Xbox Game Pass pricing under review as Sharma signals changes
April 14, 2026, 5:27 AM EDT. Microsoft's new Xbox president Asha Sharma is signaling a broader rethink of the Xbox Game Pass pricing and structure, according to The Verge's Tom Warren. In an internal memo, Sharma said the current model isn't final and that, in the short term, the service has become too expensive for players, calling for a 'better value equation.' She also said the company will pursue a more flexible long-term system and will discuss the topic with staff next week. The notes come as rumors swirl about changes, including the potential removal of Call of Duty from the service and cheaper tiers funded by advertising, or trimming secondary offerings such as EA Play and Ubisoft+ Classics to reduce the cost of Game Pass Ultimate. Microsoft raised the price of Ultimate to €26.99/month last year, a move Sharma's notes question.
Distant hydroxyl megamaser spotted from colliding galaxies 8 billion light-years away
April 14, 2026, 5:14 AM EDT. Scientists using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa have spotted the most distant and powerful hydroxyl megamaser to date, emanating from the merging galaxy system HATLAS J142935.3-002836. The signal has traversed about 8 billion light-years to reach Earth, granting a rare view of the universe long ago. A foreground mass magnifies it through gravitational lensing, boosting brightness and enabling study of a system that would otherwise be too faint. The find points to intense gas activity in colliding galaxies and helps clarify how megamasers form and travel across cosmic time. The study is accepted for publication and illustrates how such signals probe the early universe. The discovery relied on MeerKAT observations and adds to insights on distant megamasers.
Long Island students win first place at science fair, advance to ISEF in Phoenix
April 14, 2026, 5:13 AM EDT. Twenty-one Long Island students won first place at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair, earning spots at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix from May 9-15. The event drew about 490 students from 68 local schools, with entries across categories from animal sciences to technology. After an initial round, judges advanced roughly a quarter of submissions to a second round at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. Winners from Bethpage to Wheatley were listed by school and will compete at ISEF. The report also notes a Great Neck South High School team reaching the national level at the NYS Science Olympiad, and a Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School Vibe group winning Singstrong.
Inertia moves to commercialize inertial confinement fusion with LLNL partnerships
April 14, 2026, 5:12 AM EDT. Fusion startup Inertia Enterprises signed three agreements with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to accelerate the commercialization of inertial confinement fusion. The deals include two strategic partnership projects and a cooperative research and development agreement, with Inertia licensing nearly 200 patents. The collaboration aims to advance lasers and improve fuel targets to boost performance and manufacturability for a grid-scale reactor. The National Ignition Facility at LLNL has demonstrated breakeven using laser-driven fusion, a proof point underpinning several startups, including Inertia, which raised a $450 million Series A in February. Annie Kritcher, Inertia's co-founder and chief scientist, helped design the NIF experiment that achieved scientific breakeven. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 has supported fusion startups, framing a path to commercialization.
NASA maps next steps after Artemis II lunar flyby, eyes annual Moon missions and international partnerships
April 14, 2026, 5:05 AM EDT. NASA plans the next phase after Artemis II's lunar flyby, outlining a stepped path to a permanent Moon base. The agency envisions Artemis III as a demonstration that tests commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin in orbit, paving the way for Artemis IV and a crewed landing in early 2028. Officials aim for an annual lunar mission cadence, with initial deployments of rovers, instruments, and energy and comms tech, followed by partially habitable structures and steady resupply. Partnerships with Italy, Canada, and JAXA will augment mobility and logistics. SpaceX's Starship-based lander faces schedule hurdles, while Blue Origin targets a crewless test of its Blue Moon module this year. The plan positions NASA to scale human presence on the Moon.
Xbox Game Pass price hikes spark rethink as Microsoft eyes cheaper, broader plans
April 14, 2026, 4:45 AM EDT. Microsoft has been reshaping Game Pass pricing, with reports of price increases up to 50% on some tiers. An internal Xbox memo acknowledged that Game Pass has become too expensive for players, signaling a push to improve value. The company aims to anchor Game Pass as a core pillar of a broader ecosystem spanning consoles, PC and cloud gaming, even as pricing draws scrutiny amid competition from Sony and Nintendo. Analysts link the changes to adding major releases like Call of Duty to the service, a move tied to the Activision Blizzard acquisition, boosting value but raising costs. Rumors persist of a cheaper, first-party-only tier and a bundled option with Netflix and ads.
