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(PR) MSI and Mondu Partner to Transform B2B Procurement with Flexible "Buy Now, Pay Later" Solutions

MSI, a global leader in high-performance PC hardware and enterprise solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Mondu to launch flexible Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payment solutions across its Business E-Shop. This collaboration empowers business clients to secure premium hardware immediately while maintaining peak financial agility. By offering a choice of Net-30 day terms or 3-month installment plans, MSI is transforming the B2B procurement experienceβ€”eliminating budget friction and optimizing working capital. This move allows enterprises to remain agile, enabling them to scale their IT infrastructure in alignment with their long-term vision despite evolving market conditions.

As B2B procurement shifts online, the demand for a seamless, "B2C-like" checkout experience has never been higher. MSI recognizes that high upfront costs often hinder businesses from upgrading critical infrastructure. By integrating Mondu, MSI eliminates these financial barriers, allowing clients to access instant, flexible payment terms through a straightforward approval process, ensuring a hassle-free journey for business clients.

cointester.io – Build and backtest crypto strategies in minutes


cointester.io is a visual crypto trading strategy builder that lets you create and backtest crypto trading ideas without writing code. You can combine over 100 indicators, candlestick patterns, and AI sentiment signals, then test against more than five years of historical data across over 1,000 trading pairs with realistic fees and slippage. Configure leverage, stop loss, take profit, and position sizing. Review exactly where your strategy entered and exited, analyze performance metrics and charts, and validate whether your approach works on real historical data.

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First Malicious Outlook Add-In Found Stealing 4,000+ Microsoft Credentials

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered what they said is the first known malicious Microsoft Outlook add-in detected in the wild. In this unusual supply chain attack detailed by Koi Security, an unknown attacker claimed the domain associated with a now-abandoned legitimate add-in to serve a fake Microsoft login page, stealing over 4,000 credentials in the process. The activity has been

'It’s as if they hopped off the screen' β€” Disney World’s Frozen Ever After reopens with more immersive Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff animatronics that β€˜gave chills’

When Frozen Ever After reopens at Walt Disney World’s Epcot on February 12, 2026, it will feature next-generation animatronics – and TechRadar spoke with Disney Imagineering to unpack the technology behind the upgrade and why it matters for riders.

Fortnite the Latest To Demand Secure Boot and TPM for Anti-Cheat

The latest move in Epic Games's ongoing fight against cheaters in Fortnite sees the gaming giant implement hardware-level security in Easy Anti-Cheat implementation, at least for those players looking to participate in tournaments. As of February 18, 2026, tournament players will need to enable TPM, Secure Boot, and IOMMU in order to participate in competitive matches. Fortnite is only the latest game to require TPM and Secure Boot, with both Call of Duty Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6 calling for the hardware security measures.

Fortnite may be one of the first mainstream games to adopt the IOMMU, which is a memory integrity feature that is generally used to prevent direct memory accessβ€”although some competitive gaming platforms have also required the memory security tool as a safeguard against cheating. Gamers who do not meet the new anti-cheat requirements, which Epic Games says make up less than 5% of PC players, will still be able to access regular Fortnite matches, but they will not be able to participate in competitive tournaments. With the renewed crack-down on cheating and increased reliance on kernel-level anti-cheat, it's safe to say that Fortnite will not be getting Steam Deck support anytime soon. There have also been reports that enabling IOMMU can cause performance degradation in some games running on Windows, although the impact seems to vary from build to build.

Zowie Performance Mode Firmware Cuts Click Latency by 3+ ms

In our previous reviews of Zowie gaming mice, like the EC3-C, we praised the company for its low click latency, but the company recently released a firmware update to its DW-series wireless gaming mice, adding an optional performance mode to the relevant gaming peripherals. Performance mode can be enabled by holding down the left mouse button while turning the mouse on, and by all accounts, there are measurable improvements to click latency thanks to the new firmware.

AimAdept, a popular mouse reviewer, tested the new firmware mode on his Zowie ZA13-DW in 4 kHz polling mode with an Xlat latency tester and measured a click latency as low as 0.468 ms compared to 3.898 ms on the previous firmware with "Fast response" mode enabled. Whether this will make a measurable improvement to in-game performance is questionable, but at least Zowie users will know that it's not their mouse click latency causing them to miss headshots. This new firmware comes shortly after Logitech officially released the new G Pro X2 Superstrike, which uses inductive switches that can reduce click latency by a claimed 30 ms compared to traditional mechanical switches.

Linux Gamers on Radeon Graphics Get Ray Tracing Performance Boost in Mesa 26.0.0 Update

Mesa 26.0.0, the latest update to the open-source Linux graphics driver stack, has officially been released, and the new release promises a number of improvements to stability and performance, especially for gamers on AMD Radeon GPUs via Vulkan ray tracing in the RADV driver. There has also been done to the open-source NVK driver for NVIDIA GPUs, Intel Iris and ANV drivers, and support for the Qualcomm Adreno Gen 8 graphics for Snapdragon X2 SoCs has been added. In a recent blog post ahead of the official driver release, Natalie Vock, a developer working on Mesa, explained the more technical aspects of the update and their implications.

The most notable mentions include changes to shader compilation and function calls that make RADV work more efficiently in ray tracingβ€”a change especially notable on Unreal Engine games, according to the developer. The developer notes that in Ghostwire Tokyo, RT passes have been sped up by more than two times. While this won't translate directly to a 200% performance increase, and the effect won't be identical across all games, it means that the ray tracing experience on Linux is catching up to Windows. There are also improvements to Unreal Engine 5 performance, specifically relating to Lumen ray tracing, where a number of tweaks and workarounds effectively make the driver work more efficiently with the feature set.

HookTide – Create authentic content and grow strategically on LinkedIn


HookTide helps professionals grow their LinkedIn presence with voice-aware AI that learns your tone and positioning. It analyzes your profile and posts, generates authentic posts and carousels, and delivers weekly insights, goals, and action plans. You can track comments and get AI reply suggestions in the engagement hub, and monitor reach, sentiment, and trends with analytics. Teams can collaborate in shared workspaces and model brand or client voices.

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An M2 MacBook Air Owner Combats Rising SSD Prices With a β€˜Janky’ Mod That Hooks A Dongle To A SATA Drive, All Stuck Together Using Low-Quality Tape

M2 MacBook Air mod using tape, a SATA SSD and a USB-C dongle

Apple’s M2 MacBook Air offers decent hardware to those who require ample battery life and aren’t too worried about the lack of storage and memory upgrades available to them. However, there are always exceptions everywhere, and in light of the DRAM crisis, we’ll bear witness to some unorthodox examples of creative juices flowing on various social media channels. The latest mod involves a portable Mac owner who wasn’t going to pay the ludicrous premium for a solid-state drive, so he took some tape, an existing SATA SSD, and a USB-C dongle and attached all three things to the M2 MacBook […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/m2-macbook-air-sata-ssd-mod-using-a-dongle-and-tape/

Save $200 And Get A Free Copy Of Resident Evil Requiem With The RTX 5070 Ti-Powered MSI Vector 16 HX AI Gaming Laptop, Now Down To $1,899.99 On Amazon

A free copy of Resident Evil Requiem is available with each purchase of the MSI Vector 16 HX AI on Amazon, with the RTX 5070 Ti version $200 off on Amazon

One of the most highly anticipated AAA survival horror games is right around the corner, and while Capcom gets ready to officially launch Resident Evil RequiemΒ this month, NVIDIA has launched its game bundle,Β where you get a free copy of the title with every purchase of an RTX 50 series GPU. Thankfully, this offer isn’t limited to desktop graphics cards and extends to gaming laptops, and you’ll be thrilled to learn that the MSI Vector 16 HX AI, which houses the RTX 5070 Ti, is $200 off on Amazon. In short, you’re not just pocketing extra savings, but you’re also getting […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/msi-vector-16-hx-ai-rtx-5070-ti-amazon-gaming-laptop-deal-save-200-and-get-resident-evil-requiem-free-copy/

Who will own your company’s AI layer? Glean’s CEO explains

Enterprise AI is shifting fast from chatbots that answer questions to systems that actually do the work across an organization. But who will own the AI layer that powers all of it?Β  Glean, which started as an enterprise search product, has evolved into what it calls an β€œAI work assistant,” aiming toΒ sit underneath other AI […]

Apple’s Much-Anticipated Siri Overhaul Hits A Snag, New Features To Now Roll Out In Batches

A glowing spherical logo is next to the word 'Gemini' with a background of binary numbers.

First, Apple scaled back its World Knowledge Answers AI project, as well as an AI-driven overhaul of the Safari browser and the Apple Health app. Now, it seems the Cupertino giant is rolling back the launch of the new Gemini-backed Siri, resorting to a gradual feature drop approach instead. Apple's launch of the new Gemini-backed Siri hits roadblocks As we've been noting ad nauseum over the past couple of weeks, Apple has formally selected Google's Gemini to power the next generation of its on-device Foundation Models as well as a revamped version of Siri, which would bring the much-delayed in-app […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apples-much-anticipated-siri-overhaul-hits-a-snag-new-features-to-now-roll-out-in-batches/

β€œBolder, Braver, Bloodier”: CI Games Digs Into Lords of the Fallen 2 Combat in New Developer Deep-Dive

Two characters stand amidst ruins in a fantasy setting with a large, burning Gothic castle in the background under a full

CI Games is getting ready to release its third Lords of the Fallen game with Lords of the Fallen 2, sometime later this year, which we last got a look at during The Game Awards 2025 with a new gameplay trailer. Outside of CI Games' chief executive officer, Marek Tyminski, promising that this fantasy action game won't be "politically correct" and that it will feature female characters in revealing armour, in a new developer deep-dive, game director James Lowe promises that the combat will be "bolder, braver, bloodier." A quick rundown on the series, if you're confused as to why […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/bolder-braver-bloodier-ci-games-digs-into-lords-of-the-fallen-2-combat-in-new-developer-deep-dive/

AMD CPU Market Share Saw Huge Growth In Q4 2025: Ryzen Desktop Leads With 36.4% Unit And 42.6% Revenue Share

AMD CPU Market Share Saw Huge Growth In Q4 2025: Ryzen Desktop Leads With 36.4% Unit And 42.6% Revenue Share

Q4 2025 turned out to be a fantastic quarter for AMD with the highest CPU revenue and unit share in both EPYC and Ryzen segments. AMD x86 CPU Share Continues To Grow: Explosive Gains With Ryzen Desktop & Highest Share For EPYC AMD's CPU market share has been growing steadily, and the end of 2025 saw its biggest CPU unit and revenue figures, as reported by Mercury Research. The latest figures show share increases in both client and server segments, so let's break down the numbers, starting with the client market. In Q4 2025, AMD's Desktop Revenue share increased by […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/amd-cpu-market-share-huge-growth-q4-2025-ryzen-desktop-highest-revenue-ever/

Discord's Age Verification System Drives Gamers to Seek Alternatives

Discord recently announced its age verification system, which would set all current user accounts to a teen-appropriate account mode by default unless the user's age is verified by an inference model or by submitting a selfie video or government ID. The backlash in online circles was notable, with some decrying the move because of privacy concerns after Discord's age verification partner already suffered a leak in October 2025. The announcement also reportedly resulted in a surge in searches for alternatives to the platform.

