I have to admit, when I first heard the rumors about OpenAI partnering with legendary Apple designer Jony Ive for a hardware project, my mind immediately jumped to a sleek, futuristic smartphone. We have all been waiting to see how they would make the leap from software to physical devices.
But it turns out, OpenAI has a completely different vision for our homes. They aren’t building a phone; they are building a portable, screenless AI speaker. Honestly, the more I dig into the leaked details, the more this strategy makes absolute sense to me.
Not Just Another Smart Speaker
If your first thought is that this will just be another Amazon Echo or Apple HomePod, you need to think bigger. According to the latest leaks and court documents surrounding the project, OpenAI isn’t just making a speaker—they are trying to invent an entirely new category of home computing.
Here is what makes this device stand out from the hardware we already have:
Cameras and Contextual Sensors: Instead of giving you another glowing screen to stare at, this device will reportedly use built-in cameras and advanced sensors to “see” and understand your environment. It won’t just wait for a voice command; it will understand the context of the room you are in.True Portability: Most smart speakers on the market right now are chained to a wall outlet. OpenAI is designing this unit with a built-in battery, meaning you can carry it into the kitchen while you chop vegetables, move it to the laundry room, and then drop it on your nightstand for some music before bed.Ambient Integration: The core philosophy here is to make AI a seamless part of your physical life, moving away from app-based interactions to natural, environmental assistance.
Why I Think This is a Game Changer
As someone who covers emerging tech every single day, I am honestly experiencing massive “screen fatigue.” The idea of interacting with a highly intelligent AI naturally—without having to pull a phone out of my pocket or swipe through menus—feels incredibly refreshing.
Of course, we have to talk about the elephant in the room: privacy. Putting an always-aware, camera-equipped device from an AI giant into our most private spaces is going to be a tough sell for a lot of people. Especially with the ongoing trade secret lawsuit involving Apple, the scrutiny on how this device compares to the privacy-focused HomePod ecosystem is going to be intense.
But what really caught my eye while researching this is that the portable speaker is just the tip of the iceberg. Reports suggest OpenAI is currently working on five different hardware projects, ranging from wearable AI necklaces to full-blown home robotics. This speaker is just the Trojan horse to get ChatGPT out of our web browsers and into our physical living spaces.
I am seriously considering clearing a spot on my kitchen counter for this, assuming they can prove my data is secure. But I want to pass the mic to you: Would you feel comfortable having a camera-equipped OpenAI speaker tracking your daily routines at home, or does that cross a privacy line for you?
I was digging through the latest streaming ecosystem updates today and caught some massive news for us Star Wars geeks. If you missed The Mandalorian and Grogu when it hit theaters back in May, your chance to watch it from the comfort of your couch is finally almost here.
But there’s a catch to this release that really got me thinking about where the digital entertainment industry is heading.
Here is the quick breakdown of what you need to know.
The VOD Strategy: Patience is a Virtue
Disney just announced that the movie will make its digital debut on July 21.
However, before you fire up your Disney+ app, you need to understand their rollout strategy:
No Immediate Streaming: It is not dropping on Disney+ yet.Pay-to-Play: The July 21st release is strictly a Premium Video on Demand (VOD) window. You will have to rent or buy it on platforms like Apple TV and Google Movies.
While researching this, it struck me how much the streaming landscape is shifting. A few years ago, a flagship property like this would have been rushed onto their proprietary platform to boost subscriber numbers. Now? Studios are squeezing every last drop of revenue through VOD rentals before adding titles to their subscription catalogs. From a business perspective, it’s a brilliant strategy to maximize profits, even if it definitely tests the patience of regular subscribers like us.
A Grand Cinematic Event or Extended TV?
I also took a deep dive into the critical reception of the movie. A lot of reviewers complained that because of the lower budget compared to the Skywalker saga, the film felt like two high-budget episodes of the television series stitched together, rather than a sweeping cinematic epic.
Honestly? I think that’s a great thing.
Jon Favreau understands that the magic of Mando and Grogu lies in their intimate, character-driven dynamic. We don’t always need universe-ending stakes, bloated runtimes, and chaotic CGI space battles. I much prefer a grounded, focused story that stays true to the gritty bounty hunter vibe we originally fell in love with.
I will definitely be renting it on the 21st to see how the visual effects hold up on a proper home display.
But I want to pass the mic to you: Are you going to pay for the VOD rental this month, or are you stubbornly holding out until it finally drops on Disney+?
There are so many games still stuck on old systems these days, and while there are collectors out there who still have access to these consoles, most of the gaming world has moved on.
When you move on, however, you leave the games behind that never got their PC adaptation or jumped onto the newer consoles. That leaves so many great games just stuck in the past, alone on older consoles and undiscovered by so many gamers that forget to look at how great we really had it back then.
