[$] Code signing for BPF programs

The Linux kernel can be configured so that
kernel modules must be signed or

otherwise authenticated
to be loaded
into the kernel. Some BPF developers want that to be an option for BPF programs
as well — after all, if those are going to run as part of the kernel,
they should be subject to the same code-signing requirements. Blaise Boscaccy
and Cong Wang presented two different visions for how BPF code signing could
work at the 2025 Linux Storage, Filesystem, Memory-Management, and BPF Summit.

All About Zwift’s New Fitness Tracker (Outdoor Rides Included!)

Over the past few weeks, Zwift has rolled out an important, powerful set of fitness tracking and reporting features. These tools expand the activity data Zwift consumes, allowing us to feed our outdoor rides into the platform for the first time ever. This, in turn, enables Zwift to build a more accurate profile of our current fitness to help us train smarter.

Let’s dive into Zwift’s new Fitness Tracker and all the moving parts that make it function…

Outdoors… On Zwift?

You may be wondering why would I even want Zwift to track my outdoor riding? It’s a fair question, especially if you see Zwift as simply an indoor cycling platform.

The big reason Zwift needs to track your riding outdoors as well as indoors is so Zwift can put together an accurate, current profile of your fitness. Zwift wants to help its users choose appropriate workouts, but they can’t do that unless they know a person’s training load. How fresh are their legs? How fit are they overall?

Secondly, on a customer retention level, tracking outdoor riding (and letting outdoor rides extend our week streak and earn XP) is a smart move from Zwift. It won’t change the minds of every “winter-only Zwifter”, but it will surely convince a few to keep their monthly subscription going.

Eric Min, Zwift’s CEO, has said for years that Zwift’s goal is to get more people more active more often. Tracking outdoor rides falls perfectly in line with this goal, helping Zwift better position itself as a year-round fitness platform.

Connecting Garmin/Wahoo to Zwift

Getting your outdoor rides into Zwift is easy, assuming you’re recording those rides on a head unit/app from Wahoo or Garmin. All you need to do is connect your Zwift account to your Wahoo and/or Garmin account.

You can do this via the Companion app under Settings>Connections, or by logging into your account at zwift.com and going to Account>Connections.

Wahoo requires a simple login to your Wahoo account, and if you already had Wahoo connected, there’s nothing more you need to do.

Garmin will require a reconnection even if you already had your Garmin account connected, because there’s a new level of permission you need to authorize so Garmin can send data to Zwift. (Previously, you could only authorize Zwift sending data to Garmin.)

Simply enable both toggles, click “Save”, then “Agree” on the next screen:

Zwift tells me that when you first connect your Wahoo account, it should import the last 90 days of activities into Zwift. Garmin should import the last 30 days of activities. It may take up to a week for old activities to show up on Zwift.

Fitness Tracking

The Companion app has a new section at the top of the homepage that Zwift has dubbed the Fitness Tracker:

That screenshot is a bit boring, though, since it was taken on Monday morning when I haven’t ridden yet! Scrolling back a few weeks, you can get a better idea of what the Fitness Tracker shows:

There’s a lot of information packed into this little box, including:

  • Training Score: Zwift’s version of chronic training load (CTL), a commonly-used metric that summarizes the amount of training you’ve been doing. Your Training Score is the weighted average of daily Stress Points over the past 42 days, which means if you rode at your FTP for 1 hour every day (which equals 100 Stress Points on the day) for 42 days, your Training Score would be 100. (In practice, most riders who train regularly are probably in the ~60-80 range for Training Score). Read more about Stress Points >
  • Training Status: this is only shown when viewing the current week, so in the first screenshot, you can see my status is “Fresh”. Training Status is determined by comparing your long-term fitness (over 42 days) and short-term fatigue (over 7 days) to place you in one of these categories:
    • Ready: New to training.
    • Fresh: Active and ready for challenges.
    • Productive: Consistently challenging yourself and recovering well.
    • Overreaching: Training heavily.
    • Detraining: Loss of fitness due to reduced training.
  • Weekly Goal Progress: the top-center section shows your weekly goal (which can be based on Time, Distance, Calories, Stress points, or Kilojoules) and your progress toward that goal. You can tap to easily modify your goal as well (more on this below).
  • Daily Activity Summary: each day’s activities are summarized with a few visuals. First, you have a color bar chart showing how much relative time you spent in each power zone (learn about Zwift’s power zone colors here). You’ll see a sun at the top if the day includes an outdoor ride that earned XP (touch a day and it will expand a bit to show how many XP you earned on the day). Lastly, each day shows how many Stress Points your riding achieved.
  • Weekly Activity Zone Summary: At the top-center, in the goals section, is a bar showing the amount of relative time you’ve spent in each power zone.
  • Current Week Streak: when viewing your current week, your Week Streak is shown on the right.
  • Streak Savers: if you’ve earned any Streak Savers, these are shown next to your Week Streak on the right.