According to Google Trends search analytics, the search volumes for "Discord alternative" skyrocketed immediately after the announcement of the new age verification policy on February 9. Popular related searches also show a rise in search popularity for alternatives like Matrix, Root, Stoat (previously Revolt), Ventrilo, and even TeamSpeak, while a post in r/pcmasterrace on Reddit suggesting that gamers need a "proper Discord alternative" has 16,000 upvotes and over 2,000 comments, with most commenters in agreement, and many suggesting Stoat for its open-source development. Others have chimed in lamenting not only the age verification requirements but also the decline in quality of Discord and the aggressive monetization that has become popular on Discord lately.

NVIDIA App Hotfix 11.0.6.386 Fixes Optimus MUX Switching Issues

NVIDIA released a hotfix version 11.0.6.386 for its app that addresses a serious issue where users were unable to access advanced Optimus MUX switch options. These options were reportedly grayed out during random MUX switch scenarios. As a reminder, NVIDIA Optimus technology is designed to switch between integrated and dedicated graphics within the system to conserve power. This feature is not used on desktop systems but on laptop PCs that have an iGPU from an Intel or AMD processor and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GPU. During light workloads, such as basic image display, the iGPU is used, which saves laptop battery due to its low power consumption. However, when demanding graphics tasks are running, NVIDIA uses a MUX switch to activate its dedicated GPU for heavier workloads. In the previous NVIDIA app version, users reported that some advanced Optimus MUX switch options were "grayed out" during random MUX switch scenarios. The issue has now been isolated, and users can either update the NVIDIA app from the software itself or download it from the link below, which is a direct link to NVIDIA's .exe file.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA App Hotfix 11.0.6.386

docs2excel.ai – Extract data from documents and convert to Excel with AI


docs2excel.ai uses AI to extract custom data points or full tables from documents and convert them into Excel. No complex setup is required; just upload your documents and download the results. It is great for invoices, receipts, bank statements, and purchase orders, as well as resumes and research papers. Privacy is a priority: your files are processed only to deliver the service. They are never stored, sold, or used to train AI models.

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DOJ says Trenchant boss sold exploits to Russian broker capable of accessing β€˜millions of computers and devices’

The former boss of the L3Harris-owned hacking and surveillance tools maker Trenchant faces nine years in prison for selling several exploits to a Russian broker, which counts the Russian government among its customers.

Apple Officially Releases iOS 26.3 Update And More

An Apple TV displaying 'Fountain of Youth' is shown alongside a MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch, all showcasing

Apple has just opened the proverbial floodgates by officially releasing the iOS 26.3, iPadOS 26.3,Β watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, visionOS 26.3, HomePod Software 26.3, and macOS Tahoe 26.3 software updates. Apple iOS 26.3 goes official along with software updates for a wide range of Apple devices The iOS 26.3 software update includes the following changes as gleaned from the recent beta updates: Limit Precise Location Apple has added a new "limit precise location" feature, which limits carrier visibility to the neighborhood instead of the more precise street level. The following carriers will support this feature for now: Do note that this […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-officially-released-ios-26-3-update-and-more/

No Man’s Sky Remnant Update Adds Gravity Manipulation and Hauling to the Game

No Man's Sky Remnant Patch

Hello Games has just released Remnant, another free update for No Man's Sky. The patch (6.2) introduces gravity manipulation mechanics, extensive vehicle customization, and industrial waste processing facilities. The headline feature of Remnant is arguably the Gravitino Coil, a new Multi-Tool upgrade that fundamentally changes how players interact with the game world. This device allows travelers to magnetize, carry, and launch objects, creating entirely new gameplay possibilities through physics manipulation. No Man's Sky players are now able to grab and fling various items scattered across planets, including golden artifacts discovered in planetary ruins. However, the developers believe the tool's most […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/no-mans-sky-remnant-update-adds-gravity-manipulation/

ARC Raiders, Battlefield 6, Helldivers 2 and Hollow Knight Silksong Were Some of the Best-Selling Games on Xbox in 2025

The 'Xbox Excellence Awards' logo featuring a silver Xbox emblem against a green background.

For the second year in a row, Xbox has revealed the games awarded with its signature stamp of excellence in the Xbox Excellence Awards. The awards list 20 titles in four categories, though several of them are repeats, which means only 55 individual titles have made the cut this year. Of those 55, included are titles like ARC Raiders, Battlefield 6, Helldivers 2, and Hollow Knight Silksong, all of which made the cut as some of the best-selling games on the Xbox platform in 2025. The games are listed alphabetically in the Xbox Wire post announcing the winners, so we […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/arc-raiders-battlefield-6-helldivers-2-and-hollow-knight-silksong-were-some-of-the-best-selling-games-on-xbox-in-2025/

Verizon Customers Used 40.32 TB Of Data In The Vicinity Of Levi’s Stadium On Super Bowl Sunday

A man in a red jacket holds a smartphone displaying a Verizon app screen with the text 'Ultimate Super Bowl LX Access.'

Verizon is showcasing its data throughput prowess this week after the Sunday's Super Bowl LX match in San Francisco, where the carrier says that it provided median download speeds of 2.16 Gbps at the height of the action. Verizon claims the data throughput it offered during this year's Super Bowl Sunday was the result of "nearly 200 individual network projects across the Bay Area" Verizon has just given a snapshot of the data throughput it powered via its dense network in the Bay Area: Do note that Verizon is the official 5G network of the NFL. As such, the network […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/verizon-customers-used-40-32-tb-of-data-in-the-vicinity-of-levis-stadium-on-super-bowl-sunday/

Jason Momoa to Star in 2027’s Helldivers Movie Led by Fast & Furious Director Justin Lin

A split image features an unidentified man with long hair and a warrior character in a desert setting from an unbranded

We have another film adaptation of a video game to look forward to, and it's once again another PlayStation franchise to add to the list of adaptations under the belt of Sony and PlayStation Productions. This time, it's Fast & Furious director Justin Lin taking on an adaptation of Arrowhead Games' Helldivers, with Dune's Duncan Idaho, Jason Momoa, starring in the film. The news comes from a report from Deadline, which adds that the film will premiere next year, on November 10, 2027, with Lin's Perfect Storm Entertainment and PlayStation Productions producing the film. Other adaptations, whether they're set to […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/jason-momoa-star-helldivers-film-fast-and-furious-director-justin-lin/

HP’s Response to Memory Shortages Isn’t Switching to Chinese Memory or Cutting Specs; It’s Asking Gamers to β€˜Rent’ OMEN Laptops

An unbranded laptop with a red glowing screen and keyboard is secured by chains and a padlock.

HP, one of the biggest PC manufacturers, has given its verdict on the ongoing DRAM shortages, and the solution is renting gaming laptops. Yeah, you read it right. HP Is Now Offering Four Different OMEN Laptop Configurations to Rent, And You'll Never Own the Device The DRAM supercycle has disrupted the PC supply chain, and it appears manufacturers have few options on board to mitigate the risks posed by rising DRAM prices. One solution discussed in the industry is sourcing Chinese memory modules, which is thought to be a cheaper option, but we won't go into that for now. In […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/hp-response-to-memory-shortages-isnt-switching-to-chinese-suppliers-or-cutting-specs-its-asking-gamers-to-rent-laptops/

ARC Raiders – The League Quest Guide

A character named 'SlyBowser' wearing a hooded suit stands in a barren landscape near a large, weathered soccer ball in the game ARC Raiders.

ARC Raiders wouldn't be an extraction shooter if Embark Studios didn't have people asking you to bring stuff back from your trips Topside. That's why there are plenty of quests you'll be asked to complete for each of the traders featured. Though the actual tasks these quests require you to complete are relatively simple, they're not always simple to complete. Besides avoiding other players and ARCs to make it to your destination, if you're not thorough, you run the risk of needing multiple visits Topside just to get one objective completed. This guide will run you through how to complete […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/how-to/arc-raiders-the-league-quest-guide/

Microsoft confirms Windows 11 26H1 will be for Arm devices only at launch β€” Snapdragon X2-powered devices officially shipping with 26H1

Microsoft has released an all-new version of Windows 11, 26H1, that is designed only to support the Snapdragon X2 and unnamed future bleeding-edge hardware. 26H1 will be device-specific, and PCs running Windows 11 25H2 can't upgrade to it.

Why video is the canonical source of truth for AI and your brand’s best defense

Video is the canonical source of truth for AI – and your brand's best defense

The Wild West of web scraping is changing, due in large part to OpenAI’s deal with Disney. The deal allows OpenAI to train on high-fidelity, human-verified cinematic content – intended to combat AI slop fatigue.Β 

This is how most of us feel when dealing with AI slop. Video production by Impolite.Β 

This deal opens up new opportunities to reinforce your brand’s visibility and recall. AI models are hungry for high-quality data, and this shift turns video into an essential asset for your brand.

Here’s a breakdown of why video is the new source of truth for AI and how you can use it to protect your brand’s identity.

How AI brand drift happens

When a large language model’s training set lacks data on a specific brand, the LLM doesn’t admit that it doesn’t know. Instead, it interpolates, filling the gaps in your brand’s story. It makes guesses about your brand identity based on patterns from similar brands or general industry information.Β 

This interpolation can lead to brand drift. Here’s what it looks like when an AI model narrates an inaccurate version of your business.

Say you represent a SaaS company. A user asks ChatGPT about one of your product’s features. But the model doesn’t have information about that specific feature.

So, the model constructs elaborate setup instructions, pricing tiers, and integration requirements for the phantom feature.

This has surfaced for companies like Streamer.bot, where users regularly arrive with confidently wrong instructions generated by ChatGPT – forcing teams to correct misinformation that the product never published.Β 

A Streamer.bot team member describing how AI-generated setup instructions regularly misrepresent product behavior, creating confusion and additional support burden.

AI brand drift happens to local businesses, too. As one restaurant owner told Futurism, Google AI Overviews repeatedly shared false information about both specials and menu items.

To correct brand drift and prevent AI from distorting your brand message, your company must provide a canonical source of truth.

Video as a source of truth

By producing authoritative videos (e.g., a demo that explicitly clarifies pricing), you provide strong semantic information through the transcript and visual proof. The video becomes the canonical source of truth that makes things clear, overriding opinions from Reddit and other sources.

In contrast, a text file contains low entropy. A statement like β€œ50% off” is identical whether it was written in 2015 or 2025. Text often lacks the timestamp of reality, making it easy for AI to manipulate or lose the context of the real world.

To fix this, you need a medium with more data packed into every second. A five-minute video at 60 frames per second contains 18,000 frames of visual evidence, a nuanced audio track, and a text transcript.

Video enables LLMs to capture non-verbal, high-fidelity cues, creating a validation layer that preserves the visual evidence often flattened or lost in written content.

