Latest News - Page 65

Google rolled out its largest Search update in 25 years at its I/O developer conference last month, swapping traditional link-based results for AI-generated overviews, conversational follow-ups, and a default AI Mode. However, a significant number of users have pushed back against the AI-heavy direction and, in the process, many have ended up at DuckDuckGo.

Traffic to DuckDuckGo's No AI search page tripled after Google's announcement and has continued to surge. Daily visits have averaged about 84% above baseline, peaking on May 28 at a new traffic record. US app installs were up 18.1% week over week during the May 20 to May 25 period, with iOS installs peaking at 69.9% week-over-week growth. Third-party analytics firm Apptopia backed up the numbers, reporting a 29% increase in average daily US downloads over the same stretch.

"Google is force-feeding AI with no way to opt out. As a result, their results are getting worse, not better. We want to be the place that puts users in charge and allows them to decide how much or how little AI they want," said DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg. Chief communications officer Kamyl Bazbaz put it even more simply: "People just want a choice."

For roughly six decades, the semiconductor industry has followed a simple and reliable formula: make transistors smaller, pack more of them onto a chip, and watch performance climb. That formula, commonly known as Moore's Law, is now running into hard physical limits. A research team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign thinks the next gains will come not from going smaller, but from going vertical.

Led by materials science and engineering professor Qing Cao, the team has developed a method for stacking multiple active layers of silicon circuits directly on top of one another on a single chip, achieving device yields between 98% and 100%. The results were published in Nature.

Building high-performance silicon circuits typically requires temperatures approaching 1,000 degrees Celsius. Once the team installs the first layer of circuitry and metal wiring, they must keep any subsequent layers below 400 degrees to avoid damaging what is already in place. Previous attempts to work around this used alternative materials for the upper layers, but those devices consistently underperformed compared with standard silicon transistors.

Before we get a sequel to Larian Studios' Game of the Year RPG Baldur's Gate 3, Wizards of the Coast is reportedly heading back to the Sword Coast for a remake of the original games. According to an anonymous source speaking with PC Gamer, 2000's Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn is currently in development. While the report is only confident about the existence of a Baldur's Gate 2 remake, it states that a full rebuild of both titles could be happening.

The source claims development on the Baldur's Gate 2 remake is already underway and that Kevin Martens, co-lead designer on the original game at BioWare, has joined the project. Martens is also known for his work on Jade Empire, Neverwinter Nights, and Diablo 3. Gameplay details and a release window are still up in the air, as is the overall scope of the remakes.

The first two Baldur's Gate games, and the expansion Throne of Bhaal, were developed using BioWare's Infinity Engine. They use an isometric perspective with pausable real-time combat built on a modified version of the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons ruleset, a system that was phased out of the tabletop game over two decades ago.

CD Projekt Red has been very clear about one thing since announcing The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past: stop calling it a DLC. According to the studio, there is a meaningful difference between the two, and it matters a lot for what players should actually expect from this release. Multiple members of CDPR's team have made it clear that Songs of the Past will be similar in scale to Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty, or The Witcher 3's critically acclaimed Blood and Wine.

CDPR community manager Marcin Łukaszewski clarified the studio's internal definition of DLCs on social media, explaining that at CD Projekt Red, DLCs are small, free pieces of content, such as the bonus cosmetics and outfits previously released for The Witcher 3. Expansions, by contrast, are major paid releases with new story content, characters, and many hours of gameplay. Songs of the Past firmly falls in the latter camp.

That distinction was reinforced by Cyberpunk 2 associate game director Paweł Sasko, who shared a clip of Idris Elba making the same point when Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty launched, noting that CDPR builds big, substantial expansions and gives away anything smaller for free.

NZXT is a brand known for PC gaming hardware and cooling that delivers clean aesthetics, with stylish use of RGB and panoramic views. At Computex 2026, the company is not only debuting a new design direction for its hardware but is announcing and launching its new H6 and H6 RGB+ compact dual-chamber mid-tower cases and RGB Fans series. The dual-chamber design of the H6 isolates heat from the PSU while delivering a cleaner cable-free look for the main component bay.

The new design language for NZXT cases maintains the pristine white finish the brand is known for while delivering a modern, stylish look to the mesh and other panels. The new H6 and H6 RGB+ deliver panoramic views of internal components (sans PSU) thanks to the seamless wraparound curved tempered glass panel that improves upon the previous generation case's two-piece design. With all that glass, you might be wondering if cooling would be a problem, but thankfully, the H6 and H6 RGB+ match its style with thermal performance and design.

