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  • A deep-space navigation first, from New Horizons

    A deep-space navigation first, from New Horizons


    The New Horizons spacecraft, which has left the solar system, beamed back images that have led to the first test of deep-space navigation. That is, New Horizons imaged 2 stars, which astronomers then used to pinpoint the spacecraft’s location in the galaxy. Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are hosting this New Scientist podcast. The guest is guest Alex Wilkins. Watch in the player above, or on YouTube.

    The New Horizons Mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt published this article on June 30, 2025. Edits by EarthSky.

    Figuring out how far and where a spacecraft has traveled usually requires accurate radio tracking from Earth. But NASA’s New Horizons team has used the spacecraft – now more than 5 billion miles (8 billion km) from Earth – to demonstrate that it’s possible to determine a craft’s direction and distance via the examination of its images of star fields. This is the first true demonstration of interstellar navigation, made possible because New Horizons has now traveled far enough away.

    Tod Lauer, an astrophysicist and New Horizons science team member from the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, explained:

    As a spacecraft travels deeper into space, the positions of the stars seen from its location begin to shift, in contrast to where they are seen from Earth. A spacecraft voyaging out into the Milky Way can measure these shifts, which are due to an effect called parallax.

    A paper describing the results was accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal.

    A preprint is available on arXiv: A Demonstration of Interstellar Navigation Using New Horizons

    They used these 2 stars

    In 2020, the New Horizons science team obtained images of the starfields around the nearby stars Proxima Centauri (top) and Wolf 359 (below). The team obtained images from the spacecraft, and, simultaneously, from Earth. More recent and sophisticated analyses of the exact positions of the 2 stars in these images enable the team to deduce New Horizons’ 3-dimensional position relative to nearby stars. Thus they accomplished the first use of stars imaged directly from a spacecraft to provide its navigational fix. It was also the first demonstration of interstellar navigation via a spacecraft on an interstellar trajectory. This 2-frame animation of Proxima Centauri blinks back and forth between the New Horizons and Earth images. Image via NASA.
    Star field with one star appearing to "blink" (change position), due to parallax.
    This 2-frame animation of Wolf 359 blinks back and forth, between New Horizons images and those obtained at Earth. Image via NASA.

    Deep-space navigation, part 1

    Since its launch in 2006, New Horizons has been on a trajectory that brought it past Pluto and then Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth. Eventually, its path will take it out of the solar system, into interstellar space, over the next decade.

    In 2020, Lauer led the New Horizons science team in an effort to obtain images of the starfields around the nearby stars Proxima Centauri (top) and Wolf 359. They obtained the images simultaneously from New Horizons and from Earth. This program vividly demonstrated New Horizons’ change in perspective.

    Lauer worked with retired Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researcher David Munro and members of the New Horizons team and external collaborators on this project. They used more recent and sophisticated analyses of the exact positions of the two stars in those 2020 images to deduce New Horizons’ 3-dimensional position relative to nearby stars.

    They thereby accomplished the first use of stars imaged directly from a spacecraft to provide its navigational fix.

    Deep-space navigation, part 2

    It was also the first demonstration of interstellar navigation by any spacecraft on an interstellar trajectory. The principal investigator for New Horizons, Alan Stern from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said:

    This pioneering interstellar navigation demonstration and its accompanying publication show that a deep-space mission can use its onboard imaging system to find its way among the stars.

    While for New Horizons, this method isn’t as accurate as NASA’s sophisticated tracking from Earth, it could be highly useful for future deep space missions in the far reaches of the solar system and in interstellar space.

    Artist's concept of a spacecraft with a big radio dish.
    The New Horizons spacecraft. Image via NASA.

    More details

    NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) is used to track most interplanetary spacecraft, including New Horizons. Engineers use the precise time it takes DSN signals, traveling at the speed of light, to reach the spacecraft to make highly accurate distance measurements.

    Simultaneous ranging from two DSN stations, located 180 degrees apart on Earth, provides a precise direction to the spacecraft.

    A separate project obtained precise positions with respect to X-ray pulsars in the Milky Way. That project had demonstrated spacecraft navigation for craft in low orbit around the Earth. But New Horizons provided a first for a deep space mission.