Creative studios like Berlin-based Impolite specialize in high-production-value video that provides the chaotic, non-repetitive entropy that AI needs to verify. The studio’s work for global brands serves as the high-density data source that prevents brand drift.

For example, Karman’s β€œThe Space That Makes Us Human” project is a masterclass in creating a canonical source of truth, using high-fidelity, expert-led video to anchor brand identity.

Dig deeper: How to optimize video for AI-powered search

Authenticity as a signal

As deepfakes proliferate, authenticity is shifting from a vague moral concept to a hard technical signal. Search engines and AI agents need a way to verify the provenance.

Is this video real? Is it from the brand it claims to be?

For AI models, real-world human footage is the ultimate high-trust data source. It provides physical evidence, such as a person speaking, a product in motion, or a specific location. In contrast, AI-generated video often lacks the chaotic, non-repetitive entropy of real-world light and physics.Β 

The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) is developing a new provenance standard to verify authenticity. The organization, which includes members such as Google, Adobe, Microsoft, and OpenAI, provides the technical specifications that enable this data to be cryptographically verifiable.

At the same time, the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), spearheaded by Adobe, drives the adoption of open-source tools for digital transparency.

Together, the two organizations go beyond simple watermarking. They allow brands to sign videos the moment they begin recording, providing a signal that AI models can prioritize over unverified noise.

How media verification works: From lens to screen

Ever notice that tiny β€œCR” mark in the corner of certain media on LinkedIn? This label stands for content credentials. It appears on images and videos to indicate their origin and whether the creator used AI to produce or edit them.Β 

When you click or hover over the β€œCR” icon on a LinkedIn post, a sidebar or pop-up appears that shows:

  • The creator: The name of the person or organization that produced the media
  • The tools used: Which software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop) the creator used to edit or generate the media
  • AI disclosure: A specific note if the content was generated with AI
  • The process: A history of edits made to the file to ensure the image hasn’t been deceptively altered

Some creators are already looking to circumvent the icon. Some have shared tips to hide the tag.

While some call it LinkedIn shaming, its presence signals authority. It’s also gaining traction.Β 

Google has begun integrating C2PA signals into search and ads to help enforce policies regarding misrepresentation and AI disclosure. The search giant has also updated its documentation to explain how C2PA metadata is handled in Google Images.

Dig deeper: The SEO shift you can’t ignore: Video is becoming source material

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How verified media maintains its integrity

For content marketers, adopting C2PA is a defensive moat against misinformation and a proactive signal of quality.

If a bad actor deepfakes your CEO, the absence of your corporate cryptographic signature acts as a silent alarm. Platforms and AI agents will immediately detect that the content lacks a verified origin seal and de-prioritize it in favor of authenticated assets.

Here’s how it works in practice.

1. Capture: The hardware root of trust

Select Sony cameras use the brand’s camera authenticity solution to embed digital signatures in real time. The signature uses keys held in a secure hardware chipset. Sony uses 3D depth data alongside the C2PA manifest rather than a 2D screen or a projection to verify that a real 3D subject was filmed.

Similarly, select Qualcomm’s products support a cryptographic seal that proves the photo’s authenticity. In addition, apps like Truepic and ProofMode can sign footage on standard devices.

2. Edit: The editorial ledger

C2PA-aware software, such asΒ Adobe Premiere Pro, integrates content credentials. This allows brands to embed a manifest listing the creator, edits, and software.

Think of it as a content ledger. Content credentials act as a digital paper trail, logging every hand that touches the file:

  • When an editor exports a video, the software preserves the original camera signature and appends a manifest of every cut and color grade.
  • If generative AI tools are used, relevant frames are tagged as AI-generated, preserving the integrity of the remaining human-verified footage.

3. Verify: Tamper-proof evidence in action

If the content is altered outside of a C2PA-compliant tool, the cryptographic link is severed.

When an AI model performs an evidence-weighting calculation to decide which information to show a user, it will see this broken signature.

Dig deeper: How to dominate video-driven SERPs

The expert content workflow

Information overload is constant nowadays. Traditional gatekeepers are struggling because AI generates content faster than humans can verify it. Authenticity becomes scarce online as Audiences increasingly seek out authenticity and strive to distinguish signal from noise.

From LLMs to search engines like Google, AI systems struggle with the same challenge. Verified subject matter experts (SMEs) are emerging as critical differentiators and as guarantors of credibility and pertinence.

An SME is a human anchor point of credibility for both humans and machines. When brands pair expertise with verifiable video documentation, they create something AI can’t replicate: authentic authority that audiences can see, hear, and trust.

Why expert video should be the source materialΒ 

Content repurposing engine

A video transcript of an expert explaining a complex topic often captures colloquial, nuanced details that polished, static blog posts miss. Here’s how to use expert-led videos as the starting point of your content flywheel:Β 

  • Text stream: Extract the transcript to create authoritative, long-form blogs, FAQs, and social captions. This provides the semantic foundation for text-based retrieval.
  • Visual stream: Pull high-quality frames for infographics and thumbnails. This provides visual proof that anchors the text.
  • Audio stream: Repurpose the audio for podcast distribution, capturing your expert’s tonal authority.
  • Discovery stream: Cut vertical TikTok and YouTube clips. These act as entry points that lead AI agents back to your canonical source.

By repurposing a single high-density video asset across these formats, you create a self-reinforcing loop of authority.

This increases the probability that an AI model will encounter and index your brand’s expertise in the format that the model prefers. For example, Gemini might index the video, while Perplexity might index the transcript.

It doesn’t have to be fancy, as this clip from Search with Sean shows:

What to look out for

Before you hit record, identify where your brand is most vulnerable to AI drift. To maximize the surface area for AI retrieval, proceed this way:Β 

  • Identify the gap: Where is AI hallucinating elements of your story? Find the topics where your brand voice is missing or being misrepresented by outdated Reddit posts or competitor noise.
  • Anchor with verified experts: Use real people with verifiable credentials. AI agents now cross-reference experts against LinkedIn data and professional knowledge graphs to weigh the authority of the content.
  • Preserve the nuance: Marketing and legal departments often strip it from blog posts, making them generic. Video preserves the colloquial, detailed explanations that signal true expertise.Β 

Here’s a concrete example recorded with Semrush’s Brand Control Quadrant framework:

Dig deeper: The future of SEO content is video – here’s why

Context still beats compliance

With infinite, low-cost AI slop cropping up, it’s going to get harder and harder to fight deepfakes. But it’s harder for an AI to hallucinate a real physical event than a sentence.

The most valuable asset a brand owns is its verifiable expertise. By anchoring your brand in expert-led, multimodal video, you ensure that your identity remains consistent, protected, and prioritized.

A clear hierarchy of data is emerging: high-fidelity, cryptographically signed video is the premium currency. For every other brand, the mandate is simple: Record reality. If you don’t provide a signed, high-density video record of your business, the AI will hallucinate one for you.

πŸ’Ύ

A five-minute video provides more data for an LLM than most blog posts. Here’s how to maximize your brand’s surface area for AI retrieval.

Generative Engine Optimization: The Patterns Behind AI Visibility

What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?

Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of positioning your brand and content so that AI platforms like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity cite, recommend, or mention you when users search for answers.

If that sounds abstract, the results aren’t.

For bootstrapped form builder tool, Tally, ChatGPT became the #1 referral source.

They’re not alone. Across industries, the shift is already measurable.

ChatGPT reaches over 800 million weekly users. Google’s Gemini app has surpassed 750 million monthly users. And AI Overviews are appearing in at least 16% of all searches (significantly higher for comparison and high-intent queries).Β 

The question isn’t whether AI is changing discovery. It’s whether your brand is showing up when it happens.

So GEO is real. But is it stable enough to invest in seriously?

That’s a fair question.Β 

When we tracked 2,500 prompts across Google AI Mode and ChatGPT through the Semrush AI Visibility Index, the first thing we noticed was volatility.Β 

Between 40 and 60% of cited sources change from month to month.

But underneath the variances, patterns emerged.Β 

The brands showing up consistently shared specific structural characteristics. Entity clarity, content extractability, multi-platform presence made them easier for AI systems to find, trust, and reference.

In this guide, I’ll share what we’ve found about what GEO requires, how it differs from SEO, and the framework for increasing your visibility in AI-driven discovery.

What GEO Looks Like in Practice

GEO helps your brand appear in AI-generated answers.

For example, when someone asks an AI tool β€œWhat is the best whey protein powder for a mom in their 50s,” the response typically evaluates brands and recommends options based on ingredients, reviews, and credibility signals.

If your content or brand is included in that response, it’s an example of GEO in action.

Getting there requires coordinated effort across several areas:

  • Content strategy: Publishing information that AI systems can discover, understand, and extract for answers
  • Brand presence: Establishing your authority across platforms where AI tools pull information (not just your website)
  • Technical Optimization: Ensuring AI crawlers can access and process your content
  • Reputation Building: Earning mentions and associations that signal credibility to AI systems

These activities overlap with traditional SEO, but the emphasis shifts.

How GEO Differs from Traditional SEO

GEO builds on the same SEO fundamentals you already use. But it shifts the focus from rankings and clicks to how your brand is mentioned and cited inside AI-generated answers.

Here’s a snapshot of some key differences between GEO and traditional SEO:

What ChangesTraditional SEOGEO
Primary goalRank in top search positionsBe referenced or mentioned in AI answers
Success metricsRankings, clicks, trafficCitations, mentions, share of voice
How users find youClick through to your siteAI includes you in generated responses
Key platformsGoogle, BingGoogle AI Overviews and AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity
How you optimize contentTitle tags, keywords, site speed, content qualitySelf-contained paragraphs, clear facts, structured data
How you build credibilityBacklinks, author credentials, reviews, domain authorityPositive mentions across trusted platforms and communities

Use this table to update your mental model.Β 

Traditional SEO fundamentals still matter. We’re just adapting how we apply them as AI systems change how people discover information.

Now, let’s break down what this means in practice.

What Stays the Same

The core principles behind effective SEO still apply to GEO.

You still need to publish high-quality, authoritative content for real users. Your site still needs to be technically accessible. You still need credible signals of trust and expertise. And you still need to understand user intent and deliver clear value.

AI systems tend to reference content that is authoritative, well-structured, and easy to interpret. Those are the same qualities that support strong SEO performance.Β 

If you already have a solid SEO foundation, GEO builds on it rather than replacing it.


Further reading: SEO vs. GEO, AEO, LLMO: What Marketers Need to Know


What Changes

Where GEO diverges is in how that foundation is applied.

1. Where You Need Presence

Traditional SEO focuses primarily on your owned properties, i.e. your website and blog.

GEO benefits from strategic presence across platforms where AI tools discover information, including:

  • Reddit threads where your target audience asks questions
  • YouTube videos demonstrating your expertise
  • Industry publications that establish your authority
  • Review sites where customers discuss solutions
  • Social platforms where conversations happen

2. How You Structure Information

AI systems extract specific passages from your content to construct answers. They pull a paragraph here, a statistic there, and weave them together.

