Software

A former Senior Animator for PlayStation exclusive games has concerns about the company’s future. Among his criticisms, Robert Morrison warns against porting so many first-party titles to other consoles. Rumors have hinted that other cross-platform games will join Helldivers 2 on the Xbox.

A new version of the Philips Hue smart home app has arrived. The change log for version 5.48.0 states that users will now get tailored recommendations for smart lighting scenes. Plus, the release brings the refreshed Hue logo, alongside a few other minor design tweaks in line with the updated branding.

Garmin has started rolling out a new update for two of its latest smartwatches globally. Rolling out on its public Beta Program, Public Beta Version 12.60 adds a new feature for the Forerunner 970 while also introducing numerous bug fixes for both it and the Forerunner 570.

Xiaomi is reportedly gearing up to launch the HyperOS 3 beta program in August 2025. This Android 16 update could land on supported phones that are enrolled in the program by the end of the month.

DJI has just released the Osmo 360 to rival the Insta360 X5. Arriving before the GoPro Max 2 even gets out the door, the DJI Osmo 360 has already received new firmware and app updates that improve the new 360-degree camera in various aspects.

Xiaomi has released a new update for the Poco F7 following its official launch earlier this summer. Aimed at enhancing the device's camera capabilities in various areas, the new update is also said to improve thermal management to minimise thermal throttling under load.

Google has released its August set of updates for Pixel devices from the Pixel 6 to the Pixel 9 series. Also available on every device in between, this month's updates aim to resolve certain bugs that have been plaguing some Pixel devices in recent weeks.

Cyberpunk 2077 just got FSR 4 support and a new video from YouTuber RandomGaminginHD breaks down what it takes to get AMD’s latest upscaling tech running in Night City. Once enabled, though, FSR 4 delivers sharper visuals and better frame rates, just don’t expect miracles without tradeoffs.

The August Humble Choice assortment of eight Steam games includes the critically acclaimed Persona 5 Royal. Buyers can ghost hunt in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, or take a breather on farms with My Time at Sandrock. The offer is an alternative to Humble Bundle deals, asking for a $14.99 subscription.

For less than the price of The Alters alone, you can get a bundle with The Alters and This War of Mine. Both games are critically acclaimed, and both offer a unique perspective on typical game genres — namely sci-fi and war games.

Speedrunners are now a target of Nintendo’s legal muscle. The next RTA in Japan speedrunning event will not livestream Nintendo games, despite charitable intentions. The company told organizers that it needs permission to showcase each title.

Some Samsung TVs are getting a new global update, bringing a smart version of the Bixby voice assistant. Currently rolling out to many of the brand’s 2025 models, it is said to be more natural and intuitive to use. Powered by generative AI, it also comes with a range of new functions.

Garmin has offered up a new update for its latest high-end smartwatches. The latest in a series of v17.xx builds, Beta Version 17.22 arrives with a few key changes for smartwatches like the Enduro 3, Fenix 8 and Tactix 8 ahead of a more substantial stable update that is on the horizon.

A week after the Partner Showcase, Nintendo will present an Indie World broadcast on August 7th. A YouTuber who leaked the show expects a general Nintendo Direct to follow shortly. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Kirby Air Riders are upcoming first-party Switch 2 games without firm release dates.

Samsung has revealed new release plans for One UI 8 and One UI 8 Beta. Later this month, the company's last-generation flagships will be eligible to join the One UI 8 Beta Program. Then in September, Samsung hopes to expand eligibility to more devices while also delivering stable updates to the recent Galaxy S25 series.

Garmin has released a new update for the Epix 2, Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro and other related smartwatches. Preceding a future major stable release, Beta Version 23.08 addresses connection issues while also introducing ANT and BLE+ pairing support for certain external sensors.

A reprieve could be on the way for buyers who despise Switch 2 Game-Key Cards. The company that manufactures cartridges for Nintendo is embracing a new type of flash memory. As a result, publishers would have cheaper options than the 64 GB cartridges currently available.

