Hasta La Gadget!

Exploring why the ultra-speedy custom-fitted Lamborghini Diablo Strosek was originally banned for use on public streets in the United States of America.

Scientists in Australia thought they had developed an innovative new tracking device to help them monitor magpies, but these crafty birds had other ideas.

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Bethesda plans to shut down its PC games launcher later this year. Players will be able to move their games, DLC, virtual currency, in-game items and wallet balance to their Steam account. More specific details about the process will be revealed later.

Starting in April, you’ll be able to move everything over to Steam, including friends lists. You might need to copy some save files to the Steam folder manually. Bethesda expects that nearly all save progress will be transferable. However, at least for the time being, Wolfenstein: Youngblood saves from the Bethesda launcher won’t work on Steam.

Users can play games through the Bethesda launcher until some time in May. You’ll still be able to transfer your data to Steam after that time.

Meanwhile, Bethesda.net accounts aren’t going anywhere. You’ll continue to use your account to log in to games that require it and you’ll still be able to access it on Bethesda’s website. Bethesda will continue to use the accounts in future titles.

Fallout 76 players should note that, as of April, their Fallout 1st membership won’t renew automatically. They’ll need to renew it on Steam once their membership expires. When they move to Steam, yearly members will instantly receive all Atoms they’re due for the remainder of their membership.

Bethesda’s parent company Microsoft already sells Xbox games through Steam. Bethesda’s games are also available to buy via the Xbox app and many of them are included in Game Pass. For PC gamers, switching to Steam means having one fewer major game launcher to deal with and more of their games available in one place.

Sony revealed their PlayStation 5’s own virtual reality headset, also known as the PS VR2, with a smooth industrial design and comfort-aimed features.

Positive Grid’s Spark amp is helpful for practicing musicians, but its size and heft haven’t been practical if you’ve wanted to jam in the bedroom or otherwise venture beyond your studio. Thankfully, the company now has a portable option. Positive has unveiled a Spark Mini amp that promises the digital functionality of its larger sibling in a much smaller (roughly six inches across) design you can carry wherever you want to play. The 10W device doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and supposedly delivers “punchy” bass through a downward-facing boost — there’s even a swappable grille to personalize the look.

The connected features remain the centerpiece. The Spark mobile app can automatically create backing tracks as you play, display the chords for any song (including slowdowns if you want to learn a segment) and deliver any of 10,000-plus free guitar tones. The Spark Mini includes 33 amp models, 43 effects, and a USB interface (on top of the virtually mandatory quarter-inch guitar input and eighth-inch aux inputs) to translate your performances to creative software. The battery is useful for up to eight hours.

Positive hasn’t mentioned pricing for the Spark Mini, but it will be available to pre-order in March. It’s safe to say the minuscule amp will cost less than its $299 full-size counterpart, potentially making it a better value if price and versatility matter more than raw power.