    In standard celestial navigation, the stars are assumed to be in fixed locations. But in interstellar navigation, one determines how the nearby stars have appeared to shift against more distant stars to establish the spacecraft’s location in all three dimensions.

    In contrast, for navigation with DSN, the position of the spacecraft remains linked to and dependent on knowing the location of Earth.

    The April 2020 demonstration

    Pure interstellar navigation, like what New Horizons demonstrated, is based on the ultra-precise 3D map of the Milky Way from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission.

    Images obtained with New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) captured the positions of Proxima Centauri and Wolf 349 relative to much more distant background stars. Two stars are required to determine position; significantly, Proxima Centauri and Wolf 349 are positioned almost 90 degrees apart in the sky, providing nearly optimal leverage to determine New Horizons’ location.

    During the April 2020 demonstration, New Horizons was 46.9 times the distance of the Earth to the sun – about 4.36 billion miles (7.02 billion km) – and would appear to be in the constellation Sagittarius, close to the center of the Milky Way, as seen from Earth.

    New Horizons on April 23, 2020

    Map of the solar system, with New Horizons' location marked.
    View larger. | Location of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft on April 23, 2020, derived from the spacecraft’s own images of the Proxima Centauri and Wolf 359 starfields. The positions of Proxima Centauri and Wolf 359 are strongly displaced compared to distant stars from where they are seen on Earth. The position of Proxima Centauri seen from New Horizons means the spacecraft must be somewhere on the red line, while the observed position of Wolf 359 means that the spacecraft must be somewhere on the blue line – putting New Horizons approximately where the two lines appear to “intersect” (in the real 3 dimensions involved, the lines don’t actually intersect, but do pass close to each other). The white line marks the accurate Deep Space Network-tracked trajectory of New Horizons since its launch in 2006. The lines on the New Horizons trajectory denote years since launch. The orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are shown. Distances are from the center of the solar system in astronomical units (AU), where 1 AU is the average distance between the sun and Earth. Image via NASA/ Johns Hopkins APL /SwRI /Matthew Wallace /New Horizons Mission.

    The dawn of deep-space navigation

    Lauer’s team cautions that the accuracy of this first demonstration of interstellar navigation is limited. That’s because of LORRI’s relatively low angular resolution; the imager was not developed to obtain ultra-precise positions of stars. The range to New Horizons estimated from the stellar imagery was roughly close to the actual distance. It showed 47.1 times the Earth-sun distance, in contrast to the DSN-derived distance of 46.9 times. Plus, its direction on the sky was accurate to a patch a little smaller than the scale of the full moon as seen from Earth. Lauer added:

    The measurements were within our expected range of uncertainty for LORRI, but future deep space missions with high-resolution navigation imagers should be able to achieve dramatically better positions, using this same technique.

    Bottom line: NASA’s New Horizons team has used the spacecraft – now more than 5 billion miles (8 billion km) from Earth – to demonstrate that it’s possible to determine a craft’s direction and distance via the examination of its images of star fields. This is the first true demonstration of interstellar navigation, made possible because New Horizons has now traveled far enough away.

    Source: A Demonstration of Interstellar Navigation Using New Horizons

    Via New Horizons Mission

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  • A Rare Case Report of Tropheryma whipplei-Induced Acute Respiratory Di

    A Rare Case Report of Tropheryma whipplei-Induced Acute Respiratory Di

    Introduction

    Whipple’s disease, first described by George Whipple in 1907, is a chronic systemic infection caused by the gram-positive bacterium Tropheryma whipplei, a member of the Actinomycetota phylum.1 Although classically characterized by gastrointestinal involvement, extraintestinal manifestations—such as arthralgia, central nervous system disorders, and endocarditis—have been increasingly recognized.2

    Severe infections caused by T. whipplei, including endocarditis, meningitis, and pneumonia, though uncommon, can be life-threatening and require prompt diagnosis and treatment. Pulmonary involvement is particularly rare and often presents with nonspecific respiratory symptoms, contributing to delays in diagnosis.

    Given this rarity and clinical ambiguity, pulmonary infection with T. whipplei may be misdiagnosed, especially in immunocompetent individuals. Delayed recognition can result in disease progression to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), increasing the risk of adverse outcomes. Early use of molecular diagnostic tools such as metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) can be critical for accurate identification and timely intervention.Here, we report a rare case of ARDS caused by T. whipplei in an immunocompetent young adult, confirmed by mNGS of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and provide a comprehensive review of the literature.

