Reports from Galaxy S24 users claim their phones are experiencing severe battery drain issues after One UI 9.
One device under “heavy use” reportedly dropped 95% in a little over five hours; however, it appears quite excessive in nature.
Another report from a Galaxy S25 user states their device dropped a whopping 40% while sitting idle.
A recent report from a Korean Galaxy S26 user states their device locked up after downloading One UI 9 due a “webpage unavailable bug.”
Samsung has had a busy month. One UI 9 is rolling out on its current-gen and past-gen phones, but it’s the latter that’s worse off.
A Galaxy S24 Ultra user has reportedly experienced severe battery drain since downloading Samsung’s One UI 9 update (via SammyFans). The phone’s battery reportedly consumed 95% of its charge in five hours and twenty minutes. The post states this was after “heavy use.” However, this might seem a bit excessive. The Galaxy S24 Ultra in question only reported a little over three hours of “screen-on time” (SoT).
It’s unclear how widespread the problem is. Some users haven’t noticed vastly different battery experiences since downloading One UI 9, while others have. A 9to5Google highlighted a Reddit thread discussing whether or not the Galaxy S24 is suffering from extreme battery drain. Curiously, one user reports horrendous idle battery drain with their phone.
Latest Videos FromAndroid Central
One user had only two and a half hours of SoT, and their battery dropped significantly. In almost 11 hours, their battery lost 40% of its charge while sitting idle. More users continued to share their “since last charge” data. Users with higher SoT showed understandable battery drain.
The folks at 9to5 noticed some reports concerning the Galaxy S25 series. A user said they’ve had to start charging their phone multiple times a day to get through. We’ve not noticed any significant changes in our Galaxy S25 Ultra, so this could be one of those weird case-by-case situations.
Bumps in the road
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
Android Central’s Take
I hate tech problems. I’ll always hate tech problems. But nothing’s more frustrating than when you’re struggling from something, but many others aren’t. At that point, where do you find your answers? These battery drain issues have been gaining traction. I’ve seen reports on Samsung’s community forums, and of course, there’s Reddit, too. If something is amiss, hopefully Samsung sees it and can help those affected.
The situation only gets weirder when you factor in the strange setup bug that one Korean user encountered with One UI 9. The user states they’re unable to get to the lock and home screens after updating to Android 17. They are consistently given an error on the final step, but Samsung responded quickly. To fix the “webpage is unavailable” error, Samsung said to ensure the browser is updated. What’s more, it recommends switching to a stable Wi-Fi connection.
This is another that’s not widespread. However, Samsung might roll out a fix for this to cover its bases and make sure more users aren’t affected. The only question is when that might happen.
Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android
A balance transfer moves credit card debt from one account to another, typically to take advantage of a promotional zero percent interest period on the receiving card. Used correctly, it can allow aggressive debt paydown without interest accrual. Used incorrectly, it can leave the borrower in the same or worse position when the promotion ends. These six things help you use a balance transfer effectively.
The Promotional Period Has a Hard End Date
The zero percent rate on a balance transfer applies for a defined promotional period, typically twelve to twenty-one months. The day after that period ends, the standard interest rate on the card, often fifteen to twenty-five percent, applies to any remaining balance. The promotional period end date is the most important number in the balance transfer decision because it defines how much time you have to eliminate the transferred balance before standard rates apply.
A Balance Transfer Fee Applies to Most Transfers
Most balance transfer cards charge a fee of three to five percent of the transferred balance. A four percent fee on a $10,000 transfer costs $400 upfront. This fee must be factored into the total cost calculation alongside the interest savings from the promotional period to determine whether the transfer produces a net financial benefit compared to staying with the current card.
Is Credit Card Debt Relief Real? When Is It Better Than a Balance Transfer?
Yes, and it addresses a different dimension of the problem. Freedom Debt Relief’s credit card alternatives resource distinguishes between balance transfers, which reorganize the same debt at better temporary terms, and debt settlement, which reduces the total debt amount through negotiated settlements for less than the full balance. Debt settlement is appropriate for borrowers in genuine hardship who cannot manage their debt even at zero percent interest, while balance transfers work best for borrowers who can pay off the balance within the promotional window.
New Purchases on the Transfer Card Are Usually Not at the Promotional Rate
The zero percent promotional rate typically applies only to transferred balances, not to new purchases made on the card after the transfer. New purchases often accrue interest at the card’s standard rate immediately, creating a new interest burden alongside the balance being paid down. Using the balance transfer card for ongoing spending while trying to eliminate the transferred balance undermines the strategy.
Monthly Payments Above the Minimum Are Required to Clear the Balance in Time
The minimum payment on a balance transfer card during the promotional period is typically small enough that it will not retire the full transferred balance before the promotion expires. Calculating the monthly payment required to pay off the complete transferred balance within the promotional period, and confirming you can sustain that payment for the full duration, is the difference between the strategy working as intended and being left with a remaining balance at the standard rate.