What's next for NASA after Artemis II's lunar flyby
April 14, 2026, 4:42 AM EDT. With the Orion capsule safely back from the Pacific after Artemis II, NASA begins mapping the next phase of its lunar program. Artemis II delivered unprecedented views of the far side of the Moon, a solar eclipse from lunar orbit, and a new human distance record. The agency plans a phased path to a permanent lunar base, with Artemis III acting as a critical flight test of landing modules from SpaceX and Blue Origin. Artemis III, set for next year, will dock Orion with a landing module in low Earth orbit to certify systems before a crewed Moon landing. The race to field usable landers continues, while Artemis IV moves crews to a commercial surface module. Future phases include robotic precursors, surface infrastructure, and a sustained human presence, with JAXA collaboration.
This simple metal tube helps scientists predict drought before it happens
April 14, 2026, 4:36 AM EDT. On a snowy morning in Washington's Cascades, hydrologist Toby Rodgers used a long aluminum tube – the Church Sampler – to pull a snow core and weigh it, gauging how much water could flow from melting snow downstream. Invented by James Church in Reno in the early 1900s as the Mount Rose Sampler, the device remains a simple, high-impact tool for drought forecasting. Snow measured each winter translates into estimates of summer runoff for rivers, lakes and reservoirs, guiding water management decisions. Church, a classics professor who studied Sierra snow, realized that winter snow depth helps predict summer supplies. Today, scientists still insert the tube, scrape bottom debris, and weigh the sample to forecast future water availability.
Worms sent to space to study biology in extreme conditions
April 14, 2026, 4:27 AM EDT. Scientists have sent C. elegans nematodes to the International Space Station in a bid to understand how biological systems endure extreme conditions in space. The project named the Petri Pod was funded by the Space Agency and launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, led by the University of Exeter and built by the University of Leicester. The 12-chamber unit will ride outside the ISS on a robotic arm, with four chambers actively imaged by fluorescence and white-light cameras. Each chamber maintains life-support conditions, enabling study of temperature, pressure and air volume in vacuum. The worms will spend up to 15 weeks in space, monitored remotely from Earth. Researchers hope to reveal mechanisms that protect astronauts on long missions and inform life-science work in microgravity.
Skyrmion breakthrough could revolutionize supercomputing, Nature Communications study finds
April 14, 2026, 4:24 AM EDT. Researchers report a breakthrough in magnetic skyrmions-tiny, stable spin textures that move with minimal current. In a Nature Communications paper published April 13, 2026, scientists describe 2-nanometer skyrmions formed in centrosymmetric Eu(Ga,Al)4, challenging the idea that such structures require asymmetric crystals. The team synthesized composition-controlled crystals and probed them with ARPES, linking a Lifshitz transition-a sudden reconfiguration of electronic states-with overlapping or nesting Fermi surfaces that seed skyrmions. The work attributes the vortices to the RKKY interaction, powered by conduction electrons, rather than the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya mechanism. Lead researcher Kosuke Nakayama of Tohoku University says the findings enable deliberate design of magnetic properties for ultra-dense, low-power nanocomputing applications.
Hackers leak Rockstar data after ransom threat; GTA 6 launch remains on track
April 14, 2026, 3:38 AM EDT. Hackers breached Rockstar via a vulnerability in a data-collection app and released confidential information after Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive declined to pay a ransom. The leak is not about GTA 6 plans or pricing, but most data concerns the economics of GTA Online and Red Dead Online. The documents show revenue totals, weekly spending by platform, and which products drive income. A few items touch on the anti-cheat system that could aid cheaters, but no immediate marketing or forecast details for GTA 6 were disclosed. The breach appears not to disrupt players or the company in the near term. Rockstar has limited the leakage to key data, and with seven months until release, the project continues toward launch.