    Case Presentation

    A 28-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 4-day history of progressive dyspnea, productive cough with purulent sputum, and fever (39.6°C). The patient has a clear history of aspiration, with symptoms beginning after occupational exposure to wastewater, initially manifesting as mild fatigue and a nonproductive cough. He self-administered febuxostat and over-the-counter combination tablets containing paracetamol and amantadine hydrochloride, without clinical improvement. A chest CT performed at a local hospital revealed bilateral patchy and flocculent opacities in both lungs (Figure 1A–C). The patient had no notable past medical history, including no history of autoimmune diseases (eg, rheumatoid arthritis), chronic infections, malignancies, or use of immunosuppressive agents. Immunologic evaluation revealed normal lymphocyte subsets, including CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells, with a normal CD4/CD8 ratio. Serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA, and IgM) were also within normal limits, indicating no evidence of immunodeficiency. Due to worsening hypoxemia, he was transferred to our tertiary care center for advanced management.

    Figure 1 Chest CT scans. (A–C) Images on hospital day 1 showing bilateral patchy opacities. (D–F) Images after 3 weeks of treatment showing resolution of pulmonary exudates.

    On admission, the patient exhibited severe respiratory distress (SpO₂: 91% on room air). Laboratory findings included leukocytosis (12.33 × 10⁹/L; 96.30% neutrophils), elevated C-reactive protein (256 mg/L), and procalcitonin (2.2 ng/mL). Arterial blood gas analysis demonstrated severe hypoxemia (PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio: 118). Repeat chest CT showed bilateral ground-glass opacities and consolidations, predominantly in the lower lobes, consistent with ARDS. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy was initiated, and empiric antimicrobial therapy with meropenem (2 g every 8 hours), azithromycin (500 mg daily), and levofloxacin (750 mg daily) was administered.

    Despite these interventions, the patient developed worsening hypoxemia (PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio: 69) and delirium, necessitating mechanical ventilation with lung-protective strategies and prone positioning. Bronchoscopy revealed hyperemic bronchial mucosa with submucosal hemorrhages and scant white secretions. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was sent for microbiological analysis, including NGS. Antifungal (caspofungin: 70 mg loading dose, then 50 mg daily) and antiviral (oseltamivir: 75 mg twice daily) therapies were added empirically, alongside sivelestat sodium (0.2 mg/kg/hour) to attenuate pulmonary inflammation. Sedation was achieved with sufentanil (0.1 µg/kg/hour) and midazolam (2 mg/hour), with neuromuscular blockade using atracurium (5 µg/kg/minute).

    A diagnostic breakthrough occurred on hospital day 5 when metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), performed using the IDseq™ Ultra platform (Vision Medicals, China), detected Tropheryma whipplei DNA with 12,373 sequence reads, confirming Whipple’s disease-associated ARDS. A low abundance of Staphylococcus aureus (69 sequence reads) was also identified but was deemed clinically insignificant due to the low read count and lack of supporting clinical or microbiological evidence. Antimicrobial therapy was subsequently revised to intravenous ceftriaxone (2 g daily) and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP; 15 mg/kg/day of the trimethoprim component). Follow-up blood cultures grew Staphylococcus epidermidis, prompting a switch from linezolid to vancomycin (15 mg/kg every 12 hours).

    Over the following week, the patient’s oxygenation improved (PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio: 212), allowing gradual weaning from mechanical ventilation to HFNC on hospital day 18. Inflammatory markers normalized, with procalcitonin decreasing to 0.3 ng/mL and C-reactive protein dropping to 8 mg/L prior to discharge. The patient’s body temperature returned to normal (<37.5°C) within 72 hours after the initiation of targeted antibiotic therapy. He was subsequently discharged on day 28 with a planned 12-month course of oral SMZ-TMP. Follow-up CT demonstrated significant resolution of pulmonary exudates (Figure 1D–F).

