"As Soon as It Fired up, He'd Get up and Go to Lunch": How Age of Empires' Developers Tested Mission...
Ensemble Studios’ Tony Goodman used an unconventional method to gauge Age of Empires scenario difficulty: he would start a new level, leave for lunch, and if the AI defeated him before his return, the mission was deemed too hard. This hands‑on test ensured early players wouldn’t be discouraged by instant defeat, pushing designers toward more accessible gameplay. Ian Fischer, who later worked on Halo Wars and Orcs Must Die!, recalls the practice and warns that over‑simplifying can erode a game’s core depth. The anecdote highlights the delicate balance between accessibility and preserving strategic challenge.
Ursa Major Test Flies a New Liquid-Fueled Missile Engine for Air Force
Ursa Major announced that its Draper liquid‑fueled rocket engine completed a successful flight on the Air Force Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator on Jan. 27, 2026. The sub‑orbital test reached supersonic speeds, providing the first in‑flight validation of propellant stability and throttling performance....
Google Tightens Rules on Out-of-Stock Product Pages
Google Merchant Center now mandates that out‑of‑stock product pages display a visibly disabled, grayed‑out buy button instead of removing or keeping it active. The rule also requires a clear availability label—such as “out of stock” or “back order”—that matches the...
Judge Throws Out Sam Altman's Sister's Lawsuit Accusing Him of Sexual Abuse— but Leaves Door Open to Refile
A federal judge dismissed Annie Altman's lawsuit accusing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman of childhood sexual abuse, citing the claim was filed beyond the standard statute of limitations. The judge, Zachary Bluestone, granted her a narrow window until April 3 to refile...
Gas Prices Leading to Tax Concerns
State lawmakers in Maryland and Georgia are moving to suspend gasoline taxes temporarily as a response to higher pump prices linked to the Iran conflict, while Florida’s governor opposes similar measures. At the federal level, the House Transportation and Infrastructure...
Separately Recited Structures Must Be Separately Present in Accused Device
The Federal Circuit affirmed that when a patent claim separately recites structural elements, infringement requires distinct corresponding structures in the accused device. In Magnolia Medical Technologies v. Kurin, the court held that a single porous plug performing both seal and...
Loyalty without Over-Discounting
Everyday low‑price (EDLP) retailers traditionally avoid loyalty programs because discounts clash with their price promise. The article argues that AI‑driven personalization can replace price reductions, delivering targeted nudges, non‑monetary rewards, and cross‑category suggestions that grow visit frequency and basket size...
Trivy Security Scanner GitHub Actions Breached, 75 Tags Hijacked to Steal CI/CD Secrets
Trivy, a widely used open‑source vulnerability scanner, suffered a second supply‑chain breach when attackers force‑pushed 75 of 76 tags in the official aquasecurity/trivy‑action repository to deliver a malicious payload. The code runs inside GitHub Actions runners, harvesting environment variables, cloud...
Sheinbaum Vows to Slash Mexico’s 75% Reliance on U.S. Natural Gas Imports
Mexico currently sources about three‑quarters of its natural gas from the United States, importing over 7 billion cubic feet per day. President‑elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced a plan to cut that reliance dramatically, aiming to halve imports by 2030 through expanded domestic...
German Federal Court of Justice Reinforces Strict Willing Licensee Standard in SEP Litigation
The German Federal Court of Justice (FCJ) affirmed a strict “willing licensee” standard in SEP litigation, rejecting VoiceAge’s FRAND defense and deeming the implementer an unwilling licensee for delayed responses and insufficient security. The court emphasized prompt counter‑offers, constructive engagement,...
Apollo To Invest $1B In 500 Realty Income Single-Tenant Properties
Apollo Global Management is investing $1 billion for a 49% stake in a new joint venture with Realty Income Corp. to acquire roughly 500 single‑tenant retail properties under long‑term net leases. Realty Income will continue to manage the portfolio, with the...
'It Has to Go Beyond a Display Company': I Spoke to the CEO of a TV Manufacturer About AI, the...