The Application and New Account Both Affect the Credit Score
Applying for a balance transfer card generates a hard credit inquiry and opens a new account, both of which temporarily reduce the credit score. The reduction is typically modest and reverses over time, but borrowers who need to maintain or improve their credit score in the near term should weigh this impact before applying for a new card specifically for the transfer.
The Fitbit Edge was announced earlier this month and is only days away from hitting store shelves. The new wearable builds on the success of the Fitbit Air. The Edge offers largely the same tracking experience as you’d get with the Air, but pairs it with an interactive AMOLED display.
As tempting as the Fitbit Edge is, it’s far from the only option out there. If you are looking for Fitbit Edge alternatives, here are five devices worth another look.
Which wearable device would you buy instead of the Fitbit Edge?
996 votes
Google Pixel Watch 5
Joe Maring / Android Authority
The Fitbit Edge is an excellent device if you want more than ultra-basic fitness tracking but don’t necessarily need deeper app support and more robust smart features. If you wish the Edge had a few more apps or features, your best bet might be to upgrade to a smartwatch.
The Google Pixel Watch 5 is a natural alternative to the Fitbit Edge. Team Google builds both, and many of the fitness features onboard will look similar. The big difference is you get the full Android Wear experience, including third-party apps, microphone and speaker capabilities, and the full power of Google Gemini. The larger display on the Pixel Watch 5 is also much easier to navigate. You’ll even get several additional sensors, including NFC for digital payments through Google Wallet.
Of course, nothing is perfect. The Pixel Watch 5 isn’t going to compete with the Edge’s 7-day battery life and, unlike Fitbit, it doesn’t have iOS support. It’s also quite a bit more expensive at around $399, which is a lot harder to swallow than the Edge’s $180 asking price.
Fitbit Air
Andy Boxall / Android Authority
While the Fitbit Edge is getting a fair amount of attention, it was the Fitbit Air that kicked off this newer Fitbit generation. Google decided the world wanted powerful fitness features in a cheaper, no-frills package, and it’s a formula that has actually worked out quite well for the company.
The two devices are actually quite similar when it comes to tracking fitness data, though the Edge adds an ambient light sensor to the mix. Even the battery life is almost identical, with up to seven days on the Edge as long as the always-on display feature is turned off.
What really sets these two fitness trackers apart is the display, or the lack of one in the case of the Fitbit Air. The result is a very small and lightweight band that works well but requires an app to actually examine the data. If you don’t care about using the Edge as a timepiece and don’t mind having to pull out your phone regularly, you’ll save around $80 here.
The Google Fitbit Air is the company’s first screenless fitness band.
The Google Fitbit Air combines Fitbit’s trusted health tracking with Google’s smarter insights in one app. It works with both Android and iPhone and brings fitness, sleep, medical records, meals, and hydration tracking into a single, easy-to-use health hub.
Samsung Galaxy Fit 3
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
Samsung Galaxy Fit 3
The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 is a highly affordable fitness tracker with a price tag of around $70. Samsung’s budget darling not only has a 1.6-inch AMOLED display and battery life of up to two weeks, but it even manages to price itself lower than Fitbit’s screenless Air model.
As you might guess, the Galaxy Fit 3 makes cuts elsewhere in order to achieve rock-bottom pricing. It offers heart rate monitoring, SpO2, sleep tracking, and other basics, but it also cuts out a few key features like continuous heart rate monitoring, skin temperature, and ECG.
The Fit 3 might not have quite as many advanced fitness features, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some people want high-end sensors but don’t care about a display, while others want the whole package. Fitbit covers these two scenarios well between its Air and Edge models, but what about folks who only care about more basic fitness tracking features but would like basic notifications, the ability to view data from their wrist, and a screen that also lets it double as a timepiece? That’s exactly the space the Galaxy Fit 3 occupies.
Affordable price point • Classy design • Long battery life
Samsung’s cheapest wearable.
The Galaxy Fit 3 revives Samsung’s Fit line with positive results. If you want an affordable fitness tracker with great battery life, this fitness band delivers all the basics you’d hope for.
Oura Ring 5
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
Some people want the benefit of fitness tracking without necessarily wearing a device that stands out like a sore thumb. If you’re looking for something that blends in seamlessly and is barely noticeable, the Oura Ring 5 could be worth a further look.
Like the Fitbit Air, there’s obviously no display here, but what really makes the Oura Ring 5 stand out is its design, materials, sizing, and weight. Finally, a smart ring that actually looks like real jewelry.
It doesn’t just look good; it’s also capable of handling basic fitness tracking features and yet still manages around 6 to 9 days of battery life. Just be aware that it doesn’t go nearly as deep down the fitness road as other options on this list, but it makes up for it by providing arguably one of the best sleep tracking experiences on the market.
The Oura Ring 5 is great if you want something less intrusive on your body, but be aware that it is also more expensive at $399, with a $5.99 subscription required if you want to make the most of the device.