This changes how you need to structure information.Β 

When you’re explaining a concept, defining a term, or sharing data, that paragraph should ideally work on its own. AI systems often extract these substantive passages without the conversational setup around them. (We’ll cover the mechanics of how this works in the strategic framework later.)

You need clear headings to help AI identify which section answers which question.

Also, putting answers early in sections may make them easier for AI to find and extract.

Traditional SEO often rewards comprehensive coverage. GEO places more emphasis on content that’s easy to extract and reassemble. We’re still learning exactly how different AI systems prioritize structure, but clarity consistently helps.

3. What You Measure

Traditional SEO metrics like rankings, clicks, and bounce rate tell part of the story.

GEO adds new measurements, like:

  • AI visibility score: A benchmark of how often and where your brand appears in AI-generated answers
  • Share of voice: Your visibility compared to competitors in AI responses
  • Sentiment: Whether mentions are positive, neutral, or negative
  • Context or prompt: What questions or topics trigger mentions of your brand
Semrush Enterprise AIO – Backlinko – AIO Overview

Together, these metrics help you understand not just whether you’re visible, but how your brand is being positioned inside AI-generated responses.

You need both traditional SEO metrics and AI visibility metrics to understand your full organic search presence in 2026.


Note: You can track these metrics using Semrush’s Enterprise AIO, which monitors your brand’s visibility across AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity.Β 

It provides granular tracking of mentions, sentiment, share of voice, and competitive benchmarking to help you optimize your AI visibility strategy.


5 Principles for AI Visibility: A Strategic Framework

An effective GEO strategy rests on five connected principles that work together to maximize your AI visibility.

(As AI systems evolve, specific patterns may shift, but these underlying principles provide a stable foundation.)

Each one addresses how AI systems discover, evaluate, and reference your brand.

Let’s look at them in detail.

1. SEO Fundamentals Are the Foundation

SEO fundamentals still matter for GEO, but for a different reason than in traditional search.

In AI-driven discovery, these fundamentals still function as optimization levers, but they influence retrieval, interpretation, and attribution rather than rankings alone.Β 

They create the baseline conditions that allow AI systems to retrieve information, interpret it accurately, and attribute it to a source with confidence.

For instance, AI-generated answers are assembled from content that is accessible, readable, and attributable.Β 

When accessibility, readability, or clear attribution are weak, even strong content becomes harder for AI systems to surface or reference reliably.

This is why many sources cited by AI platforms share characteristics long associated with solid SEO foundations.Β 

The overlap exists because clarity and reliability still matter across discovery systems, even as the surfaces change.

Technical accessibility plays a role here.Β 

Content that cannot be consistently crawled, indexed, or rendered introduces uncertainty at the retrieval layer.Β 

Page performance has a similar effect. Slower or unstable experiences don’t block inclusion outright. But they reduce how dependable a source appears when answers are assembled.

JavaScript-heavy implementations highlight this dynamic.Β 

Many AI crawlers still struggle to consistently process client-side rendered content, which can make core information harder to extract or interpret.Β 

When that happens, AI systems have less certainty about using the content as a reference point.

But technical setup is only part of the equation.

AI systems also assess content quality and credibility. Information that reflects real experience, clear expertise, and identifiable authorship is easier to contextualize and trust.Β 

Signals associated with E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) influence not just whether content is referenced, but how it is framed within an answer.

Taken together, these foundations explain why SEO still underpins GEO. Not as a ranking system, but as the infrastructure that makes AI visibility possible.


Further reading: A technical SEO blueprint for GEO: Optimize for AI-powered search


2. Entity Clarity Shapes AI Understanding

Entities help AI systems understand and categorize information on the web. This includes distinguishing your brand from similar names, identifying what category you belong to, and understanding which topics you’re credible for.

AI systems don’t just read words. They interpret structure.

Before schema ever comes into play, they look for clear signals about:

  • What your brand is
  • What category it belongs to
  • What it offers
  • What it’s authoritative for

The most reliable way to provide those signals is through well-structured information.

If those signals are unclear or inconsistent, AI systems have less confidence when deciding whether and how to reference you.

Take monday.com as an example. When AI systems crawl websites and process information, they see β€œmonday” mentioned in many different contexts.Β 

Clear, consistent descriptions across the site and supporting sources help AI understand that monday.com refers to project management software. Not the day of the week.

The same principle applies to category clarity. If you sell organic dog food, AI needs to categorize your brand under pet nutrition, not general groceries or pet accessories.

When someone asks β€œwhat’s the best grain-free dog food,” AI is more likely to consider brands it can clearly place in the correct category.

On a product page, it should be unambiguous what each element represents β€” the product name, the description, the price, the attributes, availability and variants.

That clarity needs to exist in the visible page content first.Β 

Schema markup can then mirror that structure in a machine-readable format (typically JSON-LD). And that same structured understanding should also be reflected in downstream systems, like your product feed submitted to Google Merchant Center.

In other words, the page structure, the schema markup, and the commerce feed should all describe the same thing in the same way.

The goal isn’t to β€œadd schema.” The goal is to make your information logically structured so machines can consistently understand it across systems.

This is important because we don’t know how structured data is used inside large language models. Or how exactly schema influences training, retrieval, or real-time answer generation.

But we do know this: AI systems cross-reference signals from multiple sources and formats.

Your brand description on LinkedIn should align with what appears on your site. Profiles on Crunchbase, review platforms, or industry directories should reinforce the same category, positioning, and value proposition.

When these signals are consistent across sources, AI systems can categorize and reference your brand with greater confidence. When they conflict, confidence drops, and your brand is less likely to be mentioned.

This is why entity clarity isn’t just about a single markup tactic. It comes from designing your content and presence so machines can reliably understand who you are, what you offer, and where you belong wherever your brand appears.


Further reading: How Ecommerce Brands Actually Get Discovered In AI Search



Tip: You can check if your site has missing structured data that makes entity relationships unclear β€” along with other issues that could potentially be hurting your AI search visibility β€” using Semrush’s Site Audit.


3. Content Must Be Easy to Extract and Reuse

If entity clarity determines whether AI systems consider your content at all, extractability determines which specific parts get pulled into AI-generated answers.

This principle operates at the retrieval layer.

AI systems don’t consume pages the way humans do. When generating answers, they retrieve specific passages from across the web and assemble them into a response.

Here’s how it works mechanically:

LLMs break content into chunks, convert those chunks into numerical representations (vectors), and retrieve the most relevant passages when assembling an answer.

Those retrieved chunks are then synthesized into a response β€” often without the surrounding context from your original page.

This has practical implications.Β 

Based on what we’ve observed, passages that retain meaning when read in isolation are more likely to be retrieved and used accurately. Passages that rely on conversational setup or references like β€œas mentioned above” or β€œthis is why” tend to lose clarity when extracted.

Now this may not apply to every paragraph on a page.Β 

But paragraphs that contain definitions, explanations, comparisons, or key facts should ideally stand on their own. These are the passages AI systems are most likely to extract without the surrounding narrative.

So what makes content extractable?

  • Self-contained paragraphs: Each paragraph expresses one complete idea that makes sense on its own, without vague references to surrounding text
  • Specific facts and statistics: Concrete numbers and clear statements are easier for AI to extract than vague generalizations
  • Clear, descriptive headings: Headings signal what each section covers, helping AI understand content organization
  • Front-loaded information: The main point appears at the start of paragraphs rather than at the end

One important distinction: This principle mainly applies to retrieval-augmented systems β€” like Google AI Mode and Perplexity with grounding, and ChatGPT with browsing enabled. These systems get content in real-time.

For base model knowledge (what the LLM learned during training), content structure is less important. That knowledge comes from training, not from retrieving per-query. Building presence in training data takes time and requires consistent, authoritative publishing.


Below is an example of self-contained content that AI systems can easily extract and reference.

  • It answers a single, well-defined question: which sources AI platforms rely on for finance-related queries
  • The main takeaway is stated immediately, without setup
  • Supporting context (platforms, percentages, category) is included within the same frame
  • The insight makes sense on its own, even if quoted or summarized elsewhere

The same extractability principle shows up in everyday writing as well.

For example, compare these two ways of explaining the same cooking technique:

Hard to extract: β€œThere are several reasons this method works. After trying it, most people find their eggplant tastes better. That’s why many chefs use it.”

Easy to extract: β€œSalting eggplant for 15 minutes before cooking removes bitterness and excess moisture. This technique improves the final texture.”

Both explain the same idea. But the second version states the technique, timing, benefit, and result clearly, which makes it easy for AI to extract as a standalone passage.

Here are other examples:

When content is structured this way, AI systems can reliably retrieve relevant passages and include them in answers.Β 

Over time, that increases the likelihood that your expertise is surfaced accurately when users ask questions related to your domain.

4. AI Visibility Extends Beyond Your Website

AI systems don’t just pull from your website when building answers. They gather information from YouTube, Reddit, review sites, industry publications, social platforms, and more.

This creates two opportunities for visibility:Β 

(I) Your Owned Presence

Owned presence is content you or your team create on platforms beyond your website.

  • Your YouTube channel showing product features gives AI video content to reference
  • Your company’s participation in relevant subreddit discussions shows expertise in action
  • Your executives’ LinkedIn newsletters establish thought leadership

Podcasts, webinars, conference presentations, and educational platforms provide additional long-form content AI systems can extract from.

These platforms often play an important role in AI discovery.

In fact, Reddit, Linkedin, and YouTube were among the top cited sources by the top LLMs in October 2025.

When your brand creates valuable content on these platforms, you give AI systems more material to draw from.

But the key is creating substantive, helpful content that addresses real problems in your industry.

(II) Earned Mentions

Earned mentions are references to your brand that you don’t directly control.

  • Customer reviews on G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot describe real experiences with your product
  • Industry journalists mentioning your company in news articles provide third-party validation
  • Community discussions on Reddit or Quora where users recommend your solution show authentic sentiment. Like this:

When multiple independent sources discuss your brand in relevant contexts, AI systems have clearer signals to interpret your credibility.


Further reading: 7 ways to grow brand mentions, a key metric for AI Overviews visibility



Side note: Tools like Semrush’s AI PR Toolkit make this easier to evaluate at scale. Beyond counting earned mentions, it shows how your brand is framed across sources, including whether mentions skew positive, neutral, or negative.Β 

This metric can be very important as you work to extend brand visibility beyond your website. Because sentiment influences how AI systems frame your brand in answers, not just whether they mention you at all.


Why Both Matter

Owned presence and earned mentions work together.

Your owned content demonstrates expertise and provides detailed information AI can reference. Earned mentions from customers and industry sources validate your credibility.

When AI systems encounter both, they build a comprehensive understanding of what you offer.

This owned and earned content may also become part of LLM training data in the future, shaping how AI systems learn about and reference your brand long-term.

