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Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died at age 84. And, today, voters in New York, Virginia and New Jersey choose new leaders in key races.

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The Google Pixel 9 plummets to a new record-low price of $499 at Amazon for Black Friday.

When the first season of Squid Game: The Challenge came out, I thought it was the best reality competition show I’d seen in years outside of The Traitors. But in just two short years, the Netflix gameshow has fallen from the best to the worst.

The recipe for why is actually very simple – in 2023, we were enthralled by the idea that Netflix’s biggest K-drama could be replicated with everyday people and exceptionally detailed gameplay following in the footsteps of what we saw in each episode of Squid Game season 1.

The new games that were introduced fused dynamic action with familiar tactics (e.g. the use of Battleships in the third game) and we genuinely grew to love the alliances and band of characters we saw on screen.

Almost none of that is represented in Squid Game: The Challenge season 2. The original show's games are still well replicated, but they’re mundane compared to the big classics we saw in season 1. New twists and turns mostly fall flat, and our cast is too weak to be memorable or build an invisible rapport with the audience.

And if that all isn’t bad enough, where on earth is Red Light, Green Light?

All of the reality TV sparkle has gone in Squid Game: The Challenge season 2

Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 has taken a risk by getting rid of the show’s most famous games (think Red Light, Green Light and Dalgona) and replacing them with brand-new gameplay. Half of our cast of 456 players are immediately eliminated by the new game Count, which is merely comprised of two teams counting 456 seconds before pressing a button.

It makes for the most anti-climactic premiere episode of TV I’ve seen this year, and I’m absolutely baffled for why Netflix would choose to use a counting game over the brutal run-and-stop elimination we’re all looking forward to. Annoyingly, it’s not coming any later in the series either.

Games such as Mingle in episode 4 win back some level of tension, but it might be too little, too late. In the first four episodes alone, we only see two and a half games played out, with dorm challenges or recordings of the contestants filling our screens in the meantime. Normally, if there is a strong cast and genuinely shrewd surprises, this wouldn’t be a problem.

However, we’re presented with labored and anti-climactic developments between cast members we can’t remember from one minute to the next.

Let’s address the changes first. There are a variety of new dorm challenges introduced to try and stoke up drama between players – the most successful of these being a secret boiler room where players are sent to enact eliminations or receive coins to use in a snack-filled vending machine. We also see players presented with a chance to swap meals for “scratchers” or pass around Russian dolls, both of with lead to potential disadvantages in the next game.

Despite the fact that none of these make the level of impact that Netflix is hoping for, it all feels too pre-meditated – and that’s the same problem we see with the casting. In short, it’s all gone a bit too X Factor, putting the pedal to the emotional medal so hard that nothing feels genuine. Everything we’re seeing feels overly contrived, and Netflix is trying far too hard to keep our attention.

Where season 1 introduced players we could connect with (think mother-son duo Leanne and Trey), Netflix is clearly trying to fit the same character profiles, but with less success. As soon as I can remember that somebody exists, they’re killed off, and that’s always been the downside of a gameshow with such a big cast. The finalists don’t become clear until the last moment, but this time there’s nobody in the interim to tide us over.

What does this mean for Squid Game: The Challenge season 3?

(Image credit: Netflix)

In short, this all isn’t amazing news for the already-renewed Squid Game: The Challenge season 3. It feels as though season 2 is following the original series slump that came at the same point (at least, in my opinion), which wasn’t completely clawed back by the time season 3 dropped six months later.

But it’s not all hopeless. Game stalwarts like Marbles returns, offering up the most emotional turning point we’ve seen across all iterations of the game, and the production design is still beyond astounding. We know season 3 will likely replicate the jump rope horror from the first season of Squid Game, and that’s got the opportunity to be the jewel in Netflix’s reality TV crown.

In the meantime, I’d rather rewatch the original series than get ready for the rest of Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 in the coming weeks.

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Is Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 just as good the second time around? In a word, no... and it's truly failing on all fronts.

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The Bluetti Pioneer Na isn’t just another grey box of portable power — it’s a signpost to the future.

At a glance

Capacity: 900 Wh

Battery: Sodium-ion (Na-ion)

AC Output: 1,500 W (2,250 W surge)

Weight: ~16 kg

Charging: AC + solar combo (0–80% in ~35 min)

Operating Temp: Charge to –15 °C, discharge to –25 °C

Ports: AC, USB-C (100 W), USB-A, 12 V, wireless pad

Price: £799 / ~$899

The Bluetti Pioneer Na isn’t just another grey box of portable power station — it’s a signpost to the future.

