Nintendo is about to buy its second close ally in as many years. Eurogamerreports Nintendo is acquiring SRD, one of its longest-serving game development partners. SRD has worked with Nintendo since the NES era, and more recently helped with Switch hits like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In that light, it's almost surprising Nintendo hadn't bought SRD sooner.

The purchases is expected to close on April 1st. Nintendo didn't say how much it paid for SRD, but the development house will become a wholly-owned subsidiary. The company bought Luigi's Mansion creator Next Level Games in January 2021.

This isn't as aggressive a move as Microsoft's Activision Blizzard buyout or Sony's acquisition of Bungie. Not that Nintendo is concerned, mind you. Company president Shuntaro Furukawa recently said investors shouldn't expect purchases of studios that lack "Nintendo DNA," and the Switch is still a hot seller. Nintendo just isn't in a rush to snap up developers, and this appears to be largely focused on securing partners while the company is flush with cash.

It's not just passenger cars and big rigs receiving the EV treatment — the vehicles in the middle are getting some TLC, too. Lightning eMotors is doubling its production capacity just weeks after partnering with GM to electrify medium-duty vehicles like delivery trucks, school buses and shuttles. The company's Colorado factory will make up to 1,500 fleet-worthy EVs per year by the end of 2022, with plans to produce 20,000 per year by 2025. Those figures might not sound like much, but Lightning is targeting a relatively niche audience.

The recent team-up will see Lightning "upfit" GM's medium-duty platform with electrified versions. While GM will provide the chassis, Lightning will produce the end product destined for commercial use. Lightning is GM's first specialty vehicle maker to offer full EVs in this category.

The combined efforts might not be as exciting as from-scratch electric cars headed to your driveway. Even so, it represents an important part of a broader effort to reduce transportation emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that 29 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, and more than half of those emissions originate from road-going vehicles that include medium-duty machines. The more companies like GM and Lightning can electrify fleets, the closer they can get to eliminating transportation emissions as a factor in climate change.

Sure enough, Marvel's outgoing Netflix shows are coming to Disney+... but only for some viewers. Engadget has confirmed a MobileSyrupreport that Daredevil, Jessica Jones and other productions will be available on Disney+ starting March 16th, but only in Canada. If you're fortunate enough to live in the country, you'll only have to wait a couple of weeks to keep watching after the superhero shows leave Netflix on March 1st.

It's not clear when these shows will be available in other countries, but Engadget understands it's just a matter of time before you can watch elsewhere.

You could see this transition coming for a while. Disney said in 2017 that it would ditch Netflix in favor of an in-house service, and Netflix had cancelled all its Marvel originals by 2019. Beyond this, Disney has been dropping not-so-subtle clues about its control of the former Netflix characters, with appearances from a couple of them in Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

If there's a looming question, it's whether or not the shows will make their way to Disney+ in other countries or to Disney-owned services like Hulu, where their not-so-family-friendly content might be a better fit. With that said, Disney risks a further split in its Marvel catalog (MODOK is on Hulu, for instance) if it hosts the Netflix shows anywhere besides its main service — it may have to accept that mature and PG fare will sit side by side.

Astell & Kern is still best known for keeping high-end MP3 players alive, but it's now branching out into Bluetooth speakers — and there might be reason to take notice. The Iriver (now Dreamus) brand's new Acro BE100 includes a 32-bit DAC to preserve the audio quality regardless of the source. Accordingly, it's also billed as the first Bluetooth speaker to support both the aptX HD and LDAC 24-bit codecs — you might not have to lose audio fidelity or limit your collection to one audio format.

The BE100 centers on a 55W class-D amp and boasts both a four-inch Kevlar woofer as well as two silk dome tweeters. A 3.5mm aux input jack provides wired audio if wireless just isn't pristine enough.

Not surprisingly, you can expect to pay for the extra quality. Astell & Kern will ship the Acro BE100 for $499 in black and white models when it ships on March 7th, with pre-orders starting February 25th. That's a huge outlay, but the BE100 also exists in a relatively niche space. Most wireless speakers approaching this price range are either party-oriented models like UE's Hyperboom or convenience-focused smart speakers like the Sonos Five. This might do the job if you're more interested in appreciating the subtle nuances of a classical piece than blasting audio around the house.

Acer isn't wasting any time in making use of Intel's 12th-gen ultraportable processors. The PC maker has unveiled new versions of its Swift 5 and Swift 3 laptops that not only make use of new 12th-gen Core chips, but include a handful of upgrades of their own. Most notably, the new Swift 5 (pictured above) has switched to a 16:10 2,560 x 1,600 display whose taller ratio not only helps with vertical content like documents and websites, but helps eliminate the "chin" present on its 16:9 predecessor. The two-tone aluminum shell gives it a more premium look, too, for those moments when you want to impress executives.

The revamped Swift 5 includes up to a 12-core CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 2TB of SSD storage. It also meets Intel's Evo specs for 10 hours of real battery life and fast charging that delivers four hours of use from a 30-minute top-up. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and HDMI 2.1 offer solid connectivity, too. The system is heavier than its predecessor at 2.65lbs, but you might not mind given the upgraded cooling (improved twin fans and D6 heat pipes), a low-noise 1080p webcam and a trackpad made from ocean-bound plastic waste.

Acer

The Swift 3 (shown at middle) is a more modest upgrade. You'll have to make do with a 16:9 display (1080p or 1440p) in this 14-inch system, but you can have up to 2TB of SSD space, 30-minute fast charging and a mix of USB-C, USB-A and HDMI 2.1 ports. The 1080p low-noise webcam also makes the leap to this lower-priced model, and you'll have your choice of more colorful bodies.