5. Visibility Is Measured Differently in AI Search

Traditional SEO metrics (like rankings, clicks, and traffic) only tell part of the story. But they had one major advantage: the attribution path was clear.Β 

A user clicked, landed on your site, and either converted or didn’t. You could tie that traffic directly to revenue.

AI search breaks that path. When an AI tool recommends your product to a user, they might never click through to your site. The conversion may still happen β€” they Google your brand name later, sign up the following week β€” but your analytics won’t connect it back to the AI mention that started it.

That’s the real measurement challenge. It’s not just that the metrics are different. It’s that the link between visibility and revenue becomes harder to trace.

The value here isn’t just the click. It’s being part of the answer.

This requires measuring your visibility differently.

Here are the key metrics to consider:

  • Citation frequency: This measures how often AI platforms mention your brand when answering questions
  • Share of voice: Your mention rate compared to competitors. If an AI answers 100 questions about β€œbest CRM,” how many times do you appear vs. your rivals? This reveals your true competitive position.
  • Context tracking: Where do you appear? Understanding which specific prompts or topics trigger your brand mentions helps you identify the subjects you own versus where you’re invisible.
  • Sentiment: Are the mentions positive, neutral, or negative? A high share of voice means nothing if the AI is telling users your product is β€œoverpriced” or β€œbuggy.”

The challenge is that traditional analytics platforms (like GA4 or Google Search Console) cannot track these signals. They only see what happens after a click.

This creates a β€œmeasurement blind spot.” You might be the most mentioned brand in ChatGPT, but your standard dashboards would show zero activity.

Platforms like Semrush’s AI Visibility Toolkit are built to solve this specific problem. They help quantify these β€œinvisible” GEO metrics, turning qualitative data (like sentiment and mention frequency) into trackable numbers.

Its Brand Performance report shows how visible your brand is in AI answers, how you compare to competitors, and whether mentions skew positive, neutral, or negative.Β 

The toolkit also highlights AI visibility insights, helping you understand how your brand is currently interpreted in AI answers and where adjustments may improve visibility.

Ultimately, a modern search strategy requires monitoring two distinct dashboards:

One for your website’s performance (rankings and traffic) in traditional search. And one for your brand’s mentions across AI search

You need both to see the full picture.

What This Framework Doesn’t Guarantee

These principles increase your probability of appearing in AI answers. They don’t guarantee it.

The volatility in AI citations means even well-optimized brands experience fluctuation.Β 

Different AI platforms weigh signals differently. User context and conversation history affect what gets cited. And AI systems are evolving rapidly β€” what works today may shift as models update.

Think of GEO like brand building: you’re increasing your odds across many moments of potential visibility, not securing a fixed position.Β 

The brands that do this well show up more often, more accurately, and in better context. But there’s no β€œrank #1” equivalent to chase.

That realism isn’t a reason to ignore GEO. It’s a reason to approach it as an ongoing discipline. Showing up consistently, across surfaces, over time, is how you build trust with AI systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the biggest misconception about GEO right now?

The biggest misconception is that AI-generated answers are too volatile to optimize for.

While individual responses change, the underlying inputs do not. AI systems consistently rely on durable signals like authority, clarity, and trust. Brands with strong entity clarity and credible sources appear repeatedly, even as surface-level outputs fluctuate. The patterns are stable enough to act on.

Is GEO replacing SEO?

No, GEO builds on SEO fundamentals.

Traditional SEO optimizes for rankings and clicks. GEO optimizes for mentions, citations, and recommendations inside AI-generated answers.

They work together. Strong SEO creates the foundation (technical accessibility, quality content, credibility signals) that AI systems rely on when deciding which brands to reference.

How should we think about GEO in the bigger AI search shift?

The clearest way to frame it is as a hierarchy.

  • AI search is the environment
  • AI SEO is the practice
  • AI visibility is the outcome

GEO sits inside AI SEO as one way to improve visibility within generative systems. The goal is not optimizing for a single model or interface. The goal is being seen, trusted, and reused wherever people search for answers.


Further reading: How to Rank in AI Search (New Strategy & Framework)


What types of content are more likely to appear in generative AI responses?

Content that is easy for AI systems to retrieve, understand, and reuse is most likely to appear in generative AI responses.

In practice, this means clear, direct answers to specific questions, self-contained explanations, fact-based comparisons, and concise definitions that make sense without surrounding context. AI systems tend to pull individual passages, not entire pages, so structure and clarity matter more than length.

Does AI search favor large, well-known brands, or does GEO level the playing field?

Well-known brands often start with more authority, but they don’t automatically win. Smaller publishers can compete when they own a clearly defined topic, show up consistently across platforms, and are easy for AI systems to understand and trust.Β 

In practice, focused niche sites may outperform larger brands when their expertise is clearer, better structured, and tightly aligned with specific audience needs.

What’s the right way to think about GEO moving forward?

The right way to think about GEO is as a long-term visibility discipline, not a short-term optimization tactic.

Success comes from making your expertise clear, consistent, and reusable wherever AI systems look for answers. That requires strong alignment across content, SEO, brand, PR, product, and customer touchpoints.Β 

AI search does not change the goal of helping users. It raises the standard for coherence, accuracy, and trust across the entire web.

Intel Arc B390 Achieves 12x Performance and 8x Performance-per-Watt vs Gen9 iGPU

Intel's 10 years of integrated graphics have yielded massive performance improvements, according to recent testing by Phoronix. The latest testing shows that moving from Intel Gen 9 integrated graphics in the "Kaby Lake" CPUs introduced in 2016 to the modern Intel Arc B390 with Xe3 cores in "Panther Lake," results in a 12x performance boost and a 8x performance-per-watt efficiency increase. This is remarkable progress for Intel's iGPU team, delivering steady performance improvements year-over-year, with a significant boost in recent years. Phoronix tested iGPUs of top-end Core models, including: Core i7 8550U "Kaby Lake," Core i7 8565U "Whiskey Lake," Core i7 1065G7 "Ice Lake," Core i7 1185G7 "Tiger Lake," Core i7 1280P "Alder Lake," Core Ultra 7 155H "Meteor Lake," Core Ultra 7 258V "Lunar Lake," and finally the Core Ultra X7 358H "Panther Lake" processor.

The oldest among these is the "Kaby Lake" generation, which utilized Intel UHD Graphics 620 on Gen 9 architecture, while the newest is Intel's most powerful creation to dateβ€”Arc B390 based on Xe3 cores. Comparing the 14 nm FinFET Intel node to the TSMC N3E node reveals a massive gap not only in performance but also in efficiency. In the geometric mean of all test results, Intel has achieved an 11.97x performance improvement from the 14 nm Gen 9 iGPU era to the modern 3 nm Xe3 iGPU era. This performance increase is accompanied by a significant efficiency gain, resulting from new nodes and more work done per watt, which Phoronix calculated to be 8x. While the "Lunar Lake" platform is the smaller power consumer with an average power draw of 13.82 W and a maximum of 36.97 W, "Panther Lake" uses a slightly higher average of 26.86 W and a maximum draw of 55.59 W for nearly twice the result.

(PR) Retro FPS Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! Launches March 16, Demo Available Now

Sign up now, Troopers - the fight for the future of humanity begins with YOU as Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! prepares to deploy on March 16th 2026! The pristine beaches of Zegema Beach are waiting for aspiring Citizens to join the fight. Even now, our Troopers are striving to save this Federation-sculpted paradise from the Arachnid menace with an immersive demo available NOW!

Would you like to know more? For the first time we're bringing you approved footage live from the Battlefield!

ADLINK Unveils Next-Generation Server Board and 2U/4U Edge AI Servers Powered by Intel Xeon 600 Processors for Workstations

ADLINK Technology Inc., a global leader in edge AI computing, announced the expansion of its product portfolio with four high-performance, server-class edge AI systemsβ€”the ISB-W890 server board, and the AXE-7440GW, AXE-7420GWA, and AXE-7220GW GPU servers. This new lineup is purpose-built on the Intel Xeon 600 processors, complementing ADLINK's existing Edge AI platforms by addressing more compute-intensive workloads, enabling high-end, real-time vision processing, advanced analytics, and large-scale generative AI at the edge.

As industries move beyond AI pilots, the demand for server-class performance at the edge is growing rapidly, particularly for real-time visual intelligence and on-site generative AI inference. ADLINK's Edge AI servers support high-end vision processing and analyticsβ€”including VLA workloadsβ€”making them ideal for demanding environments like medical imaging, robotics, and smart factory AOI, where latency, accuracy, and reliability are critical.

Ford's hands-free BlueCruise under federal safety review following fatal crashes


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating fatal crashes involving vehicles using BlueCruise, following incidents in 2024 where Fords failed to respond to stopped vehicles on highways. According to federal data, Ford has reported 32 crashes – including three fatalities – linked to its automated driving technologies since BlueCruise was introduced in 2021.

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Indian defense sector and government-aligned organizations have been targeted by multiple campaigns that are designed to compromise Windows and Linux environments with remote access trojans capable of stealing sensitive data and ensuring continued access to infected machines. The campaigns are characterized by the use of malware families like Geta RAT, Ares RAT, and DeskRAT, which are often

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At the start of 2026, Ubisoft didn't just announce layoffs at one of its studios (which is how it started 2025). It announced a "major reset," which included layoffs at multiple studios, the shuttering of Ubisoft Halifax, the cancellation of the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake, and significant changes to its operating structure, alongside some unpopular new policies like a return-to-office mandate. The response to these changes has not exactly been positive, both internally within Ubisoft and externally across the industry. On the stock market, the announcement of the restructure saw the company's stock price drop 34%, which […]

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Arkheron, the interesting and ambitious blend between Diablo, PUBG, and Dark Souls from Bonfire Studios, which we first got a look at last September. It will have its first public playtest via the launch of a brand new demo arriving on February 20, 2026, just ahead of the first Steam Next Fest of 2026, which will officially kick off three days later on February 23. The news of the new demo also came along with a new trailer, where Bonfire Studios takes players through some of its plans for Arkheron as the team gets closer to launch, and some of […]

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Tipster says the Galaxy S26 Ultra will move away from incremental upgrades with its newest privacy display technology

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ASRock Phantom Gaming 360 LCD 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler Review: Great Cooling With VRM Fan & Halo-ARGB Fan Frame

An ASRock liquid cooling system with visible fans and tubing is displayed on a wooden surface.

The PC cooler industry remains vibrant with several options for users to select from. There are several well-known and go-to brands for cooling enthusiasts, but every once in a while, we get an opportunity to review products from companies that are unheard of. ASRock is the latest entrant in this market who have been steadily expanding its PC hardware and component reach into various segments. At CES, we got to see their full-fledged lineup, ranging from entry-level to mainstream and high-end designs. Today, we are going to test one of their higher-end gaming AIO coolers, the Phantom Gaming 360 LCD, […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/asrock-phantom-gaming-360-lcd-360mm-aio-liquid-cooler-review-great-cooling-with-vrm-fan-halo-argb-fan-frame/

MSI Afterburner adds 16-pin power connector warning for its MPG AI PSUs β€” new update could save your expensive GPU from melting

The incendiary woes of the 16-pin power connector keep birthing new ways to prevent the inevitable. MSI's latest attempt is to sync its power supplies' active monitoring system with MSI Afterburner to deploy emergency power profiles on the go. If the PSU detects a faulty connection, it instantly triggers a 25% reduction in GPU power limit in the new Afterburner update with a pop-up warning.