The angled front-right fans aren't merely there to look cool; their angle helps deliver airflow to the GPU and CPU, while the intake fans at the bottom of the case complete the picture. And with room for 10 120mm fans in the compact design, there's also support for a top-mounted radiator up to 360mm, alongside a 120mm rear exhaust fan. And this is what separates the H6 from the H6 RGB+, as the latter comes pre-installed with two of NZXT's brand-new F360 RGB Reverse Single-Frame fans for intake.

We got our first look at MSI's massive MEG Maestro 900R case back at CES 2026, where it was on display with the company's limited edition flagship MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z graphics card that released earlier this year. At Computex 2026, the MEG Maestro 900R is back, with MSI noting that the design has been finalized and that a release is expected sometime in Q3 2026.

As per the headline, this is the sort of flagship case built for premium components, and as a centerpiece for the sort of high-end build you probably won't ever get to see in person. The bare-bones case, which is huge, weighs 33 kilograms (almost 73 pounds), and that's without any components installed. During a special pre-brief at MSI's headquarters, we got to see two MEG Maestro 900R cases side-by-side, one with the aforementioned LIGHTNING Z GPU installed and one that was empty.

As for the case itself, the design is all about a 'centered layout,' with 4mm-thick triple-sided tempered glass. And due to the overall weight and size, MSI has designed a custom detachable and rotatable motherboard tray that can be moved around or removed from the case entirely to make building a MEG Maestro 900R rig easier. There's also a pre-installed vertical GPU bracket, with support for 14 fans or dual 420mm radiators.

MSI was founded in 1986, and to celebrate its 40th anniversary, the company has unveiled an amazing-looking motherboard ahead of Computex 2026. The MSI MEG Z890 Ace Draco Epic features a beautiful theme that MSI says is inspired by Draco, a constellation in the northern sky. Of course it's also inspired by MSI's Lucky dragon mascot.

The Draco Epic is based on the existing MEG Z890 Ace. We were told the specifications of the two boards are identical, with only the design being different. Not that it needs much - if anything in the way of upgrades, as the Z890 Ace is a top end board, with only the ultra-expensive halo tier MEG Z890 Godlike sitting above it in MSI's lineup.

The Z890 Ace Draco Epic is loaded with features, including a powerful 24+2+1+1 phase VRM with massive heatsinks, dual Thunderbolt 4, 10G LAN, five M.2 slots and 60W USB PD, among many other features.

MSI is off to the Computex 2026 races, and it's unveiled a flagship B850 motherboard that puts some X870 models to shame. The MPG B850 Carbon Max WiFi packs high-end features and a fantastic aesthetic into a board that looks every bit as premium as its X870E stablemates.

The B850 Carbon Max includes three ARGB zones, and has headers for more, making it a board that's well suited for tailored builds. It's got a beefy 14+2+1 VRM and large heatsinks, making it a good option for overclockers. It also includes an OC engine, or in other words an external clock generator for fine-tuning overclocks.

Other features include 5G LAN, 320MHz full-speed WiFi 7, four M.2 slots and 20Gbps USB. USB4 is absent, but I'm only aware of 2 other B850 boards that include that. It's also got plenty of DIY-friendly features and a 64MB BIOS ROM, so it's well positioned to accept Zen 6 processors in the future. MSI probably knows a thing or two about them already!

In 2026, it seems like not a day goes by without a PC or gaming component seeing a price increase. In that same vein, the Steam Deck OLED is getting more expensive in Asia, and this is not the first time it has happened. KOMODO, the official Valve hardware distributor for the region, announced updated pricing for Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, starting June 1.

The new prices for the 512GB and 1TB models are as follows: JPY 137,980 and JPY 167,980 in Japan; KRW 1,298,000 and KRW 1,578,000 in South Korea; TWD 26,280 and TWD 31,800 in Taiwan; and HKD 6,488 and HKD 7,788 in Hong Kong. Compared with March 2026 pricing, the 512GB model is now 38% more expensive in Japan and Taiwan and 45% more expensive in South Korea.

Perhaps more egregiously, the 1TB model has jumped 46% in Japan, 41% in Taiwan, and a steep 51% in South Korea. Hong Kong, which was exempt from the March adjustment, is now up 41% and 42% for the 512GB and 1TB models, respectively, compared to launch pricing.

Alarm bells are definitely going off at Google HQ today after images of the Google Pixel 5 surfaced online from one of the most unlikely sources, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford.

The Gearbox CEO, best known for the popular Borderlands video game franchise, took to his personal X account on June 1 to share two images of an unreleased, and even unannounced Pixel Watch 5.

Pitchford writes that his friend was scuba diving near the island of St. Martin, in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean Sea. The images show "Pixel Watch 5" on the underside of the watch, along with sensors and the crown dial on the outer edge.