Displace, a US TV maker, unveiled its Pro TV 2, an OLED set that continues the company’s line of fully wireless, wall‑mountable televisions. The device runs Displace OS, a browser‑based smart‑TV platform designed to act as a home hub and integrates...
AI, Automation, And The Modern Law Firm: How Smart Systems Create Leverage
Sarah Persich, known as “The Automation Lady,” discusses how law firms can leverage AI, video documentation, and system integration to streamline operations and drive growth. She recommends recording process walkthroughs with Loom and using ChatGPT or Claude to instantly create...
Medical Supply Vendor Not a Provider Under Comp Law: Pa. Court
A Pennsylvania appellate court ruled that Scomed Supply, a distributor of durable medical equipment, does not qualify as a “health care provider” under the state Workers’ Compensation Act. The decision upheld the insurer’s refusal to pay additional reimbursement for supplies...
FDA Approves Nivolumab Regimen as First-Line Treatment for Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
The FDA has granted first‑line approval for a nivolumab‑plus‑AVD regimen in patients aged 12 and older with stage III‑IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The decision follows the phase 3 SWOG S1826 trial, which showed a 58% progression‑free survival rate and a hazard ratio of...
GWM Hunts South Africa Factory After Losing Out to Chery
Great Wall Motor (GWM) is intensifying its South African strategy after losing the Nissan Rosslyn plant to rival Chery. Holding roughly 5 % of the market and ranking sixth in sales, GWM sees local manufacturing as a lever to improve cost...
The University of Texas at El Paso Is Gearing up to Build Drone Tech
The University of Texas at El Paso’s Aerospace Center secured a $2 million congressional grant to expand its unmanned‑air‑system (UAS) capabilities. The funding will upgrade the Tornillo and Fabens test sites with enhanced power, computing, networking, radar, and beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight (BVLOS) operations....
Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers Place 2nd in Lithuania Land Forces Best Infantry Squad Competition
Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldiers competed in Lithuania’s Best Infantry Squad Competition for the first time, finishing second among foreign teams. The eight‑person squad faced 10 Lithuanian squads and units from Germany, Estonia, Latvia, the Netherlands, and two active‑component U.S....
US Senate Seeks Reporting of Weekly Ferts Sales Data
The US Senate introduced the bipartisan Fertilizer Transparency Act of 2026, requiring nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer manufacturers and wholesalers to report weekly prices and quantities to the USDA for public disclosure. The legislation, sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar and...
Ghana Eyes 3D Printing for Its Next Fleet of Vessels
Ghana’s Maritime Authority is evaluating a proposal from Nigerian firm RusselSmith to establish a 3D‑printing plant capable of producing 12‑metre vessels on Ghanaian soil. The initiative aims to replace the aging wooden fleet, cut deforestation, and lower maintenance costs by...
Higher-Dose Semaglutide Approved Under New FDA Accelerated Review Process
The FDA granted accelerated approval to Wegovy HD, a 7.2 mg weekly semaglutide injection, marking the fourth product cleared under the National Priority Voucher pilot. Phase 3 STEP UP data showed a mean 20.7% weight loss, with nearly one‑third of participants shedding 25% or...
Is Marriott Preparing a New Brand? What Its Global Trademark Filings Reveal
Marriott has filed worldwide trademarks and secured web domains for a prospective brand called “Matter Hotels by Marriott.” The filings, spanning the U.S., Europe, and Latin America, cover hotel, spa, dining and entertainment services, indicating a full‑service concept. Executives have...
Lonely Superpower: Trump Iran War and the End of American Consent
The United States is confronting a strategic deadlock as President Trump pushes an Iran war while key institutions and allies push back. The resignation of NCTC Director Joe Kent, who called the conflict fabricated, underscores internal intelligence dissent. Former presidents...
Fake ‘Trusted Sender’ Labels Misused in New Apple Mail Phishing Scheme
A new phishing campaign embeds counterfeit “trusted sender” banners directly into email bodies, tricking recipients into believing messages are verified by Apple Mail. Apple’s mail client does not generate such labels, so the banners are pure HTML graphics that appear...
