Wendy N. Wagner has announced that she will be stepping down as editor-in-chief of Nightmare Magazine to focus on writing, with the December 2026 issue being her last. Wagner wrote,
On the plus side, I’m simply returning the reins to our founder, John Joseph Adams. I am absolutely thrilled to see what he’ll do now that he’s had a bit of rest; his amazing work as a horror short fiction editor is what got me excited about short fiction in the first place! You can all look forward to a 2027 packed with thrilling and chilling new horror and dark fantasy.
I expect to spend the next few months feeling sad to say to goodbye and excited for the future. This magazine is such a special place, and the work we do here is so full of magic and delight. For a place called “Nightmare,” it’s actually a dream.
Wagner has also stepped down as senior editor at Lightspeed and is named Emeritus staff. In her place, associate publisher Christie Yant will assume the role of senior editor.
For more information, see the official announcements in Nightmare and Lightspeed.
Paresh Dave and Aarian Marshall, reporting for Wired (News+ link in case Wired hits you with their paywall):
The incidents involved two different shipments of high-value
technology traveling from Silicon Valley to Southern California,
according to Pachuca, who says he learned about the thefts from
law enforcement authorities. Each truck was tailed by private
security professionals driving unmarked escort vehicles, which
were supposed to ensure the goods made it to their destinations
safely. But hours into one journey, another driver rear-ended the
escort in a hit-and-run, forcing it to stop. In the other case,
the escort stopped after another car nudged it into a tailspin, a
ploy commonly known as a PIT maneuver, and then fled.
Everyone familiar with the “accidents” believes the escorts were
deliberately immobilized, according to Pachuca. Once the
semitrucks lost their escorts, the drivers proceeded without
halting — but not to their planned destinations. They were never
heard from again, Pachua says, and millions of dollars in data
center gear remains unaccounted for.
The Nova 3P in eye-catching cyan. | Image: SteelSeries
While manygaming headsets come with extra features, the tradeoff is that they’re often uncomfortable and heavy. A lightweight, affordable alternative that can connect to a bunch of platforms is available at Woot. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P in cyan ison sale for $59.99, a 45 percent discount from their usual $109.99 price.
This headset,like most of SteelSeries’ models, feature a stretchy strap on the headband to offset its weight, plus a removable boom mic so you can take them on the go. While they sound good right out of the box, the SteelSeries app offers over 200 game-specific equalizer profiles that can enhance the soundexperience, emphasizing the sound offootsteps in shooters, for example, or adding a richness to the music in cinematic games.
This version of the headset is compatible with Windows and macOS computers, PlayStation consoles, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and Android and iOS mobile devices. They include both a Bluetooth connection for calls and mobile use, and a compact low latency USB-C dongle for listening over a 2.4GHz wireless connection. They’re advertised tolast up to 40 hours on a single charge, and can fast charge for up to nine hours of gaming in just 15 minutes via USB-C.
Robin Williams' children are taking over their father's Instagram account after his daughter spoke out against the use of his AI likeness, as reported earlier by The Wrap. In a post on Tuesday, Zak, Zelda, and Cody Williams write that they want the late actor's Instagram profile to be a "safe, trusted place where the stories, photos, videos, and memories shared reflect his legacy with authenticity, warmth, and care."
A story posted to Zelda Williams' own Instagram account expands on the decision to bring back her father's profile, saying that it's meant to help combat "rampant AI abuse," according to The Wrap:
OpenAI is announcing security updates following the July news that its AI broke out of a sandboxed environment and accidentally hacked Hugging Face, including improvements to its research environments, monitoring, and alignment techniques. The company had already put the brakes on a new model, Astra, that it thinks could have "critical" cybersecurity capabilities, and the company says it instituted a two-week pause in reinforcement learning (RL) training on its "latest models intended for deployment" while it tightened up security. The company's "largest planned frontier RL run remains on hold."
