Games · Friday, October 23, 2026 · 4 sources

PS5 sales rise 22% in the US as Xbox falls to a September low

Circana data show PS5 unit sales rose 22% year-on-year in the US in September, while Xbox Series sales fell 27%, reaching the lowest September level for the Xbox brand. PS5 dollar sales increased 43%, while Nintendo Switch 2 unit sales fell 14%; 3DM International reports a 12% decline instead.

Bottom line — Xbox Series unit sales fell 27%, while PS5 unit sales grew 22% in September.

Go deeper 5

GamingBolt reports total US hardware spending rose 12% to $362 million (€334 million), although total hardware unit sales fell 3%.
According to Circana data cited by GamingBolt, Xbox Series spending fell 2% and Switch 2 spending fell 12%.
Circana's Mat Piscatella says the Xbox ecosystem reached a new September low, surpassing the previous low set a year earlier.
3DM International says GameSpot's explanation—that Microsoft's cross-platform, cloud-gaming and 'any device can be an Xbox' approach may reduce demand for consoles—is analysis, not a cause established by Circana's figures.
3DM International reports that Xbox plans to re-emphasise console-exclusive games and extend the Series X|S product cycle.

Read the reporting 4

Kotaku kotaku.com There's Good News And Bad News About Video Game Sales In September 2026 3DM International en.3dmgame.com US Xbox Series Sales Drop 27% Year-Over-Year in September, Hitting Brand Low GamingBolt gamingbolt.com PS5 Hardware Sales Soar in the US for September, Xbox Sales Reach New Lows worldnewsdotcom article.wn.com PS5 Hardware Sales Soar in the US for September_ Xbox Sales Reach New Lows

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Science · Fri, Oct 23

Caltech and Yale calculate the Kondo effect in real materials

Researchers at Caltech and Yale have developed a method to calculate the Kondo effect using a material’s atomic and electronic structure, rather than relying on simplified models. In tests on seven transition-metal atoms embedded in copper, the calculations were as much as 100 times more accurate than conventional predictions for most of the elements examined, the researchers report in Science.

Bottom line — The method’s next test is whether it can scale from copper impurities to more complex materials such as high-temperature superconductors.

Sources ScienceAlert ScienceDaily Yahoo News

Space · Fri, Oct 23

NASA’s Roman telescope enters final commissioning before science operations

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has entered science commissioning after completing checks that confirmed it can guide, take exposures, move between targets and transmit data. NASA says teams are now refining image quality and calibration; test observations have also shown the telescope can guide reliably in crowded star fields and dusty regions.

Bottom line — Roman’s Wide Field Instrument can observe objects 100 million times fainter than the human eye can detect, NASA says.

Sources NASA Science WE NEWS STScI +3 more

World · Fri, Oct 23

Putin offers to resume Ukraine talks as Russian missiles hit Kyiv

Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the United States, after meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. He said discussions should address long-term security for Russia and Ukraine, and European security; the announcement came as Russia launched at least 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials cited by Reuters.

Bottom line — Putin said Moscow is prepared to restart trilateral talks around 10 November, but Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on terms.

Sources Euronews English KyivPost Українська правда +7 more

AI · Fri, Oct 23

miHoYo researchers open-source GameScaling, with eight models for keyboard-and-mouse gameplay

Researchers from miHoYo’s Honkai AI team and university collaborators have released GameScaling, a set of vision-language models that use game images and recent actions to generate keyboard-and-mouse controls. TechNode reports that the eight Qwen3.5-based checkpoints range from 800 million to 27 billion parameters and are released with inference code under the Apache 2.0 licence; the project does not include training code, according to its GitHub repository.

Bottom line — GameScaling’s eight checkpoints are downloadable, but its training code and gameplay data are not.

Sources TechNode github huggingface.co +5 more

Europe · Fri, Oct 23

Britain secures Belgian gas link as winter imports push energy costs higher

Britain is expected to have enough gas and electricity for winter, but National Gas and the National Energy System Operator say that security relies on imports and could come at higher cost. Ofgem approved a deal to maintain gas import capacity through a Belgian pipeline; the Guardian reports it will add around €0.12 (£0.10) a month to the average gas bill.

