Chamath Palihapitiya, best known for his venture capital firm Social Capital and the All-In podcast, announced Monday that the AI coding startup he founded raised a sizable Series A.
The company, 8090 Labs, closed a $135 million round led by Salesforce Ventures with participation from Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo; David Sacks’ Craft Ventures; fellow All-In hosts and “besties” David Friedberg (The Production Board) and Jason Calacanis (Launch); and angel investors like Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora and Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo.
Palihapitiya founded 8090 Labs in January 2024 to offer an AI coding agent specifically for corporate programming teams. Its product, Software Factory, helps corporate coders use AI to build production-quality software, not just vibe-coded prototypes, with all the controls enterprises need, such as audit trails, the company promises.
With the raise, Palihapitiya also announced on X that he will lead the startup as CEO, rather than just serving as a board member.
He said the AI rush today feels like the rise of social media in his career as an early exec at Facebook, long before it became Meta. “Since I left Facebook, I was waiting for a moment like this to return to a full-time operating role,” he wrote. “I am convinced that what we are building now is even more important, so there was no decision to make except to be all in.”
I got married when I was 19 to a man I did not know. I was young and foolish and most importantly, I was not saved. 10 years later, he would still be an unbelieving spouse, but I would give my whole life to the Lord through the most painful situation I’d ever encountered. But nothing would prepare me for my next four years.
Four years I continued to live with an unbelieving spouse. A man who hated me and my faith. A man who pretended to love God on the outside, yet his actions were testimony to the fact that he showed no fruit of the spirit or a desire to change anything in his life. Every single day, I cried out to the Lord, as this man would bait me constantly, trying to get me to sin, trying to fight with me, trying to get under my skin, not helping me with the house, the kids, just living in his own little world except to come out and fight. Constantly asking me to give up the things that were most important to me in my life, and continually moving us around the country looking for something he would never find.
You may be in that situation today. Maybe you know someone who is married to an unbeliever. Maybe you are the unbelieving and unsaved spouse frustrated with your spouse who loves the Lord.
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Whatever the case may be, there are 5 things you need to know…
1 – You cannot change your spouse.
You can try to save them until you’re blue in the face. You can talk about God all day long. You can continually tell them about God, encourage them to go to church, but you will never save them. You see, just as you yourself couldn’t change your own spiritual condition apart from the work of Christ, neither can your spouse. You say,”Yeah, but God wants everyone to be saved, and I’ve been praying for them for so long.” This is true. Salvation does not come apart from your spouse. Okay, now wait a minute, Sarah, you just said a person can’t be saved apart from Christ. Make up your mind.
Okay, let me say it plainly. Your spouse cannot save himself, you cannot save your spouse, but God won’t do it apart from your spouse either. You see, it takes two. It takes God AND your husband. Just like it takes two to create a new life, a new bundle of joy, it takes TWO to create a new life spiritually as well. God and man. They are interchangeable. It’s not possible one without the other.
It is fully human will and it is fully sovereign grace.
It is fully election, God picks and chooses whom He will save, and it is fully human choice, a human makes the choice. They stand before God for their own decisions. The same is true of Jesus. Jesus was fully a human man, but at the same time, He was also fully God.
2 – Your biggest weapon in trying to save your spouse is NOT your mouth.
Now this is where I witness a lot of women getting tripped up. I got tripped up with it too, the first year. You see, after my salvation, I was so excited to share my new-found joy and hope with anyone who would listen. I wasn’t being a pain on purpose, I was just honestly excited. My whole life changed. But, for a spouse that is not ready to accept Christ, it becomes tiresome real quick to hear about it all the time.
I had to learn to edit myself. I had to learn to stop talking about Christ to my spouse. Wait, what??? Yeah, that shocks a lot of people. 🙂 You see, your biggest weapon in helping your spouse come to salvation isn’t your mouth. It isn’t what you say, it’s what you do. Tell me if you’ve heard this saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” In the Bible, it comes from Matthew 21: 28-32. 1 Peter 3:1 says,
In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives…
Win your spouse without a word. WITHOUT. A. WORD. Let your actions, your motives, your love, your new desires, your new heart, your new mind and spirit do the talking FOR you!
