It won’t be long before you can begin your island getaway in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The much-anticipated simulation game sails onto Nintendo Switch March 20, bringing an end to the eight-year drought of mainline Animal Crossing games. New Horizons will undoubtedly be one of the biggest Switch games of 2020. To celebrate its looming release, we decided to collect all of the best Animal Crossing merchandise in one place. From controllers and carrying cases to plushies and Amiibo, you have a lot of options to pick from to help you show off your Animal Crossing love. There’s even a New Horizons Switch console that might be the cutest Nintendo system ever made.
While official New Horizons merchandise is limited in the US (so far), Japan is getting a lineup of some pretty neat merch, including Switch accessories and new plushies. If you don’t mind paying high shipping fees (and waiting), we’ve included the Japanese merch at the bottom of this article.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch console | $300
The special edition Animal Crossing Switch releases March 13
The Animal Crossing Switch console is a beauty. It comes with a pair of exclusive Joy-Con, a dock featuring Tom Nook and the Nooklings, and a back panel decorated with tiny silhouettes of characters, trees, boats, and more, all perfectly scattered across the island setting. If you have a launch model Switch, you might be happy to learn the Animal Crossing Switch comes with the upgraded battery. The launch model has a 2.5 to 6.5-hour range, while the updated model boasts a 4.5 to 9-hour range.
The special edition console releases March 13, one week before the New Horizons launches. It doesn’t come with a copy of the game, though. Given the popularity of Animal Crossing, it seems likely that the special edition console will sell out rather quickly, so you should probably hurry if interested. The Joy-Cons and Switch dock will be sold separately in Japan, but Nintendo hasn’t announced plans to release either individually in the US.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons pre-order bonuses
Of course, if you haven’t pre-ordered the game itself just yet, you can still do so at every major retailer. Target is giving away New Horizons-themed journals with online pre-orders, so you can get your first piece of merchandise simply by pre-ordering a copy of the game. Those who pre-order at Best Buy will get a peel-and-stick Tom Nook badge that can be put on phones, laptops, and other tech.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons journal – Target exclusiveAnimal Crossing: New Horizons phone & tech badge
Check out everywhere you can pre-order the game below!
Aloha Edition carrying case | $25
Nintendo will release matching carrying cases for the Switch and Switch Lite
An official accessory from Nintendo, the Aloha Edition carrying case releases March 13 for both the Switch and Switch Lite. The case uses the well-known Animal Crossing leaves for its design and also comes bundled with a screen protector. The Switch Lite version is available to pre-order now, and the Switch version shouldn’t be far behind.
Power A Enhanced Wireless Controllers | $50
Nintendo Switch wireless controllers
These wireless Animal Crossing Switch controllers from Power A are adorable alternatives to the Pro controller. You can choose between a K.K. Slider or Nooklings design. Each controller is a lovely shade of green and features an Animal Crossing-themed pattern.
Power A wireless controllers look and feel great, but they don’t operate exactly the same as the Pro controller. They use AA batteries for power and don’t have Amiibo NFC support or vibration. They do, however, have an additional pair of triggers on the back that can be programmed on the fly. Both designs release March 10, so you’ll be able to use them to play on launch day.
Animal Crossing Amiibo
There are 16 Animal Crossing Amiibo
New Horizons is expected to have Amiibo support, but Nintendo hasn’t revealed the extent of the support so far. That said, it’s unclear whether support will be limited to just Animal Crossing Amiibo and Amiibo cards, or if Amiibo figures from other franchises will be compatible with New Horizons in some way.
As of right now, 16 Animal Crossing Amiibo figures are available to purchase, most of which released around the same time as Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival for Wii U. Unlike some older Amiibo, you can still find most of them for great prices. In fact, the majority of them are available for less than their release price. The three-pack includes K.K. Slider, Cyrus, and Reese and is $11.94 at Amazon. Here are all of the Animal Crossing Amiibo you can currently buy:
Amiibo cards
Four series and more than 100 cards are available
It stands to reason that Animal Crossing Amiibo cards will also be compatible with New Horizons. Though not really display items like regular Amiibos, there are far more cards out there, each displaying one of the cheery denizens of the Animal Crossing universe. Amiibo cards were released in four waves, and each pack comes with six Amiibo cards.