Related
10 Best Forgotten PS3 RPGs You Need To Play
The PS3 RPG back-catalog is pretty damn good
But we don’t forget the past here. Instead, we celebrate it, and if you’ve got a few old dusty systems that you want to fire up and see what you can find, this list is for you. We’re going to check out some games that have been left behind on old consoles.
8
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
A Different Wasteland
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is a different kind of Fallout game. Instead of the slow-paced exploration of a massive open world, you’re instead treated to a more linear experience here, though this one is also full of plenty of sidequests to check out and people to talk to, so while the combat is much more the focus, the vibe of the world still remains.
The big difference is that this one is co-op, so some friends were able to fight together in a Fallout game back in 2001, and that was a novel experience for the time. The combat is fast-paced here, with over 40 different weapons to choose from and multiple characters. It’s not the deepest game by any means, but it’s a hidden gem of the Fallout world that may appeal to those looking for a more action-first RPG.
7
King’s Field: The Ancient City
The Start of a Genre
King’s Field: The Ancient City is one of FromSoftware’s opening games in the soon-to-be gargantuan Souls-like genre. It’s a much different experience, though, feeling distinctly western in its build, from the visuals to the enemies, this was very much your standard swords and sorcery type of RPG. It’s slow, deliberate, and while it resembles what would become Dark Souls later in the company’s future, it also strongly resembles early Elder Scrolls in its dungeon crawling.
You’ll be fighting off skeletons, wielding swords and shields, and facing both the oppressive nature of the dungeons and the increasingly strange enemies to fight. It’s a rough experience, as this was kind of the prototype series for what the Souls genre could be. But that tense combat and the character progression are there and although the atmosphere is much different than you might be used to, there is still a dark and chilling nature to it all. It’s a must-play for anyone with a PS2 trying to experience a unique action RPG.
6
Summoner 2
Open World Before It Was Cool
Developer
Deep Silver Volition
Release Date
September 23rd, 2002
Platforms
PS2, Gamecube
Summoner 2 was a hell of an innovative game for 2002. This was before open worlds and even semi-open worlds were really seen in anything outside of Grand Theft Auto. But Summoner 2 did it and did it right. Despite the, let’s say, unappealing graphics, this is a kick-ass action RPG with towns to explore, a rather thorough main quest, and side quests to take on too.
It’s been stuck on PS2 since its launch as it really didn’t take the series to the next level like it was clearly meant to, but that doesn’t mean it’s not absolutely worth your time if you’ve got some old consoles and have a hankering for experiencing what a great action RPG felt like to play in the early 2000s. You’ve got multiple characters, multiple playstyles, and a cool world to explore with some challenging combat and satisfying progression. Hard to ask for much more.
5
X-Men: Legends
The Perfect Comic Book Game
X-Men: Legends is not only one of the first comic book RPGs ever made, but it might just be the best one. With a completely original story starring all of your favorite X-Men, engaging and challenging combat that requires a decent amount of skill and strategy, and some great, interactive environments that give you endless options for taking out enemies, it’s one of the best games that doesn’t have any modern ports. There is also fantastic local multiplayer for you and 3 other friends to play the long-lost art of couch co-op with.
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Marvel Cosmic Invasion Review
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a love letter to both Marvel and old-school arcade beat ’em ups.
It’s a surprisingly lengthy game of this ilk for the time, too, and you can customize your characters in multiple ways, from the skills you choose for them to items they have equipped that have various features as well. It’s a brawler that is disguised as an RPG and has some of the best combat and gameplay of the era. The follow-up is great too, but the original is the one to play.
4
Folklore
Once Upon a Time
Folklore is one of those games that feels so distinctly 2007. It’s a super edgy take on Folklore from all over, putting you in the shoes of a detective who is trying to solve a murder mystery, or in the shoes of someone closely affected by said murder. It’s grimy and gritty and not a game for kids despite the subject matter. To support this dark fairy tale, there is some great combat that feels like a character action game in motion, but still has several tricks up its sleeves regarding how powerful you can become.
But the highlight here is the vibe itself. It’s majestic and creepy and everything that fairy tales have really always been under the surface. It shines a light on some of the darker tales, while telling an original story of its own that’s pretty great in itself. It has aged quite a bit and feels as much while playing it. But if you can get around the rough edges, this gem on the PS3 still deserves your time.
3
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
A Team Up For the Ages
Marvel Ultimate Alliance is one of the best superhero games ever made, and it also just happens to be a multiplayer RPG that is, for some reason, stuck back in time on older consoles. You can find a remastered version on the PC, but it’s now delisted, so unless you want to comb the internet archives, then you’re out of luck, as there is no way to play it on PC anymore, and there is also no backwards compatibility, which is equally baffling and makes this one eternally left behind on the systems of the path, mainly the PS3 and Xbox 360.