3 – Your biggest defense is prayer.
Never wake up in the morning without first praying for your spouse (here’s 30 days of prayer for your unbelieving spouse). Never go to bed at night without first praying for your spouse. Never go 5 hours in your day without praying for your spouse. Your biggest defense, your strongest position is prayer. If you are Christian, God answers every single prayer you have. His answer may be no, maybe it’s wait, maybe it’s yes. But every single prayer is answered.
Don’t believe me? Start a prayer journal.
Every day write down your top 5 prayer requests. Do this for a year and cross off the prayers as God answers them. At the end of the year count up exactly how many prayers you have that God has not answered yet. Hint, I personally do this. God’s total was ZERO! Wasn’t always the way I wanted. I asked Him to give me a way of escape to the nightmare of a marriage I had and He sovereignly allowed my ex-husband to leave and divorce me. But, I say with full assurance, there were no prayers unanswered, so with that said, BE CAREFUL what you pray for!!!!! 😐
4-Ask for help
If your husband refuses to go to couples’ counseling as mine did, go by yourself. Remember, you can’t make him do something, but don’t let him stop you from doing something either. Don’t let him stop you from doing and being your absolute best. Do not wait for him. Go to church without him. Many a times I went to church alone. I ended up having to drive myself because he would blatantly do things to make us late so we’d miss church. Oh, the gas tank is empty, I forgot to tell you, Sarah. Woops, that gas station isn’t open, let’s try another gas station, maybe they’ll be open. Wow, that gas station is really busy, la la la, let’s take our sweet time. Hopefully we’ll get there before service is over. Yeah, true stories here! I know how frustrating it can be, but God doesn’t leave us alone to deal with these things by ourselves. He provides a church, a family for us to be a part of.
5- God is refining YOU
Outside of having the worst husband in the world, I quickly learned that it wasn’t about him. It wasn’t about how HE wasn’t measuring up to God’s standards. Every day as I prayed God would save him and save me from the situation, I learned how to hold my tongue more. I learned how NOT to react when he pushed my buttons. I learned how to be strong in faith, lean on the Lord for wisdom, understanding, and faith. I tell you the truth, I learned more in those 4 years and I grew more in those 4 years than any other time in my life.
Why? Because I needed the Lord so desperately just to get through the day…every day. I couldn’t go one day without being in prayer all day, one day without reading my Bible. Now, it’s easy to find myself too busy or forgetful to do the most important thing in the world, cultivate that relationship with the One that loves me more than anyone else on the planet. Refining of a jewel only comes from fire. Burning off those impurities, dirt, etc. If you’re a new Christian, you will realize in your life as you look back, that the times you learned the most and grew the most in the Lord, was when you were under the most fire you’ve had in your life. The times that are the most difficult for you.
Don’t give up. Don’t lose faith. Don’t lose hope. God is refining you and you will look back and realize it was worth it. Those Hellish last 4 years of my life, I’d do all over again if it meant that I could be there to truly help just one person who is going through it now. And God is using that, my situation, and me to help others around the globe just like you. He will use you too, if you let Him.
“Amid growing public anger over A.I. and a debate over how to regulate it, a group of employers, state governors and foundations has raised $500 million to try to answer some of those questions themselves,” reports the New York Times.
“Just how many jobs will AI upend?” asks the Wall Street Journal, reporting that the new coalition says it’s time to ready the U.S. workforce for a “major” disruption — no matter how large it turns out to be. The coalition “has so far raised more than $500 million — about half of its multiyear goal — from companies and nonprofit groups. It will initially work with state governments in Arkansas, Maryland, Utah and Connecticut. OpenAI and Anthropic are also involved, and academics including MIT economist David Autor sit on an advisory board.”
