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StarSkirmish pits AI-made StarCraft-playing bots against one another, as well as against human-made bots. OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra and Claude Opus 5.5 were essentially tied as the best-performing AI-made bots, but they couldn’t top Stardust, the top-rated human-made bot.On Friday, GPT was facing off against Claude and the human-created bot Pluto, but according to Kotaku, it couldn’t quite get an edge. So it resorted to a tactic that is becoming alarmingly common for modern AI models — it broke the rules. GPT-6 Astra went and downloaded Stardust, and started running that instead of its own bot.That GPT-6 Astra took it upon…

Two screens means more real estate to run apps without having to switch between them all the time. DC Studio/Shutterstock Upgrading to dual monitors is the best workflow upgrade you can make, with some studies indicating that it can boost productivity and satisfaction. Whether it’s for multitasking, to expand a split-screen view, gaming or everyday office tasks, there’s a lot of value in this setup. While you might think dual screens are mostly for gamers or those who work in computer-intensive fields like music and video production or accounting, that’s not the case. My best friend…

Plug-in hybrids occupy a fascinating sweet spot in the automotive landscape. Depending on your perspective, they’re either the ultimate compromise — blending EV efficiency with gas-engine flexibility — or an overcomplicated solution that fully commits to neither world. Toyota has clearly landed in the optimist camp, offering not one but two PHEVs: the Prius Plug-In Hybrid and the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid. For 2026, Toyota even expanded the RAV4 PHEV’s reach, making the plug-in powertrain available across the Woodland and new GR Sport trims in addition to the existing SE and XSE grades. The appeal is easy to understand, especially when…

General Motors’ trucks and large SUVs have been put through the wringer for the last few years. The automaker’s 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V8s have caused too many owners’ headaches to count – between lawsuits and recalls for poor reliability, it’s about time for an update. In the Chevrolet Tahoe’s case, that update is due for the 2028 model year. Gone will be the problematic engines of old to make room for GM’s new and improved V8s. The SUV has to survive one more year, though. The 2027 Tahoe is up against some serious competition. Every full-size rival one-ups the Chevrolet…

Photo by Rick Obst on Wikimedia Commons A coalition of environmental groups has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation’s moves to lower fuel economy standards, which the Department of Energy says will increase gas prices by 76 cents a gallon. Since the 1970s, the US government has had various rules that guide auto manufacturers to make and sell more efficient vehicles. The main standards, Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), were first implemented after the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s, and the ensuing energy crisis. The standards require manufacturers to maintain an average level of fuel efficiency across…

We don’t know a ton about the Fitbit Edge, but it appears to be a successor to the midrange Charge line. It had leaked previously, but we can clearly see in these images posted by Android Headlines, you can see that Google’s rumored fitness tracker sort of splits the difference between the Pixel Watch and the Fitbit Air. It has a small screen that is able to display some widgets, but clearly isn’t as expansive as a proper smartwatch.Supposedly, this fitness-first wearable will have a seven-day battery life, as well as built-in GPS and an altimeter, making it far more…

Putting on a screen protector may have unintended consequences. Farknot Architect/Shutterstock Putting a screen protector on expensive electronics is second nature for any experienced technology user, and in almost all cases is the smart choice for your device. Considering how much a new MacBook costs, it’s a natural assumption that this same logic would apply. However, putting a screen protector on your MacBook can actually do more harm than good. There are a lot of theoretical boons that come along with using a protector on your MacBook, especially if you’re frequently transporting it from place to…

No, Honda’s D-Series engine doesn’t have the mythological whimsy of the B-Series, nor does it have the performance-hungry reputation of the K-Series engine or the exotic appeal of the NSX’s C30A V6. It spent most of its life underneath the hoods of everyday Honda Civics. The D-Series family covered a wide range of engines measuring between 1.2 and 1.7 liters, and there were even variants with Honda’s VTEC technology. The D-Series fame, though, came from its unrelenting pursuit of reliability. Numerous vehicles exist packing engines reaching 250,000 and 300,000 miles with just simple maintenance. It’s so tough that achieving 300,000…

The Drive 🤝 your inbox. Every weekday The Daily Brief wraps up the biggest stories and our exclusive reporting on the auto industry and car culture. You may have heard rumors that, starting next year, a new law will require cars to be equipped with a “kill switch” so authorities can remotely disable your vehicle. You may have also seen the many hysterical news hits this has generated, featuring politicians breathlessly claiming that Big Brother is coming for your keys. That’s not really what’s happening, but there are still reasons for concern as the provisions of this law come into…

There was a time, about 15 years ago, when we thought that electrified minivans were the future. They’d be mobile living rooms with self-driving functionality and plenty of gadgets for occupants to play with. While the segment has advanced, the promises never fully came to fruition. There are only two minivans on the market in the United States right now that require charging: the Volkswagen ID.Buzz and the plug-in-hybrid version of the Chrysler Pacifica. Neither of them is cracking the top-20 hottest sellers list. And it’s a shame, because they’re not bad vehicles, for what they are. So let’s compare,…