Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, is retiring, Satya Nadella has announced . Asha Sharma, the President of Microsoft's CoreAI division is taking over Spencer's role, while Sarah Bond, the current President of Xbox, is resigning. "I am long on gaming and its role at the center of our consumer ambition, and as we look ahead, Im excited to share that Asha Sharma will become Executive Vice President and CEO, Microsoft Gaming, reporting to me," Nadella says. "Over the last two years at ..

Samsungs 2025 was filled with new foldables , an ultra-thin new form factor and the launch of Google's XR platform . After making some announcements at CES 2026 , the company has announced its first Galaxy Unpacked of the year will take place on February 25, where it is expected to introduce the Galaxy S26 lineup. Official invites have been shared, but actual information on what devices are arriving then is still not completely confirmed. But as usual, we know a lot about whats expected at ..

Indie publisher and developer Finji has accused TikTok of using generative AI to alter the ads for its games on the platform without its knowledge or permission. Finji, which published indie darlings like Night in the Woods and Tunic , said it only became aware of the seemingly modified ads after being alerted to them by followers of its official TikTok account. As reported by IGN , Finji alleges that one ad that went out on the platform was modified so it displayed a "racist, sexualized" ..

OpenAI is reportedly hard at work developing a series of AI-powered devices, including smart glasses, a smart speaker and a smart lamp. According to reporting by The Information , the AI company has a team of over 200 employees dedicated to the project. The first product scheduled to be released is reported to be a smart speaker that would include a camera, allowing it to better absorb information about its users and surroundings. According to a person familiar with the project, this would ..

A recent Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage that lasted 13 hours was reportedly caused by one of its own AI tools, according to reporting by Financial Times . This happened in December after engineers deployed the Kiro AI coding tool to make certain changes, say four people familiar with the matter. Kiro is an agentic tool, meaning it can take autonomous actions on behalf of users. In this case, the bot reportedly determined that it needed to "delete and recreate the environment." This is what ..

The Artemis 2 launch is edging closer as NASA has now set a target date for the 10-day mission to get underway. The agency is aiming to launch as soon as March 6 following a successful wet dress rehearsal on Thursday. The first attempt, which took place in early February, failed due to a hydrogen leak . During Thursday's rehearsal, NASA was able to fuel the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant and complete two runs of terminal count the final ..

It has already been a depressingly busy year for layoffs at Ubisoft, and the French publishers Toronto studio is the latest workforce to be hit. Around 40 jobs have been cut at the studio, which is one of Ubisofts largest and has previously worked on games including Watch Dogs: Legion and Far Cry 6 . "This decision was not taken lightly and does not in any way reflect the talent, dedication, or contributions of the individuals affected," Ubisoft said in a statement to Mobile Syrup , which first ..

This week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a landmark social media trial , claiming the company only wanted to make Instagram "useful" and not addictive. In this episode, we chat about Zuck's testimony and the potential implications of this trial for social media companies. Also, we dive into the latest effects of the RAMaggedon RAM shortage, including a potential PlayStation 6 delay and a dire future for practically every consumer electronics company. Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket ..

The US State Department is building a web portal, where Europeans and anyone else can see online content banned by their governments, according to Reuters . It was supposed to be launched at Munich Security Conference last month, but some state department officials reportedly voiced their concerns about the project. The portal will be hosted on freedom.gov , which currently just shows the image above. Freedom is Coming, the homepage reads. Information is power. Reclaim your human right to free ..

Los Angeles County has sued Roblox for "unfair and deceptive business practices," claiming the platform's moderation and age-verification systems are inadequate. "Roblox portrays its platform as a safe and appropriate place for children to play," the complaint states. "In reality, and as Roblox well knows, the design of its platform makes children easy prey for pedophiles." Representatives accused Roblox of failing to implement adequate platform safety features to prevent child endangerment. ..

