Month: October 2026

McDonald’s is bringing back nostalgic menu item — but some fans aren’t pleased

McDonald’s is bringing back nostalgic menu item — but some fans aren’t pleased

Published by Daniella Wilson

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in McDonald’s is marking spooky season by bringing back its nostalgic Boo Buckets with an all-new collaboration — but some superfans aren’t pleased. To celebrate the 40th year of the limited-edition Halloween-themed Boo Buckets, the fast food chain is collaborating with Disney to feature a set of infamous villains on the packaging. Instead of the classic Boo Bucket designs (consisting of witches, ghosts and pumpkins with corresponding, color coordinated lids), this year’s editions will feature The Little Mermaid’s Ursula, 101 Dalmatians’ Cruella de Vil, The Lion King’s Scar, Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent and Aladdin’s Jafar. Each bucket includes stickers and a lid featuring the classic McDonald’s arches, in a departure from the more classic plastic design. The Disney Boo Buckets will launch October 20. While Boo Buckets have previously featured other TV and film characters, like Scooby-Doo and Mr. Potato Head, fans were disappointed by the Disney villain feature. And others were …

Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini Price Increases ‘Much More Striking’ Than New Features

Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini Price Increases ‘Much More Striking’ Than New Features

Published by skeptic

Daring Fireball‘s John Gruber shared his first impressions of the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2 this week, and he concluded that the price increases the devices received are “much more striking” than any of the new features introduced. Prior to receiving price increases in late June, the previous Apple TV 4K started at $129 in the U.S., while the previous HomePod mini was priced at $99. The new Apple TV and the HomePod mini 2 are priced at $299 and $149, respectively, so both devices are now significantly more expensive than they were just four months ago. Since the new Apple TV is only available in a single configuration with 128GB of storage and an Ethernet port, it is more fair to compare it to the equivalent previous-generation 128GB model, which was initially $149 and went up to $249 in late June. This means the new model is technically only $50 more expensive, but the reality is that the minimum you can spend on a new Apple TV 4K is now $299, …

BBC presenter flustered after leaving frame while not realising she’s still on air

BBC presenter flustered after leaving frame while not realising she’s still on air

Published by Daniella Wilson

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in A BBC newsreader was left red-faced after an incident this week in which she hadn’t realised she was still on air. Geeta Guru-Murthy was seen talking to BBC world affairs editor John Simpson when she believed the segment was over. “That was lovely,” she said to Simpson, who was celebrating 60 years with the broadcaster. “I couldn’t, I suppose, have a kiss,” he said, prompting Guru-Murthy, who was getting up to embrace him off-camera, to oblige. Geeta Guru-Murthy on BBC News (BBC) The live feed remained on Guru-Murthy’s chair, which was empty while she could be heard off-screen. Returning to her seat, the presenter realised the cameras were still rolling, and seemed visibly flustered as she laughed and told viewers: “Sorry. Sorry. We are still on air, sorry. I hadn’t realised that. “Um this is BBC News. Let us move on now to sport,” she added. Footage of the blunder …

Munich dumps proprietary for open source (again) – but no Linux desktop

Munich dumps proprietary for open source (again) – but no Linux desktop

Published by skeptic

ZDNET’s key takeaways Munich is not bringing back LiMux, its Linux desktop distro. Instead, the city is replacing proprietary infrastructure software with open-source programs. Munich is also helping to build software for its own needs and for other cities.  PRAGUE — At Open Source Summit Europe, Dr. Laura Dornheim, Munich’s chief digital officer, said in her keynote speech that Munich abandoned its LiMux Linux desktop deployment for Windows over a decade ago because of politics, but now it’s returning to open-source software. Also: Linus Torvalds is using AI to develop Linux kernel code now It’s not returning to the Linux desktop, however — not yet, anyway. Instead, it’s switching its infrastructure programs from proprietary software to open-source software.  For example, it’s replacing VMware with Proxmox, moving from Jira and Confluence to OpenProject and XWiki, and adopting PostgreSQL as an alternative to Oracle databases. The two infrastructure and collaboration migrations alone are expected to save roughly €1.5 million or more annually. Taken together, these projects illustrate the difference between Munich’s first Linux campaign and its current …

The Huntington’s 2026 Acquisitions Include Robert Indiana’s LOVE

The Huntington’s 2026 Acquisitions Include Robert Indiana’s LOVE

Published by José Betancourt

Los Angeles–area cultural institution the Huntington, which encompasses an art museum, library, and botanical garden, has announced this year’s gifts to its art collection funded by the Huntington’s Art Collectors’ Council. Each year, the council chooses works to acquire based on recommendations from the museum’s curators. The five Art Collectors’ Council acquisitions span the 16th to the 21st centuries and encompass a range of media. The gifts build on the museum’s existing holdings while creating connections with its library and garden. Related Articles The earliest of these gifts is a 16th-century majolica plate made in Deruta, Italy, a leading center of majolica ceramics since the Renaissance. One of only 10 known Deruta dishes bearing verses by the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch, it complements the library’s rare editions of the poet’s works. Also included in the group is a hanging scroll painted by the Chinese painter Zhang Chenglong at the turn of the 17th century. This nearly 10-foot-long work depicts Mount Tai, one of China’s Five Sacred Mountains, and leads the viewer’s eye along the pilgrimage …

