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ZOTAC has some new all-in-one PCs that are powered by NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 40-series GPUs, paired with other high-end components.

I originally spotted ZOTAC's latest offerings at Computex 2023, with the company giving me a demo of what has now been officially announced. Let's start with the flagship model, the Zbox Magnus One, which comes in two different variants, the ERP74070C and ERP74070W. Both of these variants are exactly the same component-wise but only differ in color, with ZOTAC offering a white and black version. The Zbox Magnus One is powered by the RTX 40-series GPUs, which utilize NVIDIA's cutting-edge Ada Lovelace architecture. But which GPU does the Magnus One feature?

According to ZOTAC, which was confirmed to me at Computex 2023, the Zbox Magnus One will feature a GeForce ETX 4070 that has been paired with an Intel Core i7-13700. As for memory, the Zbox Magnus One will support 64GB of DDR-56000 through two SO-DIMM slots. Additionally, each of the models features two PCIe 4.0 x 4 M.2 NVMe slots, along with a 2.5-inch drive slot with SATA compatibility for all your extra storage needs.

Seagate has launched a new range of Limited edition Starfield-inspired external storage solutions that look out of this world for Xbox. Sporting a white finish with the Constellation logo of the game's main campaign faction in a "design that feels pulled directly from the Settled Systems of Starfield" - with RGB lighting to match - Seagate is offering a full range of options covering the company's Game Drive and Game Hub products for Xbox.

Although you probably won't be able to play Starfield off one of these drives when firing up the game on an Xbox Series X|S console - on account of current-gen titles requiring the use of the internal high-speed SSD - They certainly look the part for fans excited to play Bethesda Game Studios (Fallout, Skyrim) latest RPG.

The limited edition Starfield Game Drives are available in 2TB and 5TB capacities (USD 109 or 160, respectively), with the larger Starfield-inspired Game Hub arriving with a whopping 8TB of external storage for USD 239.99. Both offer full-speed USB 3.2 Gen 1 transfer rates, with the Game Hub requiring external power versus the more portable Game Drive options. On the plus side, the Game Hub offers front-facing USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting additional peripherals or charging devices.

Russia's first mission to the moon in 47 years has ended horribly, with reports indicating that the spacecraft crashed into the surface of the closest neighbor.

Roscosmos, the Russian equivalent of NASA, announced on August 19 that the Lunar-25 lander experienced an orbital maneuver malfunction, sending the spacecraft into an unpredictable orbit. According to Roscosmos, which wrote in a Telegram update on August 19, communications with the spacecraft were severed, and efforts to re-establish a connection were underway on August 19/20.

However, communications were never re-established as Roscosmos wrote in an update that the failed orbital maneuver resulted in an unexpected trajectory that ended in the spacecraft colliding with the lunar surface. Luna--25 was expected to touch down near the south pole of the moon, where the lunar lander would spend approximately one Earth year exploring the surface in search for water ice.

The new RIG 600 PRO Series from NACON sees the popular gaming headset brand release its first dual wireless audio solution for gamers - simultaneously supporting low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth. This opens up the new headset's versatility, with compatibility covering all major gaming devices - PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile.

With Bluetooth functionality, you can still receive phone calls and notifications in the Dual Mode that utilizes the 2.4 GHz dongle for game audio with Bluetooth functionality for mobile devices. Game Mode disables Bluetooth to avoid interruptions while gaming, with Bluetooth Mode connecting solely to your mobile.

For those connecting to a mobile device, the 600 PRO Navigator app on iOS and Android devices offers full customization options for the headset and microphone.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Meta is preparing to launch the web version of the X competitor Threads.

Since the launch of Threads, users have been asking for a web version that will enable desktop users to enjoy the new text-based social media platform. The launch of Threads, while extremely popular in terms of adopted users, is now experiencing a bit of a slump with a declining user base, which can be attributed to, but not limited to, the lack of features.

For example, Threads currently doesn't even have a search feature, as, at the moment, users can only search for other users and not specific content or posts.

Elon Musk decided only a day ago that X will no longer have a block feature, meaning individuals won't be able to decide which accounts can view their profile.

Musk's newest update to the X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, has seemingly been met with heavy criticism, as many users of the platform are worried that it will only perpetuate more toxicity. However, blocking won't be entirely removed from the platform, as Musk said in his announcement that users will still be able to block accounts in direct messaging.

There are also some policy problems with Musk's desire to do away with the blocking feature, as both the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store require social apps to have a block feature. If the app doesn't have a block feature, it would be a violation of the App Store and Google Play Store's terms of service, which could result in the entire social media platform being pulled from both platforms, according to Musk's post that gained a Community Note.

Reviewers already have their hands on Starfield, and according to messages from a critic, Bethesda's highly anticipated title is extremely polished, or at least for the first 15 hours of gameplay.

It was only this week that Bethesda announced that Starfield had gone gold, which is undoubtedly great news leading up to the release of the title on September 6. What is even better news than the highly anticipated title going gold is hearing some thoughts from reviewers that have already got their hands on review codes.