[The new “RAISE US” coalition] will be led by former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who served under former President Joe Biden, and former Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican. Its mandate, they said, isn’t just to build retraining programs but also to reconsider decades-old policies such as unemployment insurance and act as a working lab for testing the most effective ways to transition workers to new fields. The group will explore corporate incentives for employers to hold on to workers whose jobs are disrupted by AI and prep them for new roles… The mission of the group is to “pull all the levers at once,” Raimondo said. That means teaming up with employers to find ways to help workers gain skills or new roles and joining with educators to roll out different types of training. It also plans to propose policy changes such as tweaking unemployment benefits to let displaced workers continue to get them while they, for instance, start new businesses with AI… In Maryland, the group plans to expand a service-year option in the state to help people gain exposure to such growing fields as healthcare. An effort in Arkansas will focus on supporting “an AI-powered career navigation platform.” More from New York Times:
The organization will work primarily with governors… The theory: States generally control their community college systems, which can translate work force policy through course offerings and industry partnerships. The bulk of the budget will fund pilot programs overseen by about 15 staff members and consultants. For example, Maryland will expand a “service year” for recent high school graduates to provide experience in fields where there are shortages, such as health care. In other states, Raise Us hopes to offer “wage insurance” for workers who take lower-paying jobs rather than dropping out of the work force entirely.
The group plans to furnish technical assistance for companies that want to retain workers as A.I. changes their roles, rather than eliminating them. Microsoft, one of the companies backing the organization, said it had already found a promising model: cross-training its entry-level lawyers in different parts of the organization and equipping them with A.I. skills in order for them to be repositioned as technology evolves. “You can think of doing that with almost any job we have,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president at Microsoft. “It creates an opportunity to transfer people from jobs that are being eliminated to jobs that are being created….”
Ms. Raimondo and her colleagues are not fans of a universal basic income, an idea that has gained popularity in Silicon Valley as an answer to job disruption. They emphasize that work provides more than just wages, and plan to focus on helping people find pathways to new jobs. But it’s unclear whether A.I. will create jobs at the rate that it will destroy them. Jack Malde studied work force policy for the Bipartisan Policy Center and is now going to work for the Windfall Trust, another A.I.-focused think tank. He said long-term income support might be necessary, even if better models for transitioning workers were found. “The truth is, there’s still a lot of uncertainty,” Mr. Malde said. “What we think is resilient now might not be resilient later. We’re not going to get everything right, so we’re going to need those strong safety-net programs.” Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes: If you think you’ve seen this movie before, prior to “partnering with governors, employers, and training partners to help the American workforce make a successful transition to an AI economy” with RAISE US, Raimondo and Holcomb partnered with governors, employers and training partners to help U.S. K-12 students make a successful transition to a CS economy with the Governors for Computer Science coalition.
Hideki Kamiya cut his teeth on the Resident Evil games, working as a designer on the original and director of Resident Evil 2 before moving on to other things, like Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, Okami, and Bayonetta. Ironically, he’s not a big horror guy—he recently expressed a desire for a “non-scary mode” in Resident Evil games—and so understandably is not very interested in returning to the Resident Evil series.
But if he ever did, he would do things very differently. He would make it cozy.
“If I made it, it’d turn into a game where retired Leon goes fishing in the countryside, forages for wild veggies, bakes bread, walks the dog, tends a home garden, drives 50 km to the general store for supplies, invites old buddies over for a barbecue, fixes the neighborhood grandma’s oven at her request, sells homemade lemonade at the local festival,” Kamiya wrote on X(machine translated) in response to a request for a new game that continues the story of Leon and Claire. “But that’d be cool, right… ?”
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(Image credit: Hideki Kamiya (Twitter))
I think it would be cool, actually. It’s an aspect of videogame action heroes that’s not often explored—what do you do when you’re not doing this?—and it’s also a fun way to introduce the series to newcomers who might not be into the usual zombie survival horror thing.