Reminder: Accurate FTP Required

It’s worth noting here that your Training Score and Status are computed based on your daily Stress Points, and those Stress Points are calculated based on your FTP setting in Zwift. If your FTP isn’t set accurately, your Training Score and Status won’t be accurate, either. Zwift will automatically detect FTP increases based on an internal algorithm, but you might consider taking an FTP test or even setting your FTP manually in game to ensure it’s accurate.

Related: “How (and Why) to Take an FTP Test on Zwift” >

Goal Tracking

This big fitness tracking release includes an expansion of what used to be very limited goal-setting/tracking capabilities in the Companion app. The app used to support only basic weekly time or distance goals, but now supports the weekly goals based on:

  • Time
  • Distance (KM/Miles)
  • Calories (kCal)
  • Stress points (SP)
  • Kilojoules

Additionally, now that Zwift can see your outdoor rides, your goals can be based on what you want to accomplish overall in your weekly cycling, instead of what you think you’ll accomplish on Zwift. (It always felt clunky in the past to have a weekly Zwift time or distance goal, especially when the weather changed and your ratio of indoor to outdoor riding changed with it.)

As before, the in-game ride report will show your goal progress at the end of each ride, and you’ll get a notification in game if you hit your goal while riding on Zwift.

Level Up, Outside

Apart from better tracking of our fitness, this new functionality from Zwift also means we can continue to level up while riding outside.

Outside rides now earn 5XP for each kilometer, up to a maximum of 200KM/1000XP per ride. Yes, this is significantly less than the 20XP per km you earn for Zwifting. But it’s still something.

Related: “All About Zwift XP, Levels, and Unlocks for Cyclists” >

There are a few details worth mentioning here:

  • You won’t get XP for past activities that are imported when you first connect to Wahoo/Garmin, but they will be imported and count toward your fitness tracking.
  • You don’t earn Drops while riding outside.
  • Time/distance/elevation accumulated outdoors will not apply to in-game bike upgrades.
  • Only paying subscribers earn XP from outdoor rides.

What’s Next?

This is just the initial launch of fitness tracking on Zwift, and they’ve assured me that there is more to come.

First, while these new features only apply to cycling right now, Zwift says they’ll be rolling out support for running later this year.

Second, support for importing activities from Hammerhead is coming this summer. Zwift says other platforms may be added (DC Rainmaker mentions Polar/Suunto/COROS/Apple as the likely candidates). Why doesn’t Zwift just import activities from Strava, you may ask? Zwift isn’t saying, but my guess is that Strava’s API terms of service changes over the past year made Zwift nervous. On top of that, this move into outdoor ride tracking is a move into Strava’s territory, so Zwift may be steering clear for that reason as well.

Third, duplicate activities are a concern for some users based on their current setup (which devices/services they use to record which activities). Zwift says automatic de-duplication is coming soon, but for now you can delete activities manually if you’d like, using the Companion app. We also know Zwift has been testing in-game dual recording, which would eliminate the need to record your power data on a head unit (something that could lead to more duplicate activities).

Fourth, “Smart Goals” are coming, where the game will automatically recommend a goal based on your current fitness, to help you get started. Great for beginners.

Fitness Trends

Lastly, Zwift knows we don’t just want a snapshot of data… we want charts! So they have promised a “fitness trends” feature, and even delivered screenshots of it:

What else?

The items above are what we know Zwift is working on. But what else could these fitness tracking changes lead to? The answer is: so much.