Its a big month for Pokmon , with February 27 marking 30 years since the worlds highest-grossing media franchise first introduced itself in the shape of two Game Boy games. Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green , which later arrived in the West as Pokmon Red and Pokmon Blue , kicked off a craze in Japan that would soon spread worldwide. And to mark the series 30th anniversary, the little turn-based RPGs that started it all are being re- released on Nintendo Switch. Well, sort of. The ..

Apple has lined up its first event of the year. Already! Its taking place in New York City on March 4 at 9AM ET, but the company hasnt confirmed if it will stream the media event. It seems likely the event will be mainly iPads and MacBooks so business as usual. However, it could include new entry-level MacBooks in a fresh array of colors. I think thats what everyones reading into the lemon-and-lime tinged invitation. Im very much up for a return of the colorful Mac. The first Mac I ever used ..

Bixby isnt typically part of the conversation when it comes to virtual assistants for mobile devices, but Samsung is clearly hoping that you would use it more. The company has launched the latest version of Bixby with the new One UI 8.5 beta, and it has been tweaked to work as a conversational agent. Samsung says youll now be able to talk to it and give it tasks using natural language, like how youd talk to other people or, these days, to chatbots. You dont have to remember exact commands or ..

Google has announced that with the help of AI, it blocked 1.75 million apps that violated its policies in 2025, significantly down from 2.36 million in 2024. The lower numbers this year, it said, are because its "AI-powered, multi-layer protections" are deterring bad actors from even trying to publish bad apps. Google said it now runs more than 10,000 safety checks on every app and continues to recheck them after they're published. Its use of the latest generative AI models helps human ..

Streaming has become the default way most of us watch TV and movies, but the sheer number of services now available can make choosing what to subscribe to feel like a chore. Each platform leans into something different, from original shows and blockbuster films to comfort rewatches and niche libraries, and not all of them earn a permanent spot in your monthly budget. This guide focuses on the on-demand streaming services that are the most worthwhile to live with day to day. Whether youre lining ..

Formula 1 has been receiving star treatment from Apple for awhile, and now the racing series will literally be getting even bigger. Apple is partnering with IMAX to show five races from the 2026 season. The Miami Grand Prix on May 3, the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7, the British Grand Prix on July 5, the Italian Grand Prix on September 6 and the United States Grand Prix on October 25 will be aired live at select IMAX theaters in the US. Apple landed a five-year deal for the US broadcast rights ..

Meta is formally sectioning off Horizon Worlds, the closest thing it has to a metaverse, from its Quest VR platform, according to a new blog post from Samantha Ryan, Meta's VP of Content, Reality Labs. While the decision runs counter to Meta's original plan to own an immersive virtual world that could serve as the future home for all online interaction, it fits with the recent cuts it made to its costly Reality Labs division, and Mark Zuckerberg's public commitment to focus the company on AI ..

Slay the Spire 2 will launch in early access next month. This sequel to the hugely popular 2019 roguelike deckbuilder hits early access on Steam beginning March 5, 2026. Along with releasing the teaser trailer above, developer Mega Crit shared some details about its goals for this phase ahead of the game's official release. " Slay the Spire requires a lot of player feedback so we can balance content, add quality of life features, and make sure the game runs without issues," the developers ..

Sony is closing Bluepoint Games, the studio behind the Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls remakes, Bloomberg reports . Bluepoint's last major project was God of War: Ragnarok from 2022, which it co-developed with Sony Santa Monica. According to Bloomberg , Sony decided to shut down the studio following "a recent business review." Around 70 employees will lose their jobs as part of the studio closure, which will officially happen in March. "Bluepoint Games is an incredibly talented team ..

Meta is shutting down the standalone Messenger website, according to a company help page . The website will disappear in April, though web users will still be able to send and receive messages within Facebook. "After messenger.com goes away, you will be automatically redirected to use facebook.com/messages for messaging on a computer," the help page reads. "You can continue your conversations there or on the Messenger mobile app." Users will be able to restore their chat history after switching ..

