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Russia is planning on getting an empty Soyuz capsule to the International Space Station to replace a malfunctioned spacecraft that was originally intended for cosmonauts returning back to Earth.

Russia's space agency concluded that Soyuz MS-22 suffered a coolant leak on December 24, around the same time Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin were preparing for a spacewalk. Coolant spewed from the leak for hours, which caused officials to call off the spacewalk and assess the situation. It was found that the coolant leak now prevents the Soyuz MS-22's radiator from working effectively, meaning that the spacecraft was unable to cool the cabin, resulting in possible temperatures of more than 104 Fahrenheit.

With the possibility of extreme temperatures inside the spacecraft, Roscosmos decided that Soyuz MS-22 will return to Earth, but without a crew, and the replacement Soyuz MS-23 will be sent up for the ISS-stationed cosmonauts. According to a report from SpaceNews, Russia's new plan to replace the malfunctioned spacecraft includes sending the Soyuz MS-23 up to the International Space Station with cargo on February 20.

NASA is already talking about a successor to its extremely impressive James Webb Space Telescope that began its operations last year and has already provided valuable information to researchers.

The space agency hasn't confirmed anything specific, but at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, a group of astronomers listened to NASA talk about a Webb successor that would be approximately the same size as Webb (about 21 feet). This successor would also be stationed at Lagrange point 2, where Webb is situated, and be repairable via robots- enabling the next-gen space telescope to operate for multiple decades.

Mark Clampin, NASA's astrophysics division director, spoke to the audience and said while nothing is set in stone, he does have a name for the telescope: the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Notably, the next great observatory to launch won't be the HWO, as NASA already has plans on launching the Nancy Grace Roman Observatory in 2027, which will be an observatory dedicated to gathering data on dark energy and exoplanets.

Elon Musk has broken the world record for the largest loss of personal fortune in history, according to Guinness World Records.

The renowned world record authority took to its website to announce Musk has lost approximately $182 billion since November 2021, with the report citing an estimate by Forbes, which seemed to have provided a lower estimate of Musk's total loss as Bloomberg reports it could be as much as $200 billion. From Bloomberg's estimation, it would mean Musk lost 57% between November 2021 and now, which would mean his net worth high dropped from its high of $320 billion in November to $138 billion by this month.

Notably, Guinness states that the exact figure would be impossible to ascertain due to constant market fluctuation. Regardless of specifics, Musk has broken the previous world record for most personal loss, which was set by Korean-Japanese tech investor and Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son in 2000 at $58.6 billion. Musk took a major hit to his net worth through 2022 when Tesla stock, what the majority of his wealth is tied up in, dropped by 65%.

NASA's Artemis 1 mission was declared a success when the Orion spacecraft was safely retrieved from its splashdown location on December 11 and then transported back to NASA facilities in Florida on December 30 for processing.

Now the space agency has taken to its blog on its website to announce that NASA technicians have finally opened up the Orion capsule to begin an assessment of how the spacecraft held up throughout its 1.4 million-mile journey beyond the Moon and back to Earth. NASA writes on its website that the above photo shows a technician standing inside the crew module, assessing the health of the interior and removing any payloads.

The space agency writes that teams have already removed any purposeful passengers (mannequins equipped with various sensors that'll inform NASA on how space influences human health) and Snoopy, NASA's zero-gravity indicator.

Like looking at a dream of playing 16-bit SNES games back in the 1990s come true, Super Nintendo World is officially opening its doors and warp pipes at Universal Studios Hollywood on February 17.

And the main attraction will be Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, a recreation of the classic Mario Kart using physical vehicles and augmented reality (AR) helmets that riders will put on. The track will feature several moving pieces but adding AR will push the immersion to the next level.

As a real-world version of Mario Kart, "the creative use and integration of head-mounted AR goggles" does sound like riders will be able to collect and use items and interact with the course. Very cool.

U.S. President Joe Biden has published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal asking Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the aisle to join forces and "unite against Big Tech." A list that includes Apple, Google, Microsoft, and all the other giants in tech.

The piece's primary concern is privacy and how the industry at large collects, shares, and exploits personal data. Not only in terms of targeted advertising and the fact that children are exposed to that, but how it has been used to "deepen extremism and polarization in our country, tilt our economy's playing field, violate the civil rights of women and minorities, and even put our children at risk."

The piece is a call to action for Democrats and Republicans, pointing to the need for strong legislation "to hold Big Tech accountable." The article doesn't name-check any companies; it's the sort of diplomatic write-up we don't usually see on the internet. It begins with a shoutout to Big Tech, praising American companies in the field as "the most innovative in the world." President Biden added, "I'm proud of what it has accomplished and of the many talented, committed people who work in this industry every day."

The Oculus Quest launched in May 2019 alongside the Oculus Rift S and was a game-changer for consumer-grade VR. An all-in-one headset that didn't require a PC, with inside-out tracking and some great software support.

When it launched, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, "This is it. This is the all-in-one VR experience that we have been waiting for. It's wireless, it's got hand presence, six degrees of freedom, and it runs Rift-quality experiences."

