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NASA releases epic video of moon spacecraft re-entering Earth's atmosphere in a ball of flames
NASA has published a new video on its Orion spacecraft account that relives the moment the Moon-bound spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere.
The event took place last year on December 12 when NASA's Artemis 1 mission reached its final stages, as the Orion spacecraft that was sent on a 25.5-day journey around the Moon finally made it back to Earth. The small spacecraft was essentially a first test run of the Orion capsule, which will be the mode of transportation for astronauts walking on the Moon in NASA's Artemis 3 mission.
The goal of Artemis 1 was to simply test out all of Orion's instruments, re-entry back to Earth, and general reconnaissance data collecting that will be used to reduce the likelihood of failure in future Artemis missions. The video showcases the Orion capsule smashing into Earth's thick atmosphere at 6.8 miles a second, or more than 32 times the speed of sound. The small capsule essentially skipped across Earth's atmosphere while flaming up and creating a plasma wake behind it.
New footage emerges of Super Mario 64 having multiplayer and Luigi
A staggering 26 years after the game was released, new footage has emerged showing an early version of Super Mario 64 multiplayer mode and the inclusion of Luigi.
The footage went seemingly unnoticed for approximately a month as it was uploaded to a small YouTube channel, flying under the radar of many super fans of Nintendo's iconic franchise. However, the VHS footage has been noticed, and it showcases Nintendo's 1995 Japanese Space World show, the event where it revealed to the world for the very first time the Nintendo 64. A console that would later be recognized as a significant leap forward in the history of gaming.
The footage shows a quick look at some off-screen gameplay of both Mario and Luigi within an early version of Super Mario 64, which, if the footage is true, would mark the first time Luigi has been spotted in the classic Nintendo 64 game outside of the 2020 leak that showed the character within the game files of the title. Originally, Luigi was meant to launch with the game, according to a 1996 interview with director Shigeru Miyamoto.
Continue reading: New footage emerges of Super Mario 64 having multiplayer and Luigi (full post)
Apple to release AirPods 4 with a new fusion design and more features
Next year, Apple is expected to release its fourth-generation AirPods, and according to reports, they will arrive with a bunch of new features and upgrades.
The AirPods 4 will be released in two separate versions, with Apple aiming to replace the currently sold AirPods 3 and AirPods 2. The information comes from industry insider Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who wrote in the Power On newsletter that Apple is planning to streamline AirPod purchases with the release of AirPods 4, as they will feature an updated design that will look like a fusion of current AirPods and the AirPods Pro.
With these earbud design changes, consumers can expect a better fit, shorter stems, and a completely redesigned case to go along with them. The report states the case will come with speakers for Find My alerts and a USB-C charging port, following in-suite with Apple's USB-C adoption. The higher-end AirPods 4 will differentiate itself by having Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which has been exclusive to the AirPods Pro.
Continue reading: Apple to release AirPods 4 with a new fusion design and more features (full post)
Jack Black has said there is 'radio silence' about a Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel
Jack Black has spoken to Variety and said that he's patiently waiting for some news about a sequel to the intensely popular Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The voice actor for the infamous Bowser sat down for an interview with Variety and revealed that the only communication about a potential sequel has been coming from him, other than that it has been "radio silence" between him, Nintendo, and the animation studio behind the original project, Illumination. Black told the publication that, "The only chatter has been coming from me, and I don't even know if I'm allowed to chatter."
Black said that he's been "chomping at the bit to get back to business," indicating that he's completely on board for a new Super Mario Bros. movie. Black appeared on an episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, where he revealed the iconic track "Peaches" was only created halfway through the production of the movie.
Apple announces flagship Apple Watches won't be available in the US anymore
Apple has informed 9to5Mac that it will soon be stopping sales of its flagship Apple Watch models following a recent ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC).
The ruling by the ITC involves an extensive patent dispute between Apple and medical technology company Masimo, which is debating over the ownership of the Apple Watch's blood oxygen sensor technology. Notably, the ITC announced its ruling back in October, which upheld a judge's decision from January. The case was then sent to the Biden administration, where it will undergo a 60-day Presidential Review Period, and throughout this period, President Biden can veto the ruling. The Presidential Review Period is scheduled to end on December 24, 2023.
As for the Apple Watch's in question, Apple has told the publication that it will no longer be able to sell its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States after 3 pm ET on Thursday, December 21. Additionally, in-store inventory won't be available from Apple stores after December 24. The two affected watches are Apple's only devices using the blood oxygen monitoring technology, hence their imminent removal.