Quantum games aim to teach physics and power quantum software, Leiden researchers say
April 14, 2026, 3:37 AM EDT. Quantum games are helping people grasp quantum physics and could spur new discoveries, says physicist Evert van Nieuwenburg of Leiden University. The work links quantum theory, artificial intelligence, and game theory to build intuition and test software for future quantum machines. Van Nieuwenburg, backed by a 2025 NWO Vidi grant, argues that clear rules and immediate feedback in games translate complex rules such as superposition into accessible learning environments. The project includes Quantum TiqTaqToe, a tic-tac-toe variant where moves can exist in multiple states, now being prepared for more than fifty languages and a child-friendly story version. Researchers are also exploring whether games can train AI to aid quantum error correction and improve algorithms, potentially accelerating breakthroughs in drug design and climate modeling.
Pragmata on Nintendo Switch 2: more than graphics, a seamless fit for handheld play
April 14, 2026, 3:27 AM EDT. This piece argues that Pragmata on the Nintendo Switch 2 is about more than visuals. The demo on the eShop hints at a solid technical baseline, delivering a steady 60 FPS and a surprisingly playable flow in handheld mode, even if some jaggies and softened reflections mute the high-end look. The article notes a hair-lighting effect reminiscent of Resident Evil 7 on Switch 2, but stresses that the real value comes from gameplay. In motion, actions feel fast and responsive, with detailed arenas and enjoyable robot battles. The hub area, called The Refugio, ties upgrades to exploration, letting players boost health, hack speed or weapons. Levels are rich with content and save tunnels, enabling short sessions that suit the hybrid console. Capcom's port feels purposeful and well suited for Switch 2.
South Korea uncovers new chiton species hidden in its deepest coastal waters
April 14, 2026, 3:22 AM EDT. The discovery centers on Acanthochitona feroxa, a chiton once mistaken for a familiar species but revealed as a distinct lineage through genetic work. Researchers from Kyungpook National University collected 295 specimens along Korea's west and south coasts, using mitochondrial DNA sequencing and COI markers to separate A. feroxa from lookalikes such as A. defilippii. The study, published in Marine Life Science & Technology, shows how genetic analysis unveils hidden diversity in long-standing marine groups. The researchers say external similarity can mask deep evolutionary differences, stressing the value of molecular data for understanding speciation and phylogenetic relationships within Acanthochitonidae. The finding suggests that even ancient, seemingly ordinary creatures may hide undiscovered species.
Apple faces RAM shortage as hyperscalers take priority, limiting high-memory Macs
April 14, 2026, 3:21 AM EDT. Apple has quietly pared back high-memory configurations as the global RAM crunch tightens. Hyperscalers' demand for memory has redirected supply away from consumer devices, leaving premium Macs with the most RAM on backorder or unavailable. After months of shortages, Apple appears to have stopped selling Mac Mini and Mac Studio models configured with 64 GB or 256 GB of RAM in several regions, with the option for 512 GB having been removed earlier. Reports from 9to5Mac and MacRumors show pages marking not available rather than long waits. The change hits professionals who rely on maximum memory. Apple still funnels scarce memory toward data-center workloads, a reminder of supply-chain constraints among memory suppliers and the priorities of hyperscalers.
Pragmata on Nintendo Switch 2 proves ports can shine
April 14, 2026, 2:33 AM EDT. During a tour of Nintendo of Europe, we saw that 2026 hinges on strong third-party support. Pragmata on Nintendo Switch 2 is a very good port. In docked mode the game runs at a steady 60 fps with DLSS boosting resolution, and bosses push the hardware without obvious drops. In handheld, VRR and a 120 Hz screen help maintain fluid play, with frame rates hovering around the 40s and rarely dipping when action demands precision. Capcom adds gyro controls for precision. Visuals are scaled for the hardware; some hair rendering sacrifices remain, but the overall look, effects, and models are faithfully represented. The port shows high-end experiences can travel to a portable with minimal compromises, signaling genuine promise for Switch 2's future in 2026.