But anyway, this game is just the absolute greatest hit for any Marvel fan out there, with tons of characters, ways to build your character, levels that constantly shift scenarios so that you never let the grind get you down, and a rather gripping story on top of all of that.
It’s got one of the best combat systems for any action RPG I can think of, with generally fully reactive environments, huge attacks to unlock that can clear the battlefield in seconds, and tons of combinations for heroes to play as.
2
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
A Different Fellowship
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is possibly the best non-Japanese, turn-based game that was on the first wave of next-gen consoles. It basically looked at Final Fantasy 10 and went, “That, let’s do that.” At the time, that wasn’t a bad idea at all, and sure enough, the combat system was identical to Square Enix’s juggernaut.
The story follows a group very similar to the main Fellowship, but not quite. It’s more of an adjacent mission to the main quest, which is done fairly well and keeps the action interesting, as many of our tasks have a direct effect on the story we all know and love. It’s done in a similar way to The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, so if you enjoyed your time there, you will undoubtedly get a lot out of this game. The reviews never did big things though, so this underrated and really quite deep turn-based affair has stayed put on consoles for years.
1
Champions of Norrath
Ever the Quest
Champions of Norrath is an awesome action RPG that is long stuck on the PS2, and it’s actually a spinoff of the Everquest games. While that name means little these days, back in 2004, it was one of the biggest MMOs of all time and really the first to kick it into the mainstream world. Champions of Norrath is a much different type of game though, and it more closely resembles Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance than an MMO.
The action is what you’re here for, though, and luckily, it succeeds on all fronts here. You’ve got a great character creator, multiple classes to choose from, and also full co-op for the entire game. It’s got such a gritty, more mature feel to it than most hack and slash of the time, and a surprising amount of depth to the combat.
You’ve got multiple abilities per class, tons of enemy types to fight, and wildly challenging boss fights too. The co-op is also great, and while the story is rather lackluster, it’s the type of old-school, somewhat mindless dungeon crawling that we really don’t get in any games these days. Unfortunately, it’s trapped on the PS2 for the foreseeable future.
Fatal First Dates is heading to Channel 5 with a series of chilling real life stories that could make anyone think twice about online dating.
The documentary series explores shocking cases where a first date ended in tragedy.
Each episode follows the events that unfolded after people believed they had found a promising romantic connection.
Featured in the show are the stories of people who set off on a date but never made it home.
Documentary series Fatal First Dates is to terrify anyone who is currently dating (Credit: Channel 5)
The series looks at how ordinary evenings turned into devastating crimes, with those closest to each case revealing what really happened.
Here’s everything you need to know about Fatal First Dates before it arrives on Channel 5.
Fatal First Dates on Channel 5: What’s it about?
Fatal First Dates has already aired in the US, but UK viewers will soon get the chance to watch it for the first time.
Each episode tells the story of a different real life case where a first date ended in bloodshed. The series follows the investigation from an innocent first swipe to manipulation, obsession and betrayal.
The opening episode centres on single mum Leslie Reeves. The fitness instructor from Illinois was searching for love online when she met Chris Smith.
Chris was a 48-year-old divorcee with two children. He worked for a pool contractor.
Leslie, 45, looked forward to the date and went to Chris’ home on Thanksgiving. The following day, she had disappeared.
Leslie’s best friend contacted the emergency services, who entered the property. Chris was the only person found alive, although he was barely conscious.
An officer later told Leslie’s friend that she had been shot dead in the head. Chris had also been shot and later died.
Investigators described it as “one of the most horrific” crime scenes they had ever attended.
The first episode tells the shocking tale of Leslie Reeves, killed on a first date (Credit: Channel 5)
The episode examines who was responsible for the deadly attack.
Loved ones and investigators share their first hand accounts throughout Fatal First Dates as they reveal what unfolded that night.
When does Fatal First Dates start? How many episodes?
Fatal First Dates arrives on Channel 5 later this month. The first episode airs on Tuesday July 28, 2026, at 11pm because of its disturbing content.
The series features 10 episodes, with a new instalment airing each week.
If you miss the late night broadcast, you can also catch Fatal First Dates on 5’s streaming platform.
Read more: ‘Broke Kardashians!’: Real life Traveller Trewley-Precious lands C4 reality show The Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives and it looks wild
What do you think of this story? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page
Avatar: The Last Airbender is officially returning to movie theaters. After months of confusing, back-and-forth changes, delays, and a massive leak, Paramount and Nickelodeon have decided to bring the animated feature film Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender to movie theaters in addition to its streaming release on Paramount Plus.
