Category: 4. Technology

While searching for gold in the dingy mines of Ingot Isle, a severe storm sweeps dungaree-donning hero Donkey Kong into a vast underground world. You think he’d be distraught, yet with the subterranean depths apparently rich in banana-shaped gemstones, DK gleefully uses his furry fists to pummel and burrow his way towards treasure. From here, the first Donkey Kong platformer since 2014 is a dirt-filled journey to the centre of the Earth.

Much like the Battlefield games of old, Bananza is built to let you pulverise its destructible environments as you see fit. That seemingly enclosed starting area? You can burrow your way through the floor. Bored with jumping through a cave? Batter your way through the wall instead. There’s a cathartic mindlessness to smashing seven shades of stone out of every inch of the ground beneath you, pushing the physics tech to its limits and seeing what hidden collectibles and passageways you unearth.

In order to add an element of humanity to all the destruction, a young girl named Pauline (whom players may recognise from classic DK games) joins Donkers for the ride, perching on his simian shoulders while singing, like a Brit School-trained parrot.

In a welcome nod to the jazz-filled refrains of Super Mario Odyssey, Pauline sends DK into a frenzy by warbling like Mariah Carey. As DK locks into a gorilla groove by thumping on his chest, Pauline steps up to the mic and sings her heart out, powering him up to new hulking heights – his Bananza form – allowing him to smash through concrete as he glows red and embarks on a rhythmic rampage. As DK’s journey progresses, you unlock additional animal-themed transformations, with one later level seeing DK flutter through the air as a pretty bizarre-looking Ostrich.

As it’s 2025, there’s now a skill tree, enabling players to upgrade DK’s moves, raise his health and even teach him new attacks and tricks. Continuing the RPG-lite approach, collectible hidden fossils are also carefully scattered across each new level, a currency used to buy new stat-boosting outfits. More importantly, these outfits are a huge amount of fun, allowing you to swap DK’s default crimson fur for a more gothic black-furred Kong – along with a pair of blue denim dungarees and a yellow tie of course.

Thanks to its 3D hub worlds, ranged projectiles and wacky transformations, there’s more than a whiff of Rare’s seminal N64 Donkey Kong platformer to Bananza. Part Banjo-Kazooie, part Incredible Hulk simulator, the destruction-led chaos is a world away from the pristine Super Mario Odyssey. If you get tired of punching, you can opt to chuck objects at your surroundings instead. Donkey Kong can hurl slabs of stone and granite at foes, walls and … well, anything really, even launching a special glowing material to destroy cursed structures and unlock one-off challenge areas. Some NPCs are even made out of gems, allowing you to pulverise them mid-conversation before they slowly reassemble, feigning nonchalance with a dead-eyed look in their shimmering crystallised irises.

The development team seems to have had fun coming up with new fearsome foes for DK to face off against. From being bombarded by hordes of tiny angry blobs, to battering a golden skeletal pterodactyl or fleeing a hopping stone alligator head, the slightly nightmarish threats that you pulverise match Bananza’s off-kilter tone, looking pleasingly distinct from the usual Mario fare.

Bosses promise to be a big part of Bananza too, with DK clashing with the nefarious VoidCo, a brooding gang of villainous apes who steal DK’s much-coveted Banandium Gems. Grumpy Kong, for example, pilots a towering concrete mech which you have to chip into layers, eventually lowering him to ground level and doing what DK now apparently does best – delivering a brutal beating.

Mine kart sections make a welcome return, seeing you leap between rails to dodge obstacles and take out enemies and structures alike by chucking glowing rocks into them until they explode. In a bid to keep the frame-rate solid while you chisel the landscapes around you in real time, the visuals take a slight hit. While character models look great, certain environments and areas look a little bland – but most of the time, you’re moving too swiftly to truly care. While we start off in a dingy mine, we travel through a luscious lagoon and find our way leaping out of deadly rivers of toxins in a poison-filled swamp.

Like Odyssey, there’s a half-hearted co-op mode in Bananza. Put in the sulky boots of Pauline, a second player can click and chip away at the environment via the Joy-Con mouse. Each click chucks or destroys bits of the environment, with both players reaching a screen-filling, eyeball-straining degree of carnage. Give this to a young’un and furious-click induced chaos will no doubt ensue. You have been warned.

Donkey Kong Bananza is weird, a little janky at the moment and more chaotic than Nintendo platformers of old. It’s the playable equivalent of Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit, big, brash and impossibly enjoyable. While the Switch 2 has been accused of being iterative rather than innovative, for his first Switch 2 appearance, it seems that the iconic ape is burrowing his way towards a new type of fun.