Bottom line — National Gas expects LNG imports to rise by about 5% this winter, while the Guardian says gas prices are three times their pre-crisis level.

Sources AOL.com AOL.com The Guardian +6 more

Europe · Fri, Oct 23

Google’s Finland data-centre project cleared an estimated 400,000 trees

Finnish authorities ordered Google to halt preparatory work at planned data-centre sites in Muhos and Otanmäki after the company cleared forest without completing required environmental impact assessments. The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation estimates 250,000 trees were felled at Muhos and a further 150,000 at Otanmäki; Google’s Finland country manager apologised, saying the company had acted on its understanding of the law.

Bottom line — More than 93,000 people have signed a petition calling for tighter data-centre rules and compensation for affected communities.

Sources the Guardian EUROPE SAYS Ground News +4 more

Cyber Security · Fri, Oct 23

SafePay ransomware has breached at least 600 organisations since August 2024

A joint advisory from CISA, the FBI, the US Secret Service and international partners says SafePay has affected at least 600 organisations across critical infrastructure sectors in the Americas, Europe and Australia. The agencies say the group steals data before encrypting systems, then demands cryptocurrency and threatens to publish stolen files if victims do not pay.

Bottom line — The agencies urge organisations to patch exposed systems, enable multifactor authentication and keep encrypted, offline backups.

Sources Industrial Cyber Executive Gov American Hospital As… +4 more

Cyber Security · Fri, Oct 23

Capcom says breach exposed 11.77 million account records

Capcom says unauthorised access exposed 11,774,247 records tied to its CAPCOM ID service, including email addresses, account activity and recent login IP addresses. Birth dates, gender, region and nicknames appeared in 43 records; passwords were changed without permission on 196 accounts, which Capcom has reset. The company says it has not confirmed any exposure of customer-set passwords or credit card information, and its services and games remain available.

Bottom line — Capcom has addressed the attack method and is contacting affected customers as its investigation continues.

Sources Notebookcheck CyberInsider Beebom +4 more

Europe · Fri, Oct 23

European Parliament awards ICC its 2026 Sakharov Prize amid US sanctions

The European Parliament has awarded the International Criminal Court and its officials the 2026 Sakharov Prize, recognising its work upholding international law, President Roberta Metsola said. The decision comes less than two weeks after Washington imposed sanctions on the court; ICC President Tomoko Akane said the award underscored the need for international support as it faces what she called unprecedented challenges.

Bottom line — The US sanctions are due to take effect in six months, while Brussels is considering a blocking statute to shield the ICC.

Sources Reuters Il Foglio armenpress.am +7 more

Health · Fri, Oct 23

Radical Numerics says its AI-designed phage was given to a patient

California-based Radical Numerics says its Omnii-1 system designed bacteriophages that were synthesised and administered to a patient with an antibiotic-resistant infection through an authorised compassionate-use pathway. The company has not disclosed the clinical outcome, and its claim is awaiting peer-reviewed scrutiny, The Independent reports.

Bottom line — Omnii-1’s first reported human use has no disclosed outcome and is not yet backed by a peer-reviewed study.

Sources The Independent Technology Networks

Gaming Hardware · Fri, Oct 23

Samsung’s revised chip process could lower costs for a rumoured Switch 2 Lite

Samsung is expected to introduce an 8LPU+ chip process in December, according to South Korea’s Electronic Times, which reports a potential 12% performance gain, 15% lower power use and 8% smaller logic area. Notebookcheck says the process could benefit Nintendo’s Switch 2, but a cheaper Switch 2 Lite remains unconfirmed.

Bottom line — The reported 8LPU+ efficiency gains could ease production costs, but Nintendo has not confirmed a Switch 2 Lite.

Sources Notebookcheck

Technology · Fri, Oct 23

Greece’s parliament has approved a ban on social media use by children under 15, effective January 1, 2027. Platforms must introduce age checks that protect users’ privacy; Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said they have roughly two and a half months to develop them.

Bottom line — From January 2027, platforms must keep under-15s off social media in Greece.