NASA's Webb snaps unforgettable photo of giant ringed object near Earth
The world's most powerful space telescope has captured an incredible image of an unusual object that humanity is familiar with but doesn't know much about.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has honed its extremely sensitive infrared instruments on one of the farthest planets from the Sun, Uranus, and while we have known about its existence for quite some time, there are still considerable gaps in astronomers' knowledge about the planet. NASA has taken to its website to explain that Webb's coverage of the planet has showcased a dynamic world with rings, moons, storms, and atmospheric features such as a seasonal polar cap.
Notably, Voyager 2 captured images of Uranus as it was on its way to interstellar space in the 1980s. Those images showed a solid blue ball, which is likely what many people picture in their heads (possibly with a single ring) when the planet is brought up in conversation. However, that is hardly the case as Webb reveals the dim inner and outer rings and, most importantly, the elusive Zeta ring, which is the extremely faint and diffuse ring located closest to the planet.
Tesla kills Disney+ from all vehicles amid Elon Musk's battle with Disney CEO Bob Iger
Several Tesla owners have reported that over the weekend, Tesla removed access to Disney+ across its vehicles.
Many Tesla owners began reporting over the weekend that Disney+ apps have started disappearing, which many are assuming is in response to the devolving relationship between Disney CEO Bob Iger and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Some Tesla owners believe they have been caught in the crossfire between the two CEOs, and as a result of their quarrel, consumers have to suffer, particularly Tesla owners who now have to explain to their kids that they can no longer watch any Disney content in the car.
The deteriorating relationship between Musk and Iger reached its boiling point when Musk appeared at the New York Times' Dealbook Summit and was asked what he thought about advertisers leaving the platform following Musk's self-admitted regrettable tweets. Musk responded by saying, "Go f*ck yourself" to advertisers attempting to curb freedom of speech on X by threatening to stop advertising expenditure. Musk
Marvel Studios fires Kang The Conquer actor following guilty verdict
Marvel Studios has lost Kang the Conqueror as the studio fires Emmy-nominated actor Jonathan Majors in the wake of a guilty verdict.
Jonathan Majors is out as Kang, with Marvel Studios choosing to let the actor go after his guilty verdict in court earlier today. The actor was found guilty of reckless assault and harassment by a six-person NYC jury in his domestic violence trial. A rep from Marvel has confirmed the news and their decision to part ways with the actor moving forward.
Majors had played his character "Kang" within the MCU over multiple projects and was slated to be a big villain in Phases 4 and 5. His character debuted in season one of the popular series "Loki" and appeared in the series' second season earlier this year. The actor also starred alongside Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly in Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania, which made more than 476M worldwide. Major's character was set to be the MCU's new big bad, with his journey coming to a head in the previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, now titled Avengers 5, until a new title is given to the sequel.
Continue reading: Marvel Studios fires Kang The Conquer actor following guilty verdict (full post)
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 gaming laptop: up to Core i9-14900HX, up to RTX 4090
Lenovo's new Legion Pro 5 gaming notebook has been spotted at a retailer, with a cost of $1800 and packing Intel's latest 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" CPU.
The new Lenovo Legion Pro 5 gaming laptop features up to the Intel Core i9-14900HX processor rocking 24 cores and 32 threads of power (8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores) at up to 5.8GHz clock speeds and a maximum turbo power design of 157W (55W PL1). Intel just launched its new Meteor Lake GPUs, but Lenovo has decided on the 14th Gen Core CPUs inside of its new Legion Pro 5 laptop.
The laptop in question here for $1800 packs the Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, 1TB of SSD storage, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8GB Laptop GPU. There's an additional Gen4 M.2 SSD slot inside, while the RAM can be upgraded to a huge 96GB of DDR5 memory if that's what you need.
Blizzard goal: Overwatch 2's new heroes are free for all players at launch
Overwatch 2 launched in 2022 with its new 5v5 matches, free-to-play model, and more... but Blizzard promised more than what we've gotten so far... and now more changes are coming to the game.
One of the big changes was the introduction of new Heroes, where you'd have to purchase the premium version of the latest Battle Pass (which costs $10 on its own), or you'd have to complete a bunch of hero challenges which takes a considerable amount of time.
It seems we're on the cusp of some changes in Overwatch 2, where in a re cent episode of the Group Up! Podcast, Overwatch 2 executive producer Jared Neuss explained that the developer is "actively working toward" a new system that will have new Heroes available to all players at launch.
