’ve been shown to hunker down and start their own “Bat-Family.” In one dystopian universe, where it seemed like the villains had finally won, they named their daughter after their shared mentor, revealing that perhaps not all hope was lost. In fact, “Bryce” Grayson inspired them to take a big last stand. Batman: Last Knight on Earth– written by Scott Snyder, with art by Greg Capullo features a world gone mad, under the thumb of a villain called Omega – features the most prominent daughter that Barbara Gordan and Dick Grayson have produced in a DC Comics timeline....

August 8, 2025 · 4 min · 713 words · Michael Graves

One Piece Episode 1068: Release date & spoilers

One Piece Episode 1068: Release date & spoilers As the end of the Wano Country Saga draws near, the Kozuki family finds yet another ally on their side. Here are the release date and possible spoilers for One Piece Episode 1068. One Piece’sWano arc is the most thrilling arc to date, with a captivating storyline, plenty of action, and memorable characters. As Big Mom tastes defeat against Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid, the series will continue the fight between Luffy and Kaido....

August 8, 2025 · 3 min · 457 words · Jerry Martin

Pioneer, Elite, Onkyo, and Integra AV receivers get major update for Amazon Music, Tidal, and Dirac

If you own anAV receivermade by Pioneer, Elite, Onkyo, or Integra, you may soon get a big software update. Premium Audio Company (PAC), the company that owns all four audio brands, says that on October 28, it began rolling out new software for 19 different AV receivers that contains playback improvements for Amazon Music and Tidal, as well as enhancements to Dirac room-tuning features on supported devices. Many models will also be updated to the latestGoogle Cast2....

August 8, 2025 · 3 min · 595 words · Timothy Oneal

Pokemon TCG Pocket Lapras ex drop rate is even worse than we thought

Pokemon TCG Pocket Lapras ex drop rate is even worse than we thought TheLapras ex Drop Eventin Pokemon TCG Pocket gives players the chance to unlock the stronger ex version of Lapras. However, a recent datamine has revealed how difficult it can be to get this highly coveted card. While Lapras ex may not be as hard to get asPokemon TCG Pocket’s secret Mew card, getting this card to drop can take a rather long time....

August 8, 2025 · 2 min · 356 words · Kimberly Brown

Shatner, Wheaton lend Star Trek cred to NASA’s videos

Barring any unforeseen problems, this Sunday will see NASA’s Curiosity rover touch down on the surface of Mars. The nuclear-powered machine cost $2.5 billion to construct and NASA has high hopes for Curiosity. The landing “could arguably be the most important event in the history of planetary exploration,” said NASA’s Doug McCuistion ina recent Cnet article. “It truly is a major step forward, both in technology and in potential science return and science capability to unlock the mysteries of Mars in places that have never been accessible to humankind in the past....

August 8, 2025 · 3 min · 495 words · Rachel Schmidt