Sources The_Hindu Industry Wired analyticsinme +3 more

Cyber Security · Fri, Oct 23

INTERPOL operation arrests 1,462 in African cybercrime crackdown

INTERPOL said law enforcement agencies from 21 countries arrested 1,462 suspects, disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and recovered more than €97 million (US$105 million) in Operation Serengeti III, conducted between 29 June and 31 August 2026. Investigators identified 65,929 people targeted, while financial investigations linked criminal activity to losses exceeding €356 million (US$385 million).

Bottom line — Several investigations remain active as authorities trace proceeds and analyse seized digital evidence.

Sources www.interpol.int Industry Events utopiats.com +1 more

Apple · Fri, Oct 23

Apple sets 28 October launch for expected OLED MacBook Pro and M6 Macs

Apple has invited media to a Los Angeles event on 28 October, but has not named the products. Reports cited by Yahoo Tech and ASO World expect a redesigned MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen, alongside an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro and a refreshed 24-inch iMac, all with M6-series chips; an OLED iPad mini is also expected.

Bottom line — The rumoured Macs could go on sale as soon as 6 November, according to ASO World.

Sources Yahoo Tech marketingtrending.as…

Space · Fri, Oct 23

Hanwha to send a 550 kg communications satellite towards the Moon in 2029

Hanwha Aerospace will develop South Korea’s first orbital transfer vehicle, which is planned to carry a communications satellite from low Earth orbit towards lunar orbit after launch on the eighth Nuri rocket in 2029. The Korea AeroSpace Administration says the vehicle will also deploy a CubeSat into low Earth orbit; Hanwha was selected as lead contractor in June and signed an agreement with the agency in August.

Bottom line — The 2029 mission will test whether Nuri and Hanwha’s transfer vehicle can deliver a 550 kg satellite to lunar transfer orbit.

Sources CHOSUNBIZ worldnewsdotcom Pulse +3 more

Football · Fri, Oct 23

Kvaratskhelia’s ACL injury ends his PSG season after Barcelona win

PSG say Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Tuesday’s 4-2 Champions League win over Barcelona and will have surgery in the coming days. The injury is expected to rule him out for the rest of the 2026-27 campaign; Ousmane Dembele and captain Marquinhos also face a few weeks out with thigh injuries, according to Goal.com.

Bottom line — PSG travel to Ligue 1 leaders Lyon on Sunday without Kvaratskhelia, Dembele and Marquinhos.

Sources Goal.com

Football · Fri, Oct 23

Eddie Howe leads Jason Wilcox’s options if Manchester United sack Michael Carrick

Manchester United are considering their options after a 4-1 defeat by Como, but Michael Carrick is expected to remain in charge for Sunday’s match against Bournemouth. The Guardian and talkSPORT report that technical director Jason Wilcox favours Eddie Howe as a replacement, while head of recruitment Christopher Vivell prefers Julian Nagelsmann.

Bottom line — Carrick’s position is under pressure, but United have not announced a change of manager.

Sources talkSPORT the Guardian Man United News And … +4 more

Health · Fri, Oct 23

Nigeria confirms Ebola case after 13 days without testing as outbreak spans four African countries

Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade: a woman in Abuja who had travelled from Uganda. Reuters reports she was not tested until 13 days after falling ill; authorities have identified 44 contacts. The Bundibugyo outbreak has also affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, and Africa CDC has called an emergency meeting for October 28.

Bottom line — Africa CDC’s October 28 meeting will address an outbreak that has infected more than 9,500 people in the DRC alone.

Sources Haberler.com RTL Today Reuters +6 more

Health · Fri, Oct 23

Merck and Moderna’s personalised vaccine cuts melanoma recurrence or death risk by 42%

Merck and Moderna said their personalised mRNA vaccine, intismeran, reduced the two-year risk of melanoma returning or death by 42% when added to pembrolizumab (Keytruda), compared with pembrolizumab alone. The phase III trial included 1,137 people whose melanoma had been surgically removed; 82% receiving the combination were alive and recurrence-free after two years, against 70% on pembrolizumab alone.

