Latest News - Page 292

Diablo 4 Season 9: Sins of the Horadrim begins on July 1, and as part of the new seasonal questline, you'll be able to craft and customize powerful spells to enhance your existing powers. Spellcrafting in Diablo 4 is accessed via an in-depth menu that will let you create new spells that can be improved and leveled up throughout your Season Journey.

Called Horadric Spells, these are created by combining three elements - a Catalyst, an Infusion, and an Arcana. The Catalyst is the base power of the spell, providing its form and function. For example, the 'Celestial Surge' Catalyst pulls in all surrounding enemies, triggering a torrent of stars that randomly strike enemies in the area.

Once you've got your Catalyst, apply an Infusion that modifies the type of elemental damage your spell deals. Finally, Arcanas add additional effects to the base power of your spell. For example, the Legendary 'Frigid Heart' Arcana adds a frozen explosion to the beginning and end of 'Celestial Surge.'

Racing game fans have never had it better, thanks to the arrival of a wide range of high-quality racing wheels and pedals and the ability to create custom rigs with ultrawide or multiple displays powered by cutting-edge PC gaming hardware. With a wide range of games, including EA's F1 series, Xbox's Forza franchise, and more, covering simulation and arcade-style racing, there are a lot of reasons to move away from playing with a controller.

Logitech G has been at the forefront of creating high-quality racing wheels and other accessories for years, with its current G923 2.3Nm TRUEFORCE Racing System and PRO RACING WHEEL 11Nm Direct Drive TRUEFORCE System widely considered to be among two of the best racing wheels for PC and console gamers.

In 2018, Logitech and McLaren Racing teamed up for the Logitech McLaren G Challenge, a worldwide digital racing tournament for sim racers. Building on this success, Logitech G and McLaren Racing have just signed a multi-year partnership that will see the arrival of a portfolio of new racing gear, co-developed to deliver "the most authentic and immersive sim racing experience possible."

WinRAR is still one of the most popular compression and decompression platforms, and most users have been using it for years or decades. However, a new report at Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative has confirmed that the popular app has a significant security exploit.

According to the announcement, CVE-2025-6218 has a very high severity rating of 7.8 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) because it allows "remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of RARLAB WinRAR" due to how file paths are handled within archive files. This vulnerability requires user interaction as the exploit can "cause the process to traverse to unintended directories" and execute code.

Yes, this opens the door to accessing sensitive data alongside system files, which can cause harm and make a device unusable. According to RARLAB, the exploit can place files in the Windows Startup folder, "potentially leading to unintended code execution on the next system login."

NVIDIA announced the arrival of DLSS 4 alongside its big GeForce RTX 50 Series reveal at CES 2025. One of the most significant advances that DLSS 4 brings is a shift to a new and advanced Transformer model for Super Resolution AI upscaling, replacing the older and existing CNN, or Convolutional Neural Network, model.

At a high level, the new Transformer model can examine every pixel in a rendered frame instead of a partial solution that makes estimates, resulting in a more detailed, sharper, and cleaner image comparable to a natively rendered image. With double the parameters, the Transformer model is also faster than CNN, reducing the latency from 3.25ms to just 1ms on a GeForce RTX 5090.

DLSS 4 has been a game changer for image quality. Using the Performance preset in 4K delivers better image quality than the previous version's Quality preset. DLSS 4's Transformer model is also used in its Ray Reconstruction technology, which dramatically improves the quality of ray-traced effects (as seen above).

Brian Johnson, otherwise known as "Liver King" on the internet, has been arrested by Austin police over alleged threats against podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan.

The Liver King was arrested on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, by Austin Police Department (APD) detectives, with the APD releasing a statement explaining Johnson was arrested after detectives reviewed several posts on his Instagram profile that revealed Johnson was traveling to Austin, Texas, while continuously threatening Rogan. The APD's statement stated they contacted Rogan, who said he had never interacted with Johnson and considered the posts to be threatening. The APD statement added that, based on the gathered information, the authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Johnson on a charge of Terroristic Threat.

