The Sun has been acting up, and we can finally confirm why. Scientists use sunspots to measure activity on the Sun, determining the progress of its solar cycle. Earth can be on the receiving end of the Suns wrath. An X9.0 solar flare observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 3.Image: NASA/SDO Compared to other solar cycles, Cycle 25 is exceptionally active. The Sun has developed the largest number of sunspots since 2002, according toNOAA....

All 3,093 pieces of it. Will you need mutant powers to assemble this? The newbies are Professor X, Gambit, Iceman, and Bishop, plus a new Jean Grey variation. © Lego You also get Wolverine, Magneto, Rogue, Storm, and Cyclops. Will you be picking up the X-Mansion for your collection? Let us know below. © Lego Want more io9 news? News from the future, delivered to your present. © Lego © Lego...

Tesla released a new video early Thursday showing its much-hyped Optimus robot in action. Viewers can watch Optimus walk around, hand out food, and climb stairs. But anyone watching at home should pay close attention to the numbers in the upper-right corner of the video. Screenshot from a new video of Tesla’s Optimus robot with an annotation showing the 8x speed.Image: Tesla / X Optimus could be seen dancing, talking with guests, and even playing rock-paper-scissors....

Mainly, a brand new trailer that looks ahead at whats to come as the show reaches its conclusion. And it looks like a full-blown war for Gotham City. Standing in her way isOz (Colin Farrell), her former driver whose actions changed her entire life. Oz Cobb, aka the Penguin, is in the fight of his life.Image: Max Oh, and who is that on the motorcycle at the beginning of this trailer?...

If they do that, the cost of the fines would skyrocket. Unnamed EU officials told Bloomberg about the potential jump in fines. The EUstarted investigatingMusk and X in 2023 after its new Digital Services Act went into effect. Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., closes his eyes for a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, who was killed during July’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump, during a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, US, on Saturday, Oct....

Tom Holland wants to makeSpider-Man 4as much as fans want to see it. Hewants to make itas soon as possible, as doMarvel and Sony. Its a fantastic interview that, of course, dives heavily into the MCU and Spider-Man as well. In a new interview, Tom Holland dropped major updates on Spider-Man 4.Image: Sony When I signed my contract for [the first]Spider-Man, I signed a six-picture deal. I was 18 years old....

That may seem like a long way away, but not if youre a theme park fan. So what does that mean? Our Universe will never be the same. Epic Universe at Universal Orlando will open next May.Image: Universal That last phrase is key. But its not going anywhere. Want more io9 news? News from the future, delivered to your present.

The agency credited the increase to its new data-driven approach to fraud detection. That includes using machine learning to identify instances of fraud and to prioritize high-risk transactions for further investigation. Treasury takes seriously our responsibility to serve as effective stewards of taxpayer money. The Treasury processes more than 1.6 billion payments annually for federal programs.© William Thomas Cain/Getty Images Weve made significant progress during the past year in preventing over $4 billion in fraudulent and improper payments....

The same third-party company is selling an Apple Cabin inthe classic shape ofan iPhonethrough Walmarts site. That miniature abode has just enough desk space for a MacBook and not much else. The company sells the same 19-by-20-foot expandable home for $36,000 on its website. © Image: Walmart The Apple Cabin is $24,000 MSRP through the original supplier, but its $17,400 on Walmart. That ultra-small version of the Apple Cabin has just enough room for a bed and a toilet....

Why do you think Laszlo is so fascinated by that? Much like theRocky Horror Show, I think similar to what Frank-N-Furter was scheming to do. I assumed that was his main aim. Photo: Pari Dukovic/FX But, you know, well never know. io9: Why do you think Laszlo is so interested in science? Berry:Im not sure he is, as such. © Russ Martin/FX I think thats what hes interested in. I think hes interested in the conceit and the pose of it, rather than the actual academic side....

Just a day later, Google confirmed to thesitethat the Lite tier is making a return. However, there was something in those screenshots that caught our attention. This is mainly because an ad-free experience is all that the Lite tier offers (and it did). Image: PixieMe (Shutterstock) The rest of the perksoffline downloads, background play, and YouTube Music Premiumare all features of YouTube Premium. So, its a bummer to know that it will no longer do the one job it hasremove ads....

After years of producingblack-and-white e-ink readers, Amazon justreleaseda color Kindle, the Kindle Colorsoft. The only new development is the addition of color.The Colorsoft is now available to order for $280. They dont jump at you or come off as overly vibrant. Photo: Amazon Amazon says, Everything aboutKindle Colorsoftwas meticulously designed to deliver rich, paper-like color. These LEDs work together with certain algorithms to deliver rich color and brightness. According to the claims, you could zoom into images without worrying about pixelation....

However, this may be the best way to hunt for jigsaw pieces inBanjo-Kazooie. Games on the N64 natively play at 320 x 240 up to 640 x 480. However, Analogue noted that there are a select few games that will sit at the max 640. © Image: Analouge That includes subtle hints of scanlines and the phosphor glow of cathode ray tubes. Analogue said the revised console should support any N64 cartridge, region-free....