    Discussion

    Whipple’s disease (WD) is a rare, multisystemic infection that poses diagnostic challenges due to its protean manifestations. While pulmonary involvement is uncommon, this case illustrates a life-threatening presentation of WD as ARDS. Although WD typically affects immunocompromised hosts, this patient had no known immunosuppression, aligning with prior reports of WD in immunocompetent individuals exposed to environmental reservoirs.

    The nonspecific respiratory symptoms and radiographic findings in pulmonary WD—such as bilateral consolidations and ground-glass opacities—often mimic more common etiologies (eg, bacterial pneumonia, COVID-19).3 Conventional diagnostic methods, including cultures and serology, frequently fail to identify Tropheryma whipplei, as exemplified here. NGS emerged as a pivotal tool, enabling rapid pathogen identification and timely therapeutic adjustment. This underscores the growing role of molecular diagnostics in managing critically ill patients with atypical presentations.

    First-line therapy for WD involves prolonged antibiotic regimens to prevent relapse. Intravenous ceftriaxone (2–4 weeks) followed by oral SMZ-TMP (12 months) remains the cornerstone of treatment.4 In this case, SMZ-TMP’s efficacy was evident, with rapid clinical improvement after its initiation. However, emerging reports of SMZ-TMP resistance highlight the need for alternative regimens (eg, Meropenem combined with SMZ -TMP) in refractory cases.5,6

    These cases in the table elucidate the similar clinical manifestation and the evolution of the cases in the literature. Patients’ ages ranged from 26 to 62, with a median of 39 years. SMZ-TMP was a consistent component of the antimicrobial regimen across most cases, emphasizing its efficacy as a cornerstone drug for treating Tropheryma whipplei infections.5–9 This reflects its well-documented ability to inhibit Tropheryma whipplei growth and its broad-spectrum activity. Intravenous ceftriaxone is currently recommended as part of the initial treatment phase for rapid control of systemic infection, and Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SMZ-TMP) was then recommended as primary oral maintenance therapy for at least 1 year.3 However, Cases of resistance to SMZ-TMP have been documented, prompting the need for alternative or combination therapies (Table 1).10

    Table 1 Cases of Resistance to SMZ-TMP

    Limitations

    This case report has several limitations. First, while conventional diagnostic methods failed to identify the causative pathogen, the definitive diagnosis relied on metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), underscoring the limited sensitivity of traditional microbiological tools in detecting Tropheryma whipplei. Second, although the patient was considered immunocompetent based on medical history, a detailed immunological workup was performed and only included basic parameters such as lymphocyte subset analysis and immunoglobulin levels; more comprehensive immune profiling was not conducted. Third, the lack of long-term follow-up data precludes assessment of potential disease relapse or chronic sequelae. These factors should be addressed in future studies to better understand the pathophysiology and management of T. whipplei-associated ARDS. Furthermore, given the potential for central nervous system (CNS) involvement in Whipples’ disease, long-term follow-up is essential. Although our patient showed no neurological symptoms during hospitalization, future monitoring for CNS relapse or delayed complications remains clinically important.

    Conclusion

    This case highlights the indispensable role of advanced molecular diagnostics, particularly next-generation sequencing, in identifying rare and atypical pathogens such as Tropheryma whipplei in critically ill patients with ARDS. Timely and precise pathogen detection enables targeted therapy, significantly improving patient outcomes even in severe and life-threatening conditions. Importantly, this report underscores the necessity of considering Tropheryma whipplei as a potential etiology of ARDS, even in immunocompetent individuals, especially when conventional diagnostic approaches fail.

    The therapeutic challenge posed by emerging resistance to standard regimens, such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, further highlights the need for ongoing research into alternative or combination antibiotic therapies. Future studies should aim to deepen our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying Tropheryma whipplei-induced pulmonary involvement and refine clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of such cases. By integrating cutting-edge diagnostics with personalized therapeutic strategies, clinicians can advance the care of patients with rare and complex infectious diseases in critical care settings.

    Ethics Approval Consent to Participate

    This study has been reviewed and approved by the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University. The patient provided informed consent for publication of the clinical details and written informed consent was obtained. Written informed consent was provided by the patient for the publication of the case details and images. Details of the case can be published without institutional approval.

    Consent to Publish

    The study participant gave consent to publish.

    Author Contributions

    All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

    Funding

    This study did not receive any funding.