As the world’s first sodium-ion portable power station, it challenges the lithium-ion status quo with a chemistry that’s cheaper, safer, and performs far better in freezing temperatures.

While most power stations give up when the mercury plunges, Bluetti’s Pioneer Na is designed to charge at –15 °C and discharge down to –25 °C. That’s huge news for campers, off-grid explorers, or anyone living where winter bites hard.

With 900 Wh of capacity and 1,500 W output (2,250 W surge), it’s more than enough to keep laptops, fridges, routers, and power tools humming. It’s not the biggest station on the market, but for its size, it punches well above its weight — figuratively and literally (it tips the scales at 16 kg).

Bluetti Pioneer Na: Design and build

Bluetti hasn’t reinvented the aesthetic wheel here — the Pioneer Na sticks with the brand’s familiar industrial-chic look: matte dark grey casing, chunky carry handles, and a crisp LCD readout. It’s rugged enough for camping or garage duty, though not waterproof (so don’t leave it out in a snowstorm).

At 16 kg, it’s no featherweight, but it’s compact enough to slot into a van or under a desk. What stands out is the build quality — Bluetti’s hardware feels solid, and the tactile buttons and port layout are easy to navigate even with gloves on.

Bluetti Pioneer Na: Performance

Here’s where it gets interesting. The sodium-ion chemistry gives the Pioneer Na a unique edge: thermal stability and cold-weather reliability that lithium simply can’t match.

In tests, the unit powered a small refrigerator, LED lighting, and a laptop simultaneously without breaking a sweat. The “Power Lifting” mode also handled high-draw appliances like kettles and hair dryers, at least for short bursts.

Charging is another strong suit. Hook up both AC and solar input and Bluetti claims you can hit 80% charge in just 35 minutes. Real-world times were closer to 45–50 minutes, but that’s still outstanding. You’ll also appreciate its miserly 1.5 W standby draw, making it ideal for emergency standby use.

Bluetti Pioneer Na: Features and connectivity

The port selection covers almost every base:

2 × AC outlets (1,500 W total)

1 x 100 W USB-C for laptops and tablets

4 × USB-A ports for smaller gadgets

12 V car socket, DC barrel ports, and a 15 W wireless charging pad

Bluetooth or app integration is absent — something Bluetti includes on some pricier models — but the intuitive front panel compensates for that.

Bluetti Pioneer Na: Battery life and sustainability

With over 4,000 charge cycles and an estimated lifespan of 10 years, the Pioneer Na promises serious longevity. And because sodium-ion avoids scarce materials like lithium and cobalt, it’s greener and potentially easier to recycle.

This is still early-days tech, though. Sodium-ion batteries are new to consumer power products, so long-term reliability in the field remains unproven. Bluetti’s two-year warranty helps, but early adopters are still taking a small gamble.

Bluetti Pioneer Na: Drawbacks

There’s no getting around it — 900 Wh isn’t huge. For extended off-grid living or powering a home during long outages, you’ll need something beefier (or multiple units). It’s also fairly heavy for its size, and Bluetti’s customer service reputation remains mixed according to user reports online.

Finally, the price reflects its pioneering status — you’re paying a slight premium for cutting-edge tech.

Bluetti Pioneer Na: Verdict

The Bluetti Pioneer Na is a trailblazer: the first sodium-ion portable power station, built for real-world cold and genuine sustainability.

It’s ideal for adventurers, RV users, and homeowners who want dependable backup in frosty conditions — and a taste of what’s next in battery tech.

If you need raw capacity, there are bigger and cheaper lithium models out there. But if you want something that works when everything else freezes, the Pioneer Na is in a league of its own.

TechRadar says:

Buy it if...

You need a power station that works in freezing temperatures.

You care about sustainability and want to avoid lithium-based cells.

You want quick charging and solid all-around performance for small to medium devices.

Don’t buy it if...

You need multi-day home backup or high-capacity off-grid power.

You’re counting every penny — it’s innovative but not cheap.

You prefer tried-and-tested tech with years of user history.

Bottom line:

The Bluetti Pioneer Na isn’t just another power station — it’s the start of a new era in portable energy. Sodium-ion is here, and it’s impressively capable.

We rate the best power banks: top portable chargers.

The Cold-Weather Power Station That Breaks the Lithium Mold

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