Max Payne and Alan Wake 2 voice actor James McCaffrey passes away
James McCaffrey, the voice behind Max Payne and Alan Wake 2's Alex Casey, has passed away at age 65.
TMZ reported that McCaffrey died after a battle with cancer, with a post on Twitter from developer Remedy Entertainment saying they were "deeply saddened" by the news. Remedy tweeted: "We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our beloved friend and collaborator James McCaffrey, the iconic voice of Max Payne and Alex Casey. His remarkable talent not only gave life to our characters but also left an enduring impact on our community. Our hearts go out to his family in this time of loss".
Not only that, but Remedy writer and director -- and the face of Max Payne -- Sam Lake, said: "I'm heartbroken to hear the sad news of James McCaffrey's passing. We worked together for more than 25 years. He was a lovely man and a dear friend. He was a key part of the Remedy family. He was a brilliant actor. No one could do what he did better than him".
Continue reading: Max Payne and Alan Wake 2 voice actor James McCaffrey passes away (full post)
Terrans Force Handle 5 gaming handheld: Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U, Radeon 780M, 1080p 120Hz display
We've seen a bunch of different portable gaming handhelds powered by AMD Ryzen APUs, with another announced: introducing the new Terrans Force 5 handheld. Check it out:
Terrans Force 5 is a new handheld that is powered by Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U APU, offering 8 cores and 16 threads at up to 5.1GHz, with integrated AMD Radeon 780M graphics packing 12 GPU cores clocking at up to 2700MHz. The handheld features a 7-inch 1080p touchscreen display at 120Hz, with 100% sRGB color gamut coverage and a maximum brightness of 450 nits.
Inside, it can be configured with either 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5 memory at up to 6400MHz, while on the storage side of things, it comes with a 1TB Gen4 M.2 SSD, which can be upgraded to a larger 2TB capacity. There's a 50Wh battery that has around 25% more capacity than competing gaming handhelds, while the Terrans Force 5 supports 100W USB-C Power Delivery fast charging technology.
FSP's new 2500W PSU can handle 4 x RTX 4090s, features upgraded PCIe 12V-2×6 power cables
FSP is preparing a beast new 2500W power supply, with its new Cannon Pro 2500W PSU that features not one but four PCIe 12V-2x6 GPU cables for monster workstation systems.
The upcoming FSP Cannon Pro 2500W power supply is ready for crypto farms, multi-user gaming systems, workstation systems, and AI platforms with up to 2500W of power. We also have 80 Plus Platinum certification, full ATX 3.1 specs, and an upgraded PCIe Gen5 power connector.
Wait, a redesigned PCIe Gen5 connector? Yep, NVIDIA and multiple power supply makers started using the newest version of the 12VHPWR connector that NVIDIA is using on its GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs, with the new connector called 12V-2x6. FSP is one of the first PSU makers with the new connectors -- and FOUR of them -- which will be on this behemoth 2500W power supply.
KLEVV intros CRAS V RGB DDR5-8400 memory, ready for Intel 14th Gen Core CPUs
KLEVV has just announced its new CRAS V RGB Brilliant White edition gaming memory, in both DDR5-8200 and DDR5-8400 speeds... and boy does it look good:
Essencore's consumer memory division is the one behind KLEVV, with its new CRAS V RGB Brilliant White edition gaming memory featuring a truly distinct look and style, all while maintaining the high-performance standard that the brand is known for. KLEVV's in-house CRAS V RGB memory kits are engineered for high-speed operations with DDR5-8200 memory and timings of 38-49-49-131 and DDR5-8400 with timings of 40-52-52-134.
KLEVV has run its new CRAS V RGB Brilliant White DDR5 memory kits through the AIDA64 Cache & Memory Benchmark tool, showing the speeds, timings, and operating voltage of 1.45V. The new kits are available in both Obsidian Black and the new Brilliant White style. I dig both of the styles personally, but it would depend on the theme of your PC and surrounding components, whether you went with the black or white memory kit.
HP's new Omen Transcend 14 gaming laptop: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU + RTX 4070 GPU
HP's new Omen Transcend 14 gaming laptop has been teased with some new images released by Windows Report, teasing the world's lightest 14-inch gaming notebook... check it out:
The new Omen Transcend 14 gaming notebook is the latest member of the Omen Transcend gaming laptop family, with a smaller 14-inch display compared to the usual 16-inch displays in the Omen Transcend family. Windows Report says that the same design language is used with the new Transcend 14 as the current-gen Transcend 16, with some hardware changes inside.
