Tech

YouTube blocks third-party browser workaround for background playback

YouTube appears to be blocking a popular workaround that let Android users play only the audio from videos with their screens off, according to reporting by 9to5Google and other outlets. Android users had been using third‑party browsers to keep YouTube audio running in the background. Users of Samsung Internet,

Science

NASA: La Niña limited global sea level rise in 2025

According to a NASA analysis, a mild La Niña limited the rise in global mean sea level in 2025, with the average ocean height increasing 0.03 inches (0.08 centimeters) in 2025, down from 0.23 inches (0.59 centimeters) in 2024. The analysis says La Niña brought greater

Culture

Bridgerton S4 Part 1 ends with Sophie’s stepmother next door and Benedict’s controversial offer

MovieWeb’s recap of Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 says the four-episode first half closes with two big developments: Sophie’s stepmother, Lady Araminta Gun, and her daughters move in next door, and Benedict Bridgerton asks Sophie to be his mistress in Episode 4, “An Offer From a Gentlemen.” The

Culture

Sydney Sweeney launches lingerie brand Syrn after Hollywood sign stunt

On Monday, Ms. Sydney Sweeney posted an Instagram video showing her and a group draping bras over the Hollywood sign at night to promote her new lingerie brand, Syrn, which launched on Wednesday. The video shows people dressed in black carrying duffel bags filled with bras and placing them on

Culture

Margot Robbie Wears Elizabeth Taylor’s Cartier ‘Taj Mahal’ Necklace at LA Premiere

Margot Robbie wore the Cartier Taj Mahal necklace that once belonged to Elizabeth Taylor to the Los Angeles premiere of Wuthering Heights on Wednesday, Jan. 28, the estate confirmed. Robbie, 35, wore a form-fitting Schiaparelli gown with a nude lace bodice that faded into a dramatic black-and-red train and paired

Culture

'A Poet' review: a tragicomic Colombian tale about a failing writer

Alissa Wilkinson reviews "A Poet," a film directed by Simón Mesa Soto and set in Medellín. The New York Times critic published the review on Jan. 29, 2026, and selected the film as a Critic’s Pick. The film follows Oscar Restrepo (Ubeimar Rios), a once-promising poet who

Crypto

Dogecoin whales hold $1.8B as Shiba Inu inflows rise — Q1 2026 outlook

BeInCrypto says Dogecoin and Shiba Inu show mixed signals heading into Q1 2026: large DOGE whale accumulation and improving SHIB inflows contrast with fragile overall market sentiment. Since early October 2025, wallets holding 100 million–1 billion DOGE accumulated more than 9 billion tokens — a position now valued at nearly

Tech

A.I. demand is driving up memory prices and could raise PC costs

A.I. companies are buying up memory chips, causing prices for components used in laptops and smartphones to soar, the New York Times reported on Jan. 29, 2026. The crunch has affected businesses such as Falcon Northwest, a custom PC builder in Medford, Ore., and is pushing up prices for

Business

Apple earnings after close: Wall Street eyes AI roadmap and iPhone sales

Apple will report fiscal first-quarter results after the closing bell on Thursday, and Wall Street is focused on the company’s AI roadmap and iPhone sales. Results are due shortly after markets close, with the analyst call expected to begin around 5 p.m. ET; Apple shares are down about

Science

Endangered guthega skink Omeo due to give birth after release in Victoria

Eleven endangered guthega skinks released into a gated enclosure in Victoria’s Alpine National Park could soon become 13, with a female known as Omeo due to give birth in March, the conservation project says. One of Australia’s only alpine lizards, guthega skinks live on "sky islands"

Culture

Law & Order: SVU Season 27 — new episode 'Hubris' airs tonight at 9/8c

A brand new episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Season 27) airs tonight, Jan. 29, 2026, at 9/8c on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock. Season 27 has been a high-octane watch as Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her squad tackle brutal cases while

Culture

Pamela Anderson and Billy Bob Thornton all smiles on 'Somedays' set in Westfield

Photos show Pamela Anderson and Billy Bob Thornton all smiles on the set of the film 'Somedays' in Westfield, N.J., according to GC Images. Other celebrity snapshots include The Real Housewives of Dubai’s Chanel Ayan lounging in a pile of snow outside Watch What Happens Live