A power supply that can deliver enough power to, well, power up to four GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards is not something you see every day. At Computex 2026, that's exactly what ASUS has introduced with its new ROG Thor 3000W Titanium III Edition 20 PSU. This 3000W monster, and yes, that's not a typo, was created as part of ROG's 20th anniversary line-up, and one of the key reasons it can power up to four RTX 5090 cards comes down to it leveraging server-grade GaN MOSFET components.

Now, with power delivery to high-end GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs using the 12V-2x6 PCIe power connector being a notable and understandable concern thanks to several cases of cables overheating and melting, and even damaging components, increasing this to four might be a cause for concern for extreme next-generation builds with the ROG Thor 3000W Titanium III Edition 20 PSU.

Thankfully, that's not the case, thanks to the inclusion of ASUS's new safety-focused, patented ROG Equalizer cables and GPU-First Intelligent Voltage Stabilizer technology, which ensure safer operation with up to 45% improved voltage stability during peak gaming workloads.

When it comes to gaming routers, performance is king, whether you're connected wirelessly or via a high-speed 10G wired port. Sleek and minimal go out the window when you need multiple large antennas and powerful internal hardware to deliver this. And even with all of that in mind, even among the wide range of gaming routers on the market, there's the new ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro Edition 20 and everything else.

Aside from the striking gold-on-black aesthetic and the transparent panel, the first thing you notice about the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro Edition 20 up close is its physical size. This is a router the size of a console, and that's due to it being ASUS's flagship quad-band WiFi 7 gaming router, a single device that can power a house full of gamers jumping online to play a few rounds of Counter-Strike 2, ARC Raiders, or even starting a convoy in Forza Horizon 6.

Even among WiFi 7 routers, this is different, as it supports 320 MHz bandwidth, 4096-QAM, and Multi-Link Operation (MLO), with low-latency speeds of up to 30 Gbps. There's also gaming-specific technologies built into the design, including a dedicated wired gaming port, and 'triple-level game acceleration' that basically means if you're gaming while connected to this space-age router, it automatically prioritizes gaming traffic over, say, someone firing up Netflix.

GIGABYTE has unveiled the world's first 27-inch 5K Mini LED glossy gaming monitor, the FM275K16P, at Computex 2026.

The monitor features a lovely 2,304 local dimming zones, 218 PPI, and a glossy finish that enhances color vibrancy and contrast. The FM275K16P is a flagship product for GIGABYTE AORUS, with the monitor itself being part of the AORUS ELITE lineup, which also includes new 4th-gen Tandem OLED gaming monitor offerings. GIGABYTE AORUS has done this to give users a choice between ultra-fast responsiveness or high-resolution HDR immersion.

The FM275K16P, in particular, sets a new standard for high-end gaming displays, offering a compelling blend of resolution, contrast, and visual fidelity. As for specifications, the FM275K16P features proprietary GIGABYTE AORUS technologies, including AI Super Resolution, AI Picture Mode, Tactical Crosshair, HyperNits, and Tactical HUD. Additionally, the FM275K16P is DisplayHDR 1000-certified and features a peak HDR brightness of 1250 nits.

GIGABYTE AORUS has unveiled a new selection of 4th-gen Tandem WOLED gaming monitors at Computex 2026.

The new displays range from 32-inch to 27-inch, and each is built around GIGABYTE's new implementation of LG Display's latest WOLED panel technology. All of these displays are designed to offer elite-level performance for competitive gamers and content creators alike.

First up is the FO32U24GP, a 32-inch panel that features dual-mode, enabling users to switch between 3840 x 2160 (UHD) resolution at 240Hz, and 1920 x 1080 (FHD) at 480Hz. GIGABYTE lists the response time for this panel as 0.03ms (GTG), and it will come with DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1 with eARC support, a peak brightness of 1500 nits, and HyperNits, a proprietary GIGABYTE feature that enables brightness levels to reach that figure.

With the arrival of the GeForce RTX 50 Series last year, and the new flagship RTX 5090, ASUS introduced a brand-new premium Republic of Gamers GPU design with its new Astral series. In addition to the stylish and robust physical design with impressive cooling, the notable thing was its inclusion of four fans in a new quad-fan cooling system. And with ASUS celebrating 20 years of ROG at Computex 2026, the company is introducing the new ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 Edition 20.

The company notes that this new model, which sports a stylish black-and-gold look, "pushes both performance and visual expression to new extremes," and it's not hard to see why. And that's because it features a curved AMOLED display that wraps around the sides and rear of the card, and can be configured to display real-time hardware information, custom animations, or dynamic 3D visuals crafted by the ROG team. As the 4.7-slot thickness makes it one of the thickest GPUs on the market, adding a large screen does add a new and impressive aesthetic layer to the Astral design.