Avatar fans noticed on Wednesday that Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender appeared on the AMC Theatres website. A poster for the animated feature film made it explicitly clear: Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender was landing in theaters on July 24, one day before the film officially starts streaming on Paramount Plus.
Image: Nickelodeon/Paramount
Unfortunately for Avatar fans, the film’s theatrical release will be extremely limited. According to a report from Variety, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender will have a one-week theatrical run, from July 24 to 30, and only at two theaters: the AMC Burbank 8 in Los Angeles and the AMC Empire 25 in New York City. There will reportedly be just three showings per day at each location, though the AMC website currently displays five showings per day at the AMC Empire 25 in NYC. Avatar: The Last Airbender co-creator Bryan Konietzko described the release as a “very limited, award-qualifying theatrical run” in an Instagram story.
Tickets for Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender will go on sale on Thursday, July 16 at 9 a.m. EDT / 6 a.m. PDT. The film is also showing at San Diego Comic-Con on July 24.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, the sequel to the beloved Nickelodeon animated series, has had a troubled road to release. Originally scheduled to arrive in 2025, the film was delayed, had its theatrical release scrapped (much to the dismay of fans), and then had footage leaked. The person alleged to have leaked the film was later arrested.
At the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang and his allies have ended the Fire Nation’s genocidal war and began a new age of peace. But as the show’s name implies, Aang doesn’t get to fully celebrate. The Air Nomads were eradicated by the Fire Nation to keep the Avatar from interfering with their conquest. But Aang finds new hope for his people when he wasn’t the only Airbender to spend a century frozen in an iceberg. According to an official synopsis of the film, here’s what Avatar fans should expect in the animated series’ sequel:
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is about Avatar Aang, the world’s last Airbender, all grown up, who learns of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction. With the help of his friends, he embarks on a global quest to find it before it falls into the wrong hands and upends the peace they sacrificed everything to achieve.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender stars Eric Nam as Aang, Dave Bautista as Tagah, Jessica Matten as Katara, Román Zaragoza as Sokka, Steven Yeun as Zuko, Dionne Quan as Toph, and Dee Bradley Baker as Aang’s pets Appa and Momo. Rounding out the cast are celebrity voices Freida Pinto, Ke Huy Quan, Taika Waititi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ronny Chieng, and Ken Jeong.
Related
Avatar footage leak proves the movie should be released in theaters
Just days after reports surfaced that the former Homeland Security secretary is divorcing her husband of more than three decades, Noem shared an emotional video on Instagram addressing the end of her marriage.
Instead of sympathy, however, many commenters mocked Noem and revived some of the hilarious controversies that have followed her in recent years.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on March 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
In the video, Noem told followers she was “devastated” by the recent developments and said her family had been “blindsided” by the intense public scrutiny.
She also asked supporters for “privacy and prayers” as she navigates the difficult period.
The post came after Noem’s mother claimed the former South Dakota governor has begun divorce proceedings against husband Bryon Noem following months of public scandals surrounding the couple.
According to those reports, Bryon had already moved out of the family’s South Dakota ranch.
While Noem may have hoped to receive support, many Instagram users instead flooded the comments with well-deserved trash talk.
Several referenced the controversy surrounding Noem’s admission that she shot and killed her dog, Cricket, while others argued her political decisions had made it difficult for them to feel compassion.
Some commenters called the situation “karma,” while others accused Noem of seeking sympathy after spending years as a polarizing political figure.
“Should have never been DHS secretary,” one person wrote, according to Radar Online.
“You’re fired!” another wrote.
“Are you still married?” a third asked. “Is your husband still wearing your lingerie?” a fourth chimed in, referencing reports that Bryon Noem’s cross-dressing fetish had damaged the marriage.
News of the divorce follows months of headlines surrounding Bryon’s alleged online activity.
Reports claimed he maintained secret relationships with fetish models and engaged in explicit online communications under an alternate identity.
The allegations generated widespread media attention and reportedly placed additional strain on the couple’s marriage.
Kristi Noem has not publicly addressed those specific allegations against her husband.
The pair married in 1992 and share three children together.
Their relationship had already been the subject of public speculation in recent years amid persistent rumors about marital troubles, although Noem repeatedly denied reports of her own alleged affair with longtime political adviser Corey Lewandowski.
For now, Noem says she is focused on her family as the divorce moves forward.
Unfortunately for her, it seems that social media commenters are also focused on her family.
Senators will update President Trump on the entire CLARITY Act and its “path to success.”
Lawmakers are still divided over whether unresolved ethics language should delay the revised draft.
Senate leaders are pushing for a floor vote before the current work period ends on August 7.