SAVE $30: As of July 2, the Amazon Echo Show 5 is on sale for $59.99 at Amazon. That’s a saving of 33% on the list price.

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Prime Day is just a week away, and we can expect to see a whole lot of discounts on Amazon products. But if you want to start saving now, check out this amazing deal on the Echo Show 5, currently at its lowest price this year.

As of July 2, you can pick up this smart assistant for $59.99, saving you $30.

The Echo Show 5 is basically a smart assistant with a screen, and a perfect all-rounder device. It comes with built-in Alexa, the ability to watch Netflix shows, and it even has video chat capabilities. The design is neat and nifty, with a screen size of just 5.5 inches, so it is perfect for looking at the weather, recipes, or the time at a glance, without taking up too much space in your home.

It can stream music and has compatibility with the most popular streaming apps, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, and Deezer. This model even benefits from a deeper bass and clearer vocals for a more advanced listening experience.

Mashable Deals

Not to mention, the Echo Show 5 is eco-friendly, featuring fabric made from 100% post-consumer recycled polyester yarn and an aluminum body crafted from 100% recycled materials.

Grab this deal before the Prime Day rush.

The new system enhances the creation and management of documents as well as the way the business manages and shares information with its clients, supporting both collaboration and client experience.

“We believe that our clients expect more than just professional services, they want easy, secure access to the information that matters to them,” said Chris de Putron, Managing Director at Orbitus. “This is part of our ongoing evolution, combining innovative technology with the human relationships that are at the heart of what we do.”

Installed and customised by Clarity, the M-Files document management system combined with the Hubshare web based platform offer enhanced document management and simplified sharing of documents, making it easier for Orbitus to support clients and work efficiently across teams.

Tim Roussel, Business Transformation Sales at Clarity, added: “We’re proud to support Orbitus as they continue to raise the bar. These products help streamline how information flows, giving teams more time to focus on what they do best, and offering clients a smoother, more efficient experience.”

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Pictured: Left to right – Chris de Putron, Managing Director at Orbitus and Tim Roussel, Business Transformation Sales at Clarity

It’s time to unholster our best ‘Nothing’ based puns, because the UK-based brand has revealed its latest smartphone.

The Nothing Phone (3) is the company’s latest iteration of its flagship line, teasing improved performance and usability, plus a few AI surprises, at a competitive price.

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Saramonic recently introduced the Air, a lightweight dual-channel wireless microphone system that operates over the 2.4 GHz band. It’s clearly designed for people who want a fast, no-fuss audio setup—vloggers, mobile filmmakers, and interview shooters in particular.

This release comes on the heels of the Saramonic Mix system, which offers more modular features like swappable mic capsules. The Air, by comparison, keeps things as simple as possible. No interchangeable parts, no menu diving – just clip it on and go.

Saramonic Air key features

• Operates on the 2.4 GHz digital spectrum
• Two transmitters with built-in microphones
• Lavaliers included for each transmitter
• Receiver with a small color display
• Mono/stereo output toggle
• USB-C port for digital output and charging
• Up to 100-meter range (line of sight)
• Includes a compact charging case

Both transmitters have mics built into the clip, but also come with wired lavs for a cleaner or more discreet option. The receiver gives you visual feedback on signal strength, audio levels, and battery life. Output is available via 3.5mm or USB-C, which makes it easy to plug directly into a smartphone, computer, or mirrorless camera. There are no adapters needed.

The range is decent in open areas, but as with most 2.4 GHz systems, signal dropouts can happen when obstructions or interference come into play. This band is shared with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other devices, so reliability will vary depending on where you’re shooting.

The charging case is a welcome inclusion. It houses the full kit and keeps everything topped up between shoots. Runtime is competitive with other entry-level systems (around 6 hours on a full charge), but you’ll want to keep that case nearby if you’re working long days.

Saramonic Mix vs. Saramonic Air

The Saramonic Mix system, released earlier this year, offers more flexibility. It’s modular, has multiple form factors, and might appeal to creators who want to swap mic capsules or work in varied setups. The Air doesn’t try to be that. It’s more of a “set it and forget it” system. For people who don’t want to think about gear and just want to hit record, that’s a big plus.

The Air lacks internal recording, so if the signal drops or something goes wrong, you lose the take. Other systems in this category (like the Rode Wireless GO II or DJI Mic) offer onboard backups, which give you a safety net the Air simply doesn’t have.