Bottom line — The companies are engaging with regulators, but long-term survival data are not yet available.

Sources CNN Ars Technica TIME +3 more

Apple · Fri, Oct 23

Apple is considering an iPhone Duo with a larger inner display up to 8.1 inches

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple is exploring an inner display roughly half an inch larger for a future iPhone Duo, up from the current 7.6 inches to a possible 7.9–8.1 inches. Gurman says the larger screen would not mean a separate “iPhone Duo Max” model; Apple has not confirmed the change.

Bottom line — Gurman puts the possible inner display at up to 8.1 inches, but Apple is still exploring the idea.

Sources MacRumors iThinkDifferent 3u +1 more

Football · Fri, Oct 23

Pitchwise takes 42% of Valencia CF as Meriton retains majority control

Valencia CF says Pitchwise Holdings has agreed to buy 42% of the club from Meriton Holdings and inject €100 million in new capital. Meriton will remain the majority shareholder, with Kiat Lim continuing as president; the deal values the club at €1.25 billion and remains subject to regulatory approvals.

Bottom line — The €100 million is new club capital, but Valencia has not said how it will be spent.

Sources fichajesnet El Español Las Provincias +7 more

Technology · Fri, Oct 23

Commission launches AI Act help desk and compliance platform

The European Commission has launched an AI Act Service Desk and a Single Information Platform to help stakeholders understand the regulation and its requirements. The Commission says users can explore the Act and check whether obligations may apply; the Service Desk also accepts questions in any official EU language, with answers from experts working with the EU AI Office.

Bottom line — The platform is currently available in English, French and German, with all 24 official EU languages planned for early 2026.

Sources DEV Community ai-act-service-desk.… European Commission +4 more

Games · Fri, Oct 23

BioWare’s cancelled Mass Effect game surfaces in an apparently authentic trailer

A trailer for BioWare’s cancelled Mass Effect game, titled Mass Effect: Universe, appeared on Reddit after EA shut down the studio. The Verge reports that Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier called it a real trailer and IGN verified its legitimacy; the footage includes pre-production assets and in-engine scenes, according to a message in the video.

Bottom line — EA has cancelled the game, but Amazon’s Mass Effect series for Prime Video is still in development.

Sources www.tweaktown.com verge HotHardware

Games · Fri, Oct 23

Microsoft has until 13 November to find a buyer for Arkane Lyon

Microsoft is seeking a buyer or other option for Arkane Lyon, the French studio behind Dishonored and Deathloop, after telling staff in July it planned to close it. France’s Florange law requires large companies to search for a buyer for three months before closing a site; 217 jobs are at risk as consultations reach their 13 November deadline. Microsoft says it is exploring options and looking for a partner to support the studio’s work on Marvel’s Blade.

Bottom line — The 13 November deadline is not a confirmed shutdown date; documents cited by Le Monde say closure could begin at the end of 2026.

Sources Le Monde.fr ScreenRant IGN +6 more

Science · Fri, Oct 23

Caribbean islands were the original launchpad for American barn owls

A genetic study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B finds that barn owls reached the Caribbean from the Eastern Hemisphere before spreading to the American mainland. The researchers also identify two separate arrivals in the Galápagos; they say the Caribbean once held the Western Hemisphere’s greatest barn-owl diversity, much of which has since disappeared.

Bottom line — The study counts six extinct Caribbean barn-owl species and argues that island lineages deserve closer conservation attention.

Sources University of Florid… Research News royalsocietypublishi… +6 more

World · Fri, Oct 23

Australia sanctions North Korean IT worker networks funding weapons programmes

Australia imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on two people and two entities it says help North Korea’s fraudulent IT worker networks raise revenue for its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Canberra said the action was coordinated with international partners, including the EU, and follows findings by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team.

Bottom line — Australia’s sanctions target four names; the joint international alert also warns that North Korean IT workers can steal data and cryptocurrency.