And it pairs perfectly with ASUS's new 20th-anniversary-themed AIO cooler, letting users synchronize the displays of both pieces of new hardware to create a visually striking build. As an Astral GPU, you've also got 20% improved airflow thanks to the fourth fan visible on the backplate, plus premium cooling for overclocked performance with its vapor chamber and liquid-metal GPU cooling.

Partnering with Microsoft, ASUS released the impressive ROG Xbox Ally X gaming handheld last year, which opened the door to a more intuitive Xbox on Windows gaming powered by AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor with its integrated RDNA 3.5 graphics. One of the criticisms at the time of its release was the decision to opt for a more traditional LED display over OLED. Well, that's now been rectified with the new ROG XBOX Ally X20, created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ASUS' Republic of Gamers brand.

At Computex 2026, ASUS debuted a wide range of 20th-anniversary-edition ROG products sporting a stylish black-and-gold design, and the new ROG XBOX Ally X20 was created specifically for this celebration. And yes, the ROG XBOX Ally X20 comes equipped with an OLED display, and an impressive one at that. First off, it's larger than the original ROG Xbox Ally X display at 7.4 inches and features Nebula HDR technology.

It maintains a fast 120 Hz refresh rate with a 0.2ms response time, and a peak HDR brightness of 1,400 nits, earning it a VESA DisplayHDR 1000 rating. Throw in Dolby Vision and FreeSync Premium Pro support for smooth motion, and you've got one of the most impressive gaming handheld displays that we've, well, seen to date.

TCOMAS is an established cooler brand in China that's expanding to the global market. In addition to taking a look at its upcoming TCOMAS NEOX PRO AIO, with its impressive 6.67-inch R15 golden-curvature 2K 60 Hz display and 60 Hz refresh rate, we also got to check out the company's very first case, simply called The Flow. And as TCOMAS modular coolers celebrate modding and customization, we got to see two prototypes - one in sleek all-white and one that was Super Mario-themed.

This mod was created as a showpiece, so it's more of a fun look at an unreleased case and one of those things that immediately catches your attention. Super Mario is a franchise that has not only been around for decades but also continues to endure. So, if you're a fan of playing old-school Mario games from the 1990s or Super Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch, the red bricks, question block, pipes, star, and ghost will be immediately familiar.

As for the Flow, we were told that the final retail version (and you can see the white version above) will feature a full panoramic single-piece tempered glass panel and an integrated magnetic display that can be placed anywhere on the full-metal body. Like TCOMAS's impressive line-up of coolers, the display here will also be USB-C for seamless integration.

If TCOMAS Technology is a name you're not familiar with, that's ok, because the brand that has made a splash with its coolers and thermal solutions in the east is making its global market debut at Computex 2026. This means its range of existing products and those on the horizon are set to debut in more places soon. Two of its standout coolers that we got to see were the EXIT D3 and EXIT D3 PRO.

And if you're going to stand out in an increasingly crowded market, it makes sense to introduce the TCOMAS EXIT D3 to more gamers and builders. With more and more cases sporting panoramic views and displays popping up in more and more places, this is a unique AIO in that the detachable display that sits on the pump head (which is connected via magnets and USB-C for convenient modding) is, well, three displays in one. Per the picture above, you've got three 3.95-inch (480 x 480-pixel) displays that deliver a 3D look, with the option to configure them any way you see fit.

This includes displaying system and hardware information on one or more panels, or merging two panels to create a panoramic, immersive display of creativity. At Computex 2026, we saw multiple versions of the AIO on display, with one using all three displays to create a single scene, featuring a physical figure sitting on the flat, horizontal display like some sort of diorama. Of course, aesthetics aren't the only thing here, as TCOMAS coolers come equipped with high-quality fans and designs built for thermal performance.

LG has just unveiled a 32-inch color E Ink display aimed at the commercial signage market, featuring webOS, Wi-Fi, and ultra-low power consumption.

The device, which recently won a 2026 Red Dot Design Award, is built for retail, hospitality, and other environments where energy efficiency and visibility are key.

LG explains in its press release that the new display features a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (QHD), a 16:9 aspect ratio, and, most importantly, leverages color electronic ink (E Ink) to eliminate the need for a backlight.

NVIDIA has just unveiled the world's first autonomous vehicle with reasoning, marking a major leap in AI-driven mobility.

The new system, powered by NVIDIA Alpamayo, integrates open-source AI models, simulation tools, and real-world datasets to enable autonomous vehicles that can reason, not just react. NVIDIA's Jensen Huang announced the evolution of autonomous driving at GTC Taipei and stated in a press release about NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion, "Autonomous mobility is entering its industrial scaling moment."

The Alpamayo family includes models that allow vehicles to predict, plan, and make decisions like a human driver, which NVIDIA and many other tech companies are calling "reasoning," which is essentially the AI considering numerous outcomes and analyzing upcoming situations before taking action.