US President Donald Trump is set to receive a direct update from senators on the CLARITY Act Thursday afternoon as lawmakers race to find a path for the crypto market structure bill before the Senate leaves for its August recess.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, who has been involved in negotiations, said a group of senators will brief Trump on the bill and its “path to success.”
“We’ll be talking about the entirety of the bill,” Moreno said, adding that Trump has been “very engaged” in the legislation.
The meeting comes after months of back-and-forth negotiations over the CLARITY Act. Ethics restrictions tied to Trump’s own crypto interests remain one of the bill’s largest unresolved issues, but Thursday’s discussion is expected to go beyond that dispute.
For lawmakers, the immediate question is whether negotiations are close enough to move toward a revised draft and Senate floor vote before August 7.
What Could Come Out of Trump’s CLARITY Act Briefing?
The first major signal will be whether senators leave the White House with a clearer political path for the entire bill.
Sen. Thom Tillis said he hopes lawmakers can reach an agreement by the end of this week, warning that progress is critical if the Senate wants to move the legislation before the August recess.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also said Wednesday that he hopes to bring the bill to the floor during the current work period, which ends August 7.
Asked whether the Senate could vote even without a deal with Democrats, Thune said: “At some point, we’ll vote on it, yeah.”
That puts Thursday’s Trump meeting at an important point in the legislative calendar.
The Senate still needs Democratic support to advance the legislation. Ethics restrictions covering senior government officials and their crypto business interests have become a central demand from Democrats.
Democrats have pushed proposals covering the president, vice president, members of Congress, senior officials and, in some versions, their families. Sen. Chris Van Hollen previously proposed restrictions on officials and families owning, promoting or affiliating with digital asset issuers or platforms, alongside disclosure requirements.
Earlier bipartisan discussions considered narrower options, including delaying the implementation of restrictions and applying limits to government officials without extending them to family members. Negotiators have also discussed allowing state attorneys general to pursue ethics violations.
Trump’s response to the progress made on those negotiations could become one of the most closely watched developments after the meeting. Thursday’s talks could show whether the final compromise moves closer to either model.
A broad agreement covering family crypto interests would answer one of Democrats’ central demands. A narrower rule or delayed implementation could keep White House support intact but may still struggle to win enough Democratic votes.
The vote math makes that distinction important. The Senate Banking Committee advanced its version of the bill 15-9 in May, with Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego and Angela Alsobrooks joining Republicans. Both later warned that their committee votes did not guarantee support on the Senate floor without an ethics agreement and other changes.
Assuming all Republicans support the legislation, at least seven Democrats or independents would be needed to overcome a Senate filibuster.
That leaves little room for a compromise that wins White House backing but fails to bring negotiating Democrats with it.
Could the Revised CLARITY Act Draft Finally Drop?
The second development to watch is the revised Senate draft.
An almost-final merged Senate text combining work from the Banking and Agriculture committees has been under preparation, but it remains unclear when lawmakers will release it.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a key architect of the legislation, said senators are still debating whether to circulate the draft before reaching a final ethics agreement.
“There’s been some differences of opinion among senators about whether we should distribute a draft with or without the ethics language,” Lummis said.
One option is to release the legislation with the ethics section left in brackets and add the final language later. The other is to delay circulation for several days until senators approve the provision.
“If a decision is made to do it before there’s a final stamp of approval on ethics, it will come out with brackets saying ethics to be added,” Lummis said.
The dispute means the timing of the draft itself could offer an early signal after the Trump meeting.
A draft released with bracketed ethics language would show lawmakers are prepared to move the broader legislation while negotiations continue. A further delay would suggest senators still see the ethics agreement as necessary before putting the near-final bill before members.
Other issues also remain, Federal preemption and questions surrounding SEC and CFTC commission appointments have yet to be fully resolved.
The August 7 Deadline Is Getting Closer
Even an agreement after the White House meeting would not send the CLARITY Act straight to Trump’s desk.
The Senate would still need to advance and pass the legislation. Because the Senate text differs from the House-passed version, Congress would also have to reconcile the measures before a final bill reaches the president.
Lawmakers are now working against the summer recess, with the current Senate work period ending August 7.
After the recess, lawmakers involved in the negotiations fear midterm election politics could make major bipartisan legislation increasingly difficult to pass.
Thursday’s discussion with Trump could therefore provide more than another update on months of negotiations.
Watch for three developments after the meeting: whether senators signal an agreement could come by the end of the week, whether the revised draft is released with bracketed ethics language, and whether Democratic negotiators move closer to supporting a floor vote.
Without progress on those points, the CLARITY Act will return to the same problem lawmakers have faced for months: a shrinking Senate calendar and no clear path to 60 votes.