Johnson has been posting several videos of himself calling out Joe Rogan, saying he wants to fight Rogan. In one video, he can be seen wearing a wolf's skin on his head and holding two machine guns, while shouting, "Joe Rogan, I'm calling you out. My name's Liver King. Man to man. I'm picking a fight with you!" In another video, Johnson can be seen ingesting a coffee enema and saying he hasn't "threatened to kill anybody. I picked a fight."

The new Synology DiskStation DS1525+ is a 5-bay storage solution and NAS with two built-in 2.5GbE ports that support 1,181 and 1,180 MB/s sequential read/write performance. Designed for small and medium-sized businesses and pro users looking for a versatile data solution, it can support up to 300 TB of raw storage capacity.

As a business-focused solution, the Synology DiskStation DS1525+ is also engineered for scalability. When you connect two 5-bay DX525 expansion units, the DiskStation DS1525+ can support an impressive 15 drives, which is where the 300 TB figure comes from. With the standalone unit, you've got support for up to 100 TB of storage capacity.

The DiskStation DS1525+'s connectivity can also be upgraded to 10GbE using the E10G22-T1-Mini module. The unit also includes two M.2 NVMe ports that can be used as cache, and the five drive bays support SATA SSDs and HDDs in 2.5" and 3.5" sizes.

Nightdive Studios is renowned for bringing back classic games, remastered and optimized for modern hardware. The list includes classics like Shadow Man, Quake, Turok, Star Wars: Dark Forces, and more. Nightdive's latest is System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, now available on PC and coming to Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch consoles in July.

This one has been a long time coming, with development taking over six years to complete due to roadblocks like missing source code, bugs, and "completely non-functional" co-op multiplayer. System Shock 2 is regarded as an immersive sim classic and one of the genre's defining releases, alongside Deus Ex.

In a new post celebrating the announcement, the team at Nightdive Studios notes that bringing System Shock 2 back presented them with "some of our greatest challenges to date."

NVIDIA formally announced the new desktop GeForce RTX 5050 gaming GPU yesterday, which will launch in the second half of July, starting from $249. As an entry-level RTX Blackwell GPU, it's being positioned as a successor to the GeForce RTX 3050. It offers 60% faster performance on average and supports the latest DLSS 4 suite of technologies, including Multi-Frame Generation.

With no Founder Edition model on the way, we've got our first look at GeForce RTX 5050 cards and models on the way from some of NVIDIA's biggest partners - ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, ZOTAC, INNO3D, and COLORFUL.

Kicking things off with ASUS, the company is set to launch four GeForce RTX 5050 models, including PRIME and two DUAL variants. The triple-fan PRIME models include an aluminium fin-stack heatsink and ASUS's Axial-Tech fans. The OC variant pushes the Boost Clock speed to 2707 MHz, a sizable increase over the 2572 MHz reference spec.

Noctua fans are highly sought after among serious PC builders and enthusiasts because they offer excellent cooling with a focus on whisper-quiet performance. This week, the company announced its highly anticipated next-generation flagship 120mm fan - the new Noctua NF-A12x25 G2.

Noctua notes that the new design improves performance over its predecessor to deliver a "significant boost in performance-to-noise efficiency," making it perfect for water cooling radiators, heatsinks, and case fans.

As a second-generation fan and the successor to Noctua's most popular products, it's made from the same Sterrox LCP material. The design features a "tight tip-clearance of only 0.5mm." The revamped fan and blade design includes new technology to increase airflow and performance called Flow Acceleration Channels and the Centrifugal Turbulator Hub.

Samsung wants to put itself in a better position when it comes to the US semiconductor market, where the company is offering up to $300,000 for future staffers to join the sales team.

