118 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Sean Hollister

Sean Hollister

Senior Editor

Senior Editor

    More From Sean Hollister

    Sean Hollister
    Sean Hollister
    Today I learned about the ‘80s Casio calculator that doubles as a massive lighter.

    I wanted it to be February’s Button of the Month — partly because its big honking button has an incredible click and shoots out a monster jet of flame, partly because it triples as an alarm clock (!), and partly ‘cuz it hearkens back to Casio’s original invention: a finger ring for cigarettes.

    Sadly, the Casio QL-10 seems rare. Last time one hit eBay, it sold for $499. Behold history through other people’s cameras in our gallery instead:

    <em>Makes for </em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/44337451@N00/5677495372/"><em>an iconic photo</em></a><em>.</em>
    <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@slicerdroid/video/7278744766924492078"><em>Quite a flame</em></a><em>.</em>
    <em>An old ad that’s floating around the net.</em>
    <em>Was the flame </em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/51764518@N02/29914333933/"><em>more like this</em></a><em> normally? </em>
    <em>Yep, there are </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7ihzXI1p1E&t=2s"><em>full unboxings on YouTube</em></a><em>.</em>
    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7ihzXI1p1E&t=2s"><em>You can see</em></a><em> that the calculator is kind of embedded in the lighter.</em>
    <em>The yubiwa (finger ring) pipe, </em><a href="https://world.casio.com/corporate/history/"><em>Casio’s first publicized invention</em></a><em>.</em>
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    Makes for an iconic photo.
    Photo by Vincente Zorilla Palau
    Sean Hollister
    Sean Hollister
    Nvidia’s GeForce Now just got its first Battle.net games from Blizzard.

    You can now stream Call of Duty HQ, Overwatch 2, Diablo IV and Hearthstone using your Battle.net account. Hearthstone’s brand new to GFN, period — the others already worked with a Steam login because Blizzard’s playing nice with Steam.

    The GeForce Now app doesn’t yet support linking your entire Battle.net library, though, like it does with Steam, Epic, Xbox, and Ubisoft. Also: Nvidia says GFN day passes arrive next week.

    They’re live — I checked. Now where did I put that authenticator app...
    They’re live — I checked. Now where did I put that authenticator app...
    Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Verge
    Sean Hollister
    Sean Hollister
    Now Razer’s got a glowing RGB microphone.

    How has this not been a Razer thing? Is Google just not surfacing them for me? (I guess it had that one with an emoji screen.)

    Either way, the gamer light king now offers the dazzling $130 Razer Seiren V3 Chroma, following HyperX, Logitech, Cherry and others into the arena. (Note that it’s a cheaper mic than Razer’s V2 Pro and lauded Seiren Elite.)

    Note: If you buy something from these links, we might get affiliate revenue.

    The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma.
    The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma.
    Image: Razer
    Sean Hollister
    Sean Hollister
    Why is Marc Benioff quietly buying up land in Hawaii?

    The Salesforce tech billionaire wouldn’t say, and he looks cagey in this investigative report from NPR’s Dara Kerr — who says Benioff texted her multiple times a day, said he knew where she was staying, called up NPR’s CEO to complain about her “snooping,” and demanded to know her headline.

    A week after they first spoke, he donated a chunk of the land Kerr was investigating, saying she “inspired” him to publicize his philanthropy. It’s a nuanced story with lots of on-the-ground reporting. Go read it:

    Sean Hollister
    Sean Hollister
    Remedy is now in Control.

    Now that Alan Wake II has sold 1.3 million copies, it’s shoring up the Goofy Sam Lake Twin Peaks Metaverse by buying the full rights to Control (and sequels) from 505 Games.

    My fav part of Alan Wake II is how it parodies and extends the company’s previous games — including Control and a bizzaro world version of Max Payne physically acted and voiced by the same people. That worked despite Rockstar owning Max Payne, though! Last we heard, Microsoft still owns Quantum Break.

    The original key art for Control.
    The original key art for Control.
    Image: Remedy
    Sean Hollister
    Sean Hollister
    Intel 10A is coming 2027, Intel 14A in 2026.

    I showed you Intel’s new public roadmap last Wednesday — when it confirmed Intel 14A was coming by 2027. But it turns out the company quietly announced Intel 10A as well. It’ll start production in 2027, after 14A begins production in 2026. That’s different than consumer availability, of course.

    Intel told Tom’s Hardware that each new node it makes should normally offer a 14 to 15 percent power/performance improvement.

    Sean Hollister
    Sean Hollister
    Lego wants YOU... to say what kind of Lego merch you’d buy.

    The Lego Group’s running an online survey (via Jay’s Brick Blog) that starts out a tad boring, but soon reveals fun merch ideas!

    Do note:

    The designs showcased in this survey are purely conceptual. They represent imaginative ideas and creative exploration, but they do not guarantee or imply that LEGO® will produce them as actual products.

    Image: Lego