Toy Fair 2026 just wrapped earlier this week and while I would have liked to spend even more time there, I have my own kids (and all their toys and trinkets) to look after. That said, there were a ton of cool new products on display at the Javits Center in New York City that set the stage for the rest of the year, so here's a quick look at some of the most interesting releases from the largest toy show in the Western Hemisphere. Transformers: The Movie 40th anniversary figures ($28 to $60) To ..

Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff has indicated that the company's controversial Search Party feature might not always be just for lost dogs, according to emails obtained by 404 Media . A creepy surveillance tool being used to surveil. Who could have predicted that ? "I believe that the foundation we created with Search Party, first for finding dogs, will end up becoming one of the most important pieces of tech and innovation to truly unlock the impact of our mission," Siminoff wrote in an email to ..

YouTube's "Ask" button is making its way to the living room. The Gemini- powered feature is now rolling out as an experiment on smart TVs, gaming consoles and streaming devices. 9to5Google first spotted a Google support page announcing the change. Like on mobile devices and desktop, the feature is essentially a Gemini chatbot trained on each video's content. Selecting that "Ask" button will bring up a series of canned prompts related to the content. Alternatively, you can use your microphone to ..

Rivian suggests that vehicle owners can leave their phone at home (or perhaps in a glove box) and instead control some aspects of their EV using a new Apple Watch app . With a tap of your watch, you can unlock and lock the doors, sound the alarm and vent the windows. After the digital key is set up, R1S and R1T Gen 2 owners can unlock their vehicle automatically simply by walking up to it thanks to the passive car key feature . It's possible to set the cabin temperature and a target state of ..

At the start of the month, Elon Musk announced that two of his companies SpaceX and xAI were merging , and would jointly launch a constellation of 1 million satellites to operate as orbital data centers. Musk's reputation might suggest otherwise, but according to experts, such a plan isn't a complete fantasy. However, if executed at the scale suggested, some of them believe it would have devastating effects on the environment and the sustainability of low Earth Earth orbit. Musk and others ..

The office of the Attorney General for West Virginia announced Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging that the company had "knowingly" allowed its iCloud platform "to be used as a vehicle for distributing and storing child sexual abuse material." The state alleges this went on for years but drew no action from the tech giant "under the guise of user privacy." In the lawsuit, the state repeatedly cites a text from Apple executive Eric Friedman, in which he calls iCloud "the ..

Last years Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition was significant for a few reasons. It was the final major first-party Switch game ahead of the Switch 2s arrival in June, and the last doomed Wii U game to be granted a second life on Nintendos infinitely more successful console. Nearly a year on, a Switch 2 update for one of the most technically impressive games Nintendo has ever published has finally arrived. Somewhat hilariously titled Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - ..

We found the iPhone Air to have a pretty decent battery life for such a thin- and-light phone, somewhere in the region of 27 hours if youre continuously streaming video. But it's still a phone, arguably your most used device on a daily basis, so you may need to top it up during the day if you're using it constantly. Thats where Apples iPhone Air MagSafe battery pack comes in, and its currently on sale for $79. This accessory only works with the iPhone Air, but much like the phone it attaches to, ..

A decision to ban Telegram on home soil may have backfired on the Kremlin. Last week, Russia went on a blocking spree , banning a number of Western apps in an effort to push domestic users towards Max, an unencrypted state-owned app. One of the restricted apps was WhatsApp (which was also blocked) rival Telegram, a move that drew rare internal criticism from soldiers and pro-war bloggers, with the army being heavily reliant on the cloud-based messaging service for communications. As reported by ..

If you're an iPhone user who likes to keep tabs on where your stuff is, you can't go far wrong with an AirTag . The second-gen model that Apple just released outpaces the original in every way (aside from the galling lack of a keyring hole, that is). While it's easy enough to replace the battery in both versions of the AirTag, you might not want to have to worry about the device's battery life for a very long time. Enter Elevation Lab's extended battery case for the AirTag, which is currently ..

