No matter how you feel about it, Star Trek: Picardis a bonafide hit so you know what that means: more Star Trek. Paramount+ is finally making the long-rumored Section 31 project, starring recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. However, this is not a TV show, as previously surmised, but a feature-length movie.

A Yeoh-led Star Trek: Section 31 has been in development since 2019, transitioning from a series to an “event film” with this latest announcement, according to Variety. Production starts later this year, led by writer Craig Sweeny and frequent Star Trek: Discovery director Olatunde Osunsanmi. Producers include Alex Kurtzman, who is behind every iteration of modern Trek, and Rod Roddenberry, son of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry.

In this film, Yeoh reprises the character of Emperor Philippa Georgiou from Star Trek: Discovery, a sort-of evil, sort-of-lovable dictator from a parallel universe. (It’s a long story.) The official logline says that the movie starts when “Georgiou joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.”

That brings us to the titular Section 31. The shadowy organization was introduced in the beloved 1990s series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as a foil for Starfleet, testing the boundaries of the idealism depicted in the future world of Star Trek. Since then, it has popped up in most modern Trek installments, including the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks and in movies like Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Star Trek: Section 31 joins multiple forthcoming Trek projects, such as that just-announced Starfleet Academy show and upcoming seasons of Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Star Trek: Picard finishes its three-season run this week and Star Trek: Discovery returns for a final season sometime next year. In other news, we only have 40 more years until we make first contact with the Vulcans, so there’s that to look forward to.

The IRS released a list of electric vehicles that still qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit after strict new guidelines, announced back in March, officially go into effect on April 18th. The list is very short, as just six EVs now qualify under the new terms. The updated rules pertain to EV batteries and cut out China as an approved trading partner, so we knew the vehicle list would shrink, as most electric vehicles use batteries manufactured in China or by Chinese companies.

If you want to get that full tax credit, choose from the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevy Bolt, Chevy Bolt EUV, some Tesla Model 3 versions, some Tesla Model Y versions and Ford F-150 Lightning. Many EVs lose the full credit moving forward, like the Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen ID.4. So check the full list before zeroing in on your next car purchase. $7,500 is nothing to sneeze at.

EVs shunted out of the exclusive full tax-credit club may still qualify for a half credit of $3,750, so long as they meet certain requirements. Three PHEVs also qualify for the half credit and three more qualify for the full tax credit, including models manufactured by Ford, Lincoln, Chrysler and Jeep. These credits are not about excluding hybrid technology and are all about making sure components are sourced properly. 

Here's how that breaks down. Battery components that are 50 percent made or assembled in the USA qualify for the first half of $3,750 and if the company sources at least 40 percent of critical minerals from the US or free trade partners, the second $3,750 kicks in. If a company meets one or the other standard, the vehicle gets a half credit.

While the list winnowing down to just six vehicles makes for a good headline, it should beef up as automobile manufacturers make changes to meet the rules. New EVs that meet the component sourcing standards will get added to the list and other vehicles will get re-added as manufacturers open new factories in the US and other approved countries. New trade deals could also impact the list of approved vehicles as time marches forward. However, these rules grow stricter over time. Batteries must be completely made in North America by 2029 to continue to stay on the IRS’s good side and get that full $7,500 credit.

Spotify started pouring a whole lot of money into the podcasting space in 2019, making headlines by purchasing entire production studios and signing lucrative exclusivity deals with Joe Rogan, among others. The intention was to draw in paying subscribers via desirable long-form content, but now that experiment may be winding down, as reports indicate that the streamer is dropping the paywall for a number of high-profile podcasts.

The impacted podcasts all come from Gimlet Media, a studio that Spotify purchased during its 2019 spending spree for $230 million, as reported by Semafor. Spotify confirmed this move but hasn't indicated which Gimlet podcasts are moving to a free-to-stream model, aside from the hit Science Vs. Gimlet produces podcasts like Reply All, Crimetown and Surprisingly Awesome. The company further partnered with the streaming giant to create a host of Spotify Originals like How to Save a Planet and Motherhackers.

This not only eliminates the subscription-based paywall for Spotify listeners but opens up podcasts to be shared on other platforms. The end result should be more choices for consumers. 

“Given our position as the leading global podcast platform, we are expanding our windowing strategies to increase the audiences and ad sales potential of our shows," a spokesperson for Spotify told Semafor. "In this case, we’re pursuing broad distribution for some of our original podcasts like Science Vs. This will be done on a case-by-case basis and over time.”

As indicated above, the reasoning here involves expanding ad sales. If a podcast is tied to one subscription-based platform, that narrows the listenership which, in turn, reduces the demand for ad placement. This move does not necessarily spell the end of podcasts as a driving force behind Spotify subscriptions, as the company already allowed some established Gimlet shows to be widely distributed after the 2019 acquisition. This could be just another experiment as Spotify looks for the perfect marriage between subscriber growth and ad revenue.

Researchers at the University of Chicago have unveiled an alternative user interface called LipIO that receives and transmits digital information via small lip and tongue movements. This is obviously a boon to those with certain disabilities who may not have the use of their eyes or hands.