Audio recording in 2025

The Saramonic Air isn’t built for professionals, and that’s fine. It’s built for fast, functional, two-person audio capture on a budget. There aren’t many bells and whistles, but the fact that it just works out of the box will appeal to many users who don’t want to troubleshoot audio gear in the field.

Audio used to be one of the biggest pain points for independent filmmakers and low-budget productions. Even ten or fifteen years ago, capturing clean, usable dialogue meant renting gear or relying on recorders and lavs that weren’t easy to monitor or sync.

Now, compact systems like the Air make it possible for solo creators and small crews to get decent sound without much effort. Dialogue is clearer. Setup times are shorter. The barrier to entry is dramatically lower.

It’s not a perfect system, and it won’t cover every use case. However, the fact that something this lightweight, wireless, and relatively affordable exists, and is good enough for a lot of real-world work, says a great deal about how far audio tools have come.

For indie filmmakers, content creators, and anyone tired of wrestling with old-school lav packs and cables, that’s a welcome shift.

Price and availability

The Saramonic Air was officially launched on June 24, 2025, and is now available through Saramonic’s website and other major retailers. In the U.S., the version without lav mics sells for $149, and the one that includes two lavs goes for $169. The global version costs a bit less at $139 without lavs or $159 with them.

For more information about the Saramonic Air, visit their official website.

Affordable wireless mics are everywhere now. What do you think of the sudden wave of options? Tried one that surprised you?

A new study reveals that while exercise is key, specific plant-based mineral nutrients may offer an added metabolic boost and enhance your workouts and diet.

Study: Effects of 12 Weeks of Chromium, Phyllanthus emblica Fruit Extract, and Shilajit Supplementation on Markers of Cardiometabolic Health, Fitness, and Weight Loss in Men and Women with Risk Factors to Metabolic Syndrome Initiating an Exercise and Diet Intervention: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Image credit: Supitcha McAdam

Exercise is fundamental to a healthy life, but its effects depend on a fitness-promoting diet. Lifestyle changes that integrate these aspects are often advised to help manage metabolic syndrome and its complications. A recent experimental trial published in Nutrients examined the effect of chromium supplements and plant-based extracts that enhance its bioavailability and improve cardiometabolic markers.

Introduction

People often become more sedentary as they age, with increased fat mass and impaired glucose and lipid metabolism. This elevates the risk of metabolic syndrome, which is defined by the presence of at least three out of several key health conditions. These include abdominal obesity, hypertension, glucose intolerance, high triglycerides, and low high-density lipoproteins (HDL, ‘good’ cholesterol).

While exercise and dietary changes help reduce this risk, their impact must be carefully assessed while making recommendations. The current study aimed to obtain evidence of how three nutrients popularly associated with cardiometabolic risk affect the outcomes of an integrated weight loss program in a high-risk group.

The three test nutrients include trivalent chromium (Cr), Phyllanthus emblica (PE), and Shilajit (SJ).

Phyllanthus emblica, also known as the Indian gooseberry or emblic, is rich in multiple phytochemicals with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective attributes. It may also improve endothelial health and function, reduce platelet aggregation, and lower blood glucose levels.

Shilajit, also known as mum, mumie, or mumlayi, is a mineral found in mountain rock crevices in Central Asia. It enhances stress adaptation and has added antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In traditional Indian medicine, it is used to manage hypertension, diabetes mellitus, high blood lipids, and inflammation.

Chromium is reported to improve blood glucose control, restoring impaired insulin sensitivity. It may also improve body composition by reducing fat mass.

The current study aimed to identify whether combining these three might enhance their individual effects.

About the study

The study included 166 people with a sedentary lifestyle and two or more markers of metabolic syndrome. Their average age was 48.6 years, and their mean body mass index was 34.2 kg/m².

Candidates participated in a 12-week exercise program incorporating endurance and resistance exercises performed three days a week under supervision, with 10,000 steps on the intervening days. They were also asked to cut their energy intake by 5%.

The participants were divided into five groups, matched for age and sex, BMI, and body mass. One group received a placebo. The other four received Phyllanthus emblica (PE), trivalent chromium (Cr), and the herb shilajit (SJ) in various combinations once a day for 12 weeks:

• 500 mg PE (PE-500)
• 1000 mg/d of PE (PE-1000)
• 400 µg of Cr with 6 mg each of PE and SJ (Cr-400)
• 800 µg of Cr with 12 mg each of PE and SJ (Cr-800) 

Study findings

Compared to placebo, all intervention groups showed modest improvements in cardiometabolic markers, particularly at six weeks, although not all changes reached statistical significance. The effects were generally less significant by 12 weeks.