Sources Australian Governmen… United States Depart… skaddenarps +2 more

Technology · Fri, Oct 23

India will require WhatsApp and Telegram accounts to stay linked to active SIMs from 2027

India’s Department of Telecommunications has given messaging platforms until 31 December 2026 to comply with rules linking accounts registered with Indian mobile numbers to an active SIM or eSIM on the device. From 1 January 2027, WhatsApp and Telegram users could lose access if the registered SIM is removed, deactivated or replaced; the DoT says the rules are intended to curb cyber fraud and misuse of Indian numbers.

Bottom line — The rules are due to take effect on 1 January 2027, but platforms’ implementation details remain unsettled.

Sources Mashable India NDTV TelecomTalk +7 more

Cyber Security · Fri, Oct 23

DeepSeek model builds Chrome sandbox escape exploit in about 12 hours

A cybersecurity researcher used DeepSeek’s V4.1-Flash-1017 model to build a multi-stage memory-corruption exploit that escaped Chrome’s sandbox in about 12 hours, according to Wccftech. The report says the model was tuned for agentic workloads and iterative problem-solving; the episode is fuelling calls in Washington to restrict open-weight AI models from China.

Bottom line — The reported 12-hour exploit is adding weight to Washington’s push to restrict Chinese open-weight models.

Sources www.androidheadlines… Wccftech devops.com +3 more

AI · Fri, Oct 23

1Password has launched 1Password for Agents, a platform that lets supported AI agents sign in to online accounts without receiving the underlying credentials. When an agent requests a login, the user can approve or deny it on their own device; if approved, 1Password fills in the details directly on the sign-in page. The service is included with Individual and Family plans on 1password.com, though availability varies by agent.

Bottom line — Muse and Grok Bot are rolling out first; 1Password says Claude Duet, ChatGPT Work and Dots, and Townie are coming soon.

Sources SiliconANGLE 1Password verge +10 more

AI · Fri, Oct 23

Anthropic launches Claude Duet, a work agent that monitors apps and handles tasks

Anthropic has released Claude Duet, a research-preview app for professionals and small businesses that checks connected apps, sends daily briefings and works on assigned tasks in the background. Built on Opus 5.5, it supports more than 6,000 connectors; Anthropic says users must approve actions such as sending messages or making payments.

Bottom line — Duet is available to Pro and Max subscribers by waitlist, while analysts say corporate adoption remains uncertain.

Sources CNET AnthropicAI Claude Platform Docs +6 more

Global Economy · Fri, Oct 23

Kenya overtakes Ethiopia as East Africa’s largest economy in dollar terms

The IMF’s October 2026 World Economic Outlook puts Kenya ahead of Ethiopia in nominal GDP measured in US dollars, with Kenya’s economy projected at about €130.2 billion ($151.15 billion). The IMF estimates Ethiopia grew faster in real terms in 2025, but the birr’s depreciation reduced the dollar value of its output while a stronger Kenyan shilling lifted Kenya’s ranking.

Bottom line — The IMF projects Ethiopia to grow 9.2% in 2026, against 4.5% for Kenya, despite Kenya’s lead in dollar-valued GDP.

Sources PAN AFRICAN VISIONS eastleighvoice.co.ke ethiopiatoday.net +1 more

Global Economy · Fri, Oct 23

UK retail sales fall 0.4% as rate-hike bets meet weaker spending

UK retail sales fell 0.4% month on month in September, after rising 0.7% in August, according to the Office for National Statistics; markets had expected a 0.1% decline. The data adds a weaker consumer-spending signal as investors weigh recent above-forecast inflation, which has strengthened expectations of a Bank of England rate rise in November.

Bottom line — September’s 0.4% sales decline sits alongside 3.5% annual inflation as markets assess the Bank of England’s next move.

Sources FXStreet Exchange Rates FXStreet +7 more

Europe · Fri, Oct 23

Europe’s 2026 heatwaves caused an estimated 50,000 deaths, study finds

Researchers estimate that heat killed more than 50,000 people in 854 European cities this summer, the highest toll in their records since 2000. A study in Nature Health attributes about 32,000 of those deaths to human-caused climate change; the estimates cover urban areas representing around 40% of the population in the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland.

Bottom line — The estimated toll exceeds the previous records of 29,000 deaths in 2022 and 28,000 in 2003.