Google previews WebMCP, a new protocol for AI agent interactions

AI content crawlers

Google today announced an early preview of WebMCP, a new protocol that defines how AI agents interact with websites.

  • β€œWebMCP aims to provide a standard way for exposing structured tools, ensuring AI agents can perform actions on your side with increased speed, reliability, and precision,” wrote AndrΓ© Cipriani Bandarra from Google.

WebMCP lets developers tell large language models exactly what each button or link on a website does. WebMCP allows websites to explicitly publish a clear β€œTool Contract” that defines available actions.

It runs on a new browser API, navigator.modelContext. Through that API, the website shares a structured list of tools β€” such as buyTicket(destination, date). The AI can then call those functions directly, making interactions faster, more accurate, and far more reliable.

Structured interactions for the agentic web. WebMCP introduces two new APIs that let browser agents act on a user’s behalf:

  • Declarative API: Handles standard actions defined directly in HTML forms.
  • Imperative API: Supports complex, dynamic interactions that require JavaScript execution.

These APIs act as a bridge, making your website agent-ready. They enable faster, more reliable agent workflows than raw DOM manipulation.

Use cases. Google shared use cases that show how an AI agent can handle complex tasks for your users with speed and confidence:

  • Travel: Users can get the exact flights they want. Agents can search, filter results, and complete bookings using structured data that delivers accurate results every time.
  • Customer support: Users can create detailed support tickets faster. Agents can automatically fill in the required technical details.
  • Ecommerce: Users can shop more efficiently. Agents can find products, configure options, and move through checkout with precision.

How to access the preview. You can apply for the preview to WebMCP here.

Why we care. Agentic experiences are shaping the future of searchβ€”and possibly SEO. Dan Petrovic called it the biggest shift in technical SEO since structured data. Glenn Gabe called this a big deal. It’s worth exploring these new protocols now.

Google outlines AI-powered, agent-driven future for shopping and ads in 2026

Google is redesigning shopping and advertising around AI-powered, agent-driven experiences, and said speed and certainty will converge for consumers and brands in 2026.

In her third annual letter, Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s VP and GM of Ads and Commerce, outlined how Search, YouTube, and its shopping infrastructure are being rebuilt for the agentic era β€” where AI doesn’t just surface information but actively assists, recommends, and completes transactions.

Key trends. Google is redefining commercial intent across Search, YouTube, and AI interfaces. Ads are moving deeper into conversational experiences like AI Mode, creative production is becoming AI-native, and checkout is embedding directly into Search. Here are key takeaways from Srinivasan’s letter:

  • Creators to commerce: YouTube remains a discovery hub, with creators serving as trusted tastemakers. AI helps match brands with the right creators, turning influence into measurable business impact.
  • Search ads evolve: As conversational and visual queries rise, AI Mode reimagines ads as part of the discovery journey. New formats (e.g., sponsored retail listings, Direct Offers), aim to help users find products and services while giving brands meaningful ways to convert interest into sales.
  • Agentic commerce arrives: Google is standardizing AI-driven shopping through the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), enabling consumers to browse, pay, and complete purchases seamlessly in AI Mode. Early rollouts include Etsy and Wayfair, with Shopify, Target, and Walmart to follow.
  • AI-powered creative and performance: Gemini 3 powers ad tools that automate creative production and campaign optimization. Generative tools like Nano Banana and Veo 3 help advertisers create studio-quality assets in minutes, while AI Max expands reach and drives performance.

Why we care. Adapting to AI-mediated commerce is increasingly necessary to stay competitive. Buying decisions are shifting β€” more often happening inside AI-driven search, creator content, and agent-powered checkout flows that could reshape traffic and conversion paths. These changes may create new ways to reach high-intent shoppers, but they also signal growing platform control over discovery, measurement, and transactions, potentially affecting competition, costs, and brand visibility.

Google’s blog post. What to expect in digital advertising and commerce in 2026

How AI-driven shopping discovery changes product page optimization

How AI-driven shopping discovery changes product page optimization

As consumers lean into AI search, the industry has focused on the technical β€œhow” – tracking everything from Agentic Commerce Protocols (ACP) to ChatGPT’s latest shopping research tools. In doing so, it often misses the larger shift: conversational search, which is changing how visibility is earned.

There’s a common argument that big brands will always win in AI. I disagree. When you move beyond the β€œbest running shoes” shorthand and look at the deep context users now provide, the playing field levels. AI is trying to match user needs to specific solutions, and it’s up to your brand to provide the details.

This article explains how conversational search changes product discovery and what ecommerce teams need to update on product detail pages (PDPs) to remain visible in AI-driven shopping experiences.

How conversational search builds on semantic search

While semantic search is critical for understanding the meaning and context of words, conversational search is the ability to maintain a back-and-forth dialogue with a user over time.

Semantic search is the foundation for conversational visibility. Think of it like a restaurant: If semantic search is the chef who knows exactly what you mean by β€œsomething light,” conversational search is the waiter who remembers that you’re ordering for dinner.

FeatureSemantic searchConversational search
GoalTo understand intent and contextTo handle a flow of questions
How it thinksIt knows β€œcar” and β€œautomobile” are the same thingIt knows that when you say β€œhow much is it?”, β€œit” refers to the car you just mentioned
The interactionSearching with a phrase instead of keywordsHaving a chat where the computer remembers what you were asking about before
ExampleAsking β€œWhat is a healthy meal?” and getting results for β€œnutritious recipes.”Asking β€œWhat is a healthy meal?” followed by β€œgive me a recipe for that.”

AI blends them together. It uses semantic understanding to decode your complex intent and conversational logic to keep the thread of the story moving. For brands, this means your content has to be clear enough for the β€œchef” to interpret and consistent enough for the β€œwaiter” to follow.

What conversational search and AI discovery mean for ecommerce

I recently shared how my mom was using ChatGPT to remodel her kitchen. She didn’t start by searching for β€œthe best cabinets.” Instead, she leveraged ChatGPT as her pseudo-designer and contractor, using AI to solve specific problems.

Product discovery happened naturally through constraint-based queries:

  • β€œFind cabinets that fit these dimensions and match this specific wood type.”
  • β€œAre these cabinets easy for a DIY installation?”

Her conversations were piling up, allowing her to reach multiple solutions at once. Her discovery journey was layered. When ChatGPT recommended products to complete her tasks, she simply followed up with, β€œWhere can I buy those?”

Brands and marketers need to stop optimizing for keywords and start optimizing for tasks. Identify the specific conversations where your product becomes the solution. If your data can’t answer the β€œWill this fit?” or β€œIs this easy?” questions, you won’t be part of the final recommendation.

β€œRecommend products” is the top task users trust AI to handle, highlighting a clear opportunity for brands, according to Tinuiti’s 2026 AI Trends Study. (Disclosure: I am the Sr. Director of AI SEO Innovation at Tinuiti.)Β 

For your brand to be the one recommended, your PDPs must provide the β€œground truth” details these assistants need to make a confident selection.Β Β 

Dig deeper: How to make ecommerce product pages work in an AI-first world

What to do before you start changing every PDP

Step away from the keyword research tools and stop asking for β€œprompt volumes.” In an AI-driven world, intent is more important than volume. Before changing a single page, you need to understand the high-intent journeys your personas are actually taking.

To identify your high-intent semantic opportunities:

  • Audit your personas: Who is your buyer, and what are their non-negotiable questions? If you haven’t mapped these lately, start there.
  • Bridge the team gap: Talk to your product and sales teams. They know the specific attributes and β€œdeal-breaker” details that actually drive conversions.
  • Listen to the market: Use sentiment analysis and social listening to find hidden use cases or brand problems. How are people actually using, or struggling with, your product in ways your brand team hasn’t considered?
  • Map constraints, not keywords: Identify the specific constraints (size, compatibility, budget) that AI agents use to filter recommendations.

How to build PDPs for AI search with decision support

Your PDP should operate like a product knowledge document and be optimized for natural language. This helps an AI system decide whether to recommend the product for a specific situation.

Name your ideal buyer and edge cases

Content should support better decision-making. Audit your PDPs to determine whether they provide enough detail on who the product is best for – and not for. Does the page explicitly name your ideal buyer, their skill level, lifestyle constraints, and deal-breakers?

AI shopping queries often include exclusions, and clearly outlining the important parts of your user search journey will help you understand where your products fit best.

Cover compatibility and product specifications

Compatibility feels synonymous with electronics (e.g., β€œWill my headphones connect to this computer?”). But think beyond one-to-one compatibility and expand into lifestyle compatibility:

  • Is this laptop bag waterproof enough for a 20-minute bike ride in the rain, and does it have a clip for a taillight?
  • Can I fit a Kindle and a book in this purse?
  • Will this detergent work with my HE washer?
  • Will this carry-on suitcase fit in the overhead compartment on every airline?
  • Is this β€œfamily-sized” cutting board actually small enough to fit inside a standard dishwasher?

People are searching for how products fit into their lifestyle needs. Highlight and emphasize the features that make your products compatible with their lifestyle.

Dig deeper: How to make products machine-readable for multimodal AI search

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.


Provide vertical-specific product guidance

Breaking down your customer search journey and listening to your customers’ concerns, either through AI sentiment analysis, social listening, or product reviews, will help you understand what you need to be specific about.

  • Apparel brands should add sizing and fit guidance. Maybe you’re comparing your size 10 jeans to competitors’ sizing, or considering sizing changes based on the cut or style of your other jeans.
  • Beauty or skincare brands need ingredient combination details. Is this product compatible with other common formulas? Can I layer it over a vitamin C serum?
  • Toy brands could include important details for parents. Does your product need to be assembled, and how long will it take? Can they assemble it the night before Christmas?

If your biggest customer complaint is understanding when and how to use your products, you’re likely not making it easy enough for them to buy. Better defining your product attributes helps users and LLMs alike better understand your products.

Write for constraint matching instead of browsing

AI shopping discovery is driven by constraints instead of keywords. Shoppers aren’t asking for β€œthe best laptop bag.” They’re asking for a bag that fits under an airplane seat, survives a rainy commute, and still looks professional in a meeting.

PDPs should be written to reflect that reality. Audit your product pages to see whether they answer common β€œCan I …?” and β€œWill this work if …?” questions in plain language. These details often live in reviews, FAQs, or support tickets, but rarely surface in core product copy where AI systems are most likely to pull from.

Here’s what transforming your content can look like:

Traditional PDP copy

  • Laptop backpack
    • Water-resistant polyester exterior.
    • Fits laptops up to 15β€³.
    • Multiple interior compartments.
    • Lightweight design.
    • USB charging port.