Despite a history of Twitter trolling, Kamiya does seem earnest about the suggestion. “Capcom, there are a lot of voices out there saying they want something like a [Resident Evil] that’s not scary,” he wrote in a follow-up tweet. “So if you have some free time, please consider making it… I want to play it too.”
I’m not a Resident Evil guy myself, but I think I’d give this one a look, too. And never say never: As announced at The Game Awards 2024, Kamiya is currently working on a sequel to the 2006 Capcom classic Okami at his new Clovers studio. Even if he doesn’t want to make the game himself, maybe the suggestion will give Resident Evil’s current stewards at Capcom a nudge.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
The Game Awards 2024: Okami Sequel Announcement / Performance – YouTube
And a semi-relevant side note: If you think ‘horror’ and ‘cozy’ are an ill-suited match, I would urge you to check out Creature Kitchen, one of my favorite little indie games in ages: It’s 20% off in the Steam Summer Sale, so just $6.39/£5.35/€6.23, and there’s also a demo so you can get a good taste of what it’s all about before you commit.
Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for The Angry Birds Movie 3, and this is sure to remind people that, yes, the movie series is still going.
The third movie follows Red (Jason Sudeikis) as faces his “greatest challenge yet,” which is being a dad … and also saving the world. Releasing December 23, The Angry Birds Movie 3 features a big cast of celebrities in addition to Sudeikis, including Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Tim Robinson, Sam Richardson, Keke Palmer, Nikki Glaser, Lily James, and even Mr. Beast.
The trailer has a number of standout scenes, including a memorable sequence where the baby bird continuously pees through a colander, prompting Bomb (McBride) to remark, “It’s like the Bellagio fountain!”
The original Angry Birds Movie came out in 2016, with the sequel arriving in 2019, so this is a film franchise that’s been running for a decade now. The original movie made $352 million worldwide, but the sequel made less than half ($148 million globally).
As for the Angry Birds game series, Sega acquired the Rovio franchise in 2023 for $776 million. It hasn’t been such a successful acquisition for Sega, at least not yet. Sega CEO Haruki Satomi said, “We have unfortunately not achieved the level of results that had been expected prior to the acquisition,” according to GI.biz.
Google states a fix is rolling out late in June for a bug that impacted several of its smart speakers and SiriusXM radio.
Users given multiple errors a month ago, when reports surfaced, and were unable to get their content to stream via a speaker.
While this issue gets resolved, Google’s also debuted its new Home Speaker and expanded Gemini for Home to more partners.
Google has been busy with new launches and bug fixes since May. This week, it’s been reported that a major fix is on the way for a satellite radio problem.
About a month ago, users on the Google Home subreddit reported a sudden problem attempting to listen to SiriusXM radio on their smart speakers (via Android Authority). Getting down to brass tacks, Google responded to this month-old thread this week, stating “We’ve resolved an issue impacting the ability to stream SiriusXM on some Google Home devices.” These “issues” Google refers to were highlighted by the thread’s OP (original poster), who states their smart speakers were unable to stream any content.
Specifically, the user states their device would consistently give them the following error: “I looked for that, but it either isn’t available or can’t be played right now.” They checked their Google Home settings and ensured their SiriusXM subscription was properly linked. Spoiler alert: everything was fine. Further investigations showed that they could listen to the radio via the app, just not through their speakers.
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Many more reports on the subreddit stated similar issues. After contacting Google Support, users were told to run through normal troubleshooting procedures. Many users already said they did this on their own, to be fair. However, through these reports, Google acknowledged it was an issue, at least that’s what users said after contacting support.
Now, over a month later, a fix for the radio issue is coming through for Google Home smart speakers.
New speaker on the block
(Image credit: Google)
In the time that these issues were reported, Google launched the Home Speaker, its future of smart speakers and AI assistance at home. For $99, the Home Speaker is the brand’s first device built completely around its AI, Gemini. The AI is capable of understanding normal speech, meaning users don’t have to constantly remember and throw buzzwords around. The AI can act on multi-step commands, and users can engage in follow-up questions to keep their conversations going.