Sources The Independent Euronews English Financial Times News +7 more

Science · Fri, Oct 23

Study of 7,338 US adults finds plain language raises concern about species loss

A randomized study of 7,338 US adults found that “extinction of plants and animals” prompted more concern and support for conservation policies than terms including “biodiversity loss” and “extinction crisis,” according to research published in npj Biodiversity. The researchers found that “nature loss” performed similarly when accompanied by an explanation and photos; crisis framing had little or no effect.

Bottom line — In the study, familiar wording—not crisis framing—was linked to greater concern and conservation support.

Sources npjbiodiversity USC Price Phys.org +6 more

Science · Fri, Oct 23

2,884 Supernovae Add Evidence That Dark Energy May Change Over Time

A University of Queensland-led team assembled observations of 2,884 Type Ia supernovae, combining decades of measurements to track cosmic expansion. The analysis found a departure from the standard model, which treats dark energy as constant, though the direction differs from earlier Dark Energy Survey results; the researchers say the evidence is not conclusive.

Bottom line — The team plans to add observations from DEBASS, which is detecting hundreds of supernovae closer to Earth.

Sources ScienceDaily Meridia News +2 more

TV/Movies · Fri, Oct 23

Prime Video renews Mike Flanagan’s Carrie for season 2 after a 105-country debut

Amazon MGM Studios has renewed Mike Flanagan’s Carrie for a second season, less than three weeks after its 7 October debut. Prime Video said the series reached No. 1 in more than 105 countries; Flanagan and Stephen King are returning, with the story set to continue beyond the prom-night events.

Bottom line — Season 2 will continue Carrie’s story, but Prime Video has not announced a release date or plot details.

Sources Polygon WION Mediaweek +8 more

Gaming Hardware · Fri, Oct 23

RTX 5080 prices rise by up to €280 in China as GDDR7 supply tightens

Chinese spot prices for Nvidia’s RTX 5080 16 GB have risen to 14,500–15,000 yuan (€1,730–€1,790), from 12,700–13,500 yuan (€1,520–€1,610), according to Wccftech. The RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB has also climbed, while Wccftech attributes the increases to tighter GDDR7 supply as memory makers prioritise HBM for AI products.

Bottom line — The RTX 5080 24 GB replacement is reportedly expected to cost around 19,999 yuan (€2,390).

Sources Wccftech bestvaluegpu.com videocardprices.com +1 more

Space · Fri, Oct 23

Xona raises $250 million to build a commercial rival to GPS

Satellite startup Xona has raised $250 million in a Series D led by Future Ventures, valuing the company at $2.45 billion (€2.26 billion), according to Xona and Forbes. Its Pulsar network is designed to work alongside GPS; Xona says six satellites launched this week, with four expected to support beta services in several countries from early 2027.

Bottom line — Xona has raised more than €526 million ($570 million) in total and says customer services are due to start in 2027.

Sources EconoTimes TokenPost Pulse 2.0 +6 more

World · Fri, Oct 23

Israel releases nine of 10 suspects in attacks on journalist and European diplomats

An Israeli court has released nine of the 10 settler suspects arrested over attacks on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine and European diplomats in the occupied West Bank, placing them under house arrest. Israeli police said one suspect remains in custody and the investigation is continuing; France, Belgium and Poland had urged Israel to act.

Bottom line — The nine releases follow arrests made after US and European pressure over settler violence.

Sources Al Jazeera Yahoo News www.jpost.com +2 more

World · Fri, Oct 23

US Eighth Army chief says troops in South Korea must be ready for missions beyond the peninsula

Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commander of the US Eighth Army, said troops in South Korea must be ready to deploy elsewhere if ordered, while continuing to deter North Korea. The Korea Times and UPI report that his remarks align with Washington’s push for Seoul to take greater responsibility for deterring the North and for US forces to have more flexibility across the region.

Bottom line — Hilbert outlined readiness, not a deployment plan; he disclosed no specific Taiwan Strait mission or troop numbers.