Dramatically smaller, more comfortable design • Premium, durable titanium build • Excellent battery life
The Oura Ring 5 shrinks the company’s design by 40% while adding new proactive health features like Blood Pressure Signals, expanded Health Radar insights, and live activity tracking.
Fitbit Charge 6
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
Fitbit Charge 6
The Fitbit Charge 6 might be a few years old now, but it’s still one of the most obvious alternatives to the Fitbit Edge. The two trackers have a lot in common, including many of the same basic fitness sensors.
The Edge pulls ahead by offering a few extras like blood pressure trend reports and loss of pulse detection. Likewise, its display is bigger, brighter, and a bit easier to interact with. Battery life is pretty comparable across the two trackers, though the Edge has a slight advantage that might translate to an extra day of battery life.
If I’m honest, the Edge is a more powerful, comfortable, and lighter device. The good news is that these advantages are small enough that the Charge 6 is still a great value. Not only can you find it on places like Amazon for around $135 (about $25 lower than MSRP), but it also supports digital payments. This is a major difference, as the Edge removed NFC altogether.
Useful physical button • Updated heart rate sensor • All sport modes now on device
The Fitbit Charge 6 is the company’s 2023 top-of-the-line fitness tracker
When it comes to fitness trackers, the Fitbit Charge 6 is now the best product in the company’s portfolio. To get anything better, you’d need to jump up to the Pixel Watch 3, which is a dedicated smartwatch. The Charge 6 has a full-color display, 40 exercise modes, and the most advanced heart-rate tracker Fitbit offers.
The journey of real estate marketing has come so far in the gallery of listing photos. The interactive tours allow buyers to have a good grasp of not just the layout and space but also a deeper understanding of how it is like to live there. This gives them a better sense of expectation without visiting the site. It may seem that the 360 virtual tours, 3D tours, digital twins, and VR walkthroughs are viewed the same, but in reality they are different. Understanding the various differences is important as the state of the property, the marketing budget, the target market, and the listing’s objective all influence the choice of technology. Explore Cad Crowd to get started with your next real estate project.
🚀 Table of contents
Virtual property tour types
The most commonly and frequently used for virtual property tours are 3D tours, digital twins, VR design walkthrough services and 3D virtual tours. A buyer can view the surroundings from a fixed point with a 360-degree panorama. The buyer can navigate an existing property and comprehend its spatial relationships with the help of a scanned 3D tour. By enabling every visitor to have a chance to view a property before it is even constructed, a CGI virtual tour can go one step further.
An immersive real estate tour is a digital experience that offers the potential rentals, renters, investors, and others to have a tour and explore the property without needing to be present in the location. Rather than looking at the photographs, an immersive real estate tour allows users to interact with the spaces.
Depending on the technology, it enables to do the following:
Look around the room in every direction
Clicking between different rooms
Move through the property virtually
Understand the relationships between the rooms
View the floor plans or the dollhouse style models
Examines the finishes and the materials
Explore the property that has not been constructed
Use a smartphones, computers, tablet, or a VR headset
Immersive real estate tours types
The crucial distinction is that the term “virtual tour” refers to the experience rather than the underlying technology. For real estate marketing, there are three strategies that are especially crucial: 360-degree tours, Digital twins or real 3D tours, and CGI virtual tours.
360 panorama tours: simple, familiar, and effective
A 360 panorama tour is usually the simplest form of interactive property tour. Instead of just taking a traditional photograph that could only be captured in a single one direction, a 360-degree camera can make it possible to record its surroundings. The pictures are then combined and integrated by the software to create a spherical or panoramic image. The viewer has the freedom to look around with a mouse, finger, or other device. An example of this is standing in the middle of the living room and then slowly turning your head in every direction. This 360 panorama services aims to reproduce the experience on a screen.
How does a 360 tour work?
Usually, a 360 tour consists of various panoramic images that are connected by navigation points, commonly called hotspots. An example of this is when a buyer intends to enter the tour inside the living room, and then clickable markers are available that lead to the kitchen, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, hallway, and the patios. Clicking the hotspot makes it possible to move the viewer in another panoramic position. This will result in an interactive sequence of connected photo spheres.
What a 360 tour does well
When the objective leans on providing a visual context without the need for a complex 3D model, having 360-degree photography is essential. A nicely furnished kitchen may be depicted in a traditional listing photo, but it may not always show how the kitchen and dining area are connected. The viewer can look around and gain a better understanding of the surroundings with a 360-degree panorama. Producing it for an existing property can also be rather simple.
The procedure typically entails the following for an existing house, hotel, business building, or any other property. The process usually involves using a 360-degree camera to take pictures of the area, capturing several rooms and significant vantage points, creating panoramic spheres by stitching the pictures together, processing and adjusting the pictures, linking navigation hotspots to the panoramas, labels, 3d floor plan services, descriptions, and other interactive components. The tour will be published online. For a typical property, a typical production goal is about 1-2 hours for the onsite captures, followed by 24-48 hours for processing and delivery. However, the precise timeline usually depends on the property’s size, equipment, provider, and level of editing needed.