Often viewed as an alternative to GOG, Zoom Platform sells popular DRM-free retro games. After the controversial bans of Itch.io and Steam games, payment processors now have concerns about the marketplace. In response, Zoom Platform is introducing two-factor authentication and digital wallets.

Ross Scott’s Stop Killing Games initiative, credited with catalyzing global action against the deletion of paid digital games, is winding down its direct activism. With key legislative and regulatory efforts now in motion across the EU and beyond, Scott reflects on the movement’s progress, personal toll, and future direction — including calls for preserving virtual game worlds through AI and community action.

A former Nintendo employee is ringing alarm bells over several upcoming Switch 2 games. Buyers expect Metroid Prime 4: Beyond to arrive in 2025, but the company has yet to provide a specific release date. Kit Ellis also notes that the latest Nintendo Direct didn’t feature anticipated third-party titles.

Cadence Design Systems has admitted to violating U.S. export control laws by selling chip design tools to Chinese military-linked entities during Lip-Bu Tan’s time as CEO. With Tan now leading Intel—and with no personal consequences—his case illustrates how executive accountability remains elusive across the tech industry, much like Elon Musk’s ongoing insulation from liability in fatal Tesla Autopilot crashes.

Subscribers recently learned that Persona 3 Reload, Farming Simulator 22, and Anthem will exit Xbox Game Pass on August 15th. Gamers will no longer experience the remake of one of the most popular JRPG titles. Crop growers must also upgrade to the newly added Farming Simulator 25.

Debian 13 Trixie will introduce official support for 64-bit RISC-V CPUs along with 64-bit timekeeping to address the year 2038 clock overflow bug. Trixie continues Debian’s legacy of stability, security, and reliability in a free Linux-based OS.

Huawei's next generation of flagship tablets is now thought to have an edge still denied by Apple to its own top-end iPad Pros: a truly cross-platform, PC-like UI. The MatePad Pro 2026 series could have a version of HarmonyOS that lets it use the same apps as the OEM's MateBook laptops.

Zepp’s iOS app for Amazfit wearables has been updated to version 9.10.x. In recent releases, the company has added a new nap-related tool. Plus, according to a report from an Amazfit representative, the brand’s device can now read another metric from Apple Health and Google Health Connect.

A European Starling named “The Mouth” has successfully replicated a spectrogram image using its voice alone, effectively demonstrating a form of acoustic data transfer. Captured using a 192kHz/32-bit ultrasonic recording setup, the bird reproduced a synthetic audio file encoding a visual shape, highlighting the precision of avian vocal mimicry and the potential for biological sound-based storage.

Tesla’s Autopilot, long marketed as a step toward full self-driving, has been exposed in court as dangerously misleading. A Florida jury found the system bore partial blame in a 2019 fatal crash, awarding over 200 million dollars in damages. The verdict raises serious questions about Tesla’s safety claims and may open the floodgates for future lawsuits.

Buyers can expand their collection of co-op Steam games with the Better With 4 Friends Bundle. TowerFall Ascension and Rivals of Aether put a unique spin on arena brawlers like Super Smash Bros. Other multiplayer games in the bundle deal focus on less violent but tense building challenges.

A major credit card company is attempting to distance itself from a controversial ban on Steam games. Mastercard claims it didn’t seek to remove specific titles from any marketplace. While the payment processor opposes unlawful adult content, critics argue that many legal games are being censored.

The Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED, Instinct 3 Solar, and Instinct E smartwatches are currently receiving beta version 10.21. This update is said to tackle an issue related to the GoPro remote control feature. Plus, there are also bug fixes for problems experienced by users when viewing glances and editing activities.

It seems inevitable that popular Xbox games will appear on the Switch 2. Even so, multiple events have passed without Nintendo and Microsoft flexing their partnership. Gamescom 2025 is the next opportunity to learn which Xbox cross-platform games may come to the handheld.

A rapidly growing Change.org petition targeting Visa, Mastercard, and influential activist groups has now exceeded 205,000 signatures. The movement, which gained significant traction after a repost by Elon Musk, protests the power of financial companies to enforce the removal of legal, adult-themed games and other fictional content from digital marketplaces like Steam.