But, a recent email sent to users outlined that support for the original Oculus Quest (or Meta Quest) is wrapping up. The email notes that they'll still be able to use their Quest but won't be able to use social features. And presumably, the unit will no longer fall under the minimum spec requirements for upcoming games.

ASUS has lifted the lid (or opened the side panel) on its epic new full-tower case, the ROG Hyperion GR701. Sporting a Republic of Gamers look and feel; it supports massive dual 420mm radiators and four 140mm fans for cooling.

A dedicated fan hub will allow you to manage the case's cooling, and being a full-sized tower means plenty of room for "beefy graphics cards" - with a maximum GPU length of 460 mm. Those quotes are there because that's how ASUS describes the modern-day GPU in the press release for the Hyperion GR701. And looking at the recent sizes of new cards from NVIDIA, specifically the GeForce RTX 4090, we're inclined to agree.

Here's the official description from ASUS.

Microsoft is ending updates and security fixes for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 this week, ending official support for these operating systems.

Of the two, Windows 7 was easily the most popular OS among businesses and gamers. However, the latest Steam Hardware Survey showcases that only 2% of users were rocking these older versions of Windows in December 2022. 1.77% of Steam users still use Windows 7, and only 0.41% still use Windows 8.1.

Windows 7 stopped receiving critical updates and new features in January 2020, though security updates were still being provided to specific users who paid a fee - mainly businesses. That ends this week, so users will need to upgrade to a newer version of Windows or keep using the OS with compromised security. "We recommend purchasing a Windows 11-compatible computer," writes Microsoft in a blunt but succinct summary.

Looking for a dock for your Steam Deck that offers quick charging and expansive connectivity? Check out Sabrent's latest USB-C docking station.

SSD-maker Sabrent has introduced its new 6-port DS-SD6P Docking Station that could be the best Steam Deck on the market so far. The dock station merges utility with functionality, offering an all-in-one solution for video output from slotted devices that support DisplayPort Alternate Mode (like the Steam Deck or the Nintendo Switch) at up to 4K 60FPS. The dock can simultaneously charge devices and output video, and uses PowerDelivery 3.0 to deliver up to 95W of charging power over USB-C.

Sabrent's 6-power docking station has 2x USB Type-C ports (one of which supports PowerDelivery and is used for input power for charging), HDMI 2.0 video output, and 3x USB Type-A ports for peripheral devices such as mice, keyboards, and external storage. The dock's low profile ensures devices have lots of clearance and ample breathing room, unlike the Nintendo Switch's OEM dock which effectively sandwiches the tablet in in a U-shaped design.

Broadcom and Qualcomm may be cut out of the iPhone, quite literally and metaphorically, according to recent Apple rumors.

The rumors come from Bloomberg, which got into contact with sources that claim Apple is planning on putting its own in-house wireless chipsets into the iPhone. These chipsets cover cellular, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity and are expected to release sometime in late 2024 or early 2025. Currently, the company is in development for this new in-house chip and, when ready, will relinquish the dependency on Broadcom and Qualcomm, which currently have chips inside of the iPhone.

Notably, Apple is also rumored to be developing a singular design chipset that will encompass Bluetooth, cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity. This chipset, when completed, will allow Apple to streamline production and save extremely valuable space within the iPhone chassis. More notably, Qualcomm said back in November last year that it would be expecting "minimal contribution" from Apple throughout fiscal 2025, but it will be providing cellular components for iPhone 2023 models.

Facebook is well known for its extreme expenditure, typically in its research and development department for virtual reality. However, there are other areas in which the company invests its money.

According to a recent report by The New York Times, Facebook attempted to build a railroad that never got finished, costing the company a whopping $20 million and creating a disappointed community. The report states that Facebook wasn't in the project by itself, which was to convert the abandoned Dumbarton Rail Bridge into a commute to assist the expanding area and mitigate congestion on the public transport systems.

Notably, the social media company reached out to community officials with a proposal for the project back in 2017, with Elliot Schrage, Facebook's former vice president of communications and public policy, saying to NYT that the company felt it needed to not only be stewards of the online community but also be good stewards in the physical community.

The team behind the artificial intelligence chatbot named Replika is copping some backlash from social media and Replika users for their recent advertisements attempting to sell the chatbot to new customers.

Replika AI's recent push of advertisements selling their AI chatbot has promoted the chatbot's capabilities of being able to roleplay, flirt, send hot photos and even do video calls. Notably, the AI chatbot allows users to create an avatar that they will then engage with over text. The avatar then learns from the conversation the user is having with it, providing appropriate responses to keep the conversation flowing and as close to a real human text conversation as possible.

Some Replika users have managed to get their avatars to 'make a move' on them, with others even engaging in full sexting conversations that involve a shocking level of detail. Replika AI gives users two options once they've downloaded the app. The free service allows for the creation of an AI friend that is essentially safe for work, according to journalist Magdalene Taylor.

An Australian woman has kicked a robot dog that was being tested while walking down a street, and it seems the woman kicked the dog for no reason at all.