What is a 360 virtual tour?
A 360 virtual tour is the most common type of tour on the market, and the easiest to understand. As the name suggests, this tour is a panoramic view of a certain space, allowing the buyer to see what is in a room. The 360 tour will most commonly consist of several connected panoramas with navigation points between them. When exploring the tour, one can easily click on the navigation indicators and then one can be taken from, say, the living room to the kitchen. This is the bare minimum a tour can offer, and it usually has little to no interactive elements.
A 360 tour is also the simplest tour to make, mostly it is because it only requires photography. To set one up for your property, you will have to prepare and stage the space, set up your 360 camera, capture the photos, stitch them, connect the panoramas, and publish the tour. Depending on your photographer’s experience, the size of the space, and the details you want to include, it should only take a few days.
True 3D tours and digital twins: more than a collection of photos
A collection of 360-degree photos is not the same as a true 3D tour. The scanning systems gather spatial information about the property and use it to create a digital representation of the space, as opposed to merely connecting panoramic images. This is commonly referred to as a spatial model or digital twin, an example of this category is Matterport-style experiences.
What makes a 3D tour different?
Spatial representation is the major difference to it. In a simple 360 virtual tour services, the viewers are jumping between viewpoints, and with the 3D tour, the system can easily reconstruct the geometry of the properties and the spatial relationships.
360 tour vs. 3D tour and its differences
A 360 tour, in comparison to a 3D tour or a digital twin, is much simpler in both visuals and interactivity. A 360 tour consists of panoramic photos, while a 3D tour usually takes scans of a space, turning it into interactive geometry. In essence, both tours have similar viewing modes and interactives, but a 3D tour contains significantly more data and can give a much more detailed look at the space and its interior. Using Matterport, you can go from room to room, see the square footage and other specifications, and have a Dollhouse or Walkthrough view.
This could be incredibly helpful for anyone buying a house from out of town. They would have a much better understanding of how their kitchen flows into the dining room and how their master suite flows into the guest suites. The navigational benefits a 3D 360 panorama virtual tour servicesprovide could come in handy for buyers who need to envision their furniture in a specific space.
360 tour vs. 3D tour: production process
A 360 tour, a 3D tour, and a CGI tour can be very similar at first glance, which may be confusing. The first tour you may want to consider is a 360 photo tour because it is the easiest to produce and only requires standard photography and stitching of photos. A 3D tour, on the other hand, may take longer to produce because it is created from spatial scans that stitch together the tour. These two can be really beneficial when used, especially for marketing an existing property, but a 3D tour has navigational benefits a photo tour can’t offer.
The “dollhouse” effect
A recognizable feature of a lot of the 3D property tour is the dollhouse view. Rather than having the chance to view the property inside, the viewers have the possibility of seeing the miniature representations of the entire structure. This will help communicate the overall floor layout, the room relationships and its circulation, the number of levels, the relative room sizes, the connections between spaces. This can simplify the organization of the property for purchasers who have trouble in comprehending and understanding the various floor plans.
Existing properties usually are in need of a specialized scanning or equipment for capturing. The workflow includes having to position the 3D scanning camera in the property, capturing multiple scan positions, recording the visual and the spatial information, combining the scans into the spatial models, processing the data into a specialized software, and creating an interactive tour for its viewers, as well as adding the navigations, the measurements, labels, and any other features, and lastly, publishing the completed experience online. Larger or more complex spaces require more scan positions and processing, but the capture process can still be finished rather quickly for a typical residential property. For this reason, 3D scanning services and 360-degree photography should not be viewed as interchangeable services.
CGI virtual tours: exploring a property before it completely exists
What is a CGI virtual tour?
The third category is the one of the most important distinctions especially for the developers, architects, builders, and pre-construction real estate marketers. The CGI virtual tour is created from a 3D model rather than completely captured from a finished physical property. This entails that it does not need to be a completed building for the tour to exist. The designers are able to start with information such as the Architectural plans, the floor plans, the elevations, CAD drawings, BIM modeling services, 3D models, the material specifications, the interior design concepts and the landscaping plans. The information is then converted into a detailed 3D environment. Hence, the environment can then be rendered into panoramic images or exported into a real-time interactive experience.
Benefits for real estate marketing
An artist who is able to recreate the property in 3D software, creating panoramic views that will stitch together to make a tour, makes a CGI tour. A CGI virtual tour has great benefits in terms of marketing new developments or luxury homes. A developer selling units in an apartment that does not exist yet needs a way to showcase to their future buyers what the space can look like.
A CGI tour can be produced from blueprints, CAD drawing services, SketchUp and Revit models, BIM, elevations, finishes, interior designs, and landscape designs. The end result can be incredibly similar to your existing property, allowing for interactive exploration of the place. This can be much more useful than standard photography, especially in the case of pre-construction or early-construction projects.
How are different formats produced?
A 360 tour, a 3D tour, and a CGI tour may have similar end results, but the production process can be very different.