You may not realize this, but solo structured workouts are the most popular activity done on Zwift. At Zwift Community Live, Zwift staffers shared the following activity stats from the last 30 days on Zwift:

  • 2.2M free rides
  • 2.3M solo structured workouts completed
  • 632K group rides
  • 483K Robopacer rides
  • 282K races
  • 106K climb portal rides

That’s a bit wild when you think about it, especially considering the popularity of Robopacers and all the focus Zwift puts on events.

Given Zwifters’ obvious interest in structured training, I believe the holy grail for Zwift would be some sort of AI-based coaching built into the app, not unlike third parties such as TrainerRoad, XERT, and FasCat currently offer.

Imagine if you could set some simple goals (“I want to perform better in Zwift races” or “I want to lose some weight”) and the app could recommend daily activities for you based on your training history, including outdoor rides. For extra credit, Zwift could recommend more than just boring ol’ structured workouts. What about a race or group ride that fits the bill?

So many possibilities.

Questions or Comments?

What do you think of Zwift taking in our outdoor rides and delivering fitness tracking? What sort of functionality would you like to see Zwift build on top of these new capabilities? Share your thoughts below, along with any questions you may have about these new features…

Vertigo 2: Into The Aether’s Story Trailer Teases Friday’s PC VR DLC Release

Vertigo 2: Into the Aether released a new story trailer in preparation for this week’s launch.

Developed by Zach Tsiakalis-Brown at Zulubo Productions, Into the Aether is a DLC story expansion set shortly after the end of Vertigo 2. Playing as Brian on a mission for Kauboi, you’ll face “an interdimensional expedition to the oldest and most mysterious universe” as you seek to free the last living Architect from its prison, using new tools and weapons.

0:00

/1:39

Into the Aether prominently provides two new tools to assist Brian’s journey. This includes the ‘Void Grappler’ that can be attached to most surfaces and lets you “swing around like a maniac.” The expansion also features a new defensive option called the Void Deflector, which allows you to deflect incoming attacks with precise timing while also gathering energy for a counterattack.

Anyone who buys the upcoming DLC will also receive a digital copy of an illustrated short story, ‘Stay out of the Aether.’ Set before the events of the Vertigo games, this also includes new concept art and additional information like a map and report regarding the Aether.

Into the Aether follows a previous content update for Vertigo 2 back in late 2023, which was then believed to be the only planned major patch. The ‘Bottomless Update‘ added new playable characters who previously appeared in the main campaign like Brian, mutators like a big head mode and bullet time feature, and the final version of the level editor.

Vertigo 2: Into the Aether arrives on April 25 on SteamVR, and the base game is out now.

Vertigo 2 Review: Creative & Engaging SteamVR Experience
Vertigo 2 offers a PC VR experience that is constantly creative and undeniably engaging.
UploadVRHarry Baker

[$] DMA addresses for UIO

The Userspace
I/O (UIO) subsystem
was first added to the kernel by
Hans J. Koch for the 2.6.32 release in 2007. Its purpose is to facilitate
the writing of drivers (mostly) in user space; to that end, it provides
access to a number of resources that user-space code normally cannot touch.
One piece that is missing, though, is DMA addresses. A proposal to
fill that gap
from Bastien Curutchet is running into some opposition,
though.

Google Chrome To Continue To Use Third-Party Cookies in Major Reversal

An anonymous reader shares a report: In a shocking development, Google won’t roll out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies in Chrome. It’s a move that amounts to a U-turn on the Chrome team’s earlier updated approach to deprecating third-party cookies, announced in July last year, with the latest development bound to cause ructions across the ad tech ecosystem.

“We’ve made the decision to maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not be rolling out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies,” wrote Anthony Chavez, vp Privacy Sandbox at Google, in a blog post published earlier today (April 22). “Users can continue to choose the best option for themselves in Chrome’s Privacy and Security Settings.” However, it’s not the end of Privacy Sandbox, according to Google, as certain initiatives incubated within the project are set to continue, such as its IP Protection for Chrome Incognito users, which will be rolled out in Q3.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Pinterest will warn kids not to use its app during school hours

Pinterest is testing a new prompt that warns kids to get off the app during school hours, as reported by The Verge. The pop-up warning encourages minors in the US and Canada to stop using the app and turn off notifications until the end of the day. “Focus is a beautiful thing,” the prompt says. “Stay in the moment by putting Pinterest down.”