Square Enix has devoted considerable attention to classic Final Fantasy games. Unfortunately, fans still lack the much-anticipated Final Fantasy 9 remake. A redesigned Zidane collectible and magazine feature may hint that the title has escaped cancellation.

Switch and Switch 2 owners may influence how companies distribute their games. The latest Nintendo survey focuses on whether buyers are more likely to purchase physical or digital titles. Third-party publishers have struggled to sell Switch 2 games that rely on network connectivity.

Not all PlayStation loyalists are happy about more first-party titles becoming cross-platform games. One disgruntled gamer shared his opinion in an email to the company. Sony has indicated that it may restrict its single-player PlayStation exclusive games to PS5 consoles.

Amazfit is rolling out a Zepp OS 5 update to the Active 2 (Round) smartwatch. Firmware version 6.2.6.3 is said to bring Zepp Flow 2.0, a new map dragging tool and a tap-to-wake feature. Reported by users in the US and Canada, it is expected to be released globally over the next few weeks.

Garmin has finally issued a new stable update for many of its popular mid-range smartwatches. Rolling out from today as Software Version 24.12, the new update targets the Forerunner 165, Forerunner 255, Forerunner 265, Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 965 with over a dozen changes from their previous stable software.

Garmin has raced ahead with a new update for its latest mid-range smartwatches. Rolling out now, the update focuses on introducing new bug fixes and minor improvements for the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 before a future stable update release.

Beta version 12.59 has arrived for one of Garmin’s 2025 smartwatches. This update allows users of the wearable to test an auto-rest feature for Strength training; this was historically only available for swimming activities. Plus, vivoactive 6 smartwatches gain a new app with the release.

The Windows game emulator GameNative has been updated to 0.3.0, and this new version brings a handful of pivotal improvements. One of them promises enhanced emulation performance on non-Adreno devices.

Mario Kart World update version 1.2.0 has arrived. This latest release for the Nintendo Switch 2 game brings a wide range of changes, including weakening the COM in many modes and providing more lap-based course options for some races. Plus, there are changes for items and various bug fixes.

The next Nintendo Direct will air on July 31st, starting at 9:00 AM EST/6:00 AM PST. However, first-party Switch 2 games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond apparently aren't invited. Instead, over the course of 25 minutes, viewers will learn more about projects from Nintendo's partners.

OpenAI has rolled out Study Mode for ChatGPT, guiding students through answers with tailored quizzes, hints, and step-by-step logic. This mode adapts to student skill levels and encourages active learning through thoughtful questioning.

The public Battlefield 6 playtest may arrive soon after the July 31st multiplayer reveal. The 1BF Telegram channel projects a Monday, August 4th start time. However, insider Tom Henderson has since denied that the Battlefield 6 open beta will begin on that date.

Adobe Photoshop beta has gained AI tools like Harmonize, Generative Upscale, and improved object removal to simplify photo compositing and editing. The AI features are powered by the company's Firefly generative image models.

Garmin has re-released a recent update for the Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro and other associated smartwatches. Surprisingly, the update contains completely different changes from its previous release, including two dedicated to resolving outstanding issues with Garmin's golfing activity.

Owners of two Call of Duty games can now boot the titles without a separate launcher. Modern Warfare 2 and 3 no longer reside in the much beleaguered Call of Duty HQ. The decision clears space for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, expected to arrive in November.

Fitbit is rolling out a version 220.21 update to the Charge 6 smartwatch. The release brings three new watch faces to the device, as well as support for connection to a wider range of fitness equipment. Minor updates are also on the way to the Inspire 3, Sense 2 and Versa 4 wearables.

The latest version of the Anker app for iOS brings two new features. One of these benefits those with Solix home backup solutions, while the other could be useful to users of any of the brand’s products. Plus, the Solix Solarbank 3 Pro has also received a software update with a new wake function.

The Garmin Venu X1 smartwatch has received a new beta update: version 12.59. This release brings a new app to users of the wearable, as well as automatic rest timers for one activity. On top of this, there are said to be improvements for a Golf related tool and a bug fix for the Swim activity.