1) 360 photo tours
A 360 photo tour is a very simple tour to produce. It only requires taking spherical photos of the existing property. Once your photographer is done capturing the panoramas, they can be stitched together with navigational points in between, forming the tour. Your tour’s production depends highly on this step; if the lighting was bad, the space wasn’t staged, the camera position was bad, or the panoramas didn’t turn out good, it will show in the tour. For existing properties, a 360 tour is usually the fastest tour to produce, because it only requires the aforementioned photography. It can also be cheap if everything went smoothly.
A 3D tour is much different, because it is produced from scanned images of a space, not photographs. This tour option usually has more visual and informational options; it can have floor plans, photos, and more, all extracted from the scan. The benefit of this tour is that you can extract many things from a single scan tour, but the downside is that you need an existing property to scan.
3) CGI virtual tours
A CGI tour is different from the two tours mentioned above. Unlike the 360 and 3D tours, a CGI tour is a creation of an artist. They will recreate your space in a 3D software, adding materials, lighting, landscaping, furniture design services, and other details that will allow the final tour to look incredibly realistic. More experienced CGI artists are able to enhance and export their virtual tours to real-time engines for more immersive and realistic visuals. A CGI tour can be significantly beneficial especially for pre-construction or even in the making of the early construction projects, as it allows the buyers and renters to see what the finished property will be once done.
Developers can use it to market their properties, while architects and contractors can use it to understand the project at hand. CAD Crowd artists can create rendered 360 tours from architectural designs and 3D models. As such, these tours are a great option for any architect or developer looking to promote a project before breaking ground.
Photo tour, scan tour, or CGI tour? A practical decision guide
If the property is …
Budget
Intended Audience
Ideal Choice
An existing home that needs better online presentation
Low to medium
Targeted audience is the General Buyers
360 photo tour
An existing luxury home where spatial awareness is crucial to understand
Medium to high
Serious buyers
3D scan or a digital twin
A large existing commercial property
Medium to high
Investors, tenants, clients
3D scan or a digital twin
A property still under construction
Medium to high
Buyers and investors
CGI Virtual Tour
An entirely unbuilt development
Flexible
Pre sale buyers
CGI Virtual Tour
A renovation or a redevelopment concept
Flexible
Owners, investors, buyers
CGI tour
A project with solid architectural plans but no completed building
Medium to high
Developers and the prospective buyers
CGI virtual tour from plans
Conclusion
There is no best virtual tour, but it can all depend on having the right tools and options that are ready for utilization. If the property is already existing, and a client is in need of an affordable interactive presentation, it is best to employ a 360 panorama tour. If the property exists, but the buyer needs to understand the complete spatial structure, the 3D scan or the digital twin can be a big help. Furthermore, if the property does not exist yet, it is best to choose the CGI virtual tours that are created from the 3D models or even the architectural plans. The platform Cad Crowd can be a significant help in choosing the right experts who can be a great help in the needs of the project.
Cad Crowd can connect real estate developers, architects, builders, and property marketers with experienced 3D visualization professionals. Whether you need a 360-degree virtual tour for an existing property, a 3D digital twin, or a CGI virtual tour for a development that has not yet been built, you can find professionals with the skills needed for your project. Contact Cad Crowd today for a free quote and connect with experienced 3D visualization professionals who can help bring your real estate project to life through immersive virtual tours and interactive property experiences.
MacKenzie Brown is the founder and CEO of Cad Crowd. With over 18 years of experience in launching and scaling platforms specializing in CAD services, product design, manufacturing, hardware, and software development, MacKenzie is a recognized authority in the engineering industry. Under his leadership, Cad Crowd serves esteemed clients like NASA, JPL, the U.S. Navy, and Fortune 500 companies, empowering innovators with access to high-quality design and engineering talent.
A young girl rides atop her trusted animal companion through the apocalyptic desert of her shattered world. What is she looking for? What happened to this world? Will she be the one to save it?
When I first saw the early trailer for Avatar: Seven Havens, in which Pavi rides her cat-monkey Geet through the Harshlands, I was immediately reminded of Raya and the Last Dragon. (That’s due in part to the fact that my eldest daughter has watched the Disney movie dozens of times over the last year or so.) The opening images are strikingly similar, right down to how they’re framed: Both heroes cross the desert from left to right in a wide shot. Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) rides Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk), a cheerful, bear-sized creature with a hard shell that can curl into a rideable ball. The visual and cinematic similarities are only the beginning.
If Seven Havens has you eager for more animated epics about young heroes traveling through a broken world, Raya and the Last Dragon is a great movie to watch, and it’s easy to steam on Disney Plus.
Raya and the Last Dragon sends its hero across a fractured world
Long ago, the people of Kumandra lived in harmony with dragons. Then the Druun arrived: mindless storm spirits that turn every living thing in their path to stone. The dragons sacrificed themselves to stop the invasion, leaving behind a magical gem that saved humanity. The survivors’ fight over the gem split Kumandra into five lands: Heart, Fang, Spine, Talon, and Tail.