Also Read: CLARITY Act: 5 Fights Still Unresolved Before the Merged Draft Drops
Disclaimer: The information researched and reported by The Crypto Times is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional financial advice. Investing in crypto assets involves significant risk due to market volatility. Always Do Your Own Research (DYOR) and consult with a qualified Financial Advisor before making any investment decisions.
Who knew a trip to the mall would lead to one of the most iconic music video looks of the early 2000s?
Michelle Branch took fans down memory lane while celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Spirit Room during a Q&A ahead of her MBTV livestream event at The Sun Rose in West Hollywood, California, on June 14.
Michelle Branch/Instagram
Looking back on the era that launched her career, the singer revealed that the blue T-shirt with yellow graphics she wore in the “Everywhere” music video wasn’t a custom piece or designer look. Instead, it was a find she picked up during a trip to the mall.
“I got it at Urban Outfitters. At the mall, yeah,” Branch shared.
While reminiscing about her biggest hits, Branch also reflected on how her approach to touring has changed over the years.
“It took me a long time to really learn a life balance with work,” she admitted.
Michelle Branch
“I think it’s so easy to travel to all these amazing cities and countries and just see the backstage area of a venue or a parking lot where your bus is parked.”
These days, the songwriter makes a point of getting out and exploring “everywhere” she visits.
“I try to get out in every city and find local restaurants. I try to stay away from chains and eat the local food or go to museums and try to be a little cultured,” she noted.
Ariana Trinneer
“It’s also a lot of fun dive bars with my band after we play.”
Whether she’s on the road or at home, keeping her playlists fresh is a priority.
“I try to listen to music as much as possible,” she shared.
Michelle Branch/Instagram
“I’m always on the hunt for new music or even old music that I don’t know yet. The city that I grew up in was so small that it didn’t even have a record store, so all of the music that I discovered was on MTV or the radio. I feel like there are all these deeper cuts and genres that I didn’t get exposed to as a kid, so I’m always searching that way.”
As for what’s always in rotation, Tom Petty tops the list.
“He’s my hero,” the hitmaker said. “He’s number one. The best.”
Michelle Branch/Instagram
And when it comes to making songs, Branch has learned not to force the process.
“A song could just fall out of the sky,” she explained. “When I go fishing for them, they’re not there. But when I’m just minding my own business and listening to music, that’s when they happen.”
OpenSim’s land area and active users all increased this month as OSgrid came back online and many other grids reported increased land area and user numbers.
The public metaverse gained the equivalent of 8,438 standard-sized regions this month, and 1,684 active users for a new total of 153,858 regions and 49,690 actives. That’s the highest number of reported active users since we began tracking these numbers in 2009.
The biggest gainers this month were OSgrid and Wolf Territories Grid, which both grew in active users and in land area.
I don’t usually post the active users chart, but I wanted to show it to you guys this month so you can see the trends — and the fact that we’re inching very close to the 50,000 number.
OpenSim active users for July 2026. (Hypergrid Business data.)
Maybe it’s the heat? I don’t blame people for staying inside, out of the sun. Under a fan, or, if they’re lucky, air conditioning.
And here’s the chart that normally accompanies my monthly stats articles. This one is just for the land area, in standard region equivalents.
OpenSim land area for July 2026. (Hypergrid Business data.)
The following grids were added to our database this month: Australia, Chez Nous, Disaster Land, Eczeat, Enchanted Realms, Harmonys Haven, Hispanofur, NeonWorld, New Life, Novalandia, and Unknown.
The following 12 grids were suspended this month: Andretti Estates, Arielle’s Grid, Endless Grid, EscapeLands, Life RPG World, Littlefield, Mysterious Grid 2, Phantom Rose, Planet Jikan, ProxyNet, Tedesco Sim’s, and XTAL.
If these grids do not come back online within the next month or two, I’ll mark them as closed.
Our stats do not include most of the grids running on DreamGrid, a free, easy-to-use version of OpenSim, since these tend to be private grids.
OpenSim is a free, open-source virtual world platform that’s similar to Second Life and allows people with no technical skills to quickly and cheaply create virtual worlds and teleport to other virtual worlds. Those with technical skills can run OpenSim worlds on their servers for free using either DreamGrid, the official OpenSim installer for those who are more technically inclined, or any other distribution, while commercial hosting starts at less than $5 a region.
A list of OpenSim hosting providers is here. If you offer region rentals and are not on this list, email me!
You can download the recommended Firestorm viewer here and find out where to get content for your OpenSim world or region here.
Top 25 grids by active users
When it comes to general-purpose social grids, especially closed grids, the rule of thumb is the busier, the better. People looking to make new friends look for grids that already have the most users. Merchants looking to sell content will go to the grids with the most potential customers. Event organizers looking for the biggest audience — you get the idea.