This prompt only appears to kids aged 13 to 17 and only between 8AM and 3PM on weekdays. It’s a large-scale test, so Pinterest says the prompt will reach “millions” of minors. The platform says it’s the first tech company to institute this kind of “proactive” feature to help kids build healthy online habits. That may be true in the world of social media, but any rabid Nintendo fan will remember the incessant prompts to take breaks in the Wii, DS and 3DS eras.

Pinterest CEO Bill Ready has also announced the company’s support of phone-free school policies. Some European countries have banned phones in schools in recent years. Here in the US, New York is close to implementing a statewide ban that’s informally called a “bell-to-bell” restriction. Several other states are in the process of developing their own bans.

To go along with this initiative, Pinterest is providing a $1 million grant to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) to “support school leaders in creating a healthy digital culture in their schools.” This money will fund task forces across a dozen states to help develop policies that “improve students’ digital wellbeing.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/pinterest-will-warn-kids-not-to-use-its-app-during-school-hours-171512379.html?src=rss

Vestiges: Fallen Tribes Review-In-Progress – A Unique Strategic Board Game

First available on Steam Early Access, Vestiges: Fallen Tribes enters full release this week on PC VR and Quest with plenty of strategic board game action. Read on for our ongoing thoughts.

Greeted by an eye-catching CGI cutscene, Vestiges: Fallen Tribes explains how the world arrived at its current fragile state. With a brief overview of water becoming scarce due to a severe drought, it’s now become exclusively obtainable through a life-or-death board game called Vestiges. This brief premise allows for the game’s real bread and butter to flourish: its increasingly complex board game mechanics.

The Facts

What is it?: A tabletop strategy board game with story and PvP modes.
Platforms: Quest, PC VR (reviewed on Quest 3)
Release Date: April 24, 2025 (Full Release)
Developer: WanadevStudio
Price: $24.99

Each turn consists of two phases: positioning your cards in the desert landscape and throwing a die to signal the game, so the battle can continue. Putting each battalion on the field costs a determined amount of energy that is given on each turn. It’s a moderate amount that does not allow for much use, so it’s important to carefully choose which card to apply. Forming a strategy with three well-placed troops rather than one godlike entity that could be easily overrun by the enemy can be better.

A mysterious figure at the end of the strategy table preparing to discuss the world's different tribes
Screenshot captured by UploadVR on Quest 3

Vestiges: Fallen Tribes is an Autobattler where your main focus is on your card’s abilities and the foes you will be facing in combat. Accessing your cards, dice and seeing the number of phases on each mission is implemented intuitively by looking at your left wrist. A welcome detail is how the cards all have a three-dimensional look to them, resembling a holographic foil akin to rare trading cards in games of that ilk.

After strategically placing each of your armies on the diorama, vertically or horizontally, throwing the dice sets the autobattling in motion. It’s entertaining to see how your troops behave, as it feels like there is an element of chance at play. At times, winning a battle by the skin of your teeth with one soldier standing, or at others by obliterating the competition thanks to a well-placed ballista, the open-ended combat engagement allows for different playstyles to thrive.

Starting with a set amount of enemy units in the first phase and progressively adding more as your campaign succeeds in each battle, your set units will respawn after each turn. Cards like Tactical Retreat let you remove soldiers that may not be as effective against different types of enemies during a new round. Considering each mission has a distinctive map layout, knowing how to use it to your advantage can tip the scales of battle.

0:00

/0:32

A battle phase in Vestiges: Fallen Tribes recorded by UploadVR on Quest 3

Dropping the dice in one of the latter turns with your army, now in the dozens, is undeniably enjoyable as you clash with the enemy, applying new tactics and earning a victory after failing to obtain it. On a much smaller scale, fans of RTS games like Starcraft or Age of Mythology will feel right at home with the mechanics in Vestiges: Fallen Tribes. Knowing which battalion to deploy is half the battle usually, especially so in the latter part of the game. Some missions require careful strategizing, and considering there are no difficulty options, paying attention to every variable pays off in the long term.

From basic infantry like gladiators who rush foes to protectors that defend from snipers at the map’s edge, there is a rich amount of options to engage with across each fight. Heavy artillery with slow movement, but more damage is unlocked later on. Buildings that spawn new troops so you do not run out of soldiers in an encounter cost more energy, but open up new possibilities with a well-placed healer. Finally, each tribe has a godlike beast that can be summoned at the end of certain battles, which can turn proceedings in your favor.