Isabelle Nendoroid | $75
Isabelle summer outfit Nendoroid
This Isabelle Nendoroid is probably the cutest Animal Crossing product you can buy. Good Smile’s popular Nendoroid figurines come with numerous accessories and a stand. Isabelle comes with musical notes that attach to the stand, a clipboard, and a pen. The only downside here is the price. This Isabelle Nendoroid costs $75. The winter version is even pricier at $90.
Isabelle plush | $27
The most adorable Animal Crossing plush
A wide assortment of Isabelle plushies can be found from a quick search. But I have to say, a fair number of them are less than great. This Isabelle plush, which is a Japanese import that’s eligible for Prime shipping, is just about perfect, though.
Tom Nook plush | $17
Tom Nook is tired of you not settling your debts
When I first looked at this Tom Nook plush, I grimaced. It’s not cute. But then I looked at Tom Nook again and remembered that he’s not cute anyway. He’s a hardworking but tired-looking raccoon who wants you to pay him back for those home renovations. Plush Tom Nook can look at you in dismay every time you’re about to buy something you don’t need online (not including this plush).
Nook’s Homes Mug | $12
Tom Nook mug
This Animal Crossing-themed mug shows off your appreciation for the raccoon who makes all of your dreams possible. Is Tom Nook a design expert? That’s up for debate, but he’s all we have to help us make a home that’s large enough to satisfy our hoarding desires.
K.K. Slider T-shirt | $23
Free admission at Club LOL?
We can’t all be as cool as K.K. Slider, but we can celebrate the famous musician with this officially licensed graphic T-shirt. The shirt is available in men’s, women’s, and youth fits and comes in black, navy, olive, dark heather, and heather blue.
Japanese import accessories
The rest of the products on this list are available to pre-order from Play Asia. Shipping costs will vary depending on what you buy, but expect to add a decent chunk of change to the price. You’ll also have to wait longer to receive your order. Items tend to take a few weeks to arrive when ordering from Play Asia, so just know that you’ll probably be at least a month into your New Horizons journey before any of the following accessories land on your doorstep.
Adventure Pack for Switch/Switch Lite | $27
Holds the Switch and Switch Lite
This small Animal Crossing backpack has two pouches, one big enough to fit a Switch, the other designed for the Switch Lite. Whichever pouch you don’t use for your console, you can use for games and accessories. It’s expected to ship on March 31 and costs $27.
Switch storage bag | $30
When you need to store or lug all of the Switch essentials
This accessory features the same print as the Adventure Pack but more space. It looks like a cooler and comes with slots for the console, dock, a controller, and all of the cables. It also ships March 31 and costs $30.
Tote bag | $31
This tote bag has compartments for the Switch and Switch Lite
On the outside, it looks like a normal tote bag, but it has pouches for both the Switch and Switch Lite, making this tote a stylish travel bag for all of your Nintendo Switch needs. It’s available to pre-order for $31 and ships March 31.
Playstand for Switch and Switch Lite | $17
Props up the Switch or Switch Lite for tabletop mode
For when you want to use your Animal Crossing-themed Switch controller without playing on the TV, this playstand keeps the Animal Crossing vibes going and provides a snug cradle to prop up your console in tabletop mode. It’s expected to ship March 31.
Protector set collection
Protector set for Nintendo Switch
This silicon cover protects your Switch’s screen and Joy-Con from the elements. You can flip the cover off the screen to play in handheld mode and even leave it on when docking your console. There are two designs to choose from, one that focuses on Animal Crossing characters and another that has a more scenic environment.
Switch
Switch Lite
Carrying cases
Handbag for Switch/Switch Lite
Play Asia has a variety of carrying cases, both hard shell and soft, to pre-order for the Switch and Switch Lite.
Universal
Switch
Switch Lite
Switch Lite covers
Shock resistant Switch Lite cover
To protect your Switch on the go while showing off your Animal Crossing love, Play Asia has several cover options that snap onto the back of your Switch Lite.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