Frieren Celebrates the Little Moments as the Gang Takes a Breath
The season‑2 finale of *Frieren*, “Himmel’s Memoirs,” shifts focus from grand battles to the quiet moments that define the characters’ journey. After a dragon‑filled skirmish, the party spends winter in a fishing village, savoring simple pleasures and reflecting on past...
Battery Energy Storage Systems Are Transforming Facility Resilience
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are evolving from idle backup assets into active tools that cut electricity costs and boost facility resilience. By charging during low‑price periods and discharging at peak demand, BESS enables daily peak‑shaving and supports microgrid configurations...
Early Use of Tirzepatide After Heart Attack or Stroke Linked to Key Cardiovascular Benefits
A real‑world propensity‑matched study of 1,666 non‑diabetic patients found that initiating tirzepatide within 14 days of an acute myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke cut the risk of emergency‑room visits, hospitalizations, acute kidney injury, repeat stroke and heart‑failure admission over two...
NASA Exploration, Science Inspire “Project Hail Mary” Film
NASA partnered with the upcoming sci‑fi film “Project Hail Mary,” providing scientific consultation, astronaut interaction, and brand‑clearance for the agency’s logos. The collaboration coincides with the Artemis II launch preparations, positioning the movie as a cultural bridge to the crewed deep‑space...
FBI Takes Down Leak Sites Tied to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security
The FBI seized four domains that Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security used to host stolen data, linking the operation to the state‑run “Handala” group. Handala leveraged Microsoft Intune’s wipe function to destroy data on more than 200,000 Stryker devices,...
American Business Class Pajamas & Mattress Pads Now On More Routes
American Airlines is expanding its Flagship business‑class bedding suite, adding Nest‑provided mattress pads to every international Flagship flight and to Hawaii routes as of late March 2026. The airline first introduced pajamas and mattress pads in summer 2025 on long‑haul...
What Brokers Need to Know About President Trump's Housing Executive Order
President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at addressing housing affordability, directing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to conduct studies and draft new rules. The order highlights support for community and small banks and signals possible regulatory changes that...
Mortgage Executive Sees Pent‑up Demand as Buyers Wait for the Right Moment to Strike
Mortgage applications have slumped as rates climbed from the high‑5s to the mid‑6% range, leaving buyers on the sidelines. Flyhomes CEO Tushar Garg argues that this pause masks significant pent‑up demand that could ignite once rates retreat. Federal Reserve officials...
Perfect Crime Drama Bergerac with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes Lands Season Two Release Date
Bergeric returns for a second season, debuting on U and U & DRAMA on 16 April. The first season earned a flawless 100 % rating on Rotten Tomatoes, highlighting its critical acclaim. Damien Molony reprises the role of Jim Bergerac, a recovering alcoholic detective...
HealthWarehouse.com Goes Back in the Black as B2B Growth Lifts Sales in 2025
HealthWarehouse.com returned to profitability in 2025, posting net income of $265,000 after a $333,000 loss the prior year. Revenue surged 46% to $49 million, driven by an 87% jump in B2B partner‑services prescriptions for GLP‑1 drugs. Gross margin fell to 35%...
NASA Wants to Know How the Launch Industry's Chic New Rocket Fuel Explodes
NASA and the U.S. Space Force are conducting controlled detonations of methane‑liquid‑oxygen (methalox) propellants to quantify their explosive potential. Tests at Eglin Air Force Base began with C‑4 baselines, progressed to unmixed methane and LOX, and will scale to 20,000‑pound...
Home Flippers Face Great Recession‑era Returns as Costs Catch Up
Home flippers ended 2025 with sharply reduced returns as acquisition costs and high resale prices pushed gross ROI to 25.5%, the weakest level since the 2008 crisis. The sector’s share of total home sales fell to 7.4%, the lowest volume...
What Is a Hotel Asset-Light Strategy?
The hotel asset‑light strategy shifts growth focus from property ownership to management, franchise and brand‑licensing agreements. Leading chains such as Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Accor and Hyatt use this model to expand rapidly while keeping capital out of real‑estate. Revenue comes...