Five hundred years later, the gem is under the protection of the Heart tribe. Raya is the young daughter of Heart’s chief, Benja (Daniel Dae Kim). She’s trained her life to protect the gem and is essentially a warrior princess. Banja calls a meeting among the leadership of the various tribes in the hopes that they can restore peace to Kumandra. Raya is betrayed by Namaari (Gemma Chan), the warrior princess of Fang. A fight breaks out over the gem among the five tribes, and it shatters into five pieces, ushering in the return of the Druun — hence the apocalypse we saw in the opening scene, which occurs six years later.
Image: Disney
Raya is on a quest to find Sisu (Awkwafina), the last dragon, and recover the pieces of the gem in the hopes that she can drive away the Druun once again. Their journey takes Raya and Sisu across Kumandra, where they meet people who have learned to survive by looking out for themselves. Along the way, she realizes she also needs help from people she has every reason to distrust.
That’s where Raya’s story becomes more than a tour through a fantasy map. Raya has a hard time believing in the dream for Kumandra that her father once had. Sisu, meanwhile, keeps insisting that people can be trusted. Their journey puts those beliefs to the test: Kumandra cannot be made whole by one hero collecting jagged pieces of a magic stone. The people who have spent generations treating one another as enemies have to choose to work together.
That theme resonates strongly in Avatar: Seven Havens. Its world, too, has been fractured by catastrophe, leaving people to survive in isolated pockets and plagued by storms. Raya and the Last Dragon imagines what it takes to mend a world broken in this way. It’s not about defeating an external force, but about overcoming the fear and mistrust that keep people divided. In Kumandra, the Druun can only be banished when Raya, Namaari, and members of other tribes choose to trust each other and bring the gem back together.
Seven Havens is still on its way to discovering this answer, but even the latest batch of episodes released Oct. 23 make it clear that breaking down the boundaries between fractured pockets of society is the key to healing the world. Even if you’re unfamiliar with Avatar or have no interest in the parallels, Raya and the Last Dragon still delivers a solid, self-contained fantasy adventure that’s fun for all ages. The only reason it remains so overlooked is that it was originally supposed to be released in late 2020, but the pandemic led to a delayed hybrid release in theaters and on Disney Plus.
At 107 minutes, Raya and the Last Dragon is a brisk adventure with colorful landscapes, entertaining action, and a likable cast. Awkwafina gives Sisu a goofy warmth that never undercuts her earnestness, and Raya’s chain sword is just plain cool. But the journey’s real payoff is watching Raya learn that she can’t put Kumandra back together by herself. That particular lesson is also crucial in Seven Havens, and the way it contrasts with the opening scene of both stories retroactively makes them that much more poignant. They both begin their adventure alone in the desert, but Raya ends her journey with friends and loved ones by her side. We assume that’s where Seven Havens is headed, too. After all, isn’t that most important thing anybody can do in the midst of an apocalypse?
A slew of AI-powered gadgets on the market aims to integrate artificial intelligence into our daily lives like never before.
Some of these AI wearables — including necklaces, rings, and wristbands, as well as portable devices — serve as productivity tools, while others claim to act as friendly companions listening to your everyday thoughts. Even OpenAI is working on a compact AI companion device.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most notable devices.
Bee
Image Credits:Bee AI
Bee is an affordable pendant priced at $49.99 that can either be clipped to your clothing or worn like a fitness band. This device records everything it hears and learns your routines and preferences to create reminders and notes for you. It even features a mute button for those times you want some privacy.
The companion app (currently available only on iOS) is included with a $19 monthly subscription. The app allows you to interact with Bee directly and ask it questions. You can also get key takeaways from your day and chronological transcripts of your conversations.
Amazon acquired the wearables startup in July 2025, launching its first new products earlier this month.
Image Credits:Amazon
Amazon introduced two new devices: the Bee Frontier, priced at $74.99, which can be worn on the wrist or clipped to clothing, and the Bee Eclipse, priced at $99.99, a credit-card-sized device that attaches magnetically to the back of a smartphone.
Both offer the same core functionality as the previous generation, positioning Bee as a more affordable alternative to AI devices such as the Plaud Note and Plaud NotePin. Users can also choose to connect Bee to Alexa.
Friend
Image Credits:Friend
Friend is one of the most hyped entrants in the “personal AI” device market.
This $129 white pendant hangs around your neck and functions as an emotional support companion. It recognizes your tone and mood, allowing you to chat with it as if it were a friend. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth and constantly listens, ready to respond or send you proactive messages, like wishing you good luck before an interview.
However, it has also faced criticism, including backlash against its subway ad campaign in NYC. People vandalized the ads, writing messages like “surveillance capitalism.”
Likely as an attempt to stay relevant, the company recently unveiled a major product update, introducing a new voice feature. Under the name “Friend 2.0,” the updated device includes a built-in speaker that allows it to communicate with users and express a more distinctive personality.