According to Tyler McVicker, an investigative journalist that is currently under embargo for the title, who confirmed he had downloaded the game with a post on X, Starfield could be the most bug-free game Bethesda has ever released. McVicker can be seen expressing some of his thoughts about Starfield in a Discord channel, writing, "It's mind-blowing how good the game looks for it being creation engine. Also, 15 hours in and not a single bug".

The once-popular Non-Fungible Token (NFT) collection Bored Apes has dramatically decreased in value since the collapse of the price of Bitcoin, resulting in fear-uncertainty, and doubt to plague the cryptocurrency space.

Following the dramatic price dip of Bored Apes, which were only highly sought-after NFTs, a group of Bored Ape investors have filed a lawsuit against Sotheby's auction house for a 2021 promotion of a Bored Ape collection. According to the four plaintiffs, the auction house "misleadingly promoted" the NFT collection and colluded with Bored Ape Yacht House creators Yuga Labs in an effort to artificially increase the price of the NFTs.

Sotheby's isn't the only one named in the lawsuit, as the group of investors has also named celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Paris Hilton, which are both accused of promoting the NFT collection without disclosing financial ties to Yuga Labs. For context on how much the price of Bored Apes has dropped, the cheapest of the colorful NFTs was sold back in May 2022 for $400,000, and now the cheapest Bored Ape can be bought for just $52,445.

A team of researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) have designed a humanoid robot designed to fly planes.

The newly designed robot is called Pibot, and according to its creators, the robot is able to respond to emergency situations much faster than a human pilot. However, this claim has yet to be independently tested. The humanoid robot pilot stands at just over five feet tall and uses large language models to memorize the flight manual of an aircraft. Notably, large language models are the unpinning technology powering artificial intelligence tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT.

According to David Shim, an associate professor of electrical engineering at KAIST, who spoke to Euronews, Pibot is able to manipulate the controls within the cockpit of a plane "just like a human", meaning the robot cockpit won't have to be specifically designed for Pibot compatibility. The robot is equipped with external cameras that, according to its creators, ensure that all aircraft vitals are kept at operational levels.

A new report from Winfuture details GoPro's upcoming HERO12 Black and the incredible specifications the new flagship action camera is equipped with.

The report claims the HERO12 Black will launch with a 1-inch sensor that is able to reach 27MP, along with insane video recording capabilities such as support for a 5.3K resolution at 60FPS. Additionally, the HERO12 Black will come with HyperSmooth 6.0, a technology designed to deliver buttery smooth image stabilization throughout video recording.

As for the device itself, the report states the HERO12 will come with two displays, the main display is located at the back of the action camera and measures 2.27 x 1.4 inches diagonally, and a smaller second display is on the front. While the shooting specifications are certainly impressive, the report states the biggest improvements are in the battery department. The HERO12 black will come with a 1720mAh battery that can be swapped out for an even larger battery to increase the overall runtime of the action camera.

The International Space Station (ISS) provides Earth with a unique birds-eye view of the planet from its vantage point of 250 miles above Earth's surface.

This vantage point comes in handy for tracking weather patterns, natural disasters, and other events taking place on the planet's surface. On August 12, the ISS flew over Hawaii and pointed its cameras at the Hawaiian island Maui, which is currently being engulfed in wildfires.

The floating laboratory was able to capture images of the smoke caused by the wildfires, illustrating the sheer size and impact they have had on the island and its residents.

NASA has released new footage captured by the rover Perseverance of the iconic Mars helicopter taking off from the surface of the Red Planet.

The space agency has taken to its Mars Exploration blog to share the footage of the Mars helicopter Ingenuity taking off from the surface of Mars in what was its 54th flight. Perseverance was stationed approximately 180 feet from the reconnaissance helicopter, and using its Mastcam-Z imager, it recorded Ingenuity taking off, hovering, and rotating at an altitude of 16 feet. The objective of the flight was to test the helicopter's navigation system.

The testing of Ingenuity's navigation system comes after the helicopter experienced a flight anomaly that caused it to promptly land back on the surface of the Red Planet. NASA officials are going through all of the routine checks to ensure that Ingenuity is meeting operational standards before re-engaging in its scientific objectives.

Elon Musk has announced that the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, now called X, will have the "block" feature removed.

The owner of X responded to a post by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley that asked if there is a difference between blocking an account and muting an account. Musk responded by saying that the block feature was going to be deleted, except for direct-message blocking. Removing the block feature would mean that all accounts will be able to view every profile, which is different than muting an account. For example, muting an account means you can't see the muted account, and blocking means the blocked account can't see you.

However, Musk's ambition to do away with blocking on X may result in the entire app being pulled from the App Store and Google Play Store. Musk's announcement that the block feature was going to be deleted gained a Community Note, which explained that removing the block feature would be a violation of the terms of service for both the App Store and the Google Play Store.

