I've mentioned before that I would have liked to see some Call of Duty studio interpret the Halo series, now that Microsoft owns all the rights needed. As we reported the other day, it's entirely possible that something like this is actually in the works as Sledgehammer is working on an "unexpected" game that is being developed with Unreal Engine 5.

Considering that they previously only worked with the IW graphics engine, it's a big step – and if we add that Halo Studios recently stated that all future Halos will be developed with the Unreal Engine – there's still a possibility that this unexpected game is a Halo. And for me, it sounds absolutely wonderful. If I had to choose the premise, I would have liked a typical Call of Duty adventure with the US military replaced by UNSC, and the environments can then be almost any planet.

That would have resulted in a game-wise fairly typical Call of Duty that gives us the opportunity to see a different part of the Halo universe, and thus provides variety by allowing us to use other weapons, explore new locations and see aspects of the Halo world that we have not previously come into contact with through the games.

But... there are more Halo games I hope Halo Studios will be willing to explore. After all, their spinoffs have been quite successful (by which I count ODST) with Halo Wars leading the way. Here are three Halo games I think would have been phenomenal:

• Halo Karts As you know, there are plenty of vehicles in the Halo world, several of which have become truly iconic, not least the Mongoose, Ghost and Warthog. The world is also endlessly varied, and here of course we need a good and easy-going kart game, which can be advantageously combined with drivers from all sorts of series – just like Animal Crossing, Splatoon and Zelda visit in Mario Kart – so we can play as Banjo-Kazooie, Marcus Fenix and Crash Bandicoot. Of course, there should also be good building tools so people can make their own levels and tournaments, nice support for local co-op and really nice graphics.

• Halo Mega Bloks Adventures As you may know, there was previously a Mega Bloks game (yep, the Lego copy) based on Halo in development, which had come quite far in production. Of course, they would resume and develop this, with lots of focus on co-op. Just like how Sony is supposed to be successful with Lego Horizon Adventures, Halo Studios could lure new fans into the Halo heat with a slightly more light-hearted adventure.

• Halo JRPG There is so much story in the Halo universe today, thanks mainly to the books and comic books, that it's high time to do something new. Why not take a look at Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and offer a turn-based role-playing game in the Halo world with interchangeable characters and long cutscenes. Preferably developed in collaboration with a Japanese studio.

How do you feel about a Halo developed by Sledgehammer Games?

Few shoes are as reviled as Crocs. However, few shoes are as comfortable as Crocs, so the popularity just seems to continue. Here in Sweden, as you know, they are still best known as Foppa slippers and although they are popular here as well, it is not at all the same trait in the United States.

If you go to a larger mall, chances are decent that they will have their own store somewhere and sell an incredible variety of shoes in lots of different models, complete with a plethora of embellishments for them. In addition, they are investing heavily in collaborations nowadays and there are Crocs with motifs from Star Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog and Fortnite, among others.

Funny, I have three couples myself for slightly different contexts, but still it's their latest campaign that has made me the most curious. They have developed a collection for dogs. You could have seen that as a fun trifle if it weren't for the fact that those who bought them are super happy.

Regardless of which retailer I look at, the consensus seems to be that they are easy to put on and take off, and above all that they stay in place. I have two dogs myself, and need shoes for them when the temperatures creep below minus 15 or if they have wounds on their paws. But putting on shoes on a total of eight small paws is unreasonably cumbersome. Before the last one has been put on, the first one has come off.

So... Long story short, I now hover with the mouse cursor above the buy button. Because I firmly believe that I need Crocs for the dogs. No matter how insane and crazy American it may seem.

Mäki takes two, or maybe rather eight (yes he does).

It's been a while since I saw Jaws in its entirety, probably at least 20 years ago. But... My partner hadn't seen it so during the weekend we decided to close this huge cultural gap by watching the classic.