LipIO features a thin and flexible plastic sheet packed with conductive materials. The sheet is affixed to the skin along with electrodes that provide contact with the lip. The device works via electrostimulation, with the top layer receiving inputs from the tongue or lower lip via capacitive touch. The trio of researchers created the device using off-the-shelf hobbyist-grade components and have open-sourced all of their work.

While the lip system is perfect for people with disabilities, the inventors see plenty of alternative uses. Various demonstrations show LipIO being used to tune a guitar, receive navigation information while cycling and provide DJs with an additional control source for adding effects.

A. Jingu et al.

The tech could also be used for virtual reality applications. The research paper imagines a related haptic interface to, for instance, render a realistic sense of taste while in VR. In this case, the device would leverage prior research that successfully applied electrical stimulations to the tongue to render basic tastes like sour, salty, bitter and sweet. The researchers even imagine tasting “virtual ice cream” in the metaverse.

LipIO is a relatively cumbersome piece of hardware with plenty of wires, so the next step is to shrink the technology down so it is more practical for real-world use. The researchers also want to make the tech more appropriate for public spaces by eliminating the need to regularly lick your lips. 

Researchers at Stanford Medicine have made a promising discovery that could lead to new cancer treatments in the future. Scientists conducted tests in which they altered the genomes of skin-based microbes and bacteria to fight cancer. These altered microbes were swabbed onto cancer-stricken mice and, lo and behold, tumors began to dissipate.

The bacteria in question, Staphylococcus epidermidis, was grabbed from the fur of mice and altered to produce a protein that stimulates the immune system with regard to specific tumors. The experiment seemed to be a resounding success, with the modified bacteria killing aggressive types of metastatic skin cancer after being gently applied to the fur. The results were also achieved without any noticeable inflammation.

“It seemed almost like magic,” said Michael Fischbach, PhD, an associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford. “These mice had very aggressive tumors growing on their flank, and we gave them a gentle treatment where we simply took a swab of bacteria and rubbed it on the fur of their heads.”

This is yet another foray into the misunderstood world of microbiomes and all of the bacteria that reside there. Gut biomes get all of the press these days, but the skin also plays host to millions upon millions of bacteria, fungi and viruses, and the purpose of these entities is often unknown.

In this instance, scientists found that staph epidermidis cells trigger the production of immune cells called CD8 T cells. The researchers basically hijacked the S. epidermidis into producing CD8 T cells that target specific antigens. In this case, the antigens were related to skin cancer tumors. When the cells encountered a matching tumor, they began to rapidly reproduce and shrink the mass, or extinguish it entirely.

“Watching those tumors disappear — especially at a site distant from where we applied the bacteria — was shocking,” Fischbach said. “It took us a while to believe it was happening.”

As with all burgeoning cancer treatments, there are some heavy caveats. First of all, these experiments are being conducted on mice. Humans and mice are biologically similar in many respects, but a great many treatments that work on mice are a dud with people. Stanford researchers have no idea if S. epidermidis triggers an immune response in humans, though our skin is littered with the stuff, so they may need to find a different microbe to alter. Also, this treatment is designed to treat skin cancer tumors and is applied topically. It remains to be seen if the benefits carry over to internal cancers.

With that said, the Stanford team says they expect human trials to start within the next few years, though more testing is needed on both mice and other animals before going ahead with people. Scientists hope that this treatment could eventually be pointed at all kinds of infectious diseases, in addition to cancer cells.

Desta: The Memories Between is officially coming to the Nintendo Switch and PC on April 26th. If you haven’t gotten a chance to play the well-regarded roguelike, it's likely because it was previously tied to Netflix as an exclusive title for its burgeoning gaming platform.

Desta was developed by the company ustwo, which also created the mega-popular mobile title Monument Valley and its sequel. Beyond some slight graphical similarities, however, Desta is its own beast. The title combines a roguelike gameplay style with turn-based mechanics, with plenty of quirky surprises. The story involves a twentysomething returning home after their dad’s death. You help neighbors deal with pressing issues by solving puzzles and, well, playing a whole lot of dodgeball. The dodgeball challenges change from run to run, which is why this title is sometimes compared to games like Hades and Into the Breach.

This is the Dream Team Edition of Desta: The Memories Between, so it includes every content update that came down the pike since the original launch last year. This includes new story scenarios, updated abilities and a range of difficulty settings. You can also play as three new characters, including Alba from Alba: A Wild Adventure, another ustwo title.

Purchasing this game for Switch or PC also nets you a digital soundtrack and a 52-page digital artbook. Both the art style and the music are singled-out as positives in reviews, so these perks are likely to draw in pre-existing players. It costs around $20 to pick up on the Nintendo eShop or the Steam Store. 

“We’ve packed this bundle with so many new abilities, characters, game modes and more – I can’t wait for our community to get their hands on it,” wrote Lead Designer Joel Beardshaw in a press release when the port was officially announced in January.