Since Gemini is so tightly integrated, we all know what that means: Gemini for Home is at its core. When Google expanded its availability to more countries, the company improved Gemini’s response times by 40%. What’s more, it improved the AI’s ability to understand what device users are talking to about to (hopefully) avoid mistaken commands. On a related note, Google opened Gemini for Home to hardware makers and carriers.
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This means consumers will likely see more devices hitting the market that support Google’s AI natively.
Hard-working entrepreneurs put endless hours into building and growing their businesses, often turning parts of their homes into home offices equipped with the latest productivity tech. But just as you deserve premium tools to fuel your business during work hours, you equally deserve exceptional technology to help you truly unwind and recharge. A high-quality home entertainment projector transforms any room into a personal cinema, gaming arena, or sports stadium. With your high-quality HDR projector, you and your guests will enjoy stunning visuals and immersive experiences that make movie nights, gaming sessions, and live sports events feel truly elevated. After a long day or week of strenuous work, you’ll appreciate being able to enjoy big-screen entertainment in the comfort of your own home.
FTC Disclosure: Products reviewed in this guide may have been submitted and provided to Home Business Magazine (HBM) at no cost for evaluation. Receiving products does not influence our editorial content, reviews, or opinions, which are based on independent testing and/or research. HBM does not have direct advertising or other financial relationships with product providers; who may have their own independent affiliate links. Any material connections are disclosed in accordance with FTC guidelines.
Introducing BenQ
BenQ has been a trusted name in innovative display technology since its founding in 1984. The company is driven by its core vision of “Bringing Enjoyment ‘N’ Quality to Life” and a guiding philosophy of “Because it matters.” For busy home-based entrepreneurs, BenQ delivers reliable, high-performance products, such as professional monitors for your home office or entertainment gear, that enhance both productivity and relaxation. The BenQ TK705 series of home entertainment projectors are the perfect choice in your search for the ultimate HDR projector for leisure entertainment.
BenQ’s TK705 Series: The Ultimate Choice for a Home Entertainment Projector
Photo credit: BenQ. The BenQ TK705 Series delivers stunning picture quality, great for cinema, gaming, and sports.
The BenQ TK705 series consists of the TK705i (standard throw) and TK705STi (short throw) 4K home entertainment projectors. Standard throw and short throw refer to the throw ratio of a projector, which is basically how far the projector needs to be placed from the screen to produce a certain image size.
Regarding the throws, the Standard Throw (also called Long Throw) has around 1.0–2.0:1 or higher (e.g., the BenQ TK705i has ~1.0-1.3:1). This means it needs to be placed farther away from the screen. For a Short Throw, the ratio is usually 0.4–0.8:1 (e.g., the BenQ TK705STi has ~0.8:1). This means the BenQ TK705STi can produce large images from a much closer distance, making it an ideal choice for smaller rooms, living rooms, or home offices.
BenQ TK705STi for Home Entertainment
The BenQ TK705STi is a short-throw 4K HDR home entertainment projector that delivers impressive performance in compact spaces. If you are seeking the perfect home entertainment projector for the home office, this might be the best choice, as it has the Short Throw factor to adhere to the space a home office often offers. It features true 4K UHD resolution (3840×2160), 3000 ANSI lumens of brightness powered by a durable 4LED light source (up to 30,000 hours in Eco mode), and excellent 98% Rec.709 color coverage with HDR-PRO and CinematicColor technology for vivid, cinematic images even in rooms with ambient light.
Key features of the HDR projector include built-in Google TV (Android 11) with native Netflix and streaming app support, ultra-low input lag (as low as 5ms), HDMI 2.1 connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2 for audio, USB-C with 30W power delivery, and advanced 8-Way Smart Image Adaptation (auto focus, auto keystone, obstacle avoidance, and screen fit) for effortless setup.
Photo credit: BenQ. The TK705STi is perfect for a smaller space, such as a home office, because its short-throw lens projects large, sharp images.