The controversy with Linus Tech Tips, one of the biggest tech YouTubers on the platform, continues as the official X account has recognized the recent allegations from a former employee.

On the same day that Linus Tech Tips posted an apology video addressing the recent exposure by Gamers Nexus for prioritizing video quantity over quality, which led to many critical review errors such as incorrect benchmark charts, lazy evaluations, poor objective testing standards, Madison Suop, a former Linus Tech Tips employee alleged she experienced sexual misconduct in the workplace, amongst other startling issues.

Suop took to her personal X account to outline her experience working at Linus Tech Tips, and according to the former employee, she was held to egregious working standards, consistently belittled by co-workers and upper management, verbally harassed, inappropriately grabbed, and asked about her sexual history, which all led to Suop suffering from mental health issues and eventually quitting her job.

Techland is adding a premium microtransaction currency into Dying Light 2 following the studio's acquisition by Tencent.

Last month, Techland announced that it would become the latest subsidiary of Chinese games juggernaut Tencent. Now shortly after that acquisition, the developer is adding DL Points into Dying Light 2 Become Human. Despite the timing, Techland says the move is not connected to the Tencent partnership.

In a new blog post, Techland details how this new currency will work and why it was implemented. In short, Techland wants to make it easier to buy skins and content directly from the game itself instead of having to navigate out of the game. The studio says that DL Points can't be used to buy DLC, upgrades, and expansions, and that all Dying Light 2 owners will get some free points when they launch.

What would a next-gen Ghostbusters game look like on PlayStation 5? Sony answers the question with an incredible new demo.

At SIGGRAPH 2023, Sony Pictures Entertainment showcased an impressive new bit of Ghostbusters footage that captures the classic '80s spirit from the original with the kinds of graphics you'd expect to see in a PS5 game. Sony's demo demonstrated the power and capabilities of its real-time visual effect technology, and is a collaborative effort that was created in conjunction with PlayStation Studios, Epic Games, Pixomondo and Ghost Corps, the division specifically made to handle the Ghostbusters franchise.

The demo is just a project and is not indicative of a new Ghostbusters game--it's more of a spectacle that shows what Sony Pictures Entertainment can pull off when collaborating with other entertainment divisions.

Following massive expansion, Embracer Group is now one of the largest video games companies on the planet with over 16,000 employees. This is expected to change as the company tightens its belt and its spending accounts become more lean.

Years after record earnings from pandemic spending, most video games companies are starting to pare back on operating expenses, whether it be budgets for more acquisitions or game development. We've seen mass layoffs in the tech sector with major publishers shedding hundreds of workers. That trend is set to continue with the Embracer Group, an entertainment company that houses some of the biggest names in gaming from Saber and Gearbox to THQ Nordic and Crystal Dynamics/Eidos.

Ever since Embracer's big $2 billion deal fell through, the company has been looking at ways to cut back its spending and has created a company-wide plan for cost saving. This plan includes the closure of game studios and the cancellation of specific titles. Other measures like divestment are also possible; Embracer is willing to sell off parts of or even whole studios in an effort to reduce its spending accounts. This is an interesting development in Embracer's years-long quest in acquisition expansion and somewhat ironically follows Square Enix's potential plans to also divest portions of its studios.

Crystal Dynamics and Eidos may not be in the black yet, but the studios are making good progress towards profitability.

In 2022, Embracer Group purchased Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and several big-name IPs like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex. The previous owner, Square Enix, sold these properties and studios to Embracer for a surprising $300 million. Closer inspection of both company's books revealed that both Crystal Dynamics and Eidos aren't very profitable, giving key insight as to why Square Enix wanted to sell (it also didn't help that games like Deus Ex Mankind Divided, the new Tomb Raider trilogy, and the more recent Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy games missed Square Enix's expectations).

Now in a recent Q1 earnings brief, Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors gave a quick update on the Tomb Raider and Deus Ex studios:

Embracer Group's mighty games empire will shrink a little as the company attempts to cut costs.

Ever since its massive $2 billion business deal fell through, Embracer Group has been laying out plans to rein its massive team of studios in and reduce spending. Embracer was really counting on that $2 billion influx of cash to help fund new projects. Now the company will pare back its focus, cancelling projects and closing studios along the way.

In a recent earnings report, Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors gave an update to investors on the cost savings plan and confirmed more games and teams would be effectively terminated.

When Apple releases the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series of devices next month it seems that buyers of the new hotness might not be able to pick up an official Apple leather case at the same time.

In fact, they might never be able to do it if a trio of new reports turns out to be correct. Those reports come via two leakers on X as well as 9to5Mac, citing unnamed sources when they say that Apple doesn't intend to release leather iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro cases.

One of the leakers, DuanRui, says that they've heard Apple won't release the famous leather case while ShrimpApplePro has also chimed in to say that they have heard the same. It was a similar story from 9to5Mac, saying that the outlet has checked in with its own sources and has heard much the same story.