Month: November 2023

Enlarge / Super Mario RPG is back (credit: Nintendo)

Even among the many standout titles in the Super Nintendo's game library, the RPGs developed for the system by Squaresoft (now Square Enix) are special.

Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI are probably the crown jewels, but Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy IV are nearly as revered and influential. Trials of Mana and Live A Live would only officially come to North America decades later in the form of remastered rereleases, but dedicated fans had already translated them unofficially, such was their desire to share these games with more people. Even lower-order releases like Final Fantasy Mystic Quest or the SaGa series have an appealing story idea or battle mechanic at their core.

But my most beloved Square game as a young pre-teen wasn't any of those. It was 1996's Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars.

Enlarge / Histological section of an artery suffering from atherosclerosis (credit: James Cavallini/Getty Images)

In a small initial test in people, researchers have shown that a single infusion of a novel gene-editing treatment can reduce cholesterol, the fatty substance that clogs and hardens arteries over time.

The experiment was carried out in 10 participants with an inherited condition that causes extremely high LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart attack at an early age. Despite being on cholesterol-lowering medications, the volunteers were already suffering from heart disease. They joined a trial in New Zealand and the United Kingdom run by Verve Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Massachusetts–based biotech company.

Enlarge / All the accessories an iPhone could want. (credit: Aurich Lawson / Getty Images)

Accessories like tempered glass screen protectors, drop-tested cases, Popsockets, wearables, and chargers and charging cables are par for the course when getting a new phone. But that's only scratching the surface of the mobile accessories ecosystem, as there are plenty of unique, innovative, and unusual gadgets that you can pair with your phone. If you're adventurous and need or want something a bit out of the ordinary, here are eight handy smartphone accessories. Some of them will be practical and useful, while others are more fun and whimsical. Whatever your preference, there may be something on this list that catches your eye and adds some novelty to your mobile life.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo instant film camera and printer

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo effortlessly combines the analog and the digital for memorable keepsake photo prints. (credit: Chuong Nguyen)

If you'd like to upgrade to the latest generation of smartphones—like Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max, or Google's Pixel 8 Pro—chances are you're doing so to get a camera boost. So why would you get a separate digital camera to pair with your phone, especially one with a lower-resolution image sensor? Fujifilm isn't banking on the technology prowess of its Instax line—instead, the camera-maker wants to play into your sense of nostalgia with a tool that produces Polaroid-like photos. The Instax Mini Evo tugs on your heartstrings with its film-based approach to photography, turning snaps into tangible keepsakes rather than a digital file that's destined to be ignored in the cloud.

Unlike cheaper analog-only models in Fujifilm's Instax lineup, the flagship Evo also captures digital photo files so you can transfer them wirelessly to your phone and share them with friends. Though not a true analog print, I appreciate the combined digital and print approach of the Instax Mini Evo, as it brings a lot more versatility.