Media
Digital Notebook Throwdown (2026): Kindle Scribe, ReMarkable Paper Pure
The newest Kindle Scribe means there are now three digital notebooks you can buy in the $400 price range. Here's which one you should get. The final new Kindle Scribe, Amazon's e-reader that boasts digital notebook features and a larger screen, which was promised in 2025, has finally arrived. The Kindle Scribe Without Front Light ($430) was announced last year, but is available starting today. In the past, Amazon has launched a single version of the Kindle Scribe at a time.
The Download: the "steroid olympics" and a safer Mythos
Plus: Anthropic has released a safe version of Mythos. The "steroid olympics" were a circus--and a window into our culture A couple of weeks ago, at a $50 million arena built in a casino parking lot in Las Vegas, I witnessed a libertarian thought experiment come to life. The inaugural Enhanced Games were the first sporting competition where participants were encouraged to take performance-enhancing drugs. For supporters of the event, the Enhanced Games offered a glimpse of a future in which medical advances push the human race to new heights--and they never have to get old. As I watched the games unfold, two questions bounced around my head: were they right? And what does that mean for the rest of us?
They expect you to die! The history of James Bond video games, from the good to the bad to the downright ugly
They expect you to die! Interactive takes on MI6's globetrotting spy have been around almost as long as the films, but that doesn't mean all of them were a success. 'The enormity of the idea helped me': how Patrick Gibson became gaming's new James Bond Bond finally arrived in an official video game capacity in 1984, courtesy of Parker Brothers. The game grouped several 007 adventures (Diamonds Are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only) together. Yet despite including elements from each movie, it was essentially the same game throughout: an unsatisfying and tricky mashup of the arcade games Moon Patrol and Scramble, with the player controlling Bond's amphibious Lotus from The Spy Who Loved Me. Obscure pub trivia fact: due to the dispute between Bond producers Eon and screenwriter Kevin McClory, the Diamonds Are Forever segment replaced Blofeld with a villain named Seraffino.
Japan rushing to develop AI tools to aid surgeons
A medical student asks questions to surgical support software tool that uses artificial intelligence. Moves are underway in Japan to develop artificial intelligence tools designed to help reduce burdens on surgeons. While the number of cancer patients in the country is projected to peak in around 2040 amid an aging population, too few people want to become surgeons due to the job's challenging work environment. The government is responding to the crisis by supporting companies working to develop AI technology to help surgeons. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
SoftBank's attempt to get 6 billion OpenAI margin loan stalls
SoftBank's attempt to get $6 billion OpenAI margin loan stalls SoftBank Group's efforts to secure at least $6 billion through a margin loan backed by its OpenAI stake have stalled after the company lowered its fundraising target. SoftBank Group's talks with potential creditors to raise at least $6 billion from a margin loan backed by its OpenAI stake have stalled, people familiar with the matter said, just weeks after the Japanese conglomerate cut its initial target from $10 billion. The company is considering various fundraising options, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. It could still move forward with the margin loan at a later stage, they added. It's unclear why the margin loan discussions stalled. Borrowers and creditors can pause and revisit fundraising discussions for various reasons, and SoftBank hasn't elaborated on its plans, the people said.