ChatGPT accounts are getting a serious security upgrade, with users now able to lock access behind a physical USB key in a move that reflects just how valuable AI accounts have become.

The new feature, part of OpenAI's Advanced Account Security rollout, allows users to authenticate using hardware security keys instead of traditional passwords. These keys, which plug into a device via USB or connect wirelessly, act as a physical layer of protection, ensuring only someone with the device can access the account.

ChatGPT is no longer just a casual tool, for many users it now stores sensitive conversations, work documents, personal data, ideas, hopes, and even in some cases, extremely sensitive personal information. That makes it an increasingly attractive target for hackers, particularly through phishing attacks that exploit weak passwords. Hardware keys are widely considered one of the most secure authentication methods because they rely on encrypted credentials stored directly on the device rather than something that can be stolen or guessed.

Sony PlayStation gamers could soon get their money back after a judge approved a preliminary settlement in a class-action lawsuit targeting the PlayStation Digital Store.

The case, which accuses Sony of deceptive practices around digital game purchases, could result in refunds for thousands of users who bought titles through the platform.

The press release states that Sony failed to disclose refund policies and content ownership for digital purchases clearly. While the full terms are still being finalized, the judge's approval signals that affected users may be eligible for reimbursement. No official figures have been released on how much or how many gamers could be impacted.

A bank CEO has admitted to using an AI clone to host a conference call, and no one realized it wasn't him until he revealed it almost an hour into the meeting.

The incident, revealed in a recent interview, has the tech and corporate worlds buzzing, which was more than likely the intention of the stunt. The CEO of Customers Bank, Sam Sidhu, described the AI system as a real-time voice and language model trained to mimic his speech and decision-making, even handling follow-up questions with consistency and nuance.

He framed the stunt as a test of AI's capabilities, calling it "a bit of a prank" but also a demonstration of how automation can streamline high-level communication. The AI version of the CEO performed so convincingly that investors and stakeholders never suspected it wasn't the real person on the line. Notably, Customers Bank signed a deal with OpenAI last week, which enabled the AI company to integrate its AI agents into the banking giant.

LEGO is bringing retro gaming into the real world with its brand-new, officially licensed Sega Genesis set, and if you are thinking it's going to be another Millennium Falcon-priced set, you are wrong. It's actually quite cheap.

The set, which mirrors the iconic 16-bit console, is set to arrive in just a few weeks and has undoubtedly already sparked excitement among collectors and nostalgia-hungry gamers. LEGO's announcement comes after the company expanded into the retro gaming space with its Nintendo Entertainment System set in 2020 and the LEGO Nintendo Game Boy in 2025.

The new Sega Genesis set, which will include a fully functional LEGO console with a working LED light and a removable cartridge, is priced at just $39.99. That's a fraction of the price of the Nintendo version, making it one of the most affordable retro-themed LEGO sets to date.

Take-Two has officially shut down speculation about product placement in Grand Theft Auto 6. In a recent statement, CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that the company has no plans to include branded content or in-game ads in the upcoming title. This comes as a relief to long-time fans who've grown wary of the creeping commercialization in open-world experiences.

Given the incredible anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6, many gamers believed Rockstar and Take-Two would use the hype to squeeze as much money as possible out of GTA 6, including in-game advertising partnerships that let brands place marketing within the GTA 6 world. However, it appears that won't be the case as Zelnick emphasized that GTA 6 will remain true to the series' creative roots, "We're not looking to monetize the game world in that way," he said.

The absence of product placement also speaks to Take-Two's broader strategy of maintaining high creative control across its flagship titles, particularly at Rockstar, and especially as it faces growing pressure to balance profitability with player satisfaction. With GTA 6's launch slowly marching toward us, and seemingly no delay on the horizon, GTA 6 fans can at least, for the time being, rest easy knowing the game won't launch with in-game ads.

Former NASA engineers have cracked a wild solution to save homes from wildfires - using sound waves to literally silence the flames. This isn't just a sci-fi gimmick; it's a real-world breakthrough that could change how communities defend against nature's fury.

Sonic Fire Tech, the California-based startup behind the innovation, has developed a system that uses low-frequency sound waves to disrupt fire by vibrating oxygen molecules. The result? Flames are starved of the oxygen they need to grow and spread. It's a clean, waterless method that could be deployed around homes and infrastructure to create fire-resistant zones.