Sources Hankyoreh www.businesskorea.co… www.upi.com +2 more

Games · Fri, Oct 23

PS5 sales rise 22% in the US as Xbox falls to a September low

Bottom line — Xbox Series unit sales fell 27%, while PS5 unit sales grew 22% in September.

Sources Kotaku 3DM International GamingBolt +1 more

Apple · Fri, Oct 23

Australian court orders Apple to open iPhones to rival app stores by March 2027

Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Apple to allow rival app stores, direct app downloads and alternative payment methods on iPhones linked to Australian Apple Accounts, with the main changes due by 1 March 2027. The order follows a finding that Apple breached competition law; Fortnite is returning to Australia’s App Store, while Apple says it will appeal and seek a pause.

Bottom line — Apple must pay 85% of Epic’s legal costs from the original trial and faces a March 2027 deadline, subject to appeal.

Sources TechRadar iDrop News 9to5mac.com +10 more

Technology · Fri, Oct 23

Greece inaugurates DAEDALUS supercomputer to power its Pharos AI Factory

Greece has inaugurated DAEDALUS, a supercomputer in Lavrion near Athens that will provide computing capacity for the Pharos AI Factory. EuroHPC JU and GRNET report sustained performance of 85.69 petaflops and peak performance of 115 petaflops; Pharos is intended to support startups, SMEs, researchers and public institutions with compute, data, training and innovation services.

Bottom line — DAEDALUS cost €36 million, while Pharos is designed to turn its capacity into AI support for Greek organisations.

Sources DEV Community Scalevise Resources CORDIS_EU +3 more

Global Economy · Fri, Oct 23

El Niño drives record Indonesian fires and threatens crops, fisheries and shipping

Indonesia’s fires burned 1.9 million hectares from January to September, 38 per cent more than in the same period of 2019, according to satellite analysis by Nusantara Atlas. The Bureau of Meteorology expects the unusually strong El Niño to peak in November or December and last into autumn 2027, while its effects are already linked to drought, haze, crop threats and shipping disruption. The Peterson Institute for International Economics estimates losses of nearly €920 billion (US$1 trillion) initially and at least €6.6 trillion (US$7.2 trillion) over five years without swift action.

Bottom line — The UN estimates El Niño could bring unusually wet or dry conditions to more than 347 million children between October and December 2026.

Sources The Age The Sydney Morning H…

Europe · Fri, Oct 23

Germany seeks thousands of European missiles as Tomahawk deliveries lag

Germany is negotiating purchases of thousands of long-range missiles from European and Ukrainian manufacturers as delays leave it near the back of the queue for US Tomahawks, Bloomberg reported. German officials are discussing joint production and procurement of Ukraine’s Bars missile, alongside possible purchases of Anthem missiles from US startup Covenant and weapons from Destinus and Hypersonica; no contracts have been finalised.

Bottom line — Germany’s current long-range cruise missile is the Taurus, with a range of about 500 kilometres, according to RBC-Ukraine.

Sources European Pravda RBC-Ukraine The Defense News +1 more

Gaming Hardware · Fri, Oct 23

Nvidia adds Microsoft’s shader pre-compilation to RTX GPUs

Nvidia’s 621.01 driver adds Microsoft Advanced Shader Delivery to GeForce RTX GPUs, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Gears of War: E-Day among the supported games. Microsoft says the system precompiles shaders in the cloud to shorten first launches and reduce interruptions during play; both games must be installed through the Xbox PC app.

Bottom line — Microsoft says Modern Warfare 4’s first shader compilation takes seconds with Advanced Shader Delivery, rather than several minutes on a typical PC.

Sources Tech Times MobileSyrup GodisaGeek.com +2 more

Games · Fri, Oct 23

Metro Redux gets free 4K update, uncapped frame rates and DLSS

4A Games and publisher Deep Silver have released a free Next-Gen Update for Metro 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux, adding 4K support, uncapped frame rates and visual, audio and stability improvements. Deep Silver says this is a quality-of-life upgrade, not a remaster or remake; PC players also get support for 4A TSR, NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR.

Bottom line — The free update modernises both Redux games, while Deep Silver says owners of compatible versions are entitled to it automatically.