That it is a great movie I remembered of course, but I have to say that it delivers much more than that. Thanks to a nice restoration of the image quality, there is really nothing to tell that it is a reel that turns 50 next year. If someone had tried to fool me into thinking that it was filmed the day before yesterday and is supposed to depict a beach resort's fight against a great white shark in the 70s, I would have bought this.

Everything kind of just sits, including several really nice horror effects that I had managed to forget. It's also fun that it takes so long before we actually get a good look at the shark even though the movie doesn't exactly make sense that it's a shark that makes up the debris - a move that builds mystery and atmosphere.

What impresses perhaps the most, however, are the special effects. Because while I've seen Meg 2, The Shallows and Hajar in Paris - all of these have clearly worse effects. The secret, of course, is that Spielberg used minimal CGI effects because there was absolutely no such thing to use when Jaws was created. Since the sharks used look real, everything looks real. 

If you feel like watching Jaws and how it stands up after 50 long years, it's available to watch on Netflix.

A film that definitely has an inhibiting effect on the urge to swim even in 2024.

Less than a month ago, I wrote the blog post Nintendo can still shock like no other, which was about Alarmo. An alarm clock that was announced completely without warning, but which definitely felt fun and surprising. If we had a thousand guesses about what the Kyoto giant would launch next, no one would have believed in it.

And last night, just three weeks after they last struck – they were on the move again. This time, a separate music service for smartphones was announced (and released!). The idea is that we should be able to listen to as much Nintendo music as we want, and there are several tools to make this smoother and more convenient. Maybe you want to hear adrenaline-fueled boss music for training, soothing Animal Crossing tunes when you go to sleep or something classic to cheer you up.

Nintendo Music offers all of this and much more. I haven't started researching the app yet, but hope that the menu music from Wii will be added. It's the ultimate elevator music for pleasant gatherings at home.

I really love that Nintendo does it this way, that in a time when only safe cards seem to be the order of the day in the gaming world (when was the last time you were really, really surprised by something Microsoft or Sony announced?), Smashes with products that are as far from stiff sequels as you can get. There's a childish desire to explore left at Nintendo that I hope they never get rid of, so they can continue to offer surprises of exactly this kind.

Sure, it would have been easier if Nintendo just shoveled everything out on Spotify – but certainly not as fun.

I have written several times about peanut butter here in the blog. Normally I dislike elitists, but when it comes to this angelic food, I can't really control myself, and become that person that everyone dislikes (you know that type who refuses to drink a Norrlands Guld at the picnic because it's only for the mob).

So... that's why I always order my peanut butter from the US. Usually from a company called iHerb, which has decent prices and no customs duty to Europe. In the past, the brand Mississippi Belle could often be bought in Swedish stores, but I haven't seen it in years, and Skippy is at most the kind of thing that is good enough when things are really in a pinch.

The worst is all the organic and healthy stuff that consists of pretty substandard nuts (they tend  to never be as good in Europe) and should always be completely clean, which makes them quite boring in both taste and texture. So... if I'm in the US myself, I have two favorites I'm targeting. One is Kroger's own brand which is always available, is extremely affordable and surprisingly good.

The absolute best is called Peanut Butter & Co, and I always want Crunch Time (peanut butter should always be crunchy, of course). This one is not very easy to get hold of even in the US, often Walmart has the brand, but not this particular variety. The secret is the company's superior nuts combined with a little cane sugar, salt and oil (environmentally RSPO-certified palm oil).

I've nagged about this ultra-narrow topic so many times to friends, family and acquaintances that nowadays I always make gigantic orders when it's time. There is always someone who wants a jar because it is simply the best. Jaq himself always takes ten pieces, and the cans are 16 ounces, i.e. just under a pint, so the price tag is significantly lower than it appears.

I assume that almost none of you have made it this far down in the text, but if you are like me and really like peanut butter, then make sure to treat yourself to this at some point. You can thank me later (and maybe swear that it's impossible to go back again).

The world's best peanut butter – and believe me when I say that I have worked on countless brands to come up with this.