Tech

OhSnap's Mcon magnetic phone controller ships at $150 with $70 dock option

OhSnap is shipping the Mcon, a Bluetooth gaming controller that uses magnets to mount iPhone and Android phones, priced at $150 after a year of refinements, ZDNET reported. Kerry Wan wrote that using the Mcon involves placing a phone on a magnetic pad and flicking outward to reveal an assembly

Politics

U.S. expands list of countries required to post costly visa bonds

The Trump Administration added 25 countries on Tuesday, after adding seven less than a week earlier, bringing the total number of nations whose citizens must post visa bonds to 38, Time reported. The bonds, announced last year, can be as much as $15,000 and are refunded if a visa

Culture

Imad Alarnab shares recipes for red lentil soup and chickpea stew

Imad Alarnab, founder of Imad’s Syrian Kitchen and Aram in London, presents two Syrian comfort-food recipes: a creamy red lentil soup finished with dukkah oil, and mnazaleh, a Levantine chickpea stew with aubergine and tahini. The red lentil soup is described as warm, silky and deeply satisfying: the lentils

Crypto

CNBC names XRP the hottest crypto trade of 2026 after 24% January surge

Beincrypto reported that CNBC named XRP the hottest crypto trade of 2026 after the token surged 24% in January. Market data showed XRP’s January advance outpaced Bitcoin’s 5.5% and Ether’s 9.7%, making it the second-strongest performer among the top 20 coins behind Dogecoin, and allowing

Culture

Labyrinth: Henson and Bowie’s beguiling, eccentric 80s family fantasy revived

Revived for its 40th anniversary, Labyrinth is presented as one of the most beguilingly eccentric and charming family movies imaginable. Jim Henson’s fantasy adventure mixes human actors, unmistakably Hensonian puppet creatures, and David Bowie in a role that goes beyond either category. Bowie plays Jareth, the spikily coiffured king

Culture

Fallout Season 2 kills Paladin Xander Harkness in brief arc

Collider reports that Fallout Season 2 kills off Paladin Xander Harkness, played by Kumail Nanjiani, after a brief partnership with Maximus (Aaron Moten). The article notes Harkness was introduced as a Commonwealth Brotherhood of Steel liaison who expanded the character beyond his simple Fallout Shelter origin, with Nanjiani offering a

World

Polymarket says it will not yet pay out on Venezuela invasion bets after Maduro capture

The online wager platform Polymarket has angered some gamblers by declaring it will not pay out yet on millions of dollars’ worth of bets on a US invasion of Venezuela, arguing that the capture of the then president, Nicolás Maduro, does not qualify. Before Donald Trump’s forces captured Maduro

Sports

Norway’s 100-mile Troll Trail draws experienced cross-country skiers

The Troll Trail is a 100-mile cross-country skiing route through the Rondane Mountains in Norway, beginning in Hovringen and finishing in Lillehammer. It attracts serious skiers, including the writer David Goodman and his group, who completed the route over the course of a week. Known in Norwegian as Trolløypa, the

Sports

Solskjaer in talks to return as Manchester United interim manager

Goal reports that Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly in contract talks to return as manager at Old Trafford, and Norwegian outlet VG says he could be back by Friday. Days after Ruben Amorim was sacked on Monday, Solskjaer — who managed United between 2018 and 2021 and was

Culture

Mickey Rourke denounces GoFundMe set up to stop his eviction

Movieweb reports that Mickey Rourke has publicly denounced a GoFundMe page created to help him avoid eviction, saying he had no involvement and does not want charity. In an Instagram video, Rourke called the fundraiser "embarrassing" and said he "doesn't want any 'f*cking

Health

Allie Reece diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma after months of shoulder pain

People reports that Allie Reece, a recent Kennesaw State University graduate who moved back to Canton, Ga., experienced months of shoulder pain and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 23. Reece initially dismissed a mild ache in her collarbone and shoulder as sleeping wrong while transitioning after graduation, and

Tech

Five practical ways to use your TV’s USB port

Most modern TVs include one or more USB ports that can do more than charge a phone or collect dust. Plugging a flash drive or other USB device into these ports can unlock extra features and, in some cases, make an older TV more useful. One common use is turning

Culture

Rose McGowan says Harvey Weinstein was a 'thug' who ruled Hollywood by fear

According to Independent.co, actor and activist Rose McGowan has described disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein as a "mafia boss" and a "thug", saying he exercised immense fear and control in Hollywood. Speaking on the We Need To Talk podcast, McGowan, 52, who starred in Scream, Jawbreaker

Culture

Six affordable UK country-house hotels for a winter spa break

The Guardian highlights six affordable UK country-house hotels offering winter escapes with spa facilities and countryside or coastal walks to counter the January blues. The selection spans locations in England, Scotland and Wales and includes properties with on-site pools, saunas and treatment options. The Alfriston in East Sussex is a

Culture

Ayoade Bamgboye wins Edinburgh best newcomer with Swings and Roundabouts

Ayoade Bamgboye, a 31-year-old Londoner via Lagos, won the Edinburgh fringe’s best newcomer award for her debut show Swings and Roundabouts, becoming the first Black woman to receive the prize. She arrived at the festival as a first-timer with a slender comedy CV and left clutching the award, previously

World

Trump administration explores ways to gain control of Greenland

According to Time, President Donald Trump has long mused about the U.S. taking over Greenland and, after the U.S. raid on Venezuela, his interest appears more serious; public signals included a map of Greenland with a superimposed American flag posted on X by Katie Miller and Stephen Miller

Politics

Trump says Venezuela will turn over $2bn of crude; White House signals options on Greenland

Donald Trump said Venezuela will be "turning over" $2bn worth of Venezuelan crude to the United States and posted that the oil "will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure

Crypto

Chintai (CHEX) jumps as whale buying and exchange outflows coincide

Beincrypto reports the Chintai (CHEX) token is up nearly 52% in the past 24 hours and around 120% over the past seven days as RWA demand, whale buying, and exchange outflows aligned. On-chain data show the top 100 CHEX wallets on Solana increased holdings by 7.19%, bringing their combined

Culture

T Magazine publishes Essential 2025 travel guides

T Magazine has released its Essential 2025 travel guides, offering recommendations for where to go and how to get there. The selection, described as ranging "from the ultimate Japan itinerary to the best small cruise ships," highlights both destination planning and modes of travel. The source material provides

Culture

Ten most emotional films, ranked from Marriage Story to Dear Zachary

Collider has published a ranked list of the 10 most emotional films of all time, placing Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) at number one and including titles such as Marriage Story (2019) and Schindler's List (1993). The piece cautions that measuring how

Sports

Yamal misses training and Ter Stegen leaves Saudi camp ahead of Super Cup semi

According to Goal, Barcelona's preparations in Jeddah for the Spanish Super Cup semi-final were disrupted 24 hours before kick-off when teenage forward Lamine Yamal sat out the final training session with a "general feeling of unwellness" and veteran goalkeeper Marc‑Andre ter Stegen left the Saudi

Tech

iPolish unveils app‑controlled color‑changing press-on nails at CES 2026

At CES 2026, iPolish debuted what it's calling "the world's first digital color-changing nails": acrylic press-on nails that connect to an app and can change color on demand. The nails pair with an app offering over 400 polish colors. Users place the tip of

Culture

Classic TV references modern viewers may no longer understand

Movieweb reports that many quotes and references from classic TV shows no longer resonate with younger or modern viewers. The article highlights specific examples: Friends scenes that rely on using a code to access a home answering machine (notably in "The One Where No One's Ready"

World

Tehran translator finds his book amid rubble after missile strikes

A Tehran translator discovered a copy of a book he had translated lying amid the rubble of a collapsed apartment block after missiles struck the city. Two days earlier, on 13 June 2025, the translator says missiles from Israel began striking Tehran. The internet was cut off, printing houses and

Culture

Sadie Sink says she believes Eleven died in Stranger Things finale

People reports that on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Jan. 5, Sadie Sink said she thinks Eleven died after sacrificing herself when the Upside Down was destroyed. Sink, who played Max Mayfield in the series and is 23, told host Jimmy Fallon, “What do I think? I think