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Nintendo wants you to join its next mysterious Switch Online playtest

Late last year, Nintendo hosted a mysterious Switch Online playtest, and on Thursday, the company announced that it would be doing another test as part of the “Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program” and that it will be opening applications soon. This second round will be a test of the “same service” as before.

Last time, Nintendo asked participants not to share details about the playtest, but leaks appeared anyway indicating that the test was for some kind of MMO-style game. 

Applications for this next playtest will be open to users 18 or older with an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack as of Thursday at 6PM ET and with a Nintendo Account registered in Japan, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Brazil, or Mexico. Users can apply as individuals or as a group of up to four people “if everyone in the group meets the Application Qualifications,” according to Nintendo.

We will perform another test in the #NintendoSwitchOnline: Playtest Program. From 8:00 AM PT on July 21st, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members can apply to participate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Find out more: https://t.co/xed7zzwzBb pic.twitter.com/JfnMRd9eoH

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 17, 2025

You can prepare your application on Nintendo’s website from Friday, July 18th at 6PM ET to Monday, July 21st at 10:59AM ET.

You can actually submit your application from Monday, July 21st at 11AM ET to Wednesday, July 23rd at 10:59AM ET, though Nintendo says applications will be accepted “on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Nintendo expects to accept “as many as 40,000 participants worldwide,” a big jump from the 10,000 participants allowed for the October test. If you participated in that playtest, you can participate in this next one, too, Nintendo says.

The playtest itself will run from Monday, July 28th at 9PM ET to Sunday, August 10th at 8:59PM ET.

Subaru’s new Uncharted EV looks like an undercover Toyota C-HR

photo of Subaru Uncharted

Subaru doesn’t have the deepest bench when it comes to EVs. There’s the Solterra, now in its third model year, and the upcoming Trailseeker, which promises to be the Outback to the Solterra’s Impreza when it comes out in 2026.

Now we can add a new member to the lineup. The 2026 Subaru Uncharted is an electric crossover SUV that like the Solterra and Trailseeker is built on Toyota’s E-TNGA platform. When it comes out next year, the Uncharted will have more than 300 miles of estimated range, 338 horsepower, and a sporty style befitting one of America’s favorite outdoor automotive brands.

With Uncharted, Subaru finally seems like it’s ready to pick up the pace on electrification. Subaru and EVs always seem like a good fit — its customers are a little bit crunchy and enjoy darting up rugged trails in AWD vehicles — so it’s a little confusing that the brand has taken so long to come around to the technology. But with a heavy lift by Toyota, Subaru is making good on lost time.

That said, Subaru is sticking to a pretty familiar template with the Uncharted. The compact crossover will have dual motors for AWD, 338 horsepower, and a 0–60mph acceleration time under 5 seconds on the Sport and GT trims. All that on top of Subaru’s finely tuned suspension for more refined handling.

How does the Uncharted stack up against Subaru’s flagship EV? It’s shorter than the Solterra by nearly 7 inches but offers more cargo capacity, with over 25 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row (the Solterra only has 23.8 cubic feet of cargo, or 63.5 cubic feet with the second row folded flat).

The 74.7kWh battery will provide an estimated 290 miles of range on Sport and GT trims with AWD, and over 300 miles on the front-wheel drive version, which comes with 228 horsepower and a lower price point. The Uncharted will come with a standard NACS charging port for access to Tesla Supercharger stations. Subaru claims 10–80 percent charging in under 30 minutes, thanks to battery preconditioning features. Though charging at Tesla’s V3 Superchargers and higher will probably be a little bit slower than expected, as the Uncharted only supports charging speeds of up to 150kW.

Inside, the 14-inch infotainment screen supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections. The center console features twin wireless charging pads that come standard on all trims. And even though climate functions appear on the center touchscreen, there are a fair share of physical buttons, especially around the center-mounted gear shifter.

In appearance, the Uncharted looks similar to the recently revealed Toyota C-HR. Given their shared tech and architecture, it’s likely that the Uncharted is basically a cousin to the C-HR. (A Subaru spokesperson didn’t respond to questions about the shared platform.)