Vestiges screenshot shows a selection of deployable units displayed as cards
Screenshot captured by UploadVR on Quest 3

Story Mode naturally expands the initial cutscene shown, with much more in-depth tales of how the three tribes in this unforgiving world arrived at this conflict. Throughout 21 story missions, the world of Vestiges: Fallen Tribes takes shape via brief snippets before each mission. Every couple of quests delivers more narrated cutscenes, while each tribe – known as the Adrariis, Illustran, and Amonset – is characterized by its god, one more cutthroat than the other. With only one room to play in, though, the lack of environment variety means the game’s depth relies solely on its strategic gameplay mechanics, making it a missed opportunity for increased worldbuilding and lore.

Comfort

As a tabletop VR game, Vestiges: Fallen Tribes is approachable for all kinds of players and can only be played seated. Everything can be zoomed in or out, or rotated with your hands, and card deployment is directed by simply pointing. A left-handed toggle mode for accessibility and movement sensitivity are the only adjustments available.

The extensive main missions and mixing and matching of custom decks and cards are strong out of the gate, but clever implementation of its unique mechanics has only room to grow. There also appears to be an emphasis on the matchmaking mode that Vestiges: Fallen Tribes offers. Leaderboards, stats of your wins and encounters, and personalizing your online profile are on full display.

The longevity of its PvP community will be interesting to follow, though we were unable to find a PvP match on Quest during the pre-release period, hence why this is currently an unscored review-in-progress. We’ll update this review once we’ve had that chance.

Fantasy creature standing on four legs with two horns sticking out of its head and blue cloth near its neck
Screenshot captured by UploadVR on Quest 3

Vestiges: Fallen Tribes Review-In-Progress – Final Verdict

To deliver a consistently engaging tabletop game with intuitive pick up and play mechanics that only get deeper as you progress is no easy feat. Vestiges: Fallen Tribes is a VR experience that will satisfy those craving a strategy-laden campaign without the need to sink hundreds of hours into it. And that alone might be appealing enough for some with not much spare time on their hands. We’ll be back soon once we’ve had the chance to try out the multiplayer mode.


UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our review guidelines. As a review-in-progress, this is currently unscored, and we’ll revisit this review following further updates.

Vestiges: Fallen Tribes Review-In-Progress – A Unique Strategic Board Game

First available on Steam Early Access, Vestiges: Fallen Tribes enters full release this week on PC VR and Quest with plenty of strategic board game action. Read on for our ongoing thoughts.

Greeted by an eye-catching CGI cutscene, Vestiges: Fallen Tribes explains how the world arrived at its current fragile state. With a brief overview of water becoming scarce due to a severe drought, it’s now become exclusively obtainable through a life-or-death board game called Vestiges. This brief premise allows for the game’s real bread and butter to flourish: its increasingly complex board game mechanics.

The Facts

What is it?: A tabletop strategy board game with story and PvP modes.
Platforms: Quest, PC VR (reviewed on Quest 3)
Release Date: April 24, 2025 (Full Release)
Developer: WanadevStudio
Price: $24.99

Each turn consists of two phases: positioning your cards in the desert landscape and throwing a die to signal the game, so the battle can continue. Putting each battalion on the field costs a determined amount of energy that is given on each turn. It’s a moderate amount that does not allow for much use, so it’s important to carefully choose which card to apply. Forming a strategy with three well-placed troops rather than one godlike entity that could be easily overrun by the enemy can be better.

A mysterious figure at the end of the strategy table preparing to discuss the world's different tribes
Screenshot captured by UploadVR on Quest 3

Vestiges: Fallen Tribes is an Autobattler where your main focus is on your card’s abilities and the foes you will be facing in combat. Accessing your cards, dice and seeing the number of phases on each mission is implemented intuitively by looking at your left wrist. A welcome detail is how the cards all have a three-dimensional look to them, resembling a holographic foil akin to rare trading cards in games of that ilk.

After strategically placing each of your armies on the diorama, vertically or horizontally, throwing the dice sets the autobattling in motion. It’s entertaining to see how your troops behave, as it feels like there is an element of chance at play. At times, winning a battle by the skin of your teeth with one soldier standing, or at others by obliterating the competition thanks to a well-placed ballista, the open-ended combat engagement allows for different playstyles to thrive.

