Hasta La Gadget!

Hospitalizations for children with COVID-19 also reached a record 1,900.

Some fear the U.S. is failing to move fast enough to bring to safety the Afghans who fear retribution from the Taliban.

The Nintendo Switch isn’t struggling to compete against the PlayStation 5 on its home turf in Japan… far from it. Game Data Library, Axios and IGN report that every game on Famitsu‘s August 8th weekly Top 30 chart was a Switch title, ranging from Super Mario Maker 2 in 30th place to Minecraft at the top. It’s reportedly the first time a platform has swept that chart since November 1988, when Nintendo’s own Famicom (the basis for the NES) dominated the list.

Nintendo has controlled the Japanese games chart with multiple platforms before. In the early 1990s, the Famicom, Super Famicom (aka Super NES) and Game Boy cemented its position. It’s much harder for a single system to rule the rankings, though.

There’s also a sharp contrast with the US. While the Switch has outsold rival consoles in the country and frequently thrives in game sales (Skyward Sword HD was July’s best-selling game), it typically faces stiffer competition from the PlayStation and Xbox ecosystems.

There wasn’t a direct explanation for the sweep, although the titles reflect both Nintendo’s influence and local tastes. Most of the games are either Nintendo’s (including Skyward Sword and Mario Kart 8) or come from franchises that have long been popular in Japan, such as Monster Hunter, Taiko no Tatsujin and Dragon Quest. It also helps that Japan is in the grips of its largest-ever COVID-19 pandemic wave — people may be buying Switch games to keep them and their kids entertained at home.

Whatever the reason, the feat suggests why Nintendo isn’t in a rush to upgrade the Switch beyond modest revisions. Its hybrid console is still one of the hottest game systems four years after launch, even in the face of technically superior alternatives.

A hacker is claiming to have data related to more than 100 million T-Mobile customers in the U.S. and is selling access to part of the information for roughly $277,000.

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More evidence has surfaced that the Google Pixel 5a might be right around the corner. Android Police has obtained what it says are repair shop photos (pictured below) of Pixel 5a parts that appear to confirm rumors swirling around the budget phone, including its release date. The device really would be a spruced-up Pixel 4a 5G (above), according to the leak. You’d get a similar dual rear camera setup and size, just with a much larger 4,680mAh battery (up from 3,800mAh) and a grippier plastic shell.

The scoop also supports talk of a headphone jack. The mainboard and other components are missing, although Google is expected to rely on a Snapdragon (possibly the 765G from the Pixel 4a 5G) rather than a variant of the custom Tensor chip coming to the Pixel 6.

The source claims Google will unveil the Pixel 5a on August 17th. Past rumors have suggested the 5a might reach stores on August 26th at a $450 price, $50 lower than the Pixel 4a 5G but well above the $350 of the base 4a. If accurate, you won’t have to wait long to learn full details for this mid-range phone — even if you’ll have to wait a short while to get one in your hands.

Android Police