Author: News Room

Thirteen years is enough time to build an ungodly amount of expectation, especially if it’s one of the most hyped games of all time. Rockstar has been dropping carefully picked glimpses of Grand Theft Auto 6, and I already knew Vice City looked gorgeous. I knew Rockstar was chasing the obsessive environmental detail that made Red Dead Redemption 2 such an absorbing world. The new Grand Theft Auto VI extended look is the first time all of those ideas have properly clicked. Rockstar’s roughly 26-minute showcase moves between missions, quieter character moments, driving, shootouts, exploration, and everyday life around Leonida.…

Anthropic has launched a research preview of its Model Hardware Standard (MHS), a shared specification designed to let AI agents safely control lab instruments and factory equipment. The company claims MHS reduces the time required to integrate complex machinery with AI from months down to hours or minutes. The standard is currently available to select research labs and manufacturers via a waitlist, but Anthropic plans to open-source it in the future. How the standard connects AI to physical devices Much like how Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) standardized software connections, MHS serves as a universal translator for physical hardware. Instead…

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a new round of semiconductor tariffs that could reach beyond individual chips and into the electronics built around them. One approach under discussion would apply duties to products containing semiconductors, with laptops and gaming consoles among the devices that could be affected. For consumers, the risk is pretty simple. If finished electronics get hit with additional duties, some of that cost could show up in retail prices. Phones haven’t been specifically named, but they could be exposed if the final policy broadly covers devices containing imported chips. How broad could these tariffs get The…

The smartphone camera wars have evolved dramatically in the last few years. A conversation that used to focus on camera variety has shifted toward megapixel count, sensor size, and overall versatility. As if that wasn’t enough, manufacturers are now selling first-party zoom kits with high-quality optics and features that complement their ecosystem. I’ve spent the last few weeks living with Vivo’s X300 Ultra, one of the most ambitious camera systems packed into a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 smartphone. For more zoom flexibility, Vivo also sells ZEISS Telephoto Extender kits that turn the already chunky X300 Ultra into something resembling…

Even with HTTPS keeping your activity on a website private, your network provider and anyone snooping on the connection can still see exactly which sites and apps you’re visiting. This privacy gap has quietly existed for years, and Google is now closing it with four major network security upgrades built into Android 17. How Android 17’s Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) blocks ISP tracking Your phone has been announcing its destination out loud this whole time. Every time you connect to a site, there’s a moment in the handshake called TLS ClientHello, where your device essentially broadcasts which domain it’s about…

Meta is implementing new restrictions on U.S. teens who use Facebook and Instagram, but the changes could have repercussions far beyond U.S. screens. Meta’s new protections come after a series of settlements relating to allegations that social media sites endanger children, with the company facing as much as $18 billion in expenses. For now, the new rules will be applied only to U.S. users. The measures include limitations on how long younger users can spend on Meta’s apps and limits on their ability to disable certain safety settings, Bloomberg reported. The company says it will watch the changes and continue…

Switching wireless carriers usually starts with a pretty simple goal. You want better value for the money you are already spending. But the calculation can quickly get complicated. Maybe your current phone is reaching the end of its run, or perhaps you upgraded only a few months ago and have no reason to replace it. Then there are monthly service costs, activation fees, taxes, and the question of whether paying less means compromising on the network you rely on every day. Metro by T-Mobile is addressing those different situations with several ways to save when you switch. Whether you need…

Phantom Blade Zero is shaping up to be one of the more interesting action games arriving this year, but apparently playing it on a regular screen isn’t quite immersive enough. VITURE has teamed up with developer S-GAME to create a special pair of XR glasses designed specifically around the game. Called the VITURE x Phantom Blade Zero: Phantom Beast, the limited-edition glasses take VITURE’s existing Beast XR hardware and give it a dramatic makeover inspired by the game’s blend of wuxia, martial arts, and punk fantasy. They’re available to pre-order for $599 and will officially launch on October 29, alongside…

OLED TVs have become considerably more accessible over the years, but buying one from a premium brand can still get expensive very quickly. Sony’s newest Bravia is trying to make that jump a little easier. The company has launched the 2026 Bravia 6, a 48-inch (more sizes available) OLED TV priced at $1,299.99. That’s still a decent chunk of money for a television, but it’s relatively approachable by Sony OLED standards, especially given what’s packed into it. At its core, you’re getting a 4K OLED panel with the deep blacks and strong contrast you’d expect from the technology. Sony also…

For how well-received The Wolf Among Us was by both critics and audiences, it’s shocking that it has taken so long for the series to be revisited. But despite years of development hurdles and roadblocks, The Wolf Among Us 2 is finally coming next year, and to re-familiarize players with the universe, The Wolf Among Us Remastered was announced for later this year during Summer Game Fest. That said, it wasn’t until Gamescom (which is going on right now!) that we got an official date for the remaster: October 29.  A new trailer also revealed the choice-driven adventure remaster will launch…