Limitless
Image Credits:Limitless
Formerly known as Rewind, Limitless is another conversation-recording pendant priced at $99.
This device continuously listens, transcribing meetings, calls, and conversations (with consent) into searchable and summarized knowledge. It’s ideal for professionals, especially journalists, looking to recall important discussions.
The companion app comes with 10 hours of AI features per month — such as transcription and summaries — with the option to unlock unlimited features for $29 per month.
Muse Charm
Image Credits:Mark Zuckerberg on X
Meta introduced its first AI wearable in September, offering a new way for users to access its personal AI assistant, Muse.
The device has not yet shipped, but it is expected to feature Jolly, a playful digital avatar that represents the AI assistant. Housed in a pocket-sized device that can be carried around or attached to a keychain, the wearable includes a miniature display showing the avatar. Users will be able to interact with Muse through voice commands and have it complete tasks for them.
Nirva
Image Credits:Nirva
Nirva is a startup founded by former Meta Reality Labs employees, building an AI wearable focused on personal growth rather than productivity or meeting notes.
Worn as a pendant or bracelet, the device listens to the wearer’s speech and uses AI to turn everyday experiences into a personal journal, helping users better understand their emotions, communication style, and habits. Through its companion app, users can explore patterns in their behavior, gain insights into how they communicate, and find ways to improve.
Nirva plans to open orders in November, with shipments to early users targeted for the end of the year. The device will cost $249.
Omi
Image Credits:Omi
Priced at $89, this device can answer your questions, summarize your conversations, create to-do lists, and help schedule meetings. Additionally, Omi is constantly listening and running your conversations through ChatGPT, allowing it to remember the context about you and offer personalized advice.
Omi can be worn as a necklace, but another notable aspect is that it can be attached to the side of your head with medical tape and can detect when you’re speaking to it.
Plaud’s NotePin
Image Credits:Plaud
At $159, Plaud’s NotePin is one of the pricier options on this list; however, its built-in AI transcription and summarization features make it a valuable tool for lawyers, journalists, and students attending meetings or lectures.
The tiny wearable voice recorder can be worn on your wrist or attached magnetically to your clothing. The recordings are saved in real time on your phone, eliminating the hassle of manual note-taking. The device includes 300 free monthly transcription minutes, but with the $8.33 per month Pro plan, you upgrade your transcription time to 1,200 minutes.
This year, the company is gearing up to launch a $179 ultra-thin note-taking device called the Plaud Note Pro, which is now available for preorder.
Rabbit R1
Image Credits:Rabbit
Rabbit R1 is another AI gadget that has quickly become a topic of interest in the tech world, despite facing some challenges during its initial launch. This small, retro-styled handheld device features a touchscreen and rotating camera, at a price point of $199.
The device is designed to be phone-adjacent, allowing you to perform tasks such as booking flights, ordering meals, and controlling apps without needing to pull out your phone each time. Following a crucial software update that rectified previous performance issues, the Rabbit R1 now boasts expanded AI features. For instance, it introduces “Creations,” a feature that allows you to build your own tools and even games.
It features a built-in microphone that remains off by default and can be activated through a flat, touch-sensitive surface on the top of the ring. By pressing and holding the panel, users can record notes, interact with an AI assistant through the companion smartphone app, and manage media playback, including playing, pausing, skipping tracks, and adjusting volume
includes a built-in microphone that stays disabled by default and can be switched on via a touch-sensitive panel on the ring’s upper surface. Users can press and hold it to capture notes, communicate with an AI assistant through the companion mobile app, and control music.
The Stream ring is expected to launch this summer at $299, with silver and gold finishes available.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
ESCAPE FROM PLAYTIME: A Smiling Critters Adventure is a co-opsurvivalhorror experience set in the Poppy Playtime universe. Moon Sweepers Explore the dark depths of an abandoned toy factory and fight to stay alive against the creatures that lurk in the shadows. Each run places you into a unique section of the facility: classrooms, warehouses, testing labs, and the dark corridors connecting them all. The denizens of the factory – fellow rejected Playtime Co. creations – stalk the decaying halls, hunting for prey. You and your friends must work together and utilize your surroundings if you hope to make it out of the factory in one piece. Play with up to 7 friends (2-8 players) in a fight for survival inside Playtime Co. More Critters means more ground covered and more chances for something to go horribly wrong, all enabled with proximity voice chat.
A mysterious Voice sends players into the facility to collect scattered parts and resources. Gather what you need, bring it back safely, and try not to ask too loudly who or what you are really working for. Use whatever the factory gives you to stay alive. Search for tools, uncover clues, find hiding spots, create distractions, and use alternate routes to outmaneuver the rejected Playtime Co. creations stalking the halls. Crawl, jump, and climb through every nook and cranny of the Playtime Co. factory as a Smiling Critter and experience some of the most iconic Poppy Playtime locations through a new (smaller) set of eyes. It’s Playtime Co. as you know it, with a twist. The mysterious Voice seems to be altering the factory’s layout, creating procedurally generated environments that change with each run. Track your progress and examine your hard earned rewards through the Perm-A-Lounge computer to uncover further terrifying company secrets.