Subaru still distinguishes itself, thanks to its iconic badging and reputation among a certain segment of nature-seeking urban and suburban dwellers. The Solterra has been a surprise hit for the Japanese automaker, selling 3,131 units in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 1,147 in Q1 last year. That’s a 173 percent increase year over year.

Subaru is certainly counting on 2026 being a breakout year for its nascent EV business. But with federal incentives evaporating and tariffs conspiring to jack up prices, the company will have to push extra hard if it hopes to keep up the momentum.

Top Startup and Tech Funding News – July 17, 2025

It’s Thursday, July 17, 2025, and the summer funding streak isn’t slowing down. Today’s deals offer a clear signal: investors are writing big checks for platforms that simplify software development, rewire financial systems, and push the limits of AI, quantum […]

The post Top Startup and Tech Funding News – July 17, 2025 first appeared on Tech Startups.

This upcoming iOS feature will make spam phone calls an issue of the past

At WWDC25 this year, Apple announced a pair of new features to vastly improve the phone calling experience for iPhone users. Hold Assist does exactly what it says on the tin, and manages calls for you while you’re placed on hold – getting rid of the need to listen to dreaded hold music.

The other feature, Call Screening, has much larger implications, and dealing with spam phone calls may become an issue of the past.

more…

Jared Leto is the ultimate soldier in new TRON: Ares trailer

San Diego Comic-Con is coming up next week, and Disney is getting ready for its big presentation by releasing a new trailer for TRON: Ares, directed by Joachim Rønning.

(Spoilers for TRON: Legacy below.)

As previously reported, TRON: Legacy ended with Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) from the original film, preventing the digital world from bleeding into the real world, as planned by the Grid's malevolent ruling program, Clu. He brought with him Quorra (Olivia Wilde), a naturally occurring isomorphic algorithm targeted for extinction by Clu.

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The crypto industry got what it paid for

The crypto industry is beginning to see a return on one of its most prescient investments: Donald Trump.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed three bills that industry supporters believe will bring more legitimacy and predictability to the digital currency space - and that critics warn could enrich the president's own family and hand too much power to the industry at the expense of stability in the financial system. With the summer recess looming, there's a limited amount of time to pass two of the bills that still require a Senate vote, but one is already headed to Trump's desk. Crypto Week, as House Republicans took to calling …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Lovable raises $200M Series A at $1.8B valuation to scale its AI vibe coding platform

First came the users. Then came the hype. Now comes the money. Lovable, the Stockholm-based AI startup that helps users build full-stack software by chatting with an AI, just closed a massive Series A to join Europe’s growing list of […]

The post Lovable raises $200M Series A at $1.8B valuation to scale its AI vibe coding platform first appeared on Tech Startups.

Trump’s claims of a Coca-Cola agreement quickly go flat as nutritionists groan

Late Tuesday, President Trump announced on social media that he had convinced Coca-Cola to agree to use "REAL Cane Sugar" in Coke, in lieu of the current, cheaper sweetener used in the US version of the drink: high-fructose corn syrup.

"I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them—You’ll see. It's just better!" Trump wrote.

On Wednesday, Coca-Cola failed to confirm that supposed agreement. On its website, the beverage giant posted a brief, vague statement saying "We appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca‑Cola brand" and that "More details on new innovative offerings" will be announced soon.

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© Getty | Scott Olson

Dictionary.com “devastated” paid users by abruptly deleting saved words lists

Logophiles are "devastated" after Dictionary.com deleted their logs of favorited words that they carefully crafted for years. The company deleted all accounts, as well as the only ways to use Dictionary.com without seeing ads —even if you previously paid for an ad-free experience.

Dictionary.com offers a free dictionary through its website and free Android and iOS apps. It used to offer paid-for mobile apps, called Dictionary.com Pro, that let users set up accounts, use the app without ads, and enabled other features (like grammar tips and science and rhyming dictionaries) that are gone now. Dictionary.com's premium apps also let people download an offline dictionary (its free apps used to let you buy a downloadable dictionary as a one-time purchase), but offline the dictionaries aren't available anymore.

Accounts axed abruptly

About a year ago, claims of Dictionary.com’s apps being buggy surfaced online. We also found at least one person claiming that they were unable to buy an ad-free upgrade at that time.

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