Starting with a set amount of enemy units in the first phase and progressively adding more as your campaign succeeds in each battle, your set units will respawn after each turn. Cards like Tactical Retreat let you remove soldiers that may not be as effective against different types of enemies during a new round. Considering each mission has a distinctive map layout, knowing how to use it to your advantage can tip the scales of battle.

0:00

/0:32

A battle phase in Vestiges: Fallen Tribes recorded by UploadVR on Quest 3

Dropping the dice in one of the latter turns with your army, now in the dozens, is undeniably enjoyable as you clash with the enemy, applying new tactics and earning a victory after failing to obtain it. On a much smaller scale, fans of RTS games like Starcraft or Age of Mythology will feel right at home with the mechanics in Vestiges: Fallen Tribes. Knowing which battalion to deploy is half the battle usually, especially so in the latter part of the game. Some missions require careful strategizing, and considering there are no difficulty options, paying attention to every variable pays off in the long term.

From basic infantry like gladiators who rush foes to protectors that defend from snipers at the map’s edge, there is a rich amount of options to engage with across each fight. Heavy artillery with slow movement, but more damage is unlocked later on. Buildings that spawn new troops so you do not run out of soldiers in an encounter cost more energy, but open up new possibilities with a well-placed healer. Finally, each tribe has a godlike beast that can be summoned at the end of certain battles, which can turn proceedings in your favor.

Vestiges screenshot shows a selection of deployable units displayed as cards
Screenshot captured by UploadVR on Quest 3

Story Mode naturally expands the initial cutscene shown, with much more in-depth tales of how the three tribes in this unforgiving world arrived at this conflict. Throughout 21 story missions, the world of Vestiges: Fallen Tribes takes shape via brief snippets before each mission. Every couple of quests delivers more narrated cutscenes, while each tribe – known as the Adrariis, Illustran, and Amonset – is characterized by its god, one more cutthroat than the other. With only one room to play in, though, the lack of environment variety means the game’s depth relies solely on its strategic gameplay mechanics, making it a missed opportunity for increased worldbuilding and lore.

Comfort

As a tabletop VR game, Vestiges: Fallen Tribes is approachable for all kinds of players and can only be played seated. Everything can be zoomed in or out, or rotated with your hands, and card deployment is directed by simply pointing. A left-handed toggle mode for accessibility and movement sensitivity are the only adjustments available.

The extensive main missions and mixing and matching of custom decks and cards are strong out of the gate, but clever implementation of its unique mechanics has only room to grow. There also appears to be an emphasis on the matchmaking mode that Vestiges: Fallen Tribes offers. Leaderboards, stats of your wins and encounters, and personalizing your online profile are on full display.

The longevity of its PvP community will be interesting to follow, though we were unable to find a PvP match on Quest during the pre-release period, hence why this is currently an unscored review-in-progress. We’ll update this review once we’ve had that chance.

Fantasy creature standing on four legs with two horns sticking out of its head and blue cloth near its neck
Screenshot captured by UploadVR on Quest 3

Vestiges: Fallen Tribes Review-In-Progress – Final Verdict

To deliver a consistently engaging tabletop game with intuitive pick up and play mechanics that only get deeper as you progress is no easy feat. Vestiges: Fallen Tribes is a VR experience that will satisfy those craving a strategy-laden campaign without the need to sink hundreds of hours into it. And that alone might be appealing enough for some with not much spare time on their hands. We’ll be back soon once we’ve had the chance to try out the multiplayer mode.


UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our review guidelines. As a review-in-progress, this is currently unscored, and we’ll revisit this review following further updates.

The Espresso Series 1 is the new crown jewel in Fellow’s coffee gadget lineup

Fellow has been slowly growing its collection of coffee gadgets with its brewers, scale, grinders and more. But up until now, there’s always been a big hole in its lineup. That changes today with the arrival of the company’s first espresso machine: the Espresso Series 1.

When I got to try it out a couple weeks ago prior to launch, Fellow CEO Jake Miller said the goal was to make a device that “baristas would be excited to use and that they could actually afford.” That said, at $1,500, it certainly isn’t cheap. However, when you start comparing the Espresso Series 1 capabilities to competing machines, that price quickly begins to make a lot of sense. That’s because unlike a lot of similarly priced rivals, Fellow’s offering offers a ton of ways to customize and adjust the brewing process, which includes control over not just temperature, but also pressure, extraction time, steaming and the ability to create or download profiles for specific beans.