The tech builds on decades of aerospace research, and, with the help of former NASA engineers, that research is now being repurposed to address one of the West Coast's most destructive threats, particularly in California, which has seen some of the worst wildfires in recent memory.

LG is pulling out all the stops for esports with its latest UltraGear 32GX870B monitor, offering a jaw-dropping 480Hz refresh rate in 1080p mode for competitive players.

Launched in Japan, this new 31.5-inch dual-mode gaming monitor gives users the best of both worlds: 4K at 240Hz for immersive, single-player experiences or 1080p at 480Hz for razor-sharp reaction times in fast-paced shooters. The monitor uses LG's Tandem OLED technology, allowing it to switch between modes without compromising performance or image quality.

The 32GX870B joins a growing list of hybrid gaming monitors that cater to both casual and professional gamers. With a 480Hz esports mode, it's clearly aimed at the upper echelon of competitive play, where every millisecond counts. While LG hasn't yet confirmed a global release, the Japanese launch is a clear indication that OLED-based gaming displays are the pinnacle for performance-focused users that simply want the best of the best.

With strict restrictions on what US-based hardware can be sold in China for GPUs and other AI-related technologies, the direct result, according to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, is that the company's market share in the region has dropped to zero.

"In China, we have now dropped to zero," Jensen Huang said in a recent interview with the Special Competitive Studies Project. Naturally, with the boom in AI accelerator and data center equipment sales, a lot of money and market share are being left on the table. And yeah, Jensen Huang isn't happy with the situation, adding that it doesn't make "strategic sense" and that it has "already backfired" as Chinese-based technologies fill the void.

"Conceding an entire market the size of China probably does not make a lot of strategic sense, so I think that has already largely backfired," Jensen Huang continues. "Maybe it made sense at the time, but I think the policy really needs to be dynamic and needs to stay with the times. I think it would be fairly safe to say that having American chip companies and other companies in China makes a lot of sense."

When Valve first announced the Steam Machine late last year, with the device's graphics capabilities powered by a custom RDNA 3 GPU, many noticed that the HDMI specs topped out at HDMI 2.0. The reason for this comes down to the HDMI Forum and the closed, licensing-based nature of the display technology, with both AMD and Valve trying to convince the HDMI Forum leadership to allow open-source HDMI support on Linux.

This has been an ongoing issue or limitation for years. With the Steam Machine launch reportedly closer than ever, we've now got our first confirmation or evidence that HDMI 2.1 support is coming to Linux and, by extension, SteamOS. If you're wondering why this is a big deal, well, HDMI 2.1's increased bandwidth paves the way for 4K 120Hz gaming, which would be possible when playing less demanding and older titles on the Steam Machine.

This news arrives via the Linux gurus over at Phoronix, who noticed that the latest AMDGPU driver release for the operating system added HDMI FRL support. HDMI Fixed Rate Link is exclusive to HDMI 2.1, and it's the technology that enables higher bandwidth over the HDMI port to support higher resolutions, color spaces, and refresh rates.

The Steam Hardware & Software Survey results for April 2026 are in, and based on recent news, it looks like the GeForce RTX 3060 might remain one of, if not the most popular PC gaming GPUs, for the foreseeable future. According to the latest rumor, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB graphics card is set to make a return this summer with 'new' retail models from ASUS, MSI, COLORFUL, and others.

Naturally, this is the direct result of the current data center boom taking up GPU and GDDR7 memory capacity, and with the GeForce RTX 3060 sharing a similar market share with the GeForce RTX 4060, the number two GPU in Valve's latest Steam Hardware Survey, this comeback could cement the RTX 3060's dominance in the PC gaming space for a while.

That said, NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 50 Series continues to grow in popularity, with both the GeForce RTX 5070 and the GeForce RTX 5060 accounted for in the Top 10. Elsewhere, AMD's latest Radeon RX 9000 Series is no longer 'missing in action,' so to speak, with the Radeon RX 9070 making the list.

Some of the coolest hardware mods have always existed in the retro gaming space, and the Kawaii is certainly up there. What you've got here is a compact, keychain-sized Nintendo GameCube that features actual Nintendo silicon. Created by Bitbuilt modders @YveltalGriffin, @Wesk, and @Ding, it's made possible thanks to the OMEGA trim of the original Nintendo Wii motherboard.