    Disclosure

    The authors declare that they have no competing interests in this work.

    References

    1. Wilson KH, Blitchington R, Frothingham R, Wilson JA. Phylogeny of the whipple’s-disease-associated bacterium. Lancet. 1991;338(8765):474–475. doi:10.1016/0140-6736(91)90545-z

    2. Patil S, Fantry GT. Connecting the dots: the many systemic manifestations of whipple disease. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2012;8(1):63–66.

    3. Lagier JC, Fenollar F, Raoult D. Acute infections caused by tropheryma whipplei. Future Microbiol. 2017;12(3):247–254. doi:10.2217/fmb-2017-0178

    4. Dolmans RA, Boel CH, Lacle MM, Kusters JG. Clinical manifestations, treatment, and diagnosis of tropheryma whipplei infections. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2017;30(2):529–555. doi:10.1128/CMR.00033-16

    5. Deng Y, Zhang H, Lu J, Zhou Z, Zhang T, Cui X. Whipple’s disease of the respiratory system: a case report. Exp Ther Med. 2024;27(4):133. doi:10.3892/etm.2024.12421

    6. Li W, Zhang Q, Xu Y, Zhang X, Huang Q, Su Z. Severe pneumonia in adults caused by Tropheryma whipplei and Candida sp. infection: a 2019 case series. BMC Pulm Med. 2021;21(1):29. doi:10.1186/s12890-020-01384-4

    7. Zhu B, Tang J, Fang R, et al. Pulmonary coinfection of mycobacterium tuberculosis and tropheryma whipplei: a case report. J Med Case Rep. 2021;15(1):359. doi:10.1186/s13256-021-02899-y

    8. Shan X, Li Z, Dong L. A case of pneumonia caused by infection with tropheryma whipplei complicated by cryptococcus during treatment with a Janus kinase inhibitor: a case report. BMC Pulm Med. 2024;24(1):625. doi:10.1186/s12890-024-03401-2

    9. Lu Z, Zhang A, Guo J, Ni H. An unusual case of severe pneumonia caused by Tropheryma whipplei combined with Legionella pneumophila. World J Emerg Med. 2023;14(6):492–494. doi:10.5847/wjem.j.1920-8642.2023.095

    10. Bakkali N, Fenollar F, Biswas S, Rolain JM, Raoult D. Acquired resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole during Whipple disease and expression of the causative target gene. J Infect Dis. 2008;198(1):101–108. doi:10.1086/588706

    11. Zhang WM, Xu L. Pulmonary parenchymal involvement caused by Tropheryma whipplei. Open Med. 2021;16(1):843–846. doi:10.1515/med-2021-0297

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  • MST Unveils Entry-Level Escort Restomod

    MST Unveils Entry-Level Escort Restomod

    MST has added a new fast Ford to its portfolio of remanufactured Escorts.

    The Mk1 Sports is modelled on the Blue Oval’s early competition cars like the RS1600 and Mexico, which dominated circuit racing and rallying, and is less extreme than the Welsh company’s other Escorts.

    MST says the MK1 Sports is about “going back to basics” to create “a pure analogue driving experience at a cost-effective price.” That price is £74,500 plus taxes, equivalent to around $123,000, which by today’s restomod standards is quite reasonable.

    MST

    Technically it’s not even a restomod, as every MST vehicle is built using a new shell and components, and can be road registered as a new car. It’s available in left-hand-drive as well as a right-hooker for the domestic market.

    Unlike other MST models the Mk1 Sports does without the wide rolled wheelarches, so has a narrower track and a more subtle look. As standard the car will come in Frozen White, but there’s a wide range of period correct 70s colors to choose from, along with different side stripes and extra Cibie spotlamps.

    MST Mk1 Sports yellow
    MST
    MST Mk1 Sports orange
    MST
    MST Mk1 Sports blue 2
    MST
    MST Mk1 Sports green
    MST
    MST Mk1 Sports blue
    MST
    MST Mk1 Sports red
    MST

    It gets adjustable ‘fast road’ suspension, with McPherson struts at the front and leaf springs at the rear. 13-inch four-spoke alloy wheels are standard or you can opt for Minilites if you prefer. The interior features retro sports seats, and a rear bench can be specified so the whole family can share the fun.

