One of the greatest comeback stories in the history of video games just keeps writing itself new chapters. If you’ve checked in on the wildly ambitious space sim, No Man’s Sky, in the last few years then you’ll know just how much UK-based developer Hello Games has turned things around for a game that was once the subject of a false advertising investigation. And its latest update introduces fully explorable space wrecks.

The follow-up to August’s substantial Voyagers expansion, the new Breach update adds floating wrecks that you’re invited to salvage to your heart’s content. The materials you find can be used to unlock new ship-building parts, and after Voyagers — which finally allowed players to build their own fully crewed spaceships — was such a hit with the No Man’s Sky audience, Hello Games says it has also improved and expanded its workshop feature in the latest update.

Breach also introduces a new expedition, which are No Man’s Sky’s time-limited story-driven events. In this one, players will “traverse a desolate and abandoned universe to discover what happened to a mysterious abandoned wreck.” Those able to successfully voyage to the edge of space and ransack the remains of the ship will be rewarded with rare parts to use on their own creations, including “glowing Atlas-themed wings.” The expedition looks suitably spooky for a Halloween playthrough with your pals.

No Man’s Sky celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026, and the Breach update seemingly rounds off what Hello Games founder Sean Murray calls a “crazy year” for his team. It seems unlikely that we won’t get more updates in what will be a landmark year for the game when 2026 rolls around, but Murray also appeared to tease the studio’s next project, the open-world survival game Light No Fire, when announcing the arrival of the Voyagers expansion back in August. In a message, he seemed to suggest that the ship construction tech introduced in the expansion will also be utilized in Light No Fire, which is currently without a release date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/no-man-skys-latest-update-let-you-explore-a-space-wreck-164042151.html?src=rss

One of my favorite tabs to check when I’m looking at new PC Games on the Steam Store is “Popular Upcoming,” but over the years, it’s gotten far less useful. While it’s supposed to show me what the next big game is ahead of time, the truth is, there are just too many games and too many types of players out there for it to keep up anymore. My tastes probably aren’t the same as yours, and limiting the highlights to a small selection of popular picks could bury smaller titles some players might be more interested in. That’s why I’m so excited about Steam’s new Personal Calendar page.

Released last night, it’s technically an experiment, but it’s already looking great. Essentially, rather than showing you a generic list of ten games like the Popular Upcoming tab (I have no idea how Valve picks those games, by the way), this instead shows you a personally curated selection of recently released and upcoming games, organized on a daily calendar, and up through the next eight weeks. The specifics depend on how you customize it, but already, it’s far more useful for me than the Popular Upcoming tab.

To check it out, either click here for the web version or open your Steam desktop client, and next to the search bar, navigate to Special Sections > Steam Labs > 016 Personal Calendar.

When you first open the calendar, you’ll see 100 games, split across titles released last month, titles released in the last seven days, and titles that aren’t out yet. At time of writing, I currently see suggested games through Dec. 12, which gives me a pretty good window of what to look forward to. If you’re eagle-eyed, you might notice that the Personal Calendar excludes weekends, which Valve says is because most games don’t release on weekends. If a game Valve wants to suggest does release on a weekend, it’ll instead show up on the following Monday.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

As for the curation, I’m satisfied. Unlike the Popular Upcoming tab, the Personal Calendar uses a combination of your wishlist and your playtime in certain games to decide what to show you, making for a list that’s catered to your tastes. Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of platformers and RPGs, and low and behold, my Personal Calendar opened right up to suggestions like Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. These are bigger titles, but there are smaller choices I might have otherwise overlooked peppered in, and it already seems like a great way to make sure I don’t miss out on a game I’d like. I even appreciate the heads-up about recently released games, which are easy to think about once and then forget.

The one criticism I have is that the default of 100 games looks a little overstuffed to me. Luckily, you can slim down your suggestions to anywhere from ten to fifty games (at the top of the page, under Game Count), which also has the benefit of narrowing down the algorithm to only show you what it thinks you’d enjoy most. Or, if you want to see as many options as possible, you can also have the calendar display 250 or 500 games. There are also controls to only show games with specific tags, and also to exclude games you’ve wishlisted or already own.

