Author: News Room

Google appears to be experimenting with a new AI feature inside Google Messages that could make replying to texts significantly faster. The feature, currently spotted in development, introduces a “tap to draft” system that automatically generates longer and more contextual responses instead of the short smart replies users are already familiar with. According to a report by 9to5Google, the upcoming functionality expands Google Messages’ existing Smart Reply system by allowing users to tap suggested prompts that instantly create full draft responses inside a conversation. Rather than replying with simple one-word or one-line answers like “Sounds good” or “Thanks,” the new…

I didn’t think I would be the ideal audience for Among Us, the new show that dropped yesterday on Paramount+. I’ve played the game but don’t have a strong attachment to the brand, and I’ve always perceived it as intended for a middle school audience. Regardless of whether that’s true for the game, it’s certainly not true for the show, and I found a lot to love as someone only passively aware of Among Us’ cultural significance. The show is fun, not obsessed with game references, and makes a far more earnest attempt at depicting drama and death than I could…

For years, the biggest conversation around AI has been what these tools can do. They can browse the web, analyze documents, connect to your apps, conduct research, and increasingly act on your behalf. But as AI systems become more capable, another question has become harder to ignore: what happens when an AI assistant is tricked into handing over information it shouldn’t? OpenAI’s new Lockdown Mode is its latest answer to that problem. Available across all ChatGPT account types, Lockdown Mode is an optional security setting designed for people and organizations handling sensitive information. The trade-off is that you get stronger…

If you’re a fan of co-op platformers like It Takes Two and Split Fiction, Out of Words should absolutely be on your radar. This 2D platformer stars two teenagers, Kurt and Karla, whose friendship becomes strained when one of them is moving away. Somehow, they’re transported to a bizarrely idyllic but dangerous fantasy world with their mouths erased. I played 30 minutes of the game’s second chapter during Summer Game Fest Play Days, and while the game’s stop-motion aesthetic drew me in, the clever cooperative platforming mechanics kept me hooked.  It’s appropriate that my demo session with the game’s creative director…

The least sexy part of modern gadget design might also be the most revealing: the battery you’re not supposed to replace. I understand the official story. Sealed phones look cleaner, feel slimmer, and can survive the kind of splash that ruins your week. Adhesives help make that possible, which is the respectable version of the argument. Nobody wants a flagship phone with the structural elegance of a TV remote from 2006. Still, it’s awfully convenient that the part most likely to wear out is also the part most people are discouraged from touching. The EU is already moving toward rules…

For anyone following the video game business closely, the saga of development behind 1666: Amsterdam is an intriguing one, and that’s before we even get down to understanding the game itself. After being re-revealed at this year’s Summer Game Fest show, there’s a good bit to unpack about the project and why it’s going to be one to watch closely in the coming months.1666: Amsterdam has a roughly 30-minute prologue demo already available on Steam and the Epic Games Store, which sets the stage for its storytelling scope and ambition. The developer is aiming for an early access launch later…

Netflix may be willing to send Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia movie into theaters, but if anyone in Hollywood was hoping that decision signaled a broader change of heart, the company just slammed that door shut. In a candid interview with The New York Times, Netflix film chairman Dan Lin made it clear that the streamer’s relationship with movie theaters remains largely unchanged. While Gerwig’s Narnia is expected to receive a full theatrical release before arriving on Netflix, Lin described the project as an exception rather than the start of a new strategy. More notably, he suggested Netflix has little interest…

Blasphemous 2, a great indie game fueled by inspiration from Castlevania and Bloodborne, came out almost three years ago, but its developers at The Game Kitchen aren’t finished with it quite yet. Revealed at today’s Future Games Show, the gothic platformer is getting free DLC, and it’s out right now. Dubbed “The Third Sin,” this content adds a new area to the map to explore and battle through, along with a new weapon, outfits, music, and more. The following excerpt, shared via a press release, has a full breakdown of what to expect: Blasphemous II: The Third Sin challenges players to explore…

Cairn was one of 2026’s first sleeper hits. While we were expecting to like it, even our reviewer was pleasantly surprised by how hard it hit, and it’s one of Metacritic’s top 20 highest rated games of the year at the time of writing. Naturally, DLC for a game like that would be an easy sell, but in this case, it’s not a “sell” at all – On The Trail: Deep Water, Cairn’s first DLC pack, is dropping for free on August 13. Check out the release date trailer below. “On the Trail brings climbers to new climbing locations and challenges,”…

Xbox exclusive Grounded 2, the miniature backyard survival game from Obsidian Entertainment, will make its way to PlayStation 5 later this Summer on August 11. Alongside that new platform, an underwater-themed update titled “Into The Abyss” will also hit the game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Grounded 2 launched into Early Access on Xbox Series X/S and PC in July of last year, and while there’s still no 1.0 release date in sight, new players will soon head to Brookhollow Park to encounter ants, spiders, lots of leaves, and more. We don’t know much about Into The Abyss,…