In a new post from the Korean Economic Daily, Samsung hired a former TSMC sales executive earlier this year, and is now seeking new staff in the US which it is offering up to $300,000 to take chip sales away from TSMC. TSMC has been extremely busy building out its semiconductor facilities in the US, while Samsung is also hard at work on new chipmaking plants on US soil, with its new plant in Taylor, Texas expected to enter mass production in 2026.

TSMC Arizona has already started producing chips in the US, making 4nm chips and processors for companies including Apple, AMD, and NVIDIA. A strong flow of customers is needed to succeed in the contract chip manufacturing business, but Samsung has been struggling for years in the semiconductor business and obviously wants to see that change, offering up to $300K for sales execs to pull chip orders away from TSMC.

As part of its latest weekly roundup of new DLSS 4 games, NVIDIA has confirmed that over 800 games and apps use RTX technologies like DLSS, Reflex, and real-time ray-tracing. This is a significant milestone and the reason why DLSS is a key feature and selling point for the company's latest GeForce RTX 50 Series generation.

DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation is the latest version of NVIDIA's AI-powered rendering technology for PC gaming, and the new 'Transformer' AI model for Super Resolution has been a game changer for image quality. Whether gaming at 1080p, 1440p, or 4K, DLSS 4 Super Resolution delivers better-than-native image quality, making it a free performance boost delivered entirely by software and AI hardware.

Multi Frame Generation is the latest version of NVIDIA's Frame Generation that is currently exclusive to the GeForce RTX 50 Series. With improved image stability and reduced VRAM usage, like DLSS Super Resolution, it's the gold standard for frame generation technology. And with that, NVIDIA has announced a new batch of DLSS 4 games this week - Eternal Strands, Diablo 4, Strinova, and more.

Sony used liquid metal on its PlayStation 5 console and it is causing issues for gamers, where your PS5 console can die in a matter of years... right when it's out of warranty.

In the latest episode of Moore's Law is Dead's Broken Silicon podcast, Alderon Games founder Matthew Cassells was the guest star, pointing out how the PS5's critical flaw is causing liquid metal that's used for cooling to drop down to the bottom of the console when placed vertically, causing dry spots on the semi-custom APU.

Once the liquid metal on the APU drips down, it'll cause dry spots on the APU that compromise its functionality and can even force your PS5 to shut down in particular conditions. There were stories from a while ago from the developer that had received reports that the latest update of their dinosaur-themed MMO, Path of Titans, was causing PS5 consoles to shut down all of a sudden.

SKC is conducting quality tests on glass substrates with big tech companies, plans to increase production capacity by up to 10x in the near future.

In a new report from Korean media outlet EBN, semiconductor glass substrates are quickly gaining attention as the next-generation technology suitable for high-performance, high-density semiconductors that generate a lot of heat, as they have a smoother and thinner surface than other existing substrates on the market, paving the way for more fine circuits to be used, and they also have less warping due to heat.

SKC has been focusing on developing glass substrate technology through its subsidiary Absolics, with EBN's new report from multiple sources within the semiconductor industry that SKC is discussing an investment plan to 4x its glass substrate production capacity before the end of 2025 or early 2026, and then expand it 10x in the mid-to-long term.

Apple and Bitmain are expected to use TSMC's bleeding-edge 2nm process node in 2026 and will act as the primary sources of its demand next year.

According to a new report from X, TSMC's new 2nm process capacity is projected to hit 60,000 wafers per month by Q4 2026, while NVIDIA is expected to use TSMC's 3nm node for its next-generation Rubin AI GPUs. TSMC is also expected to transfer some of its existing 5nm production line equipment and capacity to its 3nm process node.

We've been reporting for a while now that Apple would be shifting into using TSMC's bleeding-edge 2nm process node in 2026, but it's interesting -- and expected -- that Bitmain will be adopting the new N2 process node from TSMC. This is because Chinese Bitcoin mining companies have always been one of the first to use bleeding-edge process technologies.

TSMC holds a dominant 35.3% market share of the semiconductor market, revealed in a new report from Counterpoint Research, far ahead of any semiconductor rivals like Intel and Samsung that have been tripping over themselves of late.