Tesla Spring Update 2026 adds Grok wake word, Self-Driving app and AI4 hardware mandate
April 14, 2026, 2:24 AM EDT. Tesla's Spring Update 2026 expands Grok, the xAI assistant, via a hands-free wake word, while not taking over vehicle controls. The Self-Driving app launches a one-click FSD subscription and introduces a driving stats dashboard, including percentage of miles with FSD, a streak counter, weekly and monthly views. The rollout begins April 13, 2026, in waves, starting with Premium-connected cars. EU clearance arrives in the Netherlands with RDW after 18 months of testing (1.6 million km, 13,000 trips), OTA rollout 2026.3.6 (FSD 14.2.2.5), EU variant, more restrictive than US. France will see the Self-Driving feature later, pending UTAC and a hoped EU harmonization by summer 2026; access requires the AI4 hardware.
Lunar far side SETI search finds no signals, a quiet start
April 14, 2026, 2:19 AM EDT. Earth-based radio telescopes have hunted for technosignatures from distant civilizations for six decades, but human-made radio noise-phones, Wi-Fi, radar and towers-often drowns the signal. The lunar far side offers a radio-quiet environment, shielded from Earth's chatter. In 2019, China's Chang'e-4 became the first spacecraft to soft-land there, enabling new listening. Researchers used the lander's low-frequency spectrometer to conduct the first SETI search from the Moon's far side. They built a model to strip noise, align signals across the lander's antennas, and hunt for regular timing patterns and structured frequency signatures of technology. Result: no credible signal. No candidate beyond natural or instrumental causes. Yet the team argues this is progress-absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Quantum systems can remember and forget at the same time, scientists discover
April 14, 2026, 2:18 AM EDT. An international team revisited how memory works in quantum systems and found it can depend on how you describe the system. The study shows a process can seem memoryless when viewed one way, yet retain memory when examined from another angle. Two frameworks drive this difference: Schrödinger's focus on quantum states and Heisenberg's emphasis on observables. Some memory effects appear only in the evolution of states; others emerge only in observables. As a result, a system may look memoryless in one description but reveal memory in another. Published in PRX Quantum, the work involves the University of Turku, the University of Milan and Nicolaus Copernicus University. Implications touch foundational understanding and practical quantum technology, from mitigating noise to exploiting environmental effects.
Artemis II milestone prompts scrutiny of US space leadership and rules
April 14, 2026, 2:14 AM EDT. Artemis II marked a historic crewed lunar fly-by, the first woman and first person of color to orbit the Moon. The mission underscored engineering prowess and advances the United States' plan to establish a permanent Moon base by 2030, framed as asserting space leadership and a growing lunar economy. Analysts describe a space race with China, centered on access to resources at the lunar south pole, including water ice for life support and propellant. The Artemis Accords-anchored in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967-seek a non-binding governance blueprint, but critics say they risk sidelining multilateral processes. Sixty-one countries have signed, with limited new signatories recently. Back home, policy scrutiny rises as national actions – including a controversial Truth Social post about Iran – complicate perceptions of US leadership in space.
UBC develops starch-based wash to remove pesticides and extend produce shelf life
April 14, 2026, 12:43 AM EDT. UBC researchers created a natural, biodegradable wash for fruit that uses starch-based particles capped in iron and tannic acid. The tiny clusters act like a sponge, lifting pesticides from the surface. In tests on apples at typical concentrations (~10 mg/L), the wash removed 86-94% of residues, far surpassing tap water, baking soda or plain starch. After washing, fruit is dipped in a light edible coating that slows browning and moisture loss. Fresh-cut apples stayed crisp longer; whole grapes remained plump for 15 days at room temperature. The coating shows antimicrobial effects and uses iron and phenolic compounds. The team says the method is safe, affordable, and could reduce exposure and spoilage while boosting shelf life.
Pragmata confirms price, size and more for Nintendo Switch 2
April 14, 2026, 12:24 AM EDT. Pragmata is confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2. The eShop lists a digital download size of 13.2 GB and notes a physical game card edition. Languages include Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Chinese and Polish. The game is priced at €59.99, with a Deluxe Edition at €69.99. Capcom has already announced a Diana Amiibo and released initial Switch 2 screenshots. A demo is live on the eShop, and early comparisons suggested visuals were stronger than Xbox Series S. The release is now slated for 17 April 2026, moved up a week from the original plan. The eShop cites roughly 17 GB install size for that version.