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 in black
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

When compared to other modern machines, competitors like the $1,350 Meticulous support custom profiles and pressure settings, but it doesn’t have a built-in steamer for milk like the Series 1. And if you want a ton of control over everything, espresso enthusiasts often look to even more complex and expensive options like the Decent, which goes for well over $3,000. So while Fellow’s latest product might seem pricey, it feels very reasonable in context.

Now, I will admit that when I saw the Series 1 in its cherry red hero color, I thought Fellow had departed from its previous design language. But after closer inspection, it’s clear the company still retains its focus on clean lines while still making the device easy-to-use. It just has a bit more character now thanks to elements like the polished stainless metal brewer and the wood accents on the included 58mm portafilter’s handle. The Series 1’s base kit comes with both a single-wall double-shot basket and a pressurized double-shot basket. Fellow even went out of its way to create a rear housing made from a single sheet of metal with curvy corners, because the company wanted the back to look just as good as the front.

Similar to the Aiden, the Series 1 features a circular screen, except this time it’s slightly larger. And while you can adjust everything using the espresso machine’s single control dial, for more complex tasks like creating custom profiles, it’ll probably be easier to use Fellow’s free companion app (iOS and Android) instead.

When it comes to brewing, I really appreciate that if you just want a cup of espresso, the Series 1 streamlines things and makes it easy to bust out a cup quickly. There are three rather self-explanatory buttons on top for espresso, steaming and dispensing hot water. Plus, there are a ton of small but handy features like a temperature-sensing wand (with auto-purge) that helps take a lot of the guesswork out of making perfectly frothy milk. Fellow even thought about stuff like someone’s daily workflow, which is why there’s a small rubberized mat on top of the machine for storing demitasse cups.

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 naturally comes with an included portafilter.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Of course, the proof is in espresso. The Series 1 produced a cup with a surprising amount of crema that highlighted the beans’ fruity notes. It was rich and smooth and pretty much everything I want in a shot of java. It also made the brewing process very approachable, because for people who might not have a ton of experience, there are guided brew settings as well.

Normally, when I want espresso, I go out to a coffee shop because I’ve yet to find a machine that hits the right balance between modern styling and ease of use while still having the ability to adjust and tinker with settings. But with the Espresso Series 1, it feels like Fellow has made a machine that delivers on everything that all levels of enthusiasts can get into.

A cup of espresso made by Fellow's Espresso Series 1.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Espresso Series 1 will be available for $1,500 in three colors: cherry red, malted chocolate and black. However, Fellow says early buyers can get a special launch price of $1,200, which includes a $100 credit for the company’s Drops program that offers a curated selection of coffee beans for purchase.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/the-espresso-series-1-is-the-new-crown-jewel-in-fellows-coffee-gadget-lineup-170008473.html?src=rss

The Most Common Reasons for Homebuyer’s Remorse (and How to Avoid Them)

Whether it’s your starter home or just the latest move up the property ladder, buying a house is a huge investment—financially and emotionally. Despite the stakes, house hunting can be a rushed, stressful experience pushed along by tight timetables, precarious financing, and unpredictable market forces. So it’s not actually surprising to learn that more than 80% of Americans experience some level of regret after buying a house.

But buyer’s remorse when house hunting isn’t a given. Most of those regrets are due to a few common mistakes people make when buying a new house, and they can be prevented—or at least minimized—by following some simple advice. Here are the most common reasons for house hunting buyer’s remorse and how to protect yourself against it.

High maintenance

Realizing that your new home is going to be a pit of endless—and expensive—maintenance is one of the most common reasons people experience house buyer’s remorse. A house that seemed ideal when you were walking through it on a sunny day can feel like a prison when you realize it’s difficult to keep clean and functional.

There are two easy ways to avoid this regret:

  • Inspections. Almost a quarter of home buyers waive the inspection contingency when they buy a house—but this is a bad idea, according to real estate attorney William London of Kimura London & White LLP. “Always conduct your inspections, and do not waive contingencies to have your offer be accepted,” he says. “Remorse is frequently emotional, not legal. After escrow closes, it is too costly or impossible to turn back.”