TSMC is out and ahead in the number on integrated semiconductor contract manufacturing (foundry) market, which includes both packaging and testing. Analysts at Counterpoint Research pointed out that TSMC holds 35.3% of the foundry market, while Samsung Electronics has fallen down and into 4th place with just 5.9% of the market.

Intel has been throwing billions of dollars into acquiring ASML's bleeding-edge High-NA EUV lithography machines -- and has been slipping for years. Contracting TSMC to make most of its high-end chips, it sits in second place with 6.5% but has ASE on its heels with 6.2% of the semiconductor market.

AMD's next-generation Zen 6 architecture will have a few surprises up its CPU sleeves, with rumors that we could see top-binned chips with up to an incredible 7.0GHz boost clock.

We've been reporting on rumors from leaker Moore's Law is Dead that AMD's next-gen Zen 6-based consumer Ryzen CPUs will have clock speeds of "well over" 6.0GHz, but we could see ceilings of a much higher 7.0GHz that would whoop some Intel ass.

Can you imagine a new high-end 24-core, 48-thread Zen 6-based CPU clocking in at up to 7.0GHz? I can, and we all want it, and it would really push that boot harder into Intel's neck. Intel is cooking up its next-gen Nova Lake CPUs, but we all know they won't be pushing anywhere near 7.0GHz clock speeds, something AMD could deliver on with Zen 6.

Google is expected to make its next-gen, in-house Tensor G6 processor for its future-gen Pixel 11 smartphones on TSMC's new 2nm process node.

In a new story from Ctee picked up by Dan Nystedt on X which cites unnamed supply chain sources, we heard that Google's upcoming Tensor G5 processor switched from Samsung to TSMC, and will power the company's new Pixel 10 smartphones (and future generations of Pixel smartphones).

Google pushing over to TSMC and using its bleeding-edge 2nm process node is a big win over its competitors, where even Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor will be made on TSMC's 3nm process node, with a next-gen Snapdragon chip made on TSMC 3nm will arrive months after Google's new Tensor G6 on TSMC 2nm.

The HDMI Forum has just announced the release of the HDMI 2.2 standard, offering a massive 96Gbps of bandwidth and ready for the future of displays with up to 4K 480Hz and so much more.

The higher 96Gbps bandwidth and next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology which provides optimal audio and video for a wide range of device applications, providing users with the assurance that their displays support a native video format in the best way possible and delivering a seamless and reliable experience.

Chandlee Harrell, president of the HDMI Forum said: "The HDMI Forum is proud to release the new HDMI 2.2 Specification to enable higher performance capabilities and features for exciting and immersive new solutions and products. And the introduction of the new Ultra96 feature name will help consumers and end-users ensure their product's maximum bandwidth is supported".

Hironobu Sakaguchi was the glue holding Square together, but all of that changed when he left way back in 2003.

Legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu recently gave Western gamers a lesson in RPG history. In a new episode of his podcast show, NOBIYO To Isshoni, the famed master of symphonies recalls what it was like at Square when Hironobu Sakaguchi departed.

"Maybe Sakaguchi isn't aware of this, but the situation at Square was awful after he quit. He left and the organization suddenly collapsed. I thought to myself 'Oh no, I should get away from here,'" Uematsu said, as translated by Automaton Media.

Daybreak Games sues the creators of Everquest emulator The Heroes' Journey for copyright infringement.

The owners of the iconic Everquest franchise, Daybreak Games, have filed a lawsuit against the creators of The Heroes' Journey. The Heroes' Journey is an EQEmu (an Everquest emulator) where gamers connect to a non-official server and play a customized version of the game. THJ launched in November 2024 and is described as a "three-year labor of love aimed at creating an incredible soloduo EQ experience."

The 41-page complaint alleges that defendants Kristopher "Aporia" Takahashi and Alexander "Catapultam-Habeo" Taylor profited from the unauthorized use of the Everquest IP through a "thinly-disguised donation system."