    Power is from a normally-aspirated two-liter four-cylinder, twin-cam 16-valve, motor with Jenvey throttle bodies that offers up 183 hp. Drive is to the rear wheels via a close-ratio five-speed H-pattern manual. Braking is taken care of by all-round discs with four-piston calipers.

    After driving the first MST Mk1 Henry Catchpole said he was “on cloud nine” but even with its narrow-body and a few less horses the MK1 Sports has surely got to be at least a seven.

    You’ll need to move fast if you want one as just 25 are to be made, with production starting in 2026.

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  • British and Irish Lions 2025: Lions need to be ruthless against Brumbies

    British and Irish Lions 2025: Lions need to be ruthless against Brumbies

    In the minutes before the Lions ran out to play the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, Maro Itoje gathered his players together in the dressing room and appealed to their inner grunt.

    The captain made a point about wanting to play hard and direct rugby. “Get us through the front door,” he demanded of his team. “Forwards – set the tone with our physicality.”

    And that’s the ongoing confusion with these Lions. They have all the artillery they need to blast through the guts of any team in Australia, but they just haven’t done it nearly often enough.

    Head coach Andy Farrell has said regularly that the Lions are absolutely at their best when driving at the heart of the opposition and then, when they have them beaten up, playing from there. It’s like that old line about the first step to making chicken soup – catch a chicken.

    And yet against the Waratahs they were still shovelling the ball out the backline without doing the hard yards up front. They should be better than this. They are better than this.

    Last month, Itoje addressed some of the side-to-side stuff the Lions delivered in the defeat by Argentina and called it “tippy-tappy”. And it’s still a bit tippy-tappy.

    Now that the Test series is looming on the horizon, maybe they’re about to unload. Maybe now is the time the hounds of hell are unleashed and the gameplan shifts to a more balanced and more belligerent version of what we’ve seen so far.

    Before the Brumbies game, Itoje was asked if more direct rugby was in the offing. “That’s definitely the ambition,” he replied.

    “Rugby doesn’t change too much, whether it’s under-14s rugby or the Lions. You have to go forward. You have to earn the right – the famous saying – to go wide. And that is definitely the case for us. We need to punch holes, get forward, then space opens up, wherever that may be.”

    Does he feel they’ve been too lateral in their attack on this tour?

    “At times, perhaps. At times we’ve been very good in playing direct and playing through teams. But at times we probably look to go wide before we earn the right.”

    And going wide before earning the right to go wide is why they ran into so much trouble against the Waratahs, who were waiting for them. The amount of handling errors from exceptionally talented players was maddening – not quite self-defeating, but a little too close for comfort.

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  • Genshin Impact Bridges Console and Mobile Gaming, Says Fate/Stay Night Creator

    Genshin Impact Bridges Console and Mobile Gaming, Says Fate/Stay Night Creator

    Honkai Star Rail’s collaboration with Fate/Stay Night is only days away from release. Ahead of the collaboration, Denfami Nicogamer has shared a one-on-one interview between the leaders of both franchises— Honkai-verse’s writing lead Shaoji and the legendary author Kinoko Nasu. During the interview, Nasu was asked about the recent generation shift to mobile games. To this, the legendary author of countless TYPE-MOON masterpieces gave credit to Genshin Impact for closing the gap between mobile and console gaming.

    Kinoko Nasu Praises Genshin Impact in Latest Interview

    Kinoko Nasu spoke in great detail about the struggle of developing an engaging mobile game back in the day. He recalled how mobile games were once seen as little more than “time-wasters” compared to console games.

    If console games were like hour-and-a-half-long feature films, mobile games were more like four-panel comics—entertaining, but over in a flash.

    The author continued on the evolution of mobile games since then. “By the era of Chain Chronicle, Granblue Fantasy, and FGO, they had reached a level comparable to weekly serialized manga,” he clarified.

    Image Credit: Hoyoverse (edited by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

    According to Kinoko Nasu, the ‘rich and lavish’ aspects of a console had to be challenged through daily playability and features that built connections between players outside the game itself. That is until the release of Genshin Impact.