PDP copy written for constraints

  • Laptop backpack
    • Best for: Daily commuters, frequent flyers, and students who need to carry tech in unpredictable weather.
    • Not ideal for: Extended outdoor exposure or laptops larger than 15.6β€³.
    • Weather readiness: Water-resistant coating protects electronics during short walks or bike commutes in light rain, but is not designed for heavy downpours.
    • Travel compatibility: Fits comfortably under most airplane seats and in overhead bins on domestic flights.
    • Capacity and layout: Holds a 15-15.6β€³ laptop, charger, and tablet, with room for a book or light jacket – but not bulky items.
    • Lifestyle considerations: Integrated USB port supports charging on the go (power bank not included).

LLMs evaluate how well a product satisfies specific constraints in conversational queries or based on predetermined user preference information.

PDPs that clearly articulate those constraints are more likely to be selected, summarized, and recommended. This type of copy should also help your on-site customers better understand your products.

Dig deeper: Why ecommerce SEO audits fail – and what actually works in 30 days

Technical foundations still matter for ecommerce

Just because search platforms change doesn’t mean we should abandon everything we’ve learned in traditional optimization.

Technical SEO fundamentals still heavily apply in AI search:

  • Can crawlers access and index your site?
  • Are your product listing pages (PLPs) and PDPs clearly linked and structured?
  • Do pages load quickly enough for crawlers and users?
  • Is your most critical content accessible?

In conversational shopping, structured data is playing a different role than it did in traditional SEO strategies. In conversational shopping, it’s about verification.Β 

AI systems use your schema to validate facts before they risk reusing them in an answer. If the AI can’t verify your price, availability, or shipping details through a merchant feed or structured data, it won’t risk recommending you.

Variant clarity is just as important. When differences like size, color, or configuration aren’t clearly defined, AI systems may treat variants as separate products or merge them incorrectly. The result is inaccurate pricing, incompatible recommendations, or missed visibility.

Most importantly, structured data must match what’s visibly true on the page. When schema contradicts on-page content, AI systems avoid recommending uncertain information.

Dig deeper: How SEO leaders can explain agentic AI to ecommerce executives

Owning the digital shelf in 2026

Success on the digital shelf has moved beyond high-volume keywords. In this new era, your visibility depends on how well you satisfy the complex constraints users can provide in a single search. AI models are scanning your pages to see if you meet specific, nuanced requirements, like β€œgluten-free,” β€œeasy to install,” or β€œfits a 30-inch window.”

The shift to conversational discovery means your product data must be ready to sustain a dialogue. The goal is simple: provide the density of information necessary for an AI to confidently transact on a user’s behalf. Those who build for these multi-layered journeys will own the future of discovery.

OpenAI details how ads will work in ChatGPT

OpenAI ChatGPT iOS app

In a conversation on the OpenAI podcast, host Andrew Maine spoke with OpenAI executive Assad Awan, who detailed how ads will roll out in ChatGPT, who will see them and how the company plans to protect user trust.

Who will see ads:

  • Ads will appear for Free and Go tier users
  • Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscribers won’t see ads
  • Enterprise workspaces will remain fully ad-free

The guardrails: Awan emphasized that OpenAI is structuring ads around strict trust principles:

  • Separation: Ads are visually and technically separate from model answers
  • Privacy: Conversations aren’t shared with advertisers
  • Sensitive topics: Health, politics and other sensitive chats won’t show ads
  • Controls: Users can adjust or turn off personalization β€” or upgrade to remove ads

According to Awan, the model itself doesn’t know when ads are present and can’t reference them unless a user explicitly asks about one.

Zoom in. OpenAI internally prioritizes user trust over user value, advertiser value and revenue, Awan said β€” a framework meant to prevent ads from shaping how the model responds.

For small businesses. Awan described a future where AI acts as an advertising agent, helping small businesses run campaigns by describing goals in plain language rather than managing complex dashboards.

Why we care. ChatGPT ads could open a new, high-intent channel where businesses reach users during active conversations and decision-making moments. The platform’s focus on relevance, AI-driven matching and agent-style campaign tools could lower the barrier to entry for small and midsize advertisers while improving performance for larger brands.

If OpenAI succeeds in building a trusted ad environment, it may reshape how advertisers think about discovery and customer engagement in AI-driven interfaces.

What’s next. Early ad tests will be conservative, focusing on usefulness and relevance over volume as OpenAI refines formats and placement.

The big picture. Through advertising, OpenAI is aiming to scale ChatGPT access while maintaining a trust-first design β€” a balance the company says is central to its long-term strategy.

Dig deeper. Watch full interview with Assad Awan

Google Ads shows recommended experiments

Trusting Google Ads AI

Google Ads is rolling out recommended experiments on the Experiments page, surfacing test ideas based on an account’s setup and performance data.

How it works: The platform suggests experiment opportunities β€” such as testing bidding strategies, creative variations, or new campaign features β€” and presents them directly inside the Experiments dashboard.

  • Each recommendation includes a preconfigured experiment setup
  • Advertisers can launch immediately or customize settings
  • Suggestions appear alongside the standard Create Experiment workflow

Why we care. By removing the need to build tests from scratch, Google is lowering the barrier to experimentation. Advertisers can act on optimization ideas faster and more consistently. However, advertisers should still ensure that the right tests/configurations are being launched to avoid wasted time and budget.

Zoom in. Example prompts include suggestions like enabling final URL expansion to improve campaign performance, displayed through in-dashboard popups tied to the Experiments interface.

The big picture. Google is increasingly embedding automated guidance into Ads workflows, nudging advertisers toward continuous testing and data-driven optimization.

First seen. This update was spotted by PPC News Feed owner, Hana KobzovΓ‘.

Expect a BIG BOOST from AMD Medusa Halo thanks to LPDDR6 support

AMD’s next-generation β€œMedusa Halo” CPUs will be gaming MONSTERS AMD’s Strix Halo processors bring together strong Zen 5 CPU cores with a powerful RDNA 3.5 GPU. While β€œGorgon Halo” will refresh this range as the Ryzen AI Max 400 series, AMD has something much bigger planned with β€œMedusa Halo”. Rumour has it that this chip […]

The post Expect a BIG BOOST from AMD Medusa Halo thanks to LPDDR6 support appeared first on OC3D.

MSI Afterburner 4.6.7 Beta 2 Adds 16-Pin GPU Protection and RTX 5090 Lightning Support

MSI has released MSI Afterburner 4.6.7 Beta 2, adding support for its upcoming GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning series and introducing new PSU-level protection features tied to 16-pin (12VHPWR / 12V-2Γ—6) power connectors. The headline addition is integration with MSI's GPU Safeguard+ system, available on select MEG Ai1x00 and MPG Ai1x00TS power supplies. A new PSU.dll plugin enables telemetry monitoring directly inside Afterburner, including voltage, current, power, temperature, efficiency, and fan speed. Supported MPG units can also report per-pin current data for 12VHPWR and 12V-2Γ—6 connectors. If overcurrent or current imbalance is detected on the 16-pin connector, the app will load reduce the GPU power limit (typically to 75% on NVIDIA GPUs, 25% on AMD GPUs) and display an on-screen warning, allowing users to inspect the cable connection. Sound alerts can also be enabled.

Beyond PSU integration, Afterburner 4.6.7 Beta 2 updates the Voltage/Frequency curve editor with zoom and pan controls, adjustable node sizes, and improved curve manipulation with preserved per-point offsets. While adding support for upcoming RTX 5090 Lightning cards in advance is nice, the more notable addition is the monitoring-to-action pipeline that links PSU connector telemetry directly to automatic GPU power reduction in case of a fault.

Disney is considering movie premieres inside Fortnite


After acquiring a $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games in 2024, Disney began outlining plans to build what it calls a "persistent social universe" where users can play, watch, shop, and engage with its many properties. That vision – still light on specifics – could soon include the debut of...

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RED NOW – Create polished short videos for TikTok and YouTube with one click


RED NOW streamlines short-form content creation with one-click video generation for TikTok and other platforms. Paste a link to start and produce ready-to-post clips without complex editing. The platform supports formats like vlogs, product marketing, reviews, tutorials, and more. RED NOW also outputs structured shot lists and timing guides, helping creators plan and execute content faster while maintaining a consistent style and workflow.

View startup

Over 60 Software Vendors Issue Security Fixes Across OS, Cloud, and Network Platforms

It's Patch Tuesday, which means a number of software vendors have released patches for various security vulnerabilities impacting their products and services. Microsoft issued fixes for 59 flaws, including six actively exploited zero-days in various Windows components that could be abused to bypass security features, escalate privileges, and trigger a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. Elsewhere

Build a pipeline and close deals with an exhibit table at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

Get an unmatched ROI by exhibiting your startup in front of 10,000 tech leaders and investors at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, October 13-15 in San Francisco. Book your table now before it's gone.

Warframe Arrives on Android Devices in Canada First Before Going Global Next Week

A promotional image for 'Warframe' features armored characters in space with the text 'COMING TO ANDROIDβ„’ FEBRUARY 2026' and

Warframe, the popular free-to-play action RPG from Canadian developer Digital Extremes (that's also the MMO model that other MMO developers should be looking to), is rounding out its list of available platforms by finally arriving on Android mobile devices today. That said, it's a Canada-exclusive release today, and for the coming week, before it arrives on Android devices globally on February 18, 2026. With Warframe being one of the most successful live-service titles to come out of Canada that's currently active, this first week of exclusivity is a way for Digital Extremes to prioritize its Canadian players and give them […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/warframe-android-mobile-devices-launch-canada-first-digital-extremes/

Google Ads simplifies product campaign tracking

How to write high-performing Google Ads copy with generative AI

Google Ads rolled out a new feature that shows advertisers which campaigns their products are eligible for, directly in the Products section.

How it works. A new dashboard in the Products section includes:

  • A table showing product details, status, issues, and priority flags
  • A line graph summarizing campaign status trends
  • Filters to segment eligibility views
  • A pop-up panel that lists β€œEligible” and β€œNot eligible” campaigns per product

Why we care. dvertisers can now quickly identify products that are missing from key campaigns or unintentionally overlapping across Shopping and Performance Max. The added visibility reduces the need to jump between campaign views to diagnose eligibility gaps.

The big picture: The changes help advertisers quickly identify products that aren’t running in expected campaigns, spot campaign overlap before it becomes a budget problem and save time troubleshooting product-level issues.

Between the lines. This is Google’s latest move to give advertisers more granular control over Shopping campaigns, where product-level optimization can make or break profitability.

When. Available now in Google Ads.

First seen. This update was spotted by PPC News Feed owner Hana KobzovΓ‘.

What 4 AI search experiments reveal about attribution and buying decisions

What 4 AI search experiments reveal about attribution and buying decisions

AI search influence didn’t show up in our SEO reports or AI prompt tracking tools. It showed up in sales calls.

β€œFound you via Grok, actually,” a new lead said.

That comment stopped us cold. We hadn’t tried to rank in Grok. We weren’t tracking it. Yet it was influencing how buyers discovered and evaluated us.