Meta is reportedly gearing up to enter another segment of the wearables market. According to The Information , the company is planning to release its first smartwatch sometime this year. Meta has revived its smartwatch initiative internally called Malibu 2, The Information says, which will come with Meta AI and health tracking. The same publication reported back in 2021 that Meta was working on a smartwatch powered by an open-source version of Android. Over the next year, more details of its ..

Portable Bluetooth speakers have become an easy default for listening away from your desk or living room. Theyre the kind of tech you grab without thinking, whether youre heading outside, cleaning the house or packing for a weekend away. The best portable options manage to sound bigger than they look, delivering clear audio without weighing down your bag. Battery life and durability matter just as much as sound quality now. Many modern speakers are built to survive splashes, dust and the ..

Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Wednesday in a high-profile jury trial over social media addiction. In an appearance that was described by NBC News as "combative," the Facebook founder reportedly said that Meta's goal was to make Instagram "useful" not increase the time users are spending in the app. On the stand, Zuckerberg was questioned about a company document that said improving engagement was among "company goals," according to CNBC . But Zuckerberg claimed that the company had "made the ..

Last year Dyson introduced the PencilVac , which it immediately declared the "worlds slimmest vacuum cleaner." Presumably, then, the title of worlds slimmest wet floor cleaner goes to the newly unveiled PencilWash. Promising a "lighter, slimmer and smaller solution to wet cleaning without compromising on hygiene," the PencilWash is designed to let you clean everywhere you need to with minimal hassle. Like the vacuum cleaner with which it shares the first part of its name, the handle measures ..

Google has announced that using its newly incorporated Lyria 3 model, Gemini users will be able to generate 30-second music tracks based on a prompt, or remix an existing track to their liking. The new model builds on Gemini's pre- existing ability to generate text, images and video, and will also be available in YouTube's "Dream Track" feature, where it can be used to generate detailed backing tracks for Shorts. Like some other music generation tools, prompting Gemini doesn't require a lot of ..

The long-awaited cyberpunk platformer Replaced just got hit with a short delay . The pixel-art game was supposed to come out on March 12 , but will now be released on April 14. That's just a month, which isn't that big of a deal considering this game has been on our radar for five years . Why the delay? Developer Sad Cat Studios notes that the game is "technically finished" but the team needs a few more weeks for polish. The company says it wants the day- one release to be "polished, stable and ..

Nevada is taking action against the rapidly growing Wild West of prediction markets. The state's gambling regulators and attorney general sued Kalshi on Tuesday. They accuse the company of bypassing Nevada law by operating a sports gambling market without proper licenses. In addition, they say Kalshi provides services to individuals under 21, which violates state law. The lawsuit follows a federal appeals courts rejection of Kalshi's request to prevent the state from pursuing legal action. And ..

Apple has scheduled a product launch event, dubbed an "Apple Experience", for March 4 at 9AM ET . The company is reportedly holding this event in NYC, London and Shanghai . Everyone loves shiny new products, so what can we expect to see at Apple's first launch event of 2026? We don't know anything for certain, but we have plenty of educated guesses that have been sourced from industry reports and speculation from analysts. Budget-Friendly MacBook There have been rumors swirling that Apple is ..

Ticketing marketplace SeatGeek has announced a partnership with Spotify that will direct an artist's fans to its platform from the Spotify app. The integration is currently limited to a few participating venues for which SeatGeek is the primary ticket seller. While SeatGeek is one of the largest online marketplaces for the secondary ticketing market, the company's announcement makes clear that this Spotify integration only applies to venues where it's the primary ticketing company. For now, ..

Now that pre-orders are open for the Google Pixel 10a, its time to see how it stacks up against last years Pixel 9a . At first glance, the two phones look very similar, and thats not a bad thing. Google hasnt tried to reinvent its budget-friendly formula this year, sticking to the same compact design, clean software experience and camera-first approach that made the 9a such a good value. Both phones share a lot in common, including 120Hz OLED displays, Googles Tensor G4 chip, strong ..