As the Wii was backward compatible with GameCube titles, the Kawaii is a GameCube in the form of a stylish CNC-machined aluminum chassis with laser-etchings measuring 60 x 60 x 15.8mm. Now, the Kawaii is paired with a magnetic dock that includes four GameCube controller ports and video out, and the CPU inside the passively cooled chassis is undervolted to keep temperatures in check.

The modders note that the design "prioritizes aesthetics over practicality," which is reinforced by a deep dive video on the Kawaii by YouTube channel Macho Nacho Productions. In the video, we learn that the Kawaii gets "very warm" when gaming, so a portable desk fan and airflow are recommended.

COLORFUL has introduced a new pair of compact M-ATX motherboards as part of its refreshed BATTLE-AX motherboard series. Built for performance, versatility, and affordability, these Intel Core Ultra 200S Series and 12th, 13th, and 14th-Gen Core-compatible boards offer gamers the option to choose between next-gen DDR5 performance and speed and cost-effective DDR4 memory.

As the naming suggests, the new BATTLE-AX B860M-PLUS S WIFI7 and B760M-PLUS S WIFI7 motherboards also support the latest Wi-Fi 7 wireless networking standard alongside Bluetooth 5.4 support. The BATTLE-AX B860M-PLUS S WIFI7 is built for the latest Intel Core Ultra 200S Series, and its dual-channel DDR5 memory supports speeds of up to 8,800 MT/s, with single-DIMM configurations also available for those looking to save a bit of money.

With a robust 10+1+1+1-phase 60A DrMOS power design, the compact board also includes three M.2 SSD slots with an integrated heatsink and tool-free installation, one of which is PCIe 5.0 x4-ready. The rear I/O is also packed with expansion options, with it including six USB Type-A ports and two USB Type-C ports.

Recent testing by Der8auer suggests that ASUS's new ROG Equalizer 12V-2x6 cable might not be the solution to melting PCIe cables it was marketed as. Der8auer went deep into the design choices behind the cable and called it something that "doesn't make sense," with his testing revealing some surprising results.

ASUS has made strong claims about the ROG Equalizer. The cable is rated to handle 17A per pin compared to 9.2A on a standard 12V-2x6 cable, with better load distribution across each pin. ASUS believes that higher-quality components can help reduce abnormal loads and cable temperatures without the need for active components.

However, Der8auer's testing tells a different story. In his first video, he connected the ROG Equalizer and monitored current distribution using a WireView Pro, finding unequal distribution across the pins. In some cases, the cable actually performed worse than conventional 12V-2x6 connectors. Each time he disconnected and reconnected the cable, the load distribution changed, with differences of up to 4A between the highest- and lowest-loaded pins, one near 10A and the other near 6A.

In a recently surfaced support document, Microsoft now positions 16GB of RAM as the minimum baseline for gaming on Windows 11, while pushing 32GB as the "no worries" upgrade that removes all doubt. The reasoning isn't purely about in-game performance either.

Microsoft blames the modern gamer's broader usage patterns, with voice chat applications running in the background, multiple browser tabs open, streaming and recording software, platform launchers, and an ever-growing layer of background services that quietly eat up available memory. Once a game is added to that pile, 16GB starts looking a bit thinner than it used to.

With this new recommendation, Microsoft is clearly implying that 32GB of RAM is no longer an enthusiast luxury. They are normalizing it as the sensible, future-proof choice for anyone serious about PC gaming. Microsoft openly states that moving to 32 GB "helps if you run Discord, browsers, or streaming tools alongside your games" and gives newer titles some breathing room. However, this recommendation lands at arguably the worst possible moment for consumers.

An unreleased Ryzen PRO series processor has just been spotted on PassMark, but the interesting bit is that it is an X3D CPU with 3D V-Cache. AMD's Ryzen PRO lineup is targeted towards professionals, content creators, and other productivity-focused users. There have been rumors of an X3D Ryzen PRO chip out in the wild before, but it has never been benchmarked as it has now.

The new CPU that has just been added to PassMark's database is the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D. We have a couple of interesting things to note about the nomenclature first. First, the XX65 number has not yet been used in the Ryzen 9000 PRO series lineup, and second, the CPU has 3D V-Cache, a feature typically targeted at gamers.