If you’re looking for a feature-packed pair of earbuds that won’t break your wallet, Best Buy has the SamsungGalaxy Buds 3 Pro on sale for $139.99. That’s $40 lower than the current Amazon price, and a big discount from their original retail price of $249.99. These well-equipped earbuds feature excellent sound quality, crisp transparency mode, and a clear microphone for taking calls on the go.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are Samsung’s best-sounding wireless earbuds yet. They have a stemmed design similar to the AirPods Pro, but even if their design is a little bland, the Buds 3 Pro make up for it with great call quality, useful voice commands, and more.
When we reviewed the Buds 3 Pro, Chris Welch was particularly impressed by the audio quality, which he described as “full and detailed” with strong bass and treble. One standout feature are voice commands, which let you quickly adjust the volume or control media playback by simply speaking the command, no wake phrase required. They have excellent battery life for the category, and IP57 water and dust resistance.
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shortDescription: "Two screens, one device, one price that makes it worth it.",
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Other deals to consider
The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is discounted to $399 at Amazon, $100 off its usual price. This compact vlogging camera is mounted to a handheld gimbal, helping ensure steady shots and crisp video even while walking or moving around. It’s capable of shooting 4K video at 120 frames per second, and is surprisingly sharp for a small and budget-friendly camera. Read our hands-on.
Amazon is selling four packs of Philips Hue smart plugs for $77.48 total, where each unit would normally cost $37.99. These compact plugs add connectivity to almost anything you’d normally plug into a wall, with support for a direct Bluetooth connection, or smart home integration if you also have a Philips Hue Bridge.
You can grab the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless from Woot for $239.99 (usually $379.99) and save an additional $5 once per Woot account by using the code WOOTGAMING at checkout. This premium gaming headset features multi-system connectivity through the USB hub, active noise canceling, and swappable batteries for nearly endless gaming. Read our review.
Sony's Pulse Elevate wireless gaming speakers are launching on November 12th and will cost $219.99, the company announced on Tuesday. Announced nearly a year ago, the speakers are compatible with a PS5, PlayStation Portal, PC, and Mac, and they include "studio-inspired planar magnetic drivers" that offer "lifelike sound across the entire audible spectrum," Sony says. They also include a built-in mic for voice chat, Sony's PlayStation Link low-latency tech, and charging docks for topping up the batteries.
The Pulse Elevate speakers come in two colors, black and white, and preorders begin on September 1st at 10AM ET in the US or 10AM local t …
If rolled out, the feature would use the social media service’s TikTok Pay offering, which is already available in Southeast Asia for TikTok Shop purchases.
I took a home blood test today, and it included a reusable heat pack. These things have been around since the 1970s, but this was the first time I've used one. It's a plastic pouch with liquid inside and a small metal disc stamped with many dents. — Read the rest
The ChatGPT maker says its upcoming Astra model may have reached “critical” cyber capabilities, prompting it to halt a significant number of training runs while it tightens internal safeguards.
You'll need the high-end reMarkable Paper Pro model (previously at Boing Boing), but now that Android's been ported to it, the color e-ink device can run third-party apps and connect to external peripherals.
The new safeguards include more detailed monitoring of models during the development process, as well as greater emphasis on alignment and security during the post-training process.
Apple is simplifying its EU App Store fees, replacing its per-install fee with a 5% commission for apps distributed outside the App Store and making it easier for developers to operate alternative app marketplaces.
Reputedly foul-smelling and held liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll by a federal jury in New York, Donald Trump has maintained a string of oddly dedicated aides during both his terms as United States President. Natalie Harp has been described as someone who "will jump highest" when Trump commands it. — Read the rest
The undeclared war with Iran is dragging on as the United States is running out of munitions, and the Orange Menace may have found his scapegoat. Rumors are that Diaper Don is gonna toss Whiskey Pete under the bus.
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Wendy N. Wagner has announced that she will be stepping down as editor-in-chief of Nightmare Magazine to focus on writing, with the December 2026 issue being her last. Wagner wrote,