Early Access — Launches with the full eight-character roster, one starter zone, and a core enemy lineup. New zones, enemies, and features coming based on your feedback.
Screenshots
SystemRequirements
Minimum Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10/11
Processor: Intel Core i3 9100 / AMD Ryzen 5 3500
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 / Radeon RX 470
DirectX: Version 12
Support the game developers by purchasing the game on Steam
InstallationGuide
TurnOff Your Antivirus Before Installing Any Game
1 :: Download Game 2 :: Extract Game 3 :: Launch The Game 4 :: Have Fun 🙂
I have no particular thoughts on what the afterlife may look like, namely because if there is one, and I’m allowed to hang out in it, I don’t want to be disappointed. What if I have the expectation that it’s a hedonistic paradise and am met with only having a guy named Gary who only eats cheese sandwiches for company? How embarrassing! No, I’ll leave the imagining to others on this particular front. Doing so bears some ripe fruit for me occasionally, too, as is the case today with Abelina, a surreal platformer about a man who died and finds himself tending to gardens and carving masks and trying “not to think about what this place might really be.”
My immediate reaction upon seeing Abelina is that it has the vibe of a Soviet stop motion film only Letterboxd users have heard of, which is perhaps the highest compliment I can give to a game graphically. In it, you play as Vasily, who “died a while ago.” He finds himself in the titular Abelina, an odd, nature-filled afterlife, where he’s been trying to find happiness again with a small handful of other folks doing the same.
I don’t think Abelina is a puzzle game, but it does look like you have to put some thought into your platforming at points. There is flying to be done, dungbeetle-esque rolling, precise jumps to be made. It seems the entire thing is about navigating this otherworldly locale, and hopefully finding some truth amongst it all. You may not always find the correct path, with branching paths and open vistas seemingly offering a multitude of ways forward, all while being led by a “mysterious rabbit-cat.”
It’s also a game with some skill behind it, being led by Gabe Askew, who’s worked on CG cinematics for the likes of Valorant, League of Legends and Love, Death + Robots. Sonically we should be in for a pleasant time too, as Weapons and the recent Resident Evil movie’s composer Ryan Holladay is on the soundtrack for Abelina. I’m curious about what else it has to offer and am keen to get my hands on it to see how that platforming feels. In the meantime, you might join me by wishlisting it on Steam ahead of its release in 2027.
It’s the Full Moon tomorrow (or tonight, depending on your timezone), which means the Moon looks big and bright in the tonight. Hoping to do some Moon gazing? Here’s what you should be able to see.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, Oct. 25, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Gibbous phase, with 99% of its surface visible.
Tonight, without the use of visual aids you should be able to spot the Copernicus Crater, Tycho Crater, and the Mare Crisium. If you have binoculars you’ll also see the Endymion Crater, the Alphonsus Crater, and the Mare Nectaris. Finally, if you have a telescope, you’ll also see the Apollo 16 and 17 landing spots, and the Schiller Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.
What are Moon phases?
The Moon takes around 29.5 days to travel around Earth, and its appearance changes throughout the month. As it moves around our planet, we see different amounts of its sunlit side, from a slim crescent to the quarter phases and eventually a Full Moon. It then begins the cycle again. As NASA explains, these phases are caused by the Moon’s changing position relative to Earth and the Sun.
The eight phases are:
Mashable Light Speed
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
As reported by The Verge, Xbox Chief Operating Officer Helen Chiang is leaving the company after three months in the role—though Chiang had previously been a Microsoft employee for 21 years. Xbox had not previously operated with a COO in its hierarchy, and the role was created as part of CEO Asha Sharma’s controversial brand “reset.”
Sharma announced the personnel change in an October 23 internal memo, and did not offer an explanation for Chiang’s departure. “Her immediate responsibilities are being split up between other Xbox leaders for now,” Sharma wrote. “We’ll share more on COO leadership as plans are finalized.”
Microsoft shared a boilerplate statement on the departure to Eurogamer: “We don’t discuss individual personnel matters. We’re grateful for Helen’s years of service and wish her well.” However, an anonymous source within Microsoft also told Eurogamer that Chiang was “terminated for policy violations.”
According to Sharma’s original reset announcement, the COO was tasked “with end-to-end P&L [profit and loss] responsibility across content, hardware, platform, and services.” Given Xbox’s current focus on cost-cutting and maximizing revenue, that sounds like a fairly key role in Sharma’s project.
It’s hard to imagine Chiang’s departure having any significant impact on Xbox’s strategy or its execution, but it hardly inspires confidence to see such a quick turnaround in an executive-level position, particularly given the overall instability and uncertainty at Xbox.
From the creators of Edge: A free weekly videogame industry newsletter, featuring in-depth news, expert analysis and exclusive interviews