Be ready to wait. Acer ships both systems in June, with the Swift 5 starting at $1,499 and the Swift 3 at $850. The Swift 5's price is a steep hike from the $1,000 you would have paid for the late 2020 model, but Acer also appears to be targeting a more upscale audience — there don't appear to be many compromises.

It took nearly three years, but Apex Legends Mobile is almost here — for some people, at least. Respawn has announced a "limited regional launch" next week for 10 countries that include Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines and Singapore. You're likely out of luck if you're reading this, then, but these early adopters will get to play on both Android and iOS.

The small-scale release will last through the spring and help the team refine gameplay and features before a wider launch, Respawn said. The initial mobile character roster mostly sticks to those available when Apex Legends launched in 2019, although the fast-moving Octane will also be an option.

Respawn stressed that you won't see cross-play with non-mobile platforms. You'll need at least an iPhone 6s to play on iOS, while Android users will need 3GB of RAM and OpenGL 3.0 or higher graphics support. The developers have focused their Android optimizations on popular brands like Samsung, Oppo and Xiaomi.

The limited debut might be frustrating if you're eager to play a Fortnite or PUBG alternative. It's easy to understand the cautious approach, however. Apex Legends is one of the few battle royale games to enjoy lasting success, and the mobile debut represents a major opportunity to expand the title's reach. A careful premiere could be key to competing with other heavyweights and keeping Apex in the spotlight for years to come.

Microsoft is following up on a promise to improve Twitch livestreaming on Xbox consoles. As of today, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One owners can stream on Twitch directly from the system Guide. Once you've linked your Twitch account, you just have to choose a "go live now" option to start broadcasting. You also have access to some streamer-friendly options, including the bitrate, resolution, title and separate audio levels for your game and microphone.

The integration is smart enough to automatically pause your feed and change show titles if you switch games, and you can decide whether or not you want viewers to hear your party chat. Your Xbox friends can also choose to receive alerts when you go live on Twitch.

This kind of tie-in wasn't surprising. Microsoft shut down Mixer nearly two years ago, leaving Xbox users without a truly integrated livestreaming option. The Twitch app filled that gap, but required significantly more steps to go live. This makes it more viable to stream on an Xbox, and might help Microsoft compete against Sony's relatively strong Twitch support on the PS4 and PS5.

You might be waiting a while for the next big Call of Duty game after this year. Bloomberg sources claim Activision is delaying the 2023 Call of Duty release after Vanguard "failed to meet" sales targets. Executives reportedly fear they're releasing games in the franchise too quickly, and that Black Ops Cold War may have eaten some demand for the newer title. The free-to-play Warzone might also have affected sales of the paid releases.

Activision is said to be working on projects that would cover the absence, including a new free-to-play online game as well as a slew of extra content for the flagship Call of Duty game arriving in late 2022. Treyarch is believed to be working on the delayed game and would help with the free-to-play offering. The delay isn't connected to Microsoft's purchase of Activision, according to the tipsters. That deal isn't expected to close until 2023.

The publisher didn't confirm or deny the delay in a statement to Bloomberg. Instead, the spokesman promised an "exciting slate" of paid and free Call of Duty "experiences" for 2022, 2023 and the years ahead. Activision would share more when the "time is right," according to the representative. The company had already revealed that this year's release is an Infinity Ward-developed sequel to the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot.

The rumored delay comes as Ubisoft is said to be converting an Assassin's Creed Valhalla expansion into DLC as it looks to fill a void between Valhalla itself and the online-oriented Infinity. While the circumstances behind the shifting schedules are different, there's a common element: both major publishers are struggling to maintain the annual release schedules for their signature franchises. There's no guarantee the companies will slow their releases from this day forward, but they might not be quite as predictable as in years past.

Apple's iOS 15.4 will bring more than AirTag anti-stalking messages and direct iPhone contactless payments. Axios has confirmed the latest iOS 15.4 beta includes a less gendered Siri voice option for English speakers. The voice, recorded by a member of the LGBTQ community, was meant to increase the diversity of Apple's assistant. This should give users more choices for a "voice that speaks to them," Apple said in a statement.

It's not certain if or when the voice will be available in other languages. Apple also didn't say when the finished iOS 15.4 might be ready, although the company is rumored to be holding an event in early March that might provide a fitting opportunity to release the new software.

The move comes roughly a year after Apple's last big push to make Siri more inclusive. As of iOS 14.5, Siri no longer defaulted to a female voice — you had to pick during the setup process. Apple also added two Black voice options to supplement existing choices. This latest update builds on that formula — it's not clear how long Apple will continue to expand Siri's horizons, but we wouldn't be surprised to see more changes.

You didn't think Netflix would leave its TikTok-style comedy feed on phones, did you? Sure enough, the company is launching a test that brings the Fast Laughs feature to TVs. Opt in and you'll get a flurry of hopefully funny clips from Netflix shows, movies and (of course) comedy specials. Find something you enjoy and you can watch the whole affair or add it to your watch list.

The addition is "slowly" deploying to subscribers in English-speaking countries including the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. If it's enabled, you'll find it several rows deep into your home page. Fast Laughs will respect your content settings, but it won't be available on kids' profiles.

The expansion may seem odd for a feature effectively built to reel in people glued to social media apps on their phones, but it's easy to see the logic of a TV edition. Fast Laughs is ultimately a discovery tool for viewers who can't decide on something to watch. This could help you settle on a show relatively quickly when trailers (or Netflix's seemingly endless carousels) aren't enough.