Top 25 most popular grids this month:
Wolf Territories Grid: 13,159 active users
OSgrid: 3,618 active users
GBG World: 2,523 active users
Alternate Metaverse: 2,095 active users
DigiWorldz: 1,985 active users
Darkheart’s Playground: 1,474 active users
Cave Grid: 1,300 active users
Sciattisi Grid: 1,261 active users
Neverworld: 1,180 active users
Sanctum Astra: 939 active users
New Life Italy: 917 active users
Trianon World: 914 active users
AviWorlds: 796 active users
AvatarLife: 769 active users
Friends Grid: 724 active users
Party Destination Grid: 720 active users
BloodMoon: 697 active users
Craft World: 662 active users
MK3: 597 active users
SpaceGrid: 508 active users
Free Life: 420 active users
Virtualife: 396 active users
Jungle Friends Grid: 395 active users
ZetaWorlds: 365 active users
Astralia: 363 active users
3rd Rock Grid is coming back
3rd Rock Grid, one of the oldest grids in OpenSim, is coming back.
Maria on 3rd Rock Grid’s Welcome region.
The grid shut down in 2024, and many of its former residents found new homes on ZetaWorlds.
But now its original owner and founder, Terry Ford, is bringing it back to life.
“3rd Rock Grid has meant a lot to me and many others over the years, and with the history and the many firsts, I just had to bring it back,” he told Hypergrid Business.
Read the full story here.
OSgrid back up, celebrating 19th birthday
OSgrid has recovered from its recent month-long outage and is getting ready to celebrate its 19th birthday.
(Image courtesy OSgrid.)
The party will run from July 20 to July 26 on the Event Plaza region on OSgrid, hypergrid address hg.osgrid.org:80:event plaza.
Read more about it here.
Despite the outage, OSgrid is already back to its position as the second-largest grid by both land area and active user counts.
Adult Life quits the hypergrid
In a profanity-laced announcement posted at the end of June, Adult Life announced that it is ending hypergrid connectivity for visitors to the grid.
“We will no longer tolerate the primitive, intrusive, and disrespectful behavior of some OpenSim users,” the grid said. “For this reason, we have completely blocked incoming teleports to the Hypergrid as of today.
The grid is also taking down its listings on OpenSimWorld, the hypergrid’s most popular source of information about OpenSim destinations and events.
The announcement didn’t explain what these specific behaviors were, but did say that “Anyone who thinks they can put pressure on us, intimidate us, or impose their moral garbage on us is sorely mistaken.”
In its description of what the grid is about, Adult Life says: “We create spaces for adults who seek more than the standard, stagnation, and pre-defined rules,” and, “In our grid, you’ll find us 99.9% unclothed.”
And they say that their motto is: “Clothing is not a sign of decency.”
Adult Life does not publish its monthly statistics, so its exit from the hypergrid doesn’t affect our monthly numbers, but my condolences go out to everyone who wants to enjoy some adult nudity and now has to create a new account on the grid. Here’s the registration link.
Online marketplaces for OpenSim content
As of May, there are 21,950 product listings in Kitely Market, containing 42,783 product variations, of which 37,475 are exportable, according to Kitely CEO Ilan Tochner.
Kitely Market has delivered orders to 689 OpenSim grids to date.
Ilan Tochner
That’s an increase of ten grids compared to last month — and a drop of ten product listings. According to Tochner, the small drop is part of the natural ebb and flow of OpenSim businesses.
“The OpenSim community is quite old, and that leads to people eventually passing away or having physical issues that prevent them from being able to continue managing their accounts without assistance,” he told Hypergrid Business. “That leads to some stores shutting down each year. In most months, this is offset by new or existing stores adding more product listings than those that have been disabled. This month, the number of new listings was slightly lower than the number of listings that were removed, so the net effect was a slight decrease.”
Historically, all the Kitely Market growth has been in exportable content. This means that buyers can have their purchases delivered directly to avatar inventories on other grids, and that they can travel to other grids with the content.
(Data courtesy Kitely.)
In the early days of OpenSim, many creators considered this to be a security risk, and non-exportable content dominated. But creators quickly realized that most copybotted content actually comes from Second Life, where everything is non-exportable. And, in general, copybot tools and content thieves don’t bother to check item permissions before committing their thefts. Instead, allowing people to purchase exported content legally, conveniently, and at reasonable prices destroys the copybot economy entirely, leaving only a handful of freebie stores on grids that haven’t yet noticed that they exist and taken them down.
Another source of legitimate content on OpenSim is Linda Kellie’s products, and those of other creators that give them away for free under Creative Commons and similar licenses. Many official freebie stores on OpenSim grids offer these products.