    Whether by luck or misfortune, the long-standing gap in gameplay depth between mobile and console games—to put it bluntly, the “one-tier-below” disadvantage—was closed. After Genshin Impact, newer mobile games began achieving a level of quality that could rival console games. This marks the first point of generational shift.

    I cannot help but agree with Kinoko Nasu. Ever since Genshin Impact’s release, we have started to see high-quality games that bridge the gap between console and mobile. More gacha games such as Wuthering Waves, Honkai Star Rail, Tower of Fantasy, and Zenless Zone Zero followed Genshin’s lead, releasing just within the next five years.

    More is yet to follow, with games like Ananta and Neverness to Everness promising an even greater quality and gameplay experience. Although we have yet to see how they actually turn out.

    Mobile gaming is heading in a great direction, and hopefully, with more powerful devices, we may just see every new game releasing on mobile, consoles, and PC at the same time. But before that, get ready for the Honkai Star Rail x Fate/Stay Night collab characters who are set to arrive soon on the banners.

    Share your thoughts about Kinoko Nasu’s statement about the generational shift of mobile gaming, down in the comments.

    This interview was originally arranged by the Japanese media outlet Denfami Nicogamer, with the Japanese version published on July 8, 2025, at around 11:00 AM UTC+8. You can check out the original article here.

    Sanmay Chakrabarti

    An old soul who loves CRPGs and Souls-Like to death. Takes pleasure in simplifying “Complex and Hard” games for casual players with tailored guides and videos. He loves to explore new places, read fantasy fiction, watch anime, and create wacky character builds in his off time.


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  • Garmin smartwatches add turn-by-turn directions with Google Maps

    Google Maps app arrives to the Connect IQ Store, providing directions on the wrist

    OLATHE, Kan., July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Garmin (NYSE: GRMN) today announced the Google Maps app is now available for free in the Connect IQ™ Store, providing simple, turn-by-turn directions on compatible Garmin smartwatches, including select Venu®, Forerunner®, vívoactive® and fenix® products. After users input a destination into Google Maps on their Android™ smartphone, the app will send notifications to their watch, letting them know about each upcoming turn while they walk, run or cycle.




    The Google Maps Connect IQ app will provide simple, turn-by-turn directions on compatible Garmin smartwatches.






    The Google Maps Connect IQ app will provide simple, turn-by-turn directions on compatible Garmin smartwatches.

    “Whether exploring a new city, mapping out a run or casually cycling with friends, the Google Maps app in the Connect IQ store will keep users going in the right direction. The turn-by-turn notifications will be a game changer for those who want to stay hands-free and keep their phone in their pocket.”
    –Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing

    For pedestrians

    For those who prefer to walk to their destination, Google Maps provides on-the-go directions that gently vibrate their Garmin smartwatch to keep users from having to look down at their phones while crossing the street or maneuvering through a crowd. And for even greater awareness, simply tap into the app to see the next three turns.

    For fitness fanatics

    Users can still record walks, runs or bike rides on their Garmin smartwatch while using Google Maps, allowing them to track distance, heart rate and more, while also getting notified when it’s time to make a turn along the route. Once they arrive at their destination, users can sync their activity data from Garmin Connect to other Android health and fitness apps via Health Connect, providing them with more tools and flexibility than ever before.

    The Google Maps app is available now in the Connect IQ Store and is free to download.

    The Connect IQ Store is an all-in-one source for Garmin customers looking to personalize their compatible Garmin devices. With thousands of options to choose from, users can download apps, watch faces, music streaming services and more right to their device. The Connect IQ Store is accessible through the Google Play and Apple App Store. For more information, email our media team or connect with us on LinkedIn. For developers interested in creating on-device applications for Garmin customers around the world, visit the Connect IQ developer site.

    About Garmin International, Inc. Garmin International, Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin is a registered trademark and Connect IQ is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Google Maps is a trademark of Google LLC. Android is a trademark of Google LLC. Apple is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

    All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

    Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
    This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2024, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983), and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 29, 2025 filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 001-41118). Copies of such Form 10-K and Form 10-Q are available at https://www.garmin.com/en-US/investors/sec/. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    MEDIA CONTACTS:
    Brianna Silverman and Natalie Miller
    913-397-8200
    [email protected]

    SOURCE Garmin International, Inc.

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