It’s been a long time coming, as it was first announced more than a year ago, but Ubisoft’s premium subscription service has finally arrived on Xbox consoles. Ubisoft+ gives players instant access to a large portion of the company's library, and heavy hitters like Far Cry 6, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Immortals Fenyx Rising are all in attendance. Ubisoft says subscribers will get day-one access to new releases moving forward. Browse the full list here.

Ubisoft+ has multiple tiers, and it's making the premium option, called Ubisoft+ Multi Access, available to Xbox owners. Once you subscribe, you can play on any platform that offers support. For instance, users can swap back and forth between the Xbox and PC without losing a save state. The service is also available for Amazon Luna, but PlayStation consoles are still out in the cold, though it is coming at some point. If you have a Sony console, you can sign up for a bare-bones version of the service called Ubisoft+ Classics.

Ubisoft+ Multi Access offers more than just the basic versions of games. You get access to any available DLC and various in-game perks. You also get ten percent off any in-game purchases, if you're into that sort of thing.

The service is not yet available worldwide, but it's currently accessible in nearly 100 countries, the United States included. Subscribing to the plan costs $18 each month, and it auto-renews until canceled.

Microsoft is rolling out a new Xbox system update with an emphasis on the search experience. The company has completely redesigned the console's search page, giving it a “sleek new look” complete with gallery-style results, easily identifiable filter categories and an updated navigation interface that relies on the left and right bumpers.

These improvements to search extend beyond simply perusing your game library or even looking for new titles to buy. There is now an option to search on YouTube within the Movies and TV tab, among other new ways to find stuff to watch. Once updated, you can access the refined search experience by tapping the search button on top of the dashboard or by pressing Y on your controller within the console UI.

The system update also brings a new power-saving mode to better integrate with the recently launched ‘carbon aware’ feature. You can now adjust power settings at any time within the settings menu and adjust the active hours, which means the hours you are most likely to be using the console. If you set your active hours to begin at 10AM, for instance, the console will be ready to wake up at that time. Otherwise, it will fully shut down to draw just 0.5 watts instead of 10 to 15 watts.

During active hours, the console will be ready to boot and will be accessible for remote game installs and the like. Once you update, the mode is set to “always active” so make changes to suit your preferences and schedule. The system update is rolling out now to all users. 

Sony has officially set its latest State of Play showcase for Thursday, April 13th. The stream will be available at 5PM ET on PlayStation’s various social media channels, including Twitch and YouTube. You can also check out the stream via the embedded video below, so keep this tab open.

The company announced that Final Fantasy XVI will be the guest of honor, with 20 minutes of new footage of the forthcoming Square Enix RPG. The game was announced back in 2020 and has suffered from a COVID-19 delay but it finally drops on June 22nd for PlayStation 5. So far, we’ve only seen trailers with minimal gameplay, so 20 minutes of footage is a real treat for anyone looking to get their Chocobo fix.

This is great news for action RPG fans, but it looks like Final Fantasy XVI will be the only game streamed during the event. Sony has given no mention of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Death Stranding 2 or even new titles for that just-released PlayStation VR 2. 

Though the actual gameplay of Final Fantasy XVI remains somewhat mysterious, trailers have highlighted the plot, which involves humans waking up massive monsters called Eikons and all of the fun that follows. The last mainline entry in the series was 2016’s Final Fantasy XV.

Bastl Instruments is no stranger to quirky takes on musical instruments and now they're adding a portable stereo mixer to the lineup. The company just announced Bestie, a tiny mixer with plenty of vintage vibes and control options. This 5-channel stereo mixer boasts individual channel mutes and gain boosts up to +20 dB, so it should integrate nicely with a diverse array of instruments, from guitars to synthesizers and beyond.

This is a Bastl product, though, so innovation comes in the form of a built-in stereo distortion and saturation tool. Low-noise preamps accompany each channel, shining a spotlight on any saturation effects you apply. The effects go from subtle to absolute destruction with the twist of a dial. The company says that it will create a “distinct tremolo-like effect” when pushed to the maximum.

Design-wise, the Bestie takes many cues from its cousin, the Dude monophonic mixer. The form factor is portable and it is powered by a USB-C connection or four AA batteries. There are five stereo channels, translating to five audio sources, but there is a slight caveat. Just like many ultra-portable mixers like Teenage Engineering’s TX-6, the Bestie features tiny 3.5mm input jacks.

These jacks offer instant integration with gadget-like instruments, such as Korg Volcas and the like, but you will need an adapter (or five) to connect to professional-grade synthesizers, guitars and just about anything else. Unlike Teenage Engineering’s mixer, however, it looks like there is enough room in the back of the Bestie to accommodate 3.5mm to ¼-inch stereo jack adapters.

Bastl Instruments

There is one other point of mention to separate Bastl’s new mixer from the pack. At $200, this thing is extremely budget-friendly. Compare that to the TX-6’s mammoth price tag of $1,200 and you can see the appeal. There are other mass-market portable mixers at this price range, but none with this kind of unique audio pedigree. The Bastl Bestie stereo mixer is available to demo at this week’s NAMM 2023 conference and is currently available for preorder, with products shipping out in the coming weeks.