The video was shared by the dogs operator Mark Trueno, who was interviewed by Vice where he explained that he was walking the robot dog named Stampy down a street in Brisbane, Australia, at about 2:30 am when a woman walking along a sidewalk approached the dog and kicked it, resulting in about $2,500 worth of damage to Stampy's forward-facing sensor array.

A biotech startup out of San Diego has put forward a claim that will undoubtedly get some eyes within the scientific community as the researchers say they've reprogrammed mice genes and doubled the lifespan of the subject.

The claim comes from San Diego biotech startup Rejuvenate Bio, which published a study on bioRxiv, a preprint server, yet to be peer-reviewed, and states that a team was able to successfully reprogram mice cells by exposing them to various proteins that are found within early-stage mice embryos. Through this exposure, the researchers were able to change the genes of the mice, which led them to find that the mice treated with this gene therapy lived 18 weeks longer on average than mice that didn't receive the treatment.

While the claims are certainly eye-opening, researchers will need to go through the study to authenticate the data as well as the results before any awards are handed over to Rejuvenate Bio. Additionally, many members of the scientific community have previously voiced concern over this experiment as the gene-altering technique was found to have caused mice to develop cancer after receiving the treatment.

The collapse of what was the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, impacted the majority of its users and the wider cryptocurrency industry.

Following the roller coaster downfall of FTX, the disgraced cryptocurrency exchange has released a list of its top investor holders that the crash has wiped out. The release of the documents is part of the process of FTX going bankrupt, which showed that Tom Brady owned just over 1.1 million common shares of the company.

Additionally, Brady's ex-wife owns 700,000 common shares of FTX, billionaire Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots NFL team, was also listed in the documents with 110,000 Series B preferred shares of FTX Trading, 479,000 common shares, and 44,000 Series A preferred shares of the owner of FTX US, West Realm Shires. Wall Street hedge funds were also listed on the document and growth investors, with funds such as Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, Third Point and more.

With Windows 11 being the OS of choice for new pre-built gaming desktops and gaming laptops coming in 2023, Xbox has put together a list of PCs and notebooks to keep an eye on.

On the desktop front Xbox highlighted the CyberPower Prism 360V, pictured above, with its cool wide case and the new range of desktop gaming PCs from iBUYPOWER. The latter features the new HYTE Y40 case with up to Intel Core i9 13900KF processing and GeForce RTX 4090 graphics. Plus, Windows 11 is installed on all rigs.

You might be wondering why this list of PC gaming rigs comes from Xbox. Well, Xbox has been making significant strides in PC support, namely with the much-improved Xbox app that is a part of Windows 11. In addition to being the hub to launch PC Game Pass titles, it's also a storefront along the lines of Steam. It still has a way to go before it can be considered on par with Valve's PC gaming staple, but it's in a decent state right now.

AMD is currently dealing with the RMA issues surrounding faulty vapor chamber cooling in reference model Radeon RX 7900 XTX cards, so a report of older Radeon RX 6000s GPUs mysteriously failing is a little concerning. And bad timing.

Of course, the following is anecdotal and comes from a single outlet, KrisFix Germany, but the sample size is pretty significant. Several AMD Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards (RX 6800 and RX 6900) have been sent to the shop for repair - 61 in total. And out of that batch, 48 have dead GPUs with the same shorted SOC rail and shorted memory rail. All cards were received over three weeks.

KrisFix also posted follow-up pictures to Facebook showcasing some seriously damaged cracked GPUs. He notes that receiving this many fault cards is unusual, especially with all of them showcasing the same DOA problems.

Gaming concepts are always fun; they take something known and add all manner of RGB-lit bells and whistles, and Razer's Project Carol is no different. It's a head cushion for a gaming chair sporting a well-worn physical design, but inbuilt speakers, haptics, and wireless audio streaming add a new layer.

Project Carol's "near-field surround sound" isn't simply two speakers but actual surround speakers that will benefit from a complete setup. So instead of running cables and finding a spot to set up rear speakers for true 5.1 or 7.1 surround, Project Carol's wireless head-cushion audio will provide that extra surround sound immersion similar to a traditional home theatre setup.

The audio is streamed wirelessly over a 2.4 GHz connection, battery life supports 8 hours of streaming, and a single USB-C link handles charging.

Intel has been teasing a new CPU that can hit 6.0 GHz out-of-the-box with a standard AIO cooler and no overclocking, which is an impressive feat. Although Intel hasn't put a name to this mysterious CPU, odds are it's the new Intel Core i9-13900KS.

Intel's Gaming Technical Marketing Lead Jason Xie showcased the CPU hitting 6.0 GHz in a new video where he runs the 7zip benchmark with two cores active. Jason notes that the CPU doesn't stay on 6.0 GHz for the entire run as "6.0 GHz depends on the environment, power, thermals, and the software itself".

What's impressive here is that the CPU runs using the default stock settings, an off-the-shelf ASUS Z790 motherboard, and a Corsair AIO cooler. Usually, when we see benchmarks and clock speeds on CPUs hit crazy speeds, there's some overclocking and custom cooling. "We are running default settings, so no tricks," Jason Xie adds.