As mentioned, the TK705STi HDR projector excels in home offices because its 0.8:1 short-throw lens allows it to project large, sharp 100–150 inch images from just a few feet away, making it ideal for smaller rooms or desks without requiring long throw distances or ceiling mounts. The high brightness and auto image correction handle typical office lighting well, while the built-in smart TV platform and low-lag performance support video calls, presentations, content consumption, and light gaming during breaks. You’ll enjoy all this high-tech in a sleek, quiet design that blends into any professional setting or cozy space in the home.
BenQ TK705i for Home Entertainment
The BenQ TK705i offers the same core technology and features as the TK705STi, including true 4K UHD resolution, 3000 ANSI lumens brightness, 4LED light source, Google TV with Netflix, HDR-PRO, low input lag, smart auto image adjustment, and rich color performance. As mentioned, the main difference is its standard throw lens (1.0–1.3:1), which makes it the perfect choice for larger living rooms, dedicated home theaters, or spaces where the HDR projector can be placed farther back (typically 8–12+ feet for a big 100–150 inch screen). It performs best in rooms with more depth, delivering immersive movie nights, sports viewing, and gaming with top picture quality and ease of use.
Perfect for Work-Life Balance and Recharging
A great home entertainment projector can encourage a healthy work-life balance by transforming a productive home office into an immersive entertainment hub. During the day, a large, crisp display can enhance presentations, video meetings, and multitasking. When work is done, the projector becomes the centerpiece for movie nights, sporting events, gaming sessions, and other memorable experiences with friends and family. With the flexibility to create a big-screen experience at home, it’s easy to unwind, spend quality time together, and make everyday moments feel elevated.
Photo credit: BenQ
Fun ways to enjoy a home entertainment HDR projector:
Host outdoor movie nights in the backyard and turn an ordinary evening into a memorable event for family, friends, and neighbors. Set up the projector against a screen or a blank wall, spread out blankets and lawn chairs, and enjoy your favorite movies under the stars. Add popcorn, drinks, and cozy string lights to create a fun, theater-like atmosphere.
Watch live sports on a big screen and bring the excitement of game day into your own home. Invite friends and family over, serve classic game-day snacks, and cheer on your favorite team together without having to deal with crowded venues or expensive tickets.
Play multiplayer video games with friends on a larger-than-life display. The oversized screen also makes it easier for everyone to see the action, creating a fun, social atmosphere that’s perfect for gaming with family and friends.
Stream your favorite TV shows or movies and turn an ordinary evening into a cozy family movie night. Kids will love the excitement of a theater-like experience right at home on the big screen. Complete the fun with popcorn, candy, and other favorite movie snacks, or build a blanket fort for extra-special adventure.
Share vacation photos and home videos during family gatherings or celebrations to relive your favorite memories together. Instead of passing around a phone or crowding around a small screen, everyone can enjoy the experience on a stunning, big display.
Conclusion: A Home Entertainment Projector Is a Smart Investment for Long-term Value
A home entertainment HDR projector, such as one from the BenQ TK705 Series home projectors, is more than just another piece of technology. Instead, it’s an investment in how you experience entertainment at home. With a large, immersive display and versatile functionality, it can transform everyday movie nights, sporting events, gaming sessions, and family gatherings. By bringing a theater-quality viewing experience into your living room or backyard, a projector adds lasting value to your home while creating countless opportunities to relax, connect, and make lasting memories with the people who matter most. You won’t need to leave your home to take your family out, and your friends and family will always look forward to what’s next.
AYN has announced that its Thor and Odin series handhelds are getting another price hike on Friday.
The Thor devices are now $10 to $30 more expensive, while the Odin 2 Portal and Odin 3 handhelds go up by $10.
The price increase goes into effect on Friday, so you still have a few days to act if you’re keen on these devices.
AYN is one of the more premium Android handheld brands out there, but it hasn’t been immune to the RAM crisis. The company previously announced price hikes early this year for some models, but it’s now revealed even more bad news.