Essentially, the Personal Calendar feels like a personalized and easy-to-check version of those “Biggest Game Releases of the Month” videos, except you don’t need to constantly rewind or pull up the video again whenever you’re looking for what to play next. Valve says your Calendar’s algorithm gets re-trained daily, though, so don’t expect to always see the same games on it every time you check it. If you see a game you’re interested in but aren’t ready to pull the trigger on yet, wishlisting it is still your best bet.

The Spotify app has been freezing and crashing on some Android devices, according to multiple users and a report by 9to5Google. This is happening only when a phone or tablet is connected to Wi-Fi, so keep on listening to Spotify while out and about.

Users first took note of the problem around two weeks ago, taking to Spotify forums to address their concerns. Many folks say that the app becomes essentially unusable on Wi-Fi due to the constant crashes and freezing.

The company has acknowledged the issue and says its engineers are working on a fix. However, we don’t have a timetable for a patch or anything like that. For the time being, some Android users will just have to avoid using the Spotify app while on Wi-Fi.

To that end, error reports have mostly come in from people on Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones. The problem doesn’t appear to be universal, which has led some to speculate that may be related to Chromecast-ready devices. This would explain why the issue only persists on Wi-Fi, but we’ll have to wait to hear from Spotify for a cause.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/spotify-is-freezing-and-crashing-on-some-android-devices-163020556.html?src=rss

If you use ChatGPT in WhatsApp, it’s about time to make other plans. OpenAI said its ubiquitous chatbot will stop working in Meta’s ubiquitous chat app on January 15, 2026. According to OpenAI, the change is due to a policy and terms change from WhatsApp.

OpenAI announced the change in a blog post. “While we would have much preferred to continue serving you on WhatsApp, we are focused on making the transition as easy for all of our users as possible,” the company wrote.

WhatsApp doesn’t support chat exports, and there won’t be an automatic way to transfer your chats after the cutoff date. Fortunately, there’s a simple workaround to migrate your chat history right now. Under the 1-800-ChatGPT contact profile in WhatsApp, you’ll see an option to link your ChatGPT account. Select that, and all your queries on WhatsApp will merge with your ChatGPT history.

As for why this is happening, well, we can only speculate. But the term “turf war” comes to mind. After all, Meta is now an AI company, too. And 50 million people using another company’s chatbot inside WhatsApp must not be good for business. Fortunately, ChatGPT is available on the same platforms as WhatsApp: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and the web.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-in-whatsapp-will-stop-working-in-january-161335173.html?src=rss

General Motors is ending production of its Chevy BrightDrop electric delivery vans after sluggish demand and the expiration of key EV tax credits. “This is not a decision we made lightly because of the impact on our employees,” GM CEO Mary Barra said during the company’s third quarter earnings call Tuesday. “However the commercial electric van market has been developing much slower than expected, and changes to the regulatory framework and fleet incentives has made the business even more challenging.” The Verge reports: Brightdrop first launched in 2021 as GM’s effort to capture a large portion of the commercial EV market, starting with a pair of electric vans, as well as fleet management software and electric-powered carts for goods delivery. The automaker made deals with Walmart, FedEx, and other major retailers to add the van to their delivery fleets. But after trying to make a go of it as a standalone brand, GM reabsorbed BrightDrop in 2023, and then later assigned it to Chevy in order to tap into the brand’s sales and service dealer network.

Now the van will stand as yet another casualty of the expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which ended on September 30th. In addition to the consumer credit, there was also a $7,500 discount for commercial EVs under 18,000 lbs — which Brightdrop was eligible for. The van was a range leader, but also was more expensive than its most prominent competitor. Brightdrop’s vans started at $74,000, while Ford’s E-Transit van with extended battery range sold for $51,600.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

NASA has reopened SpaceX’s $4.4 billion moon lander contract to new bidders like Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin after delays in Starship’s development threatened the 2027 Artemis 3 mission. Reuters reports: The move paves the way for rivals such as Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to snatch a high-profile mission to land the first astronauts on the moon in half a century. “I’m in the process of opening that contract up. I think we’ll see companies like Blue get involved, and maybe others,” the U.S. space agency’s acting chief Sean Duffy, who also serves as U.S. Transportation Secretary, told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program.

Duffy’s comments follow months of mounting pressure within NASA to speed up its Artemis lunar program and push SpaceX to make greater progress on its Starship lunar lander, while China progresses toward its own goal of sending humans to the moon by 2030.
It represents a major shift in NASA’s lunar strategy, starting a new competitive juncture in the program for a crewed moon lander just two years before the scheduled landing date. Blue Origin is widely expected to compete for the mission, while Lockheed Martin has indicated it would convene an industry team to heed NASA’s call.

Starship, picked by NASA in 2021 under a contract now worth $4.4 billion, faces a 2027 moon landing deadline that agency advisers estimate could slip years behind schedule, citing competing priorities. Musk sees Starship as crucial to launching larger batches of Starlink satellites to space and eventually ferrying humans to Mars, among other missions. “They do remarkable things, but they’re behind schedule,” Duffy said of SpaceX’s lunar lander work, adding President Donald Trump wants to see the mission take place before his White House term ends in January 2029.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg called the company’s Tumblr acquisition his biggest failure — but one he hasn’t given up on yet. The comments were made at the recent WordCamp Canada 2025 conference, where Mullenweg went live for a Town Hall session to connect with the open source-focused WordPress community.

The exec noted that Tumblr was still on a different technical stack than WordPress — something he had intended to correct by migrating the back end to WordPress infrastructure. However, that massive undertaking was put on hold earlier this year, as the cost to move Tumblr’s half-billion blogs would be difficult given that the blogging platform wasn’t profitable and continues to be sustained by the profits of other Automattic products.

The company has tried to trim costs with layoffs and the reallocation of Tumblr resources to more profitable parts of the business, but those efforts have yet to pay off. Mullenweg acknowledged these concerns at his Town Hall session, saying, “I need to switch [Tumblr] over to WordPress, but it’s a big lift. It’s over 500 million blogs, actually, and, as a business, it’s costing so much more to run than it generates in revenue.” As a result, Automattic had to prioritize other projects to make Tumblr sustainable, he said. “It’s probably my biggest failure or missed opportunity right now, but we’re still working on it,” he added.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Google announced Wednesday that its quantum computer achieved the first verifiable quantum advantage, running a new algorithm 13,000 times faster than a top supercomputer. The algorithm, called Quantum Echoes, was published in the journal Nature. The results can be replicated on another quantum computer of similar quality, something Google had not demonstrated before. The quantum computer uses a chip called Willow, which was announced in December 2024. Hartmut Neven, head of Google’s Quantum AI research lab, called the work a demonstration of the first algorithm with verifiable quantum advantage and a milestone on the software track.

Michel H. Devoret, who won this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics and joined Google in 2023, said future quantum computers will run calculations impossible with classical algorithms. Google stopped short of claiming the work would have practical uses on its own. Instead, the company said Quantum Echoes demonstrated a technique that could be applied to other algorithms in drug discovery and materials science.

A second paper published Wednesday on arXiv showed how the method could be applied to nuclear magnetic resonance. The experiment involved a relatively small quantum system that fell short of full practical quantum advantage because it was not able to work faster than a traditional computer. Google exhaustively red-teamed the research, putting some researchers to work trying to disprove its own results.

Prineha Narang, a professor at UCLA, called the advance meaningful. The quantum computer tested two molecules, one with 15 atoms and another with 28 atoms. Results on the quantum computer matched traditional NMR and revealed information not usually available from NMR. Google’s research competes against Microsoft, IBM, universities and efforts in China. The Chinese government has committed more than $15.2 billion to quantum research. Previous claims of quantum advantage have been met with skepticism.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Sonic Rumble has a new worldwide launch date: November 5. The game, which we’ve previously likened to Fall Guys, was supposed to come out last winter before its release was rescheduled for May 8 this year. By the end of April, however, Sega announced that its global launch had been postponed yet again because its developers needed more time to “build the kind of high-quality, long-lasting Sonic game [their] players deserve.” At the time, the company said it had blasted past its goal of 1.4 million pre-registrations and that it had received “amazing positive response” from players in pre-launch regions. Players who pre-register will receive bonuses when the game launches globally. 

Similar to Fall Guys, Sonic Rumble is a battle royale-style game that can accommodate up to 32 players at once. Players will race against each other in worlds inspired by the Sonic franchise while collecting Rings they can use to buy new skins and stickers. It has several different modes, including Run wherein players compete for the top spot and Survival wherein they compete to stay in the game. Players can choose between various Sonic characters, including Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow and Dr. Eggman, and form a team of four to race against other teams around the world. 

Sega developed Sonic Rumble for mobile devices and PC, and it will be available to play on iOS and Android, as well as on Google Play Games on PC and Steam.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/sonic-rumble-is-coming-out-november-5-160031039.html?src=rss

Netflix’s November lineup includes the long-awaited return of the hit sci-fi show Stranger Things—the first of three “volumes” that makes up the fifth and final season drops at 5 p.m. PT on Nov. 26. The show picks up a year after the events of the fourth installment, with the group attempting to find and kill their inter-dimensional antagonist Vecna, even as Hawkins falls under military quarantine. Expect all of the series regulars to return: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, etc.

Also returning in November is Squid Game: The Challenge (Nov. 4). The second season of the Emmy-nominated show brings 456 new contestants together to compete for a $4.56 million prize.

Netflix also has a new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein (Nov. 7), directed by Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro and starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth. Clare Danes and Matthew Rhys star in a new thriller miniseries The Beast in Me (Nov. 17), executive produced by Jodie Foster and Conan O’Brien.

A highlight of the documentary slate is Being Eddie (Nov. 12) about the life, work, and range of Eddie Murphy. The film, directed by Oscar winner Angus Wall, includes appearances from comedy legends like Dave Chappelle, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jamie Foxx, Jerry Seinfeld, and Reginald Hudlin.

Finally, Netflix is dropping a whole lot of holiday content ranging from original films like A Merry Little Ex-Mas (Nov. 12) starring Alicia Silverstone to new seasons of seasonally themed cooking competitions like The Great British Baking Show: Holidays (Nov. 20) and Is It Cake? Holiday (Nov. 25).

Here’s everything coming to Netflix in November, and everything that’s leaving.

What’s coming to Netflix in November 2025

Available November 1

• A Very Vintage Christmas

• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

• Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

• Baby Driver

• Back to the Future

• Back to the Future Part II

• Back to the Future Part III

• Broadchurch: Season 1

• Broadchurch: Season 2

• Broadchurch: Season 3

• Charlie’s Angels

• Crazy Rich Asians

• Dear Santa

• Doctor Sleep

• Don’t Worry Darling

• Dr. Dolittle

• Dr. Dolittle 2

• Elvis

• Frances Ha

• Game Night

• Happy Christmas

• The Hangover

• The Hangover: Part II

• The Hangover: Part III

• I Know What You Did Last Summer

• In the Heights

• Isn’t It Romantic

• Judas and the Black Messiah

• Just Mercy

• The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

• Life of the Party

• The Little Things

• Merry Liddle Christmas

• The Nun II

• Ocean’s 8

• Paddington 2

• The Patriot

• Ready Player One

• Tenet

• This Is the End

• Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas

• The Way Back

• Wonka

Available November 2

• King Richard

• The Outfit

Available November 3

• Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches—Netflix Family

• In Waves and War—Netflix Documentary

Available November 4

• Leanne Morgan: Unspeakable Things—Netflix Comedy Special

• Minx: Seasons 1-2

• Squid Game: The Challenge: Season 2—Netflix Series

Available November 5

• Election

• Heweliusz—Netflix Series

• Just Alice—Netflix Series

Available November 6

• The Bad Guys: Breaking In—Netflix Family

• Bride Wars

• Death by Lightning—Netflix Series

• The Vince Staples Show: Season 2—Netflix Series

Available November 7

• A Holiday Engagement

• As You Stood By—Netflix Series

• Baramulla

• Christmas in the Heartland

• Frankenstein—Netflix Film

• Groom & Two Brides—Netflix Film

• Labyrinth

• Mango—Netflix Film

• My Dad’s Christmas Date

Available November 8

• Countdown: Jake vs. Tank—Netflix Series

• The Emoji Movie

Available November 10

• MARINES—Netflix Documentary

• Sesame Street: Volume 1—Netflix Family

Available November 11

• Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas

• No Sleep ‘Til Christmas

• Same Time, Next Christmas

Available November 12

• A Merry Little Ex-Mas—Netflix Film

• Being Eddie—Netflix Documentary

• Dynamite Kiss—Netflix Series

• Eloá the Hostage: Live on TV—Netflix Documentary

• Mrs Playmen—Netflix Series

• Selling The OC: Season 4—Netflix Series

Available November 13

• The Beast in Me—Netflix Series

• Delhi Crime: Season 3—Netflix Series

• Had I Not Seen the Sun: Part 1—Netflix Series

• Koati: Season 1

• Last Samurai Standing—Netflix Series

• Moulin Rouge!

• The Sandlot

• Tee Yai: Born To Be Bad—Netflix Film

• Unicorn Academy: Chapter 4

Available November 14

• The Crystal Cuckoo—Netflix Series

• In Your Dreams—Netflix Family

• Jake Paul vs. Tank Davis—Netflix Live Event

• Lefter: The Story of The Ordinarius—Netflix Film

• NOUVELLE VAGUE—Netflix Film

Available November 15

• A Royal Date for Christmas

• A Sprinkle of Christmas

• A Vineyard Christmas

• Becoming Santa

• Christmas Casanova

• Everybody’s Fine

• Just Like a Christmas Movie

• Meet Me at the Christmas Train Parade

• Royally Yours, This Christmas

Available November 17

• Blue Beetle

• Gabby’s Dollhouse: Season 12—Netflix Family

• Selena y Los Dinos—Netflix Documentary

• Zodiac

Available November 18

• Gerry Dee: Funny You Should Say That—Netflix Comedy Special

Available November 19

• The Carman Family Deaths—Netflix Documentary

• Champagne Problems—Netflix Film

• Envious: Season 3—Netflix Series

• The Son of a Thousand Men—Netflix Film

Available November 20

• A Man on the Inside: Season 2—Netflix Series

• The Follies—Netflix Film

• The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 8—Netflix Series

• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 4—Netflix Family

Available November 21

• Marry Christmas

• Mistletoe Mixup

• ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran—Netflix Film

• Train Dreams—Netflix Film

Available November 24

• Missing: Dead or Alive?: Season 2—Netflix Documentary

• Santa Bootcamp

Available November 25

• Is It Cake? Holiday: Season 2—Netflix Series

Available November 26

• Jingle Bell Heist—Netflix Film

• Stranger Things 5: Volume 1—Netflix Series

Available November 27

• Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Available November 28

• Left-Handed Girl—Netflix Film

• The Stringer: The Man Who Took The Photo—Netflix Documentary

What’s leaving Netflix in November 2025

Leaving November 1

• 47 Meters Down

• 47 Meters Down: Uncaged

• Blow

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

• Despicable Me

• Despicable Me 2

• Eat Pray Love

• The Fast and the Furious

• 2 Fast 2 Furious

• The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

• Fast Five

• Fast & Furious 6

• Furious 7

• Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

• Happy Gilmore

• Horrible Bosses

• Jurassic Park

• Jurassic Park III

• Minions

• Ride Along

• Ride Along 2

• She’s All That

• Sherlock Holmes

• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

• Shrek

• Shrek 2

• Shrek Forever After

• Shrek the Third

• Six Feet Under: Seasons 1-5

• Starship Troopers

• The Lost World: Jurassic Park

• Thirteen

• Total Recall

• Varsity Blues

• Weird Science

• Wet Hot American Summer

• Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Leaving November 6

• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

• Reba: Seasons 1-6

Leaving November 8

• A Star Is Born

Leaving November 13

• Archer: Seasons 1-13

Leaving November 14

• Madame Web

• Smile

Leaving November 15

• A.P. Bio: Seasons 1-4

• First Wives Club: Seasons 1-3

• Jaws

• Jaws 2

• Jaws 3

• Jaws: The Revenge

Leaving November 16

• Mamma Mia!

Leaving November 17

• Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Seasons 1-8

Leaving November 20

• Shahs of Sunset: Seasons 3-4

Leaving November 22

• San Andreas

The proliferation of difficult-to-treat bacterial diseases represents a growing threat, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report. Wired: The report reveals that, between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance increased by more than 40 percent in monitored pathogen-drug combinations, with an average annual increase of 5-15 percent. According to data reported by more than 100 countries to WHO’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS), one in six laboratory-confirmed bacteria in 2023 proved resistant to antibiotic treatment, all related to various common diseases globally.

For the first time, this edition of the report includes prevalence estimates of resistance to 22 antibiotics used to treat urinary tract, gastrointestinal, bloodstream, and gonorrheal conditions. The analysis focused on eight common pathogens: Acinetobacter spp, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, non-typhoidal Salmonella spp, Shigella spp, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The results show that resistant gram-negative bacteria pose the greatest threat. Of particular note are Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which are associated with bloodstream infections that can lead to sepsis, organ failure, and death. “More than 40 percent of E. coli and more than 55 percent of K. pneumoniae strains worldwide are now resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, the first-choice treatment for these types of infections,” the report warns.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K) is on sale via Amazon for just $57. This is a discount of 37 percent, which is nothing to sneeze at. The sale applies to multiple colorways.

This model topped our list of the best power banks, and with very good reason. It’s a workhorse that gets the job done. It includes Qi2 tech for fast wireless charging and ships with a sturdy kickstand to prop up smartphones during use. The integrated LED display makes it easy to see the battery percentage, which is always nice.

The 10,000mAh battery should charge a modern iPhone nearly two times before requiring a trip to the outlet. For those not keen on wireless charging, there’s a USB-C port.

As for compatibility, this power bank has been optimized for Apple iPhones. It’ll work with Android handsets, but the wireless charging will be disabled. That’s basically the only downside here.

That’s not the only Anker product on sale right now. A nifty Anker laptop power bank with a built-in cable is on sale for $92, which is a discount of 32 percent. This one also made our list of the best power banks and won the award for most premium product.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-magsafe-power-bank-is-57-right-now-152128238.html?src=rss

After nine years as CEO of the studio behind Control and Alan Wake, Tero Virtala has departed the role. Remedy cofounder Markus Mäki is taking over on an interim basis (and stepping down as chairman of the board) while the company looks for a permanent CEO. Henri Österlund, a board member since 2017, is Remedy’s new chairman.

“I want to thank Tero Virtala for his substantial contribution to the management of Remedy since 2016,” Mäki said in a statement. “I personally thank Tero for good cooperation and wish him all the best for the future.” Virtala will remain at Remedy for a transition period to help with the handover of CEO duties.

Remedy didn’t spell out the reasons as to why Virtala is leaving as CEO, but said it was by mutual consent. However, it’s been a rough year for Remedy after its latest game, FBC: Firebreak, failed to meet sales expectations. Earlier this month, the company issued a profit warning to investors and lowered “its long-term sales forecast for the game.” Remedy now expects its operating profit for the year to be in the red after recognizing a “non-cash impairment” of €14.9 million ($17.3 million) related to FBC: Firebreak development costs as well as publishing and distribution rights.

FBC: Firebreak (a co-op Control spinoff) arrived in June and while the game reached half a million players in its first 10 days, most were on consoles, where it was available via PlayStation Plus and Game Pass Ultimate. Remedy said in August the game had underperformed on Steam, which the company had intended as its “primary consumer sales channel on PC.”

After feedback from players, Remedy swiftly rolled out multiple patches for FBC: Firebreak — its first multiplayer title — to try to improve the game. It released the first major update for FBC: Firebreak last month to revamp the core gameplay and overhaul the onboarding experience. However, that didn’t fully turn the tide. “Despite improved player and sales metrics after the update, sales have not reached Remedy’s internal targets,” the company said in its profit warning.

Another major FBC: Firebreak update is planned for November, which will add a new game mode as well as cross-platform voice chat. Remedy also has Control 2 in the oven, as well as remakes of the first two Max Payne games.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/remedys-ceo-is-out-amid-the-struggles-of-fbc-firebreak-151023995.html?src=rss

As a rule of thumb, if you receive an unsolicited text, especially one claiming to include a security code, it’s likely part of a phishing scheme. Such is the case with a recent spate of unprompted texts purporting to be from the crypto wallet service Coinbase. If you receive such a message, even if you have a Coinbase account, delete it. Someone is likely trying to scam you.

Coinbase isn’t texting you

Here’s how the scam works: You receive an unsolicited text message that reads “Your Coinbase withdrawal code is…” followed by a six-digit number. The message continues: “Please do not share this code with anyone. If you have no requested this, please call:” followed by a phone number and a reference number.

On the surface, this seems like a fairly standard two-factor authentication (2FA) code. Most companies include a similar warning in their messages when sending along your code, as hackers really want you to give them those digits. In many cases, a 2FA code the only thing standing between them and your account, so companies want to ensure you don’t hand yours over to someone else.

Unfortunately, this text is an example of the opposite: a scammer impersonating the language of a legitimate company in order to gain your trust. The hope on the scammer’s part is that you receive this text and assume that it’s real, but worry, because you know you didn’t request a 2FA code. Since you now trust that the message really is from Coinbase, you might turn to the contact number conveniently included with the message to follow up. Hey, they’ve even attached a reference number, so the “Coinbase rep” you talk to can track your issue. How considerate.

In reality, this is one big scam. If you called the number, the scammer will likely continue the charade, perhaps by assuring you that they’ll help secure your account. My guess is that the scammer would ask you to “verify” your Coinbase login credentials, which they would enter on their end, triggering the legitimate 2FA process. Once you receive that code, the scammer might ask you to tell them what it is as part of verification process. But once they have that code, they can log into your account for real, change the password, and lock you out. Bye bye crypto.

If you’re a Coinbase user, this definitely seems concerning, but don’t worry too much: I’ve been getting these scam texts myself, and I don’t have a Coinbase account. While scammers might be targeting Coinbase users who have had their information leaked in data breaches, it’s more likely they’re simply sending these scam texts to leaked phone numbers en masse. They’ll likely snag some anxious Coinbase users in their net, but I’m sure they’d happy “chat with” anyone who doesn’t have a Coinbase account who happens to call, too. “Oh, you don’t have a Coinbase account? No problem, we’ll get this cleared up for you. Can you just confirm your Social Security number for us, so we can make sure you’re really not in our system?”

What to do when you get a suspicious texts

It can be tempting to respond to these texts once you know they are scams, especially when the goal is to simply waste the scammer’s time. But as fun as that can be, my advice is to ignore these texts whenever you receive them. While the immediate risks are diminished once you know the “rep” is really malicious, responding to these texts lets the scammer know your number is active, and, in response, they might file it away for a future scam attempt. Scammers can also be clever. If you’re not careful, you might give away more information than you realize while you’re “messing” with them. Part of a phishing scheme is establishing a rapport: The scammer wants to lull you into a false sense of security so you give them personal details that might help them steal your info or break into accounts.

The best thing you can do is to delete these texts whenever you receive them. If your messaging app of choice gives you the option to report the text as spam, all the better.

More than 1,100 public figures have signed a statement calling for a prohibition on the development of superintelligence. The signatories included Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, former chief strategist to President Trump Steve Bannon and Turing Award winner Yoshua Bengio. The statement was organized by the Future of Life Institute, led by Anthony Aguirre, a physicist at the University of California, Santa Cruz. It proposes halting work on superintelligence until there is broad scientific consensus on safety and strong public support.

The institute’s biggest recent donor is Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum. Notable tech executives did not sign the statement. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in July that superintelligence was now in sight. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said last month he would be surprised if superintelligence did not arrive by 2030.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Uber Green is rebranding to Uber Electric, and to coincide with the name switch — a move designed to make it clearer for Uber users preferring to hail zero-emissions rides — the company will incentivise its drivers to swap their current vehicle for an EV by way of a $4,000 grant. According to Uber’s numbers, there are currently more than 200,000 EVs on its global network, and drivers are switching to electric up to 5x faster than regular motorists in the US, Canada and Europe.

Uber’s carrot for drivers is particularly timely given that President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill“ recently wiped out the federal tax credit on used EVs, which was worth (at its maximum value) the same amount as its new “Go Electric” EV grant. The grant automatically qualifies drivers in New York City, California, Colorado, and Massachusetts to receive $4,000 when they switch to an EV. Grants are available for both new and used electric vehicles, and Uber drivers nationwide can also get $1,000 when they purchase any new or used EV through TrueCar.

Uber has also announced that it’s rolling out its battery-aware matching (BAM) feature to EVs made by Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz in 25 countries including the US and Canada. This allows drivers to connect their vehicle to the Driver app, and will subsequently only receive ride requests that they are able to fulfill with their remaining range at the time. Uber said that 49 percent of non-EV drivers on its platform are put off switching to an EV due to battery-related concerns, which the expansion of BAM should help alleviate.

The Uber Electric rebrand follows Uber transitioning Uber Green to fully electric in the US earlier this year, where previously it has consisted of a mix of hybrids and all-electric vehicles. Riders are also being enticed to seek EV drivers, with Uber offering them 20 percent off (up to $8) their next electric ride with code GOELECTRIC20, which is valid for a week.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/uber-will-pay-drivers-4000-to-switch-to-an-ev-144704532.html?src=rss

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

The Meta Quest Pro is currently down to $799.95 at Walmart, a $200 drop from its original $999 price tag and a solid $90 less than what Amazon is asking right now. It’s one of the most advanced VR and mixed reality devices you can buy without needing a gaming PC (meaning you can dive straight into immersive apps and environments right out of the box). PCMag named it the best VR headset of 2022, and even two years later, it remains one of the most well-built and feature-rich VR headsets around.

Meta Quest Pro

$799.95
at Walmart

$999.00
Save $199.05

$799.95
at Walmart

$999.00
Save $199.05

It’s stylish, comfortable, and built for extended use, with a balanced strap design that places the battery at the back to distribute weight evenly. Battery life, though, is short—around two hours per charge—which might be its biggest limitation for heavy users. Inside, the hardware is serious: a Snapdragon XR2+ chip (which Meta says is 50% faster than the Quest 2), 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Each lens delivers 1,920 by 1,800 resolution per eye with improved contrast and a 130% wider color gamut, thanks to a local dimming backlight. That means brighter highlights, deeper blacks, and a much sharper image overall.

As for the Quest Pro’s controllers, Meta removed the bulky tracking rings and replaced them with built-in cameras, so each controller tracks itself independently. The result is smoother hand movement and better precision for things like drawing or sculpting in 3D. Eye and face tracking are also part of the package, letting your avatar mimic your actual expressions in real time. That said, if you want full immersion, you’ll need the $32.90 light blocker since the default face padding lets light leak in from the sides, notes this PCmag review.