This Missile Just Proved Itself in Iran. The US Needs More, ASAP
The U.S. Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) made its first combat debut during the opening hours of the war on Iran, demonstrating a longer range than the legacy ATACMS and the ability to double payloads on HIMARS and MLRS launchers....
California?s Streaming Loudness Law: Time for Ad Tech to Rethink Audio Control
California’s SB 576 now obliges streaming ads to match the perceived volume of surrounding content, shifting compliance responsibility to the platforms that deliver the ads. The rule exposes a split in ad‑tech workflows: client‑side insertion (CSAI) offers little control over audio,...
Prices of Greener Jet Fuel Rise With Oil Shock, Leaving Airlines Exposed
Oil‑supply disruptions in the Middle East have pushed both conventional jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) prices higher, narrowing the premium that SAF traditionally commanded. In March, SAF in Western Europe traded around $2,500 per metric ton, down from...
Filmart & Entertainment Pulse Close After Welcoming 8,000 Attendees
Filmart and EntertainmentPulse concluded after four days, drawing roughly 8,000 industry professionals from 53 countries. The fairs hosted a record 790 exhibitors representing 38 nations, featuring an AI Hub with 19 workshops and a Producers Connect program that gathered over...
How the Iran War Narrowed Flight Corridors Between Europe and Asia
The Iran‑Israel conflict prompted Azerbaijan to shut part of its airspace, shrinking the Europe‑Asia corridor to a 50‑mile bottleneck. With Ukraine‑related restrictions already limiting northern routes, airlines now rely on only two viable long‑haul paths: through Azerbaijan‑Georgia‑Turkey and via Saudi...
Trump: U.S. Could End Iran Military Operations 'Right Now' But Will Continue so Iran Can 'Never Rebuild'
President Donald Trump told MS Now that the United States could cease its Iran‑focused military campaign immediately and still keep Tehran from rebuilding its war‑fighting capacity for a decade. He added that a prolonged presence would make Iran’s reconstruction impossible. The...
Netflix, Warner Music Group Partner For Artist Movies, Documentaries
Netflix and Warner Music Group announced a strategic partnership to produce documentary series and feature films centered on WMG’s artists and songwriters. The collaboration will be executed through Unigram, WMG’s production arm, which will develop each project with the artists...
Game Pass Hit TCG Card Shop Simulator Adds Two Big Features in Latest Update
TCG Card Shop Simulator received its March 2026 patch, bringing the game to version 0.70 and edging it closer to a full 1.0 release. The update introduces a tournament‑hosting system, allowing players to set up prize shelves, schedule events, charge...
AI Shockwave to Come in Trade Secret Disputes
Artificial intelligence is reshaping trade secret litigation by threatening the core secrecy requirement and enabling rapid reverse‑engineering of confidential information. Courts will face new challenges proving a trade secret exists when AI prompts and outputs can leak proprietary data. Discovery...
Top Headlines: This Week’s Biggest Travel Stories
Travel industry faces short‑term headwinds as Middle East tensions push fuel prices higher, inflating airline ticket costs. Despite this, analysts forecast air travel demand to double by 2050, indicating strong long‑term growth. The sector also saw positive momentum at the...
Työvene to Build SWATH-Based Transfer Vessel for German Navy
Finnish shipbuilder Uudenkaupungin Työvene secured a contract from Germany’s BAAINBw to design and build a Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) personnel transfer vessel for the German Navy. The 60‑person capacity craft will operate from Neustadt in Holstein, ferrying crew...
South Korea’s First C-390 Millennium Completes Maiden Flight
South Korea’s Republic of Korea Air Force successfully completed the maiden flight of its first Embraer C‑390 Millennium, marking the aircraft’s inaugural operational test. The flight follows a public tender that made South Korea the first Asian customer for the...
Residence Inn Kansas City Airport Listed for Sale as Fee Simple Interest
The 152‑room Residence Inn Kansas City Airport, a Marriott‑branded extended‑stay hotel, is now listed for sale as a fee‑simple interest. Built in 2007 and last renovated in 2015, the property has seen $5.9 million of capital investment, roughly $39,000 per room....