AYN confirmed on Discord that the Thor, Odin 3, and Odin 2 Portal handhelds will all receive price increases on Friday (July 3). The firm explained that the Thor Lite, Base, Pro, and Max 512GB models will all receive $10 price hikes. Meanwhile, the Max 1TB model will go up by $30. Big oof. Check out the screenshot below for a look at current prices compared to the new prices.
This is at least the third time this year that AYN has increased the price of the Thor range. Most of these variants saw a $10 to $20 price hike back in January. The company then issued a $10 to $40 price increase in March. What’s particularly notable this time is that the $249 Lite model, which hadn’t received a price increase in 2026, has also seen a price hike.
The handheld maker isn’t stopping with its Thor devices, though. AYN says that pricing for all Odin 3 models and the Odin 2 Portal will increase by $10. This follows a $10 to $40 price hike for the Odin 3 series in March. The Odin 2 Portal increase is especially notable as it’s also managed to avoid higher prices this year.
This is a disappointing turn of events, but these price hikes are out of AYN’s control. AI companies have been buying up RAM and storage at a breakneck pace, resulting in supply shortages and skyrocketing component costs. So electronics manufacturers are forced to pass these higher costs on to consumers. At least AYN is giving a heads-up so anyone who really wants one of these handhelds can buy it at the cheaper price.
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The Battle of the Gullet has concluded in House of the Dragonseason 3, and though Team Black ultimately emerges victorious, Rhaenyra Targaryen pays a devastating personal price. By the end of episode 2, the war has taken another dramatic turn as the fight for the Iron Throne reaches King’s Landing. Along the way, a major character returns after a long hiatus — only to meet their bloody end.
Here’s a look at what happened in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 2, and what it means for the Dance of Dragons moving forward.
Spoilers for House of the Dragon’s season 3 premiere follow.
House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2 ending explained
Episode 2 opens directly after the season premiere ended with Prince Jacaerys “Jace” Targaryen’s lifeless body floating in the Gullet. As the dragonseeds help destroy any remaining Triarchy ships, Jace’s body is returned to Dragonstone where Rhaenyra’s grief is explosive. She becomes bedridden having lost yet another son — but once Daemon brings news that Aemond Targaryen has left King’s Landing and fled to Harrenhal, her agreement with Alicent is set in motion.
Alicent Hightower and her daughter, Queen Helaena Targaryen, spend much of the episode working to convince the troops of King’s Landing to stand down when Rhaenyra comes to take King’s Landing, and they’re mostly successful. Rhaenyra flies directly to King’s Landing alongside Daemon, Ulf White, and Hugh Hammer to take the throne. As she and Daemon infiltrate the Red Keep, they’re met with some resistance from White Cloaks who Daemon swiftly cuts down.
Tom Cullen plays Ser Luthor Largent, a captain of the Gold Cloaks, in House of the Dragon.
In the Throne Room, they’re pinned between loyal kingsguard and members of the city watch (Gold Cloaks). Except city watch captain Ser Luthor Largent remains loyal to Daemon and Rhaenyra since Daemon commanded the Gold Cloaks years prior (Ser Luthor even recalls that it was Daemon who gave him his gold cloak). The kingsguard are then forced to surrender. Rhaenyra refuses to take the throne until Aegon II is dead — except the king has already fled King’s Landing with Larys Strong. As Daemon points out, heads still need to roll.
Daemon makes his way to the cells where Lord Jasper Wylde, the Master of Laws, is already imprisoned. But the jailor has a surprise: “If you would, my Prince,” he says to Daemon. “A gift for you, if you ever returned, from Lord Larys Strong.” We don’t see who it is until Daemon brings him to the throne room, but the gift Otto Hightower, Alicent’s father.
Though Rhaenyra hesitates to kill him, Daemon pressures her to show strength in this moment. He hands her his Valyrean steel sword, Dark Sister. She beheads Otto herself with a clean cut — but not before missing and hacking into his back once first. Then, Daemon quickly executes Jasper Wyld. Only after both are dead does Rhaenyra take a few blood-soaked steps to take the throne. That’s when Alicent and Helaena are brought forward after failing to escape the city. The episode ends on Alicent and Rhaenyra sharing a strained glance at one another.