Looking at the information on PassMark, the "new" 9965X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor just like the consumer Ryzen 9 9950X3D. The unreleased PRO chip is the first 16-core CPU in the lineup, and it slots in right above the Ryzen 9 PRO 9945, a 12-core, 24-thread Zen 5 CPU. On the page, the L3 cache is listed as 32MB, but that seems incorrect, as it doesn't align with other 3D V-Cache CPUs.

When Intel's ARK pages for the upcoming Wildcat Lake family briefly went live, they listed Recommended Customer Pricing (RCP) along with the chips. Intel was quick to scrub the data, but thanks to timely Notebookcheck and archived snapshots from the Wayback Machine, we've caught a glimpse of Intel's steep pricing for these chips.

The RCP structure for Wildcat Lake starts at $304 and tops out at $470 for the highest variants. Intel often delists RCPs for OEM-only processors because they are generally just a ceiling for public and investor reference, or a baseline for smaller system integrators. Here are the models and their pricing:

Massive OEMs like Dell, HP, and Lenovo negotiate deep volume discounts for contracts that last for years. They operate under complex rebates, and once you factor in high-volume negotiations and subsidies, the effective cost per unit is significantly lower than $304. At first sight, the RCP can significantly skew a laptop's Bill of Materials (BOM).

It seems like Microsoft is slowly but surely starting to address some of the pain points of Windows 11. In the midst of strong competition from Linux and SteamOS, Microsoft has outlined a major plan of improvement for its operating system. While we saw a few useful changes here and there before, such as the removal of Copilot integration and the overhaul of the storage menu, it looks like more impactful improvements are on the horizon.

As reported by Windows Central, Microsoft has launched a project to address the "biggest complaints" people have about Windows 11 today. This project, known internally as Project K2, comprises several major changes expected to improve Windows 11's user experience and address its pain points.

The report reveals that Project K2 is based on three pillars: performance, craft, and reliability. Microsoft is expected to use user feedback and telemetry data to improve the user experience moving forward. Another major focus is on agility, which translates into fewer, smaller updates and fewer bugs overall. Microsoft is also reportedly working on revamping the File Explorer and using the File Pilot app as a reference point.

We recently covered rumors that the RTX 3060 12GB was set to return to market shelves in June. Now, we have a bit more evidence to back up that rumor: Chinese Board Channels have confirmed that the 5-year-old NVIDIA GPU is indeed returning this summer. The timeline differs from what was previously leaked, but it seems the Ampere GPU will be on store shelves by July at the latest.

Per a new post from Chinese Board Channels, the RTX 3060 12GB supply will resume in June. This means that NVIDIA will start supplying the 3060 GPU to board partners in June, allowing them to enter mass production. The add-in board partners are then expected to deliver the finished RTX 3060 12GB cards around July.

Among the partners expected to receive allocations for this re-launch are ASUS, MSI, Colorful, and GALAX (recently incorporated into Palit). All these board partners already have existing designs for the RTX 3060, so it may be easier for them to just re-launch those designs instead of making new ones from the ground up. After all, cost-cutting seems to be the entire point of this re-launch.

The SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group reported that worldwide silicon wafer shipments grew 13.1% year on year in Q1 2026, reaching 3,275 million square inches, up from 2,896 million in the same quarter of 2025.

Silicon wafers are the foundation for almost every chip. CPUs, GPUs, and memory modules all start as thin silicon slices, typically up to 300mm wide. Chipmakers like TSMC, Samsung, and Intel Foundry take these wafers and fabricate semiconductors onto them.

More wafer shipments mean more chips, making this one of the earliest indicators of where the semiconductor market is headed. However, much of this growth is being absorbed by AI infrastructure over consumer products. Ginji Yada, Chairman of SEMI SMG and Managing Executive Officer at SUMCO Corporation, said:

EA is back in the headlines for monetization practices, and this time gamers have noticed an interesting new trend that could arm the company with even more high-level data.

A new video from YouTuber DannyonPC shows that EA is currently taking pre-orders for Battlefield 6's new season 3 battle pass. Users have noticed pop-ups while playing in-game that advertise both battle pass purchase options--the standard $10 version, or the $25 Battlefield Pro. EA is offering pre-order bonuses for gamers who buy now, including weapons and packs.

EA has discussed season 3 at length, confirming a May 12 start date and the inclusion of Battlefield 6's largest map to date--Railway to Golmud, a reimagining of the BF4 classic--and ranked battle royale.