Barnes & Noble’s Picks for the Best Books of 2026

Barnes & Noble’s Picks for the Best Books of 2026

Published by Jenni Sidey

Join over 300,000 readers who get the latest book buzz, smart commentary, and must-read picks delivered straight to their inbox.<\/p>”,”thumbnail_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Book-Riot-Newsletter-mock_1000-150×150.jpg”,”category_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/newsletter\/book-riot-newsletter\/”,”checked”:true},{“name”:”Literary Activism”,”listname”:”BookRiot_LiteraryActivism”,”sfmc_name”:”BookRiot_LiteraryActivism”,”description”:” News you can use plus tips and tools for the fight against censorship and other bookish activism!<\/p>”,”thumbnail_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/LiteraryActivism_600x600-150×150.png”,”category_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/newsletter\/literary-activism\/”,”checked”:true},{“name”:”The Fright Stuff”,”listname”:”BookRiot_TheFrightStuff”,”sfmc_name”:”BookRiot_TheFrightStuff”,”description”:”Ready for some thrills and chills? Sign up to receive the latest and greatest from the world of horror.”,”thumbnail_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/TheFrightStuff_600x600-150×150.png”,”category_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/newsletter\/the-fright-stuff\/”,”checked”:true},{“name”:”Book Deals”,”listname”:”BookRiot_BookDeals”,”sfmc_name”:”BookRiot_BookDeals”,”description”:” Sign up for our Book Deals<\/strong> newsletter and get up to 80% off books you actually want to read.<\/p>”,”thumbnail_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/BookDeals_600x600-150×150.png”,”category_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/newsletter\/book-deals\/”,”checked”:true},{“name”:”Kissing Books”,”listname”:”BookRiot_KissingBooks”,”sfmc_name”:”BookRiot_KissingBooks”,”description”:” Sign up for Kissing Books<\/strong> to receive news, book recommendations, and more for residents of Romancelandia.<\/p>”,”thumbnail_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/KissingBooks_600x600-150×150.png”,”category_url”:”https:\/\/bookriot.com\/newsletter\/kissing-books\/”,”checked”:true}]”> Subscribe to Selected No Thanks Source link

‘ACOTAR’ refresher: What to know before ‘A Court of Splintered Harmony’

‘ACOTAR’ refresher: What to know before ‘A Court of Splintered Harmony’

Published by skeptic

You remember the wings. You remember the mating bonds. You probably remember Nesta and Cassian’s training sessions better than the political situation on the continent (or maybe that’s just me). But with Sarah J. Maas’s next A Court of Thorns and Roses book approaching, some details suddenly feel more pressing. Who is Koschei again? Where did we leave Elain and Lucien? And why are people talking about a sword from an entirely different series? The last ACOTAR installment, A Court of Silver Flames, gave Nesta a love story, a new community, and a very expensive bargain with the Cauldron. Since then, Maas has expanded this world through her Crescent City books, leaving ACOTAR readers with developments they might have missed. Here’s what to remember before opening A Court of Splintered Harmony. Warning: Major spoilers for the published ACOTAR books follow. The Crescent City section also spoils House of Sky and Breath and House of Flame and Shadow. When does the next ACOTAR book come out? A Court of Splintered Harmony arrives Oct. 27, 2026. It’s …

Is women’s health content being ‘shadowbanned’ on social media?

Is women’s health content being ‘shadowbanned’ on social media?

Published by skeptic

When Irene Breen got a notification in January 2025 that Instagram was removing adverts for her company’s pregnancy pillows, she was confused. What was so offensive about a pillow? She was later told on a call with Meta that the problem was the word “pregnancy”. “We had to scrub the word from our entire website… from the product name,” Breen said. “We had to remove all our URLs which had pregnancy in them and rename them all.” The restrictions were eventually lifted but, she said, it took 10 months of conversations with Instagram’s parent company Meta – by which time her business had suffered a significant financial hit. Meta, which also owns Facebook, told the BBC that while businesses can run adverts that promote wellness, sexual health and reproductive products and services, there are restrictions to avoid users across countries and cultures having a negative experience. The company initially declined to comment on individual cases. After the BBC’s story was published, a spokesperson added: “The suggestion that the word ‘pregnancy’ cannot be used on our …

‘We could get used to this

‘We could get used to this

Published by Daniella Wilson

It’s fairly rare to see all the Today Show hosts together in a single episode. Between busy schedules, days off, and rotating shifts, the full team is seldom on screen at the same time. However, this week, the NBC morning show enjoyed a special broadcast that saw all four hours of the show hosted in County Kerry, Ireland at Sheen Falls Lodge, sponsored by Tourism Ireland. The Instagram page for Kenmare Tourism shared a photograph of all the hosts posing by a local pub with the locals. The entire Today gang – Carson Daly, Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones, Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager, and Craig Melvin – posed together with big smiles. All the hosts looked very relaxed as they took in the very different scenery compared to their typical studio in New York City. They also embraced their new surroundings through their outfits, with all hosts clad in countryside attire. © InstagramIt is rare to see all the hosts together “We are feeling all the love for Kenmare right now and we …

Razer Barracuda V2 Pro Review: A Gaming Headset for the Office

Razer Barracuda V2 Pro Review: A Gaming Headset for the Office

Published by skeptic

I transition between different pieces of audio equipment on any given day. I listen to music with my earbuds, but they always fall out when I talk, so for meetings I tend to go without. If I’m in a loud setting and need to speak in a virtual meeting, I reach for my old, reliable headset for its higher-quality mic, but I often sacrifice call quality in non-gaming environments. And when I’m gaming, I love my light-up kitty-ear headset, but I don’t necessarily want to wear that at a coffee shop or in a professional setting. Which is why the new Razer Barracuda V2 Pro is made for people like me. It’s an elegant, multipurpose headset that does the job, no matter what the job is. Working 9 to 5 Photograph: Louryn Strampe The Barracuda V2 Pro feels more like a good pair of over-ear headphones than a traditional gaming headset. During my testing period, I regularly listened to music with it. It sounds clear and balanced—there’s a bit of quality loss in the lows …