When did we last see Otto Hightower?
Image: HBO
Otto has been largely absent since the early episodes of season 2, so it might be easy to forget exactly what happened to him.
Following Aegon II’s coronation, Otto continued serving as Hand of the King to his grandson, hoping to guide him through the opening stages of the war. The two quickly butted heads. Otto repeatedly argued for patience and diplomacy, while Aegon demanded swift vengeance against the Blacks for the death of his child.
Their relationship eventually collapsed. Aegon publicly humiliated Otto, stripped him of his office, and made Criston Cole the Hand of the King, saying he will be a “steel fist.” Otto then tossed the badge at Cole’s feet. Otto had only one scene after this, which was a conversation with Alicent in which he said he’d return to Oldtown, but she asks him to go to Highgarden to negotiate the allegiance of House Tyrell. As far as any of us viewers knew, he left for one or both of these destinations. Yet in the season 2 finale, we saw a brief scene of him imprisoned in a cell without any context as to how he got there or even exactly where he was.
House of the Dragon’s latest episode confirms it was Larys Strong who orchestrated his capture. (As the Master of Spies, that certainly makes it plausible.) Strong, in some ways, is playing both sides of the war. He secretly kept Otto alive as a political prisoner as one final “gift” after helping Aegon flee King’s Landing.
Why does Rhaenyra kill Otto Hightower herself?
Image: HBO
Otto’s execution isn’t as simple as revenge. It’s a necessary statement about power.
For years, Otto manipulated House Targaryen to place his own bloodline on the Iron Throne. While he’s talked a lot about keeping peace in the realm, it’s clear he’s always had ulterior motives. After Queen Aemma’s death, he essentially orchestrated that Alicent would grow close to the widowed Viserys, establishing a political marriage that eventually produced Aegon II, Aemond, Helaena, and Daeron. Later, Otto spent years undermining Rhaenyra’s claim before personally orchestrating Aegon’s coronation immediately after Viserys died — despite the fact that Viserys publicly proclaimed Rhaenyra as his successor.
In many ways, no single person bears more responsibility for the Dance of the Dragons than Otto Hightower. Yet, in the moment, Rhaenyra still hesitates to kill him.
She spends most of episode 2 grieving Jace’s death rather than lusting after vengeance. She’s also already had to suffer through Luke’s death. With Daemon and the entire royal court watching, showing mercy would just look like weakness. So she does it herself before finally claiming the Iron Throne.
For Alicent to stumble upon the scene in the episode’s final moments feels a bit heartbreaking. Maybe Otto got what he deserved, but just as Alicent and Rhaenyra seemed to have reached a sort of political agreement and rekindled the spark of their once vibrant friendship, suddenly there’s Alicent’s father lying dead on the floor with Rhaenyra looming over them all. How is this moment going to impact the rest of season 3, and the rest of this war?
Streaming ads might be getting a lot quieter this week.
A California law banning streaming services from showing ads “louder than the video content” that they accompany is set to take effect on Wednesday, July 1. (Existing legislation already imposes similar volume restrictions on broadcast and cable TV commercials.)
Ars Technica notes that streaming services have not shared additional details about how they plan to comply with the law. While the volume limitations only apply to California for now, it seems likely that any relevant changes would be deployed more broadly, especially with a similar bill set to take effect in Illinois next year.
When the law was passed in 2025, its sponsor, State Senator Thomas Umberg, said it was inspired by “every exhausted parent who’s finally gotten a baby to sleep, only to have a blaring streaming ad undo all that hard work.”
Industry groups including the Motion Picture Association of America and the Streaming Innovation Alliance opposed the bill, claiming streamers were already working to address the issue, and noting that they have to deal with a variety of output devices, including TVs, tablets, and phones.
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