Tech

Apple AirPods 4 on sale for $119 at Amazon and Walmart — $60 off

As of Jan. 29, Mashable reports the Apple AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation are on sale for $119 at both Amazon and Walmart, a $60 discount — 34% off the $179.99 list price — and about $20 away from their lowest price, which hit during Cyber Week. Mashable says the

Business

Paradox posts SEK 245.4M loss after Bloodlines 2 write-down

Paradox Interactive said in its year-end report that, despite revenue rising 23% and delivering its "second-best quarter ever", it recorded an operating loss of 245.4 million Swedish kronor (around $28 million) largely because of a write-down tied to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. "The profit line,

Crypto

Ethereum OGs revive The DAO with $220M security fund

Some key Ethereum members, including co-founder Vitalik Buterin, are reviving one of the network’s oldest chapters by redeploying more than 70,500 ether into a roughly $220 million Ethereum security initiative, Unchained reported on Jan. 29, 2026. According to the report, $13.5 million will be allocated to security

Tech

Tesla ends Model S and Model X to build Optimus humanoid robots

Tesla is ending production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV to free factory space to build its Optimus humanoid robots, the article says; Tesla claims the robots will go on sale in 2027 and Elon Musk has claimed they will sell in the billions and add up

Culture

S.S. Rajamouli’s Varanasi set for worldwide release April 7, 2027

Varanasi, the next film from R.R.R. director S.S. Rajamouli, will be released worldwide on April 7, 2027. Rajamouli, who saw R.R.R. become a global phenomenon and win an Oscar for best original song, is aiming even bigger with Varanasi, a globetrotting adventure that spans thousands

Tech

Renpho Lynx smart ring review: $170 Oura alternative with no subscription

ZDNET tested the Renpho Lynx smart ring and found it to be a bare‑bones wellness tracker that costs $170, records basic health data and requires no subscription. The reviewer noted the Lynx’s distinct design and simple hardware: it comes in black and silver, sizes six through 13, features

Culture

Tap Simulator codes: ENCHANT, RUSSO, LUCKY and TACOS for crystals, tokens and potions

Tap Simulator codes are a recent addition to the Roblox experience and can be redeemed for Enchant Crystals, Tokens and potions, GamesRadar+ reports. Active codes listed by GamesRadar+ are ENCHANT for 5x Enchant Crystals, LUCKY for 1x Luck Potion III, RUSSO for 5x Tokens, and TACOS for 1x Taco Potion.

Culture

Dudamel to Lead Annual Operas at Carnegie Hall Starting This Fall

Gustavo Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic will present operas in concert at Carnegie Hall beginning this fall, the orchestra and the hall announced, as Dudamel prepares to become the Philharmonic’s music and artistic director in September. The Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall will collaborate initially for five seasons, with

Culture

‘Send Help’ review: Sam Raimi’s island thriller with Rachel McAdams

The New York Times' Critic's Pick published Jan. 29, 2026 reviews Send Help, a Sam Raimi–directed horror-thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The review notes the film is in theaters, is rated R and has a running time of 1 hour 53 minutes. The

Tech

PS Plus PS3 cloud streaming on PS5 has been broken for nearly two weeks

Streaming PS3 games through PlayStation Plus Premium on PS5 has been reportedly broken for at least two weeks, preventing subscribers from booting classic PS3 titles via cloud streaming. The issue surfaced two weeks ago on the PS Plus subreddit in a thread titled "Got a problem with Streaming on

Culture

Inuuteq Storch’s MoMA PS1 debut captures daily life in Greenland

Inuuteq Storch, a photographer from Greenland, has a debut exhibition at MoMA PS1 in Queens titled “Soon Will Summer Be Over,” on view through Feb. 23, the New York Times review says. Jason Farago writes that Storch, 36, photographs everyday life across Greenland with “lyricism, wit and a fair amount

Culture

Amy Landecker’s directorial debut 'For Worse' trailer — NY/LA theaters Feb. 27

MovieWeb has exclusively debuted the official trailer for For Worse, the directorial debut of Transparent star Amy Landecker. The romantic comedy holds an 80% Rotten Tomatoes score and is set to open in New York and Los Angeles on Feb. 27, with wider release beginning Mar. 6. In the film,

Politics

Australian workplace relations department to replace short-term call centre staff

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations plans to replace 13 short-term contact-centre staff with a third-party contractor after the workers reached the maximum period allowed for short-term contracts, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) says. The union said the department intended to let the workers go rather than