Sources TweakTown CanIRun.gg www.deepsilver.com +2 more

Science · Fri, Oct 23

A neglected heavy neutrino may have helped matter survive the early universe

Physicists Rishav Roshan and Sudipta Show propose that a hypothetical heavy neutrino, N3, briefly dominated the early universe and altered its expansion. Their calculations suggest this could have delayed reactions that erode the matter–antimatter imbalance, helping preserve the small excess that later formed the matter we see today; the proposal remains theoretical.

Bottom line — The model predicts an almost massless lightest neutrino, but current experiments cannot test a mass that small.

Sources ZME Science

TV/Movies · Fri, Oct 23

Tom Skerritt, ‘Alien’ and ‘Picket Fences’ star, dies at 93

Tom Skerritt, the actor known for ‘Alien’, ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Picket Fences’, died Wednesday at his home in Seattle, aged 93. His family said he died of natural causes. He won an Emmy in 1993 for playing Sheriff Jimmy Brock in the CBS drama.

Bottom line — Skerritt’s career spanned seven decades, from his 1962 film debut to late-career work in Seattle.

Sources The Hollywood Report… CBS News Rolling Stone +3 more

Space · Fri, Oct 23

NASA panel estimates 22 Starship launches to refuel a Moon lander

Charlie Precourt of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel said the latest estimate for refuelling SpaceX’s Starship lunar lander is around 22 launches, calling the process a risk for Artemis IV, targeted for 2028. Elon Musk disputed the figure on X, predicting 6 to 8 launches; Ars Technica notes that losses from propellant boil-off and transfer efficiency remain uncertain.

Bottom line — The 22-launch estimate could mean roughly three months to fill an orbital depot, even at twice-weekly Starship launches.

Sources Ars Technica Digg TESLARATI +2 more

World · Fri, Oct 23

Ukraine receives 252 bodies as Russia takes 25 in latest exchange

Ukraine received 252 bodies in an exchange with Russia, while Moscow received 25, according to the Ukrainian authorities and Russian officials. Russia says the remains returned to Ukraine belong to Ukrainian servicemen; Ukrainian investigators and forensic specialists will work to identify them, with assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Bottom line — The exchange returned 252 bodies to Ukraine, but their identities have yet to be established.

Sources The Straits Times Yahoo News Ground News +6 more

Health · Fri, Oct 23

France confirms first human Shamonda infection in a severely immunocompromised patient

French authorities confirmed the first documented human Shamonda virus infection in a severely immunocompromised patient treated in Lyon, who died in early October. They said the patient’s brain complications were very likely linked to the infection, but investigations into whether it caused or contributed to the death and how the patient was infected are ongoing. Authorities report no identified risk to the general public, and the WHO considers wider spread unlikely on current information.

Bottom line — The first human case is confirmed; further investigations will clarify the infection’s source and clinical significance.

Sources dw.com www.santepubliquefra… ABC News +7 more

Technology · Fri, Oct 23

Samsung TV kept sending tracking-like traffic after researchers opted out

A Northeastern University study found that a tested Samsung TV continued sending network traffic consistent with automatic content recognition (ACR) after researchers disabled the feature. The researchers could not confirm what the encrypted traffic contained or whether Samsung stored viewing data; the finding applies to the tested TV and software version, not every model.

Bottom line — Samsung says customers can opt out of ACR, but the study found traffic consistent with tracking in all 30 opted-out tests of the TV’s built-in streaming service.

Sources Yahoo Tech Techlicious Cyber Security News +5 more

Cyber Security · Fri, Oct 23

Amazon detected PHP2Shell exploit attempts four days before public disclosure

Amazon said its MadPot honeypot network recorded an attempt to exploit two critical PHP vulnerabilities on 17 October, four days before they were publicly disclosed and patched. The company has not established how the actor obtained the exploit details or whether any attempts would have succeeded against real systems.

Bottom line — Amazon recorded further attempts after patches were released on 21 October, but has confirmed no successful breaches or data theft.

Sources Tech Times UK NewsCord www.amazon.com +2 more