  • Asking questions. The easiest way to avoid this kind of regret is to ask a lot of detailed questions about how frequently aspects of the house need maintenance, what the costs are, and repair histories.

Another aspect of home maintenance comes with fees associated with homeowners association (HOA) fees, which are used to maintain common aspects of a property. Brandon Blakeley, co-founder at Mirador Living, notes that HOA fees are often kept artificially low due to deferred maintenance. “Florida recently passed a bill (SB 4-D), which exposed just how widespread this problem was,” he says. “Once buildings were forced to catch up on repairs, HOA fees skyrocketed and property values plummeted.” Always ask to see the fee and maintenance records for any property you’re considering that belongs to an HOA.

Unknown infrastructure

When touring a potential home, it’s easy to be distracted by the finishes, the fresh paint, and the smell of cookies in the oven. But nothing causes homebuying remorse faster than a series of expensive breakdowns right after you move in—the washing machine breaks down, the water heater leaks, and your HVAC stops blowing cool air, all within a few months.

To avoid that kind of regret, it’s important to not only check maintenance schedules, but to find out how old different aspects of the home are. Ask for installation dates and warranty information for a list of the home’s infrastructure, including appliances, HVAC systems, roof systems, windows, and sump pumps. Even if they don’t need to be replaced immediately, an estimate of how much time you have before you have to start splashing out will stave off regret.

Succumbing to bidding wars

Real estate agents and home sellers love a good bidding war—but they lead to a lot of regret when the dust settles and you realize you overpaid for the home. There are several psychological factors that goad you into a bidding war, but defending against this kind of regret requires just one thing: a plan.

“Start with a good understanding of your price constraints and adhere to them,” London says. “Even in the heat of a market.”

If you have a hard line in terms of how much you’re willing to pay for a house (and thus how big a monthly mortgage payment you’re willing to take on, you’ll be a lot less susceptible to being swept up in the hysteria of a bidding war.

Wrong-sizing

More house is not always better—and compromising on a smaller house than you really need (so you can squeeze into a specific area, or because the aesthetics of the house appeal to you) is an easy way to become mired in regret. One factor that complicates these decisions: time. If you plan to stay in the house for a long time, you need to consider where your life might be years from now.

“The key to the house is, what items can you not live without?” says Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO of Echo Fine Properties in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. “If you have three kids, does only having three bedrooms mean you need to make a second move? In my own case, I bought a home with a two-car garage and a short driveway. Once both kids got cars, there was a lot of ‘musical cars’ that we were constantly moving around.”

Lifestyle mismatch

A house isn’t just a place to store your stuff and sleep. It’s an intrinsic part of your life. When it comes to specific features or the location that you want, it’s often a mistake to compromise. “I have heard of a story of a family that desperately wanted to live by the coast, but could not afford it, so they purchased a home inland and immediately regretted it,” says Heather Myers, co-owner of the Snyder Real Estate Group in San Diego.

Another easy way to regret a home purchase is to overlook the neighborhood. When you’ve narrowed your house hunt down to a specific property, take the time to thoroughly check out the area to ensure it’s got the vibe, amenities, and access you need in your everyday life. “We always advise our clients to take multiple trips over to their new neighborhood at different times of the day and on weekends and weekdays,” Myers says. “We tell them to get out of their car and walk around their new block multiple times.”

You also have to match your lifestyle to the house itself. If you work from home and need a quiet, specific office space to be happy, buying a house without that spare bedroom will be something you will probably come to regret. If you love throwing parties, buying a house that lacks an open floor plan and comfortable outdoor area like a patio or deck means you’ll probably wish you’d held out for a different house.

The best way to deal with buyer’s remorse when house hunting is to avoid it entirely. Myers is blunt about your options if you don’t: “If buyers regret their decision, they typically have two options: They can immediately sell or they can rent out their new home and go rent somewhere else.”

Oblivion Remastered Improves Leveling, Brings DLC And Unreal Engine 5 Beauty

Oblivion Remastered Improves Leveling, Brings DLC And Unreal Engine 5 Beauty
It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who keeps up with gaming news, and yet your author here is a bit surprised himself to tell you that the Elder Scrolls Part IV: Oblivion remake is indeed real—and you can buy it right now. If that’s all you need to know, scroll down and click on the last link to go to the store page.

For everyone else,