When it comes to hardware, HP is shipping its new Omen Transcend 14 gaming laptop with either an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H or Core Ultra 9 185H processor, which are Intel's new Meteor Lake CPUs with built-in NPUs for generative AI goodness. Both of the CPUs are 16-core, 22-thread Meteor Lake chips, with the Core Ultra 9 185H packing a 45W default TDP, which is the same as Intel's 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake-H" series mobile CPUs for gamers.
NVIDIA rumored to launch new version of RTX 4090 GPU surprisingly early - next week in fact
NVIDIA's purported new spin on the RTX 4090 graphics card is set to go on sale come December 28, according to a fresh rumor.
This is the RTX 4090 D which is for the Chinese market only, a cut-down version expressly produced for the purpose of side-stepping the ban on powerful AI GPUs which has also prevented NVIDIA's standard RTX 4090 from being shipped to China.
The rumor comes from Chinese site Expreview - so heap on the skepticism here, as it's not one of the more reliable channels on the grapevine - and it's surprisingly early.
Larian doesn't want Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Game Pass
Larian believes Baldur's Gate 3 isn't a great fit for subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass is a great fit for some games, but others...not so much. The subscription has its purpose for both developers and Microsoft, including buffering Xbox service value, offering massive discoverability to games, and of course the potentially high upfront payouts and even bonuses if gamers play a bunch of hours.
There's also downsides. Game Pass "cannibalizes" game sales, meaning that games offered on the service can potentially sell fewer copies because they're being included as part of the subscription. The market dynamics of Xbox Game Pass have been discussed--although not expressly documented in data form--by Microsoft both publicly and in sworn testimony during the FTC v Microsoft trial in June.
Continue reading: Larian doesn't want Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Game Pass (full post)
KIOXIA SSDs achieve PCIe 5.0 compliance, up to 30TB capacity, and up to 14,000 MB/s
PCIe Gen5 storage is well and truly here, offering up to double the speed of Gen4 across bandwidth and transfer. This massive generational leap delivers a sizable performance boost for all applications requiring huge amounts of data - including in the enterprise and server space.
Today, we've got a new announcement from KIOXIA, a leader in flash memory and storage, confirming that its CM7 Series and CD8P Series NVMe Drives have passed certification for PCI Express 5.0 specification and NVMe 2.0 specification compliance. This includes up to 14,000 Megabyte/s of read throughput for a PCIe X4 lane SSD. KIOXIA notes that the PCIe 5.0 tests were carried out at PCI-SIG compliance workshops and can now be found on PCI-SIG Integrator's List.
This is wonderful news for enterprises and the cloud as the KIOXIA CM7 Series and CD8P Series are available in capacities of up to 30.72 TB in 2.5-inch and E3.S form factors.
Valve's Dota 2 holiday update hands out 'Lump of Coal' gifts banning thousands of accounts
Banning cheaters and players who circumvent the rules and don't play well is as old as the first games that went online. However, Valve's new method of dealing with smurf accounts (players running multiple accounts) might take the cake for the funniest to date.
As part of Dota 2's holiday-themed Festivus 2023 Update, it informed players that "if you're on the Naughty List, we've got great news for everybody else and bad news for you because this year is gonna be a bloodbath." Valve adds that smurfing and other negative behavior in Dota 2 makes matches worse, adding that those on the Naughty List will "choke on their richly-deserved coal-flavored just desserts."
Bold words, with the result being 'Naughty List' players opening what they thought was a Frostivus 2023 only to find a digital Highly Toxic Lump of Coal - alongside a message informing them that their account(s) were permanently banned.
Intel has its own XeSS Frame Generation tech in development called 'ExtraSS'
At SIGGRAPH Asia 2023 in Sydney, Intel showcased an interesting new technology called ExtraSS as part of its XeSS framework for boosting rendering performance. XeSS, Intel's AI-powered upscaling answer to NVIDIA DLSS, looks to be getting its own (and very different) version of Frame Generation.
With the debut of the GeForce RTX 40 Series, NVIDIA introduced a new performance-boosting bit of technology called Frame Generation as part of its updated DLSS 3 suite.
Leveraging the advanced AI hardware and capabilities of the company's new Ada Lovelace architecture, the performance increase arrives via creating and generating new frames. Mix in latency reduction tech like NVIDIA Reflex, and it's no secret that DLSS 3 has been one of the most talked about PC gaming features in the past year- a massive increase in perceived in-game performance with excellent image quality.






