Training adaptation

Training adaptations were observed in all groups. Lifting volume nearly doubled during resistance training over 12 weeks. Resting energy expenditure also increased, with higher fat and carbohydrate oxidation at rest. Resting heart rate and diastolic blood pressure went down in most groups.

All groups had an increased aerobic capacity and could go longer before muscle fatigue set in. These effects were most prominent with Cr-400. However, the improvements in these areas were not statistically different from those in the placebo group, indicating that the effects were primarily due to exercise.

Muscular strength and endurance increased in all groups, but the PE-1000 showed higher gains, suggesting its superior effect. Fat was lost in all groups, but lean mass increased in the Cr-800 group over the PE-1000 or Cr-400 groups at 12 weeks. The Cr-800 group showed significantly greater fat loss and lean muscle gain at six weeks compared to placebo, but this advantage was not sustained at 12 weeks. The overall effect of these changes was small.

Cardiometabolic changes

The changes in lipid levels were comparable to those in the placebo group, attributable to the effect of exercise. However, glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity markers improved with Cr-400 and PE-1000 compared to placebo. Some of these differences reached statistical significance, while others only approached it. Notably, changes in glucose and insulin markers were generally modest.

PE appears to have an anti-inflammatory effect irrespective of Cr when used alongside a combined exercise and dietary intervention.

Platelet function improved with Cr-800 and PE-1000 supplementation compared to the placebo, and hemodynamic markers like flow-mediated dilation diameter were better. However, the increase in platelet aggregation, used in the study to infer improved platelet function, should be interpreted with caution, as it may be misunderstood without context.

No adverse effects were observed on blood cells, mood, quality of life, or side effects, indicating that these supplements were well-tolerated. A slight increase in reported dizziness was noted in the PE-1000 group, though this was not statistically significant. In all groups, exercise and a healthy diet promoted mood stability, improved energy, and the ability to do vigorous activities.

Prior research corroborates these findings, showing that PE is as effective as atorvastatin at higher doses in improving endothelial function and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Chromium was also reported to have some similar effects. However, past research has shown inconsistent outcomes, and bioavailability challenges for chromium remain a concern.

Conclusions

In overweight people at risk for metabolic syndrome, “the results suggest that PE and Cr with PE and SJ supplementation may enhance some exercise- and diet-induced changes in markers of health.” The higher doses (PE-1000 and Cr-800) had greater benefits, though all dosages were associated with some beneficial effects.

However, many improvements were also seen in the placebo group, emphasizing that exercise and dietary modification were the primary drivers of change. The reported differences between supplement and placebo groups were generally small and sometimes short-lived.

Additional validation is required to reproduce these exploratory efforts in a more diverse population before they can be accepted as definitive.

Future research could extend the scope of the study to younger people, those in training, and those without risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Additionally, it is unclear whether these benefits persist without exercise training and with other types of diet modifications. The study also highlights the need to differentiate statistically significant findings from trends and to consider clinical relevance when evaluating supplement efficacy.

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Manor Lords publisher Hooded Horse has partnered with Ubisoft to publish Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era.

Developed by Unfrozen, the publisher will take over the “day-to-day operations” of the upcoming title.

As noted by Rock Paper Shotgun, the developer said that Hooded Horse’s involvement “means more marketing support, better visibility, and helps extend our reach to more regions”.

Ubisoft will remain the owner of the Heroes of Might and Magic franchise.

“We are thrilled to welcome Hooded Horse aboard to support the next chapter of Heroes Might and Magic,” said Ubisoft chief publishing officer Alain Corre.

“Their passion for the franchise and strong connection with strategy communities makes them the perfect complement to Unfrozen’s creative talent.”

Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender added: “Heroes of Might and Magic is a legendary series, one that has a place in the hearts and childhoods of many gamers. We’re honoured to be teaming up with Ubisoft and Unfrozen on this project.”

“The entire Unfrozen team is very excited that Hooded Horse is joining the project,” said Unfrozen CEO Denis Fedorov.

“We firmly believe that their expertise, combined with Ubisoft’s legacy, will allow us to make Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era truly successful and introduce the game to even more fans of tactical turn-based strategies from all over the world.”

The title was revealed in August 2024, though last month the developer announced that early access had been postponed to late 2025.