The iBuyPower Slate system I spent the last month gaming on isn’t particularly flashy, nor is it a shining example of the heights that gaming PC brands can reach. It is, however, a totally usable system with minimal bloatware, and any qualms I have with some odd choices don’t harm the gaming performance.

At its listed price of almost $2,000, this configuration of the iBuyPower is charging you a modest premium just to install (almost) all of the components, but frequent sales and discounts make this a more palatable deal as the price gets lower.

It’s really only set back by some minor assembly issues, as well as parts that may limit future upgrades, which currently affects users at opposite ends of the PC building spectrum disproportionately. Given the current RAM pricing issues, this is a better value than ever, and perhaps cheaper than an off-the-shelf build.

A Mixed Experience

First, the good stuff: The GPU is packaged separately from the rest of the system, which may sound odd, but I’ve found that’s one of the most common pain points when shipping a new gaming PC. I’ve seen system builders use expanding foam, special brackets, and folded cardboard supports, among other solutions, but packing the graphics cards in its original box is far simpler and safer, and the other ways of shipping a PC with an installed graphics card still require opening the system up anyway. I do wish the instructions were more specific to the case, particularly since the PCIe bracket might be a little fiddly for total novices, but anyone who has worked with gaming systems in the past shouldn’t have any issues.

The case isn’t particularly unique or eye-catching, but it does have a wide, slightly smoky glass side panel that helps give it a clean silhouette. The dark tint allows the lights underneath to shine a bit without the whole system being overtly gamer-coded, but also makes them extremely reflective. There are no screws holding it in place, it’s just press fit, but it’s nice and sturdy, and I didn’t worry about it falling out. Like most glass panels, they inhibit airflow, so iBuyPower has set the front fan array an inch or so back from the panel, and added mesh sections at the top and bottom, which helps alleviate the issue. Even so, I can’t imagine the fan directly behind the center glass panel is doing all that much.

Since the beginning of the Trump administration, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the brainchild of billionaire Elon Musk, has gone through several iterations, leading periodically to claims—most recently from the director of the Office of Personnel Management—that the group doesn’t exist, or has vanished altogether.

But DOGE isn’t dead. Many of its original members are in full-time roles at various government agencies, and the new National Design Studio (NDS) is headed by Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia, a close ally of Musk’s.

Even if DOGE doesn’t survive another year, or until the US semiquincentennial—its original expiration date, per the executive order establishing it—the organization’s larger project will continue. DOGE from its inception was used for two things, both of which have continued apace: the destruction of the administrative state and the wholesale consolidation of data in service of concentrating power in the executive branch. It is a pattern that experts say could spill over beyond the Trump administration.

“I do think it has altered the norms about where legislative power ends and where executive power begins simply by ignoring those norms,” says Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan. “This is not necessarily going to be limited to Republican administrations. There are going to be future Democratic presidents who will say, ‘Well, DOGE was able to do this, why can’t we?’”

The earliest days of DOGE were characterized by a chaotic blitz in which small teams of DOGE operatives, like the now infamous Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, were deployed across government agencies, demanding high-level access to sensitive data, firing workers, and cutting contracts. And while these moves were often radical, if not appearing to be illegal, as matters of bureaucratic operation, they were in service of what had been the Trump administration’s agenda all along.

Goals like cutting discretionary spending and drastically reducing the size of the federal workforce had already been championed by people like vice president JD Vance, who in 2021 called for the “de-Ba’athification” of the government, and Russell Vought, now the head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These goals were also part of Project 2025. What DOGE brought wasn’t the end, but the means—its unique insight was that controlling technical infrastructure, something achievable with a small group, functionally amounted to controlling the government.

“There has never been a unit of government that was handed so much power to fundamentally upend government agencies with so little oversight,” says Moynihan.

Under the Constitution, the authority for establishing and funding federal agencies comes from Congress. But Trump and many of the people who support him, including Vought and Vance, adhere to what was until relatively recently a fringe view of how government should be run: the unitary executive theory. This posits that, much like the CEO of a company, the president has near complete control over the executive branch, of which federal agencies are a part—power more like that of a king than of the figure described in the nation’s founding documents.

Concluding a strong year for the Elon Musk-led satellite operator, recently authorised Starlink global reseller Sama X has secured licensing from Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) to resell the Space X firm’s satellite internet services across the Kingdom, in a bid to simplify access to high-speed internet.

Launched earlier in 2025 and backed by Kuwaiti conglomerate Alghanim, the reseller’s stated mission is to bring “innovative” satellite connectivity solutions to businesses “right where they are” across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The company said it specialises in delivering high-speed, low-latency satellite internet and connectivity services “designed to overcome digital barriers and ensure seamless connectivity” and that its partnership with Starlink enables it to take advantage of the latter’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, providing “world-class” connectivity to a diverse range of markets and enterprises.

Sama X also offers turnkey solutions – from customer consultation to rapid installation and activation – as well as local support, including a 24/7 call centre in English and Arabic.

The deal will see Sama X serve professionals, enterprises and public sector organisations across Jordan, addressing critical connectivity needs in remote regions of the Kingdom, from providing non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with dependable internet in camps, to expanding digital government services to rural communities. The LEO satellite solutions will look to enable reliable primary or backup connectivity across the nation, allowing businesses and communities to operate more effectively and with confidence.

“Jordan, with its diverse economy and terrain, presents unique opportunities for latest-generation satellite broadband solutions that combine Starlink’s LEO constellation with our local market expertise and value-add. Whether it is a classroom in Tafileh, a logistics convoy near Ma’an, or a refugee clinic in Mafraq, everyone can benefit from the same high-speed internet enjoyed in the capital, Amman,” said Sama X CEO Amit Somani, commenting on the move.

“We are thankful to Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission for establishing a conducive environment that allows companies like Sama X to operate effectively. We look forward to collaborating with local stakeholders to advance the Kingdom’s Economic Modernisation Vision through ubiquitous and reliable connectivity.”

The Sama X deal comes just days after research found that Starlink connectivity doubled in 2025, including traffic from more than 20 new countries and regions. The study analysed aggregate request traffic volumes associated with Starlink’s primary autonomous system (AS14593) to track the growth in usage of the service throughout the past 12 months. The request volume shown in the study found traffic from Starlink continued to see consistent growth throughout 2025, with total request volume up 2.3 times across the year. The data also suggested Starlink tended to see rapid traffic growth when its service became available in a country or region, and that trend continued in 2025.

The satellite provider also enjoyed a range of contract wins in 2025 with airlines across the world to provide in-flight connectivity. These wins include Qatar Airways and Emirates. The former claims to be the operator of the largest number of Starlink-equipped widebody aircraft and the only carrier in the MENA region currently offering Starlink in-flight connectivity.

Not to be outdone, Emirates announced in November 2025 that it would deploy Starlink Wi-Fi across its entire in-service fleet, in a move that will bring fast connectivity to 232 Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft.