GUNNARS collection: Overwatch, Tahoe, Dume Gold blue light glasses showcase

Jak Connor | Gaming | Mar 25, 2025 11:21 AM CDT

If you are someone who spends a lot of time in front of a computer screen, like myself, you should consider snagging yourself a pair of blue light glasses to reduce eye strain and improve comfort during prolonged screen use.

GUNNARS collection: Overwatch, Tahoe, Dume Gold blue light glasses showcase

For those who don't know, prolonged exposure to screens can cause eye strain that can result in symptoms such as dryness, irritation, and fatigue. Blue light glasses are designed to filter out high-energy blue light, which reduces flare and overall discomfort. Another reason to consider blue light glasses is the ability for the blue light to interfere with melatonin production, meaning being exposed to blue light for prolonged periods of time, particularly in the evening may result in you finding it harder to fall asleep at night.

There are other benefits, such as some people experiencing headaches from being exposed to screens for too long, long-term eye health benefits, as there is some concern, while not confirmed, that blue light exposure may cause retinal damage over time, and wearing blue light glasses can prevent this. Gunnars have long been in the blue light glasses market and have a range of different options with some focussed on style, a gamery look, and casual. Below are some of the best ones I have come across and have used throughout my long gaming/work sessions.

Continue reading: GUNNARS collection: Overwatch, Tahoe, Dume Gold blue light glasses showcase (full post)

NVIDIA App gets clever AI tech to fine-tune games for you, but you'll need a GPU with 12GB VRAM

Darren Allan | Video Cards & GPUs | Mar 25, 2025 10:45 AM CDT

The NVIDIA App now has AI built in to help PC owners fine-tune their games for the best performance, and a bunch of other tricks besides.

NVIDIA App gets clever AI tech to fine-tune games for you, but you'll need a GPU with 12GB VRAM

If Project G-Assist rings a vague bell, this might be because bringing AI into the mix in this way was once an April Fools joke from NVIDIA (way back in 2017). However, we learned last year that G-Assist was happening for real (the tech was shown off at Computex 2024).

Now, as The Verge spotted, G-Assist is here in the latest version of the NVIDIA App. As the name suggests it's an AI gaming assistant to help optimize your Windows and per-game settings with RTX graphics cards. So, you can request (by typing a query, or issuing a voice command) to optimize a specific game for the best image quality, for example, and the relevant settings will be applied automatically for you.

Continue reading: NVIDIA App gets clever AI tech to fine-tune games for you, but you'll need a GPU with 12GB VRAM (full post)

Astronaut caught playing solo game of baseball aboard the ISS

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | Mar 25, 2025 10:18 AM CDT

Distinguished astronaut Koichi Wakata has shared a video from a past stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) where he celebrated the beginning of the Major League Baseball season in a quick video.

Astronaut caught playing solo game of baseball aboard the ISS

Wakata, the fourth Japanese astronaut in space and the first Japanese astronaut to command the ISS shared a video on his X account on March 19 that showed him celebrating the beginning of the Major League Baseball seasons during Expedition 68, which launched on October 5, 2022 and completed its mission on March 11, 2023. Wakata celebrated the MLB being back by sharing an awesome video of him playing a "solo game of baseball" in microgravity, where he says, "you don't need a whole team, you can play all of the positions!"

The video shows Wakata gently pitching a baseball to one side of the JAXA module attached to the ISS. Wakata then quickly pulls himself toward the other side of the module and picks up a makeshift bat, which he uses to tap the baseball back to where he came from. Wakata then makes a successful mid-air catch, getting himself out. Wakata completed 157 days in space as part of Expedition 68 and Crew-5, where he worked alongside NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitry Petelin, and Anna Kikina, and other ISS crew members.

Continue reading: Astronaut caught playing solo game of baseball aboard the ISS (full post)

Take-Two copyright strikes mod that adds GTA 6 into GTA 5

Jak Connor | Gaming | Mar 25, 2025 9:51 AM CDT

Publisher of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Take-Two Interactive has filed a copyright take-down notice against a GTA 5 mod that features GTA 6 content.

Take-Two copyright strikes mod that adds GTA 6 into GTA 5

The mod under the spotlight is a FiveM mod that added a GTA 6 map into GTA 5, which was sourced from the material gained from a hack GTA developer Rockstar Games experienced a few years ago, and inspired by modders attempting to create the GTA 6 map based on any information that's been made available. Among the material stolen from the developer were numerous assets for its upcoming and highly anticipated GTA 6, which the modder, Dark Space, decided to use as inspiration for the map added into GTA 5.

However, Take-Two Interactive has resisted that idea, and Dark Space has abided by the copyright notice to prevent the publisher from taking further legal action. Perhaps the map was too close to the real thing? Take-Two didn't specify in the copyright notice.

Continue reading: Take-Two copyright strikes mod that adds GTA 6 into GTA 5 (full post)

Xbox begins testing 'Game Hubs', which adds new dashboards for every game

Ille Smolanko | Gaming | Mar 25, 2025 7:11 AM CDT

Microsoft has begun testing for Xbox Game Hubs, a new feature that would allow players to access stat tracking, capture tools, settings, and social features in a centralized dashboard for each title.

Xbox begins testing 'Game Hubs', which adds new dashboards for every game

As highlighted by The Verge's Tom Warren, the feature is currently available to select users in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, where early feedback is gathered before a broader rollout. When launching a game from the home screen, instead of jumping straight into the game, players are now taken to a Game Hub panel that includes details like playtime and achievement progress, screenshots and media captures, and social information about friends who play the game.

This interface appears in multiple locations across the Xbox dashboard, including the home screen, game library, and pins list, but it notably does not appear when launching games via the Guide menu or Quick Resume.

Continue reading: Xbox begins testing 'Game Hubs', which adds new dashboards for every game (full post)

AI cancer detection reaches unprecedented levels of 99% accuracy

Jak Connor | Artificial Intelligence | Mar 25, 2025 6:49 AM CDT

A new breakthrough artificial intelligence-powered detection models has caught one of the most challenging cancers to catch, Endometrial cancer, with reports now stating accuracy with the mode has reached up to 99% in its detection rate.

AI cancer detection reaches unprecedented levels of 99% accuracy

The new AI model named ECgMLP processes visual data, and according to reports, it set a new precedent for AI cancer detection as it is capable of taking the data given to it by doctors, filter out any unnecessary noise, and highlight areas within the data that it deems as a potential risk for cancer. In the case of the data being given to the AI, it would be scans of areas of the human body, and having an AI be able to thoroughly go over multiple scans quickly and accurately will considerably speed up the rate of cancer detection and its accuracy.

For example, ECgMLP was able to detect Endometrial cancer, also known as uterine cancer, which is particularly hard to detect early as most of its symptoms can be subtle or mimic other conditions. The model uses digital pattern recognition techniques to evaluate areas of tissue and then provide a diagnostic prediction. Reports indicate most other automated systems for detecting endometrial cancer have about 80% accuracy, but ECgMLP beats those systems by approximately 20%, making it one of the most accurate AI cancer detection models created so far.

Continue reading: AI cancer detection reaches unprecedented levels of 99% accuracy (full post)

Apple contradicts itself with 'mind-blowing' AirPods Max update

Jak Connor | Audio | Mar 25, 2025 4:32 AM CDT

Apple has announced that its AirPods Max is about to get a software update that will enable lossless audio listening. This feature is designed to provide the highest possible level of audio fidelity, but the recent marketing statement contradicts what can be found in Apple's own support documentation.

Apple contradicts itself with 'mind-blowing' AirPods Max update

To understand the contradiction here, we first need to understand Apple's audio codecs. Audio files are typically compressed in specific codecs to reduce file sizes for easier storage management, and with this reduction in size or compression, there is a trade-off in audio quality. Uncompressed audio opens up the sound stage, making specific instruments or sounds much more distinguishable and brighter, while compressed audio muddles the audio experience, drowning out the smaller and more discrete sounds.

Each codec has its purpose, and Apple chooses to provide two codecs for its entire catalog within Apple Music: Advanced Audio Codec and Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC). The discrepancy between what Apple states on its website and the recent announcement by Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak can be traced back to the company's documentation, where it states the difference between AAC and ALAC audio files is "virtually indistinguishable," with the company writing, "the difference between AAC and lossless audio is virtually indistinguishable."

Continue reading: Apple contradicts itself with 'mind-blowing' AirPods Max update (full post)

Skyblivion has moved onto post-launch DLC plans, with cities almost entirely finished

Ille Smolanko | Gaming | Mar 25, 2025 4:01 AM CDT

A recent update shared by the Skyblivion team provided some insight into the key development milestones achieved in February 2025, including an update on the cities, a new development diary, and plans for post-launch DLC.

Skyblivion has moved onto post-launch DLC plans, with cities almost entirely finished

During the last major update from the Skyblivion team, the developers stated that the cities within the project are almost entirely complete. Bravil, the poverty-stricken city in southern Cyrodiil, has since been finished - leaving only the Imperial City for finalization before the game is ready to launch. The update also reports that new music has been added to complement the Oblivion and Skyblivion tracks in-game, and that a new development diary is currently in progress.

As the release enters its later stages, the team has also begun concepting for DLC, which is expected to be a remake of Oblivion's main expansion, Shivering Isles. Previous footage has showcased remade models for the Gatekeeper - a massive, grotesque flesh golem from the DLC that guards the Gates of Madness in the Shivering Isles. The model in question took 34 hours to make, and given that it was teased back in 2018, it only highlights how much effort the team has put into making this project a reality.

Continue reading: Skyblivion has moved onto post-launch DLC plans, with cities almost entirely finished (full post)

Assassin's Creed Shadows will be receiving even more visual upgrades on the PS5 Pro

Ille Smolanko | Gaming | Mar 25, 2025 3:33 AM CDT

Ubisoft has confirmed that the (already excellent) PS5 Pro version of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be receiving additional upgrades.

Assassin's Creed Shadows will be receiving even more visual upgrades on the PS5 Pro

In a discussion with Digital Foundry, developers Nicolas Lopez, Pierre Fortin, and Sebastien Daigneault broke down the game's technical approach - and confirmed that both PSSR support and ray-traced reflections in balanced mode are on the way.

Assassin's Creed Shadows already offers one of the most impressive visual showings on PS5 Pro, largely thanks to its per-pixel ray-traced global illumination. Digital Foundry previously called it a "generational divide in lighting fidelity," noting how the visuals "totally transform the game."

Continue reading: Assassin's Creed Shadows will be receiving even more visual upgrades on the PS5 Pro (full post)

Dune: Awakening details: no early access, no monthly subscription, major free updates

Jak Connor | Gaming | Mar 25, 2025 3:03 AM CDT

Details for the upcoming survival MMO Dune: Awakening have been released, such as the PC requirements, roadmap for new content, and if the game will have an early access period.

Dune: Awakening details: no early access, no monthly subscription, major free updates

The information comes from the title Creative Director Joel Bylos, who explains in a short and sweet video posted on the Funcom YouTube channel that reveals the developer's intentions with Dune: Awakening when it comes to its business model and post-launch plans.

The details have also been outlined in a blog post where it states the title will not have an early access period when it launches, it will be the full game, there won't be a subscription, which typically comes in the form of a monthly recurring payment, and how the developers plan on expanding the game through free major updates that will add more content, features, and enhancements to the experience.

Continue reading: Dune: Awakening details: no early access, no monthly subscription, major free updates (full post)

Newsletter Subscription