This is similar to how Netflix and other low-cost and free streaming services dramatically reduced online movie piracy.
The Kitely Market is the largest collection of commercial legal content available in OpenSim. It is accessible to both hypergrid-enabled and closed, private grids. The instructions for how to configure the Kitely Market for closed grids are here.
Hypergrid Business newsletter is now available
Every month on the 15th — right after the stats report comes out — we will be sending out a newsletter with all the OpenSim news from the previous month. You can subscribe here or fill out the form below.
All region counts on this list are, whenever available, in terms of standard region equivalents. Active user counts include hypergrid visitors whenever possible.
There were a total of 329 active grids this month, 241 of which published statistics. I’m currently tracking a total of 2,151 grids.
Many school, company, or personal grids do not publish their numbers.
The raw data for this month’s report is here. A list of all active grids is here. And here is a list of all the hypergrid-enabled grids and their hypergrid addresses, sorted by popularity. This is very useful if you are creating a hyperport.
You can see all the historical OpenSim statistics here, including polls and surveys, dating all the way back to 2009.
Wolf Territories Grid: 34,041 regions
OSgrid: 25,894 regions
Groovy Verse: 18,081 regions
Kitely: 17,645 regions
ZetaWorlds: 17,098 regions
Alternate Metaverse: 12,022 regions
Neverworld: 3,256 regions
DigiWorldz: 2,535 regions
GBG World: 1,929 regions
Discovery Grid: 1,614 regions
Tag Grid: 1,577 regions
Friends Grid: 1,481 regions
ArtDestiny: 1,369 regions
Virtual Worlds Grid: 910 regions
Exotic Realities: 760 regions
Kinky Haven: 689 regions
Craft World: 662 regions
AviWorlds: 651 regions
New Life Italy: 636 regions
AvatarLife: 634 regions
Virtual Worlds Zone: 562 regions
Darkheart’s Playground: 427 regions
Furry World: 358 regions
EdMondo: 310 regions
BloodMoon: 287 regions
Migrating Coconuts: 247 regions
Open Virtual Worlds: 241 regions
Spartans Keep: 218 regions
MisFitz Grid: 215 regions
Japan Open Grid: 201 regions
Funny Rides: 193 regions
Maze of The Mind: 187 regions
Sense Limits: 185 regions
Kater and Friends: 175 regions
I Love You Grid: 175 regions
Adreans-World: 171 regions
Dynamic Worldz: 170 regions
Utopia Skye: 138 regions
GerGrid: 132 regions
SpaceGrid: 132 regions
Do you know of any other grids that are open to the public but that I don’t have in my database? Email me at [email protected].
Hypergrid Business editor and publisher Maria Korolov is a science fiction novelist. During the day, Maria Korolov is an award-winning freelance technology journalist who covers artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise virtual reality. See her Amazon author page here and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, and check out her latest videos on the Maria Korolov YouTube channel. Email her at [email protected]. Her first virtual world novella, Krim Times, made the Amazon best-seller list in its category. Her second novella, The Lost King of Krim, is out now. She is also the publisher of MetaStellar, a new online magazine of speculative fiction.
Charlie Kirk Sculptor I’m Facing Online Hate Over Statue
Published
July 15, 2026
1:15 PM PDT
The sculptor behind the viral Charlie Kirk statue says he’s being harassed online … receiving messages from haters who he fears may confront him in the streets.
Sergio Furnari shared some alleged messages from these online trolls with TMZ … one of which reads, “I really want to come to NYC just to burn and piss on that s*** Charlie Kirk statue.”
Another message insists no one would care if Sergio suddenly died … not quite a death threat — but certainly a horrible thing to send someone.
Sergio — who has sculpted other statues for big names like Cristiano Ronaldo and IShowSpeed — tells us he’s actually not a political person and didn’t support Charlie while he was alive … but, in the aftermath of the shooting that took his life, Sergio says he was inspired by Kirk’s commitment to free speech and by the treatment of Kirk’s widow, Erika, after his death.
He plans to unveil the statue in Times Square on September 10 … but it won’t remain there for long — or be left unattended — because of the threats, the materials it’s made out of and limited funding.
Speaking of funding … Sergio says he’s struggling financially — he sold his apartment to fund the project — and hopes an Elon Musk-type will see his work and help fund a stainless steel version of the statue that would be more resistant to vandalism.
Sergio set up a GiveSendGo for support … with a $150K goal.
We asked Sergio if he’s worried about the alleged threats and he told us …”God will be my security.” He also joked he recently broke his foot, so it’s not like he can run from a would-be assailant anyway.
And, get this … Sergio says this project is about protecting democracy — not politics … and he thinks this statue could be as important as the Statue of Liberty and Michelangelo’s “David.”