That disconnect kept appearing in client conversations, too. Everyone was curious about AI search, but no one trusted the data.Β 

Teams wanted visibility in ChatGPT and other AI tools, then asked the same question: β€œWhy invest in a channel that doesn’t show up cleanly in attribution?”

To answer that, we ran controlled experiments using assets we could fully control – an agency website, personal sites, an ecommerce brand, and purpose-built test domains.

The goal wasn’t to win AI rankings. It was to understand what still matters once AI enters the decision process:

  • Does AI search change what people buy, or just where brands appear?
  • Can something influence revenue without ever appearing in analytics?
  • Does AI recommendation affect performance across other channels?

Why we ran the experiments

Most AI search conversations fixate on visibility signals like brand mentions, citations, or visibility screenshots from AI prompt tracking tools.

Search has always had one job: help people make a decision.

We wanted to know if AI search performed the same job and actually changed commercial outcomes.

AI systems now operate at the stage where buyers compare options, shortlist providers, and reduce risk.

If AI mattered, it had to show up at the moment of decision.

On measurement limits:Β 

  • We didn’t rely on API data because API responses often differ from what real users see. Instead, we observed live interfaces across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews.Β 
  • We used prompt tracking to spot patterns, not to declare absolute wins.

Experiment 1: Self-promotional β€˜best of’ lists on your own website

A simple tactic became popular over the past year:

  • Create a β€œbest X” list on your site.
  • Put yourself at the top.
  • Let AI systems pick up the list.

I’ve seen agencies do this locally and felt conflicted about it.

It wasn’t spam. But it relied on a blind spot – LLMs struggle to separate independent rankings from self-written ones.

Around the same time, Ahrefs published a large study that helped explain why this works. Glen Allsopp analyzed ChatGPT responses across hundreds of β€œbest X”-style prompts and found that β€œbest” list posts were the most commonly cited page type.

Two things from the study stood out:

  • Format: This included cases where brands ranked themselves first
  • Freshness: Most cited lists had been updated recently

I could have tested these observations on StudioHawk. Instead, I did it on my personal brand website to manage the risk.Β 

I published a list of the β€œBest SEO agencies in Sydney” and included my own website among the entries to test whether AI would β€œtake the bait,” so to speak.

Within two weeks, LawrenceHitches.com appeared across AI tools for β€œbest SEO agency Sydney” style searches:

Best SEO agencies - Sydney

The speed was surprising – traditional SEO rarely moves that fast.

If visibility appears this easily, then visibility alone can’t mean much, so I tested it again.

Experiment 2: Self-promotion of a fake business

Initially, I could have been piggybacking off the already established StudioHawk brand, so I decided to run a self-promotion test on a fake website

We used a basic landscaping site built only for SEO and AI testing and published the same type of page, a β€œbest X” list.

This time, the topic was β€œbest landscapers in Melbourne”:

Best landscapers in Melbourne

Within two weeks, the list appeared in AI responses again. The result repeated almost exactly.

If a brand-new test site can surface this fast, then β€œappeared in AI” doesn’t mean much on its own.

Visibility vs. trust

These two experiments showed one thing clearly: LLMs are still easy to influence at the surface level.

I ran these tests back in August 2025, but the same pattern still appears today.

A β€œbest SEO agency Sydney” search run in January 2026 shows the same list-driven results:

Top SEO agencies Sydney

This creates a real conflict for brands.

On one side, the data says yes – the Ahrefs research shows β€œBest X” pages attract citations. Large brands like Shopify, Slack, and HubSpot publish self-ranked lists without obvious damage to rankings or AI visibility.

On the other side is buyer trust.

As Wil Reynolds put it, listing yourself first on your own site doesn’t build confidence with buyers. That’s the tension.

When bullish founders ask for the secret sauce to appear in ChatGPT, I’m blunt. List-based β€œbest of X” pages that rank the author first have been a fast way to surface in some AI results.

That doesn’t work everywhere, and it’s unlikely to hold up long term.

Dig deeper: Google may be cracking down on self-promotional β€˜best of’ listicles

If a landscaping site with no reputation can surface this quickly, then appearing in AI means very little on its own.

Why prompt tracking can’t be a success metric

A lot of money is flowing into AI prompt tracking tools. Clients ask for them constantly. We use them too, but with a clear warning.

I wouldn’t make major decisions based on screenshots or Reddit threads about where a brand appears in ChatGPT.

Brand overlap between API outputs and real user sessions was as low as 24%, according to recent research from Surfer SEO comparing tracking APIs with scraped user experiences.

That means three times out of four, what the API told you was happening wasn’t what the user was actually seeing.

If a brand can appear in a screenshot but disappear in a real user session, then appearance alone isn’t a metric.

We stopped asking if we showed up.

Instead, we started asking, β€œDid this change how buyers behaved?”

  • Did leads reference AI tools without prompting?
  • Did sales calls skip education?
  • Did the speed of buying change?
  • Did price resistance soften?

These signals were harder to collect.

Dig deeper: 7 hard truths about measuring AI visibility and GEO performance

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Experiment 3: Kadi and the limits of digital PR alone

Kadi, an ecommerce brand we invested in that sells luggage, provided insight into our questions about whether AI results were affecting buyer behavior.

Running tests on Kadi has been an eye-opening experience for two reasons:Β 

  • It’s the difference between running an agency and running ecommerce.
  • It forced us to become our own client.

To move fast, we led with digital PR.

Kadi’s SEO foundation was solid but not perfect. We wanted to see how far off-site mentions could push SEO and AI visibility without heavy technical work or a polished site structure.

We conducted a large number of creative data campaigns and product placements, including:

  • Travel data studies: β€œOver-touristed destinations,” β€œHidden fees,” β€œBest time to fly,” and β€œHappy Hour at 30,000 ft.”
  • Advisory pieces: β€œAirport cybersecurity” and β€œduty-free shopping” guides
  • Product and feature focus: β€œKadi kids carry-on adventure,” β€œcloud check-in features,” and inclusions in β€œbest suitcase round-ups.”
List of creative data campaigns and product placements

It worked:

  • Coverage landed.
  • Authority grew without the need for β€œtraditional SEO.”
  • We saw temporary keyword spikes and traffic boosts.
Kadi - Digital PR efforts

But there was a catch: Digital PR alone wasn’t enough to close the gap with competitors. It created quick traction in search results, but it didn’t resolve the underlying issues.

After launch, SEO foundation work became the priority.

Then, Black Friday made the reality obvious. A customer found Kadi through ChatGPT on a β€œkids carry-on” query.

We saw this happen on the day of the query and showed the pathway:Β 

  • They didn’t buy immediately.
  • They checked the shipping policy.
  • They browsed the range.
  • They added three additional products.
  • They debated colour (olive over pink).
  • Attribution later showed Instagram as the source.

That order was the largest of the Black Friday period.

On paper, AI did nothing. In reality, it was part of shaping the decision.Β 

Digital PR can get you visibility spikes, but it doesn’t address the whole picture.Β 

While AI traffic does convert, the attribution is inconsistent.

Experiment 4: StudioHawkΒ 

Across 2024 and 2025, StudioHawk underwent a full website rebrand and migration from WordPress to HubSpot.

Our own site sat at the bottom of the priority list for years. It was always the project we would get to later.Β 

Finally, we paused other priorities and rebuilt the entire site.

The work started in 2023, before terms like β€œGEO” existed. We were focused only on rebuilding service pages, social proof, and user experience end to end.

After launch, rankings improved and continue to grow.

Studiohawk post-rebrand performance

In 2025, SEO became the agency’s strongest channel by efficiency. It drove 65% of inbound leads and close to 60% of new revenue.

Agency's strongest channel by efficiency

Between July and December 2025, AI search leads began to appear more often:

AI search leads appered

Initially, these were β€œOh, cool, we got a lead from AI” moments around the office.

Sales calls started skipping early education. New leads arrived aligned based on fit and expectations.

Over time, we saw that:

  • SEO inbound leads: Averaged 29 days to close.
  • AI search leads: Closed in roughly 18 days.

That 10-day gap mattered.

It meant less time educating, fewer scope objections, lower price sensitivity, and higher confidence earlier in the process.

Within the first year, AI-influenced conversations contributed over $100,000 in closed revenue from 20+ leads, including deals with direct attribution from tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Grok.

The blind spot remains attribution paths such as Instagram, direct, or organic, where AI influenced the decision but didn’t appear in reporting (as seen in the Kadi example).

Where direct AI attribution existed, buyers were more prepared. That preparedness shortened sales cycles and lifted revenue.

AI compresses consideration

We started by asking where people would search next.

Our key finding? AI search doesn’t replace discovery. It compresses the consideration phase.

AI compresses consideration

Consideration is that messy middle where buyers reduce risk, shortlist vendors, compare tradeoffs, and ask, β€œWho should I trust?”

They answer these questions before a buyer ever clicks a link.Β 

It means your website no longer carries the full load – AI summaries and third-party mentions do the pre-selling for you.

This is the shift we now describe as the new consideration era.

As the map illustrates, we’ve moved from a straight funnel to a complex, AI-influenced pathway where consensus is key:

The new consideration era

Because this happens off-site, last-click attribution is broken.Β 

A buyer might use ChatGPT to create a shortlist but convert later via direct search.

Where traditional SEO still fits

Strong SEO metrics were a core across all our experiments, but we’ve stopped viewing them as the primary driver of value:

  • Keyword rankings confirm search engines understand your entity.
  • However, those high rankings don’t guarantee effective pre-selling.

Traditional SEO became a supporting signal – proof that the foundation is sound, rather than the end goal.

What this means for brands

After running a variety of AI search experiments, here’s what I think brands should focus on.

1. Measure where AI influence actually lands

Stop obsessing over prompt appearances (e.g., citations, mentions). These are shiny objects, but they fluctuate too easily.Β 

Instead, measure:

  • Sales velocity (Did deals close faster?)
  • Quality of the lead (Did they ask fewer questions to learn?)
  • Value per lead (Did price friction ease?)

2. Make clarity more important than creativity

AI hates vagueness. Making pages that make it clear what you do and who it’s for.

Pay attention to content that answers questions about risk, comparison, and price.

3. Change the content to help people decide what to buy

Focus on content that answers comparison, risk, and pricing questions. This makes a bigger difference than general category explanations.

4. Make entity consistency a crucial factor

Lack of consistency makes people doubt themselves. Conversely, consistency boosts confidence.

Check to see that your website, reviews, and digital PR all talk about your brand in the same way.

AI search compresses consideration, not discovery

In the end, the results were the same across all experiments. What we got from our sales pipeline was typical:

  • Clear intent.
  • Tight positioning.
  • Consistent signals of authority.

AI search isn’t replacing basic SEO. Instead, it shows weak positioning more quickly than traditional search ever did.Β 

What does that mean?Β 

Simply put, AI speeds up decisions that were already forming.

Dig deeper: From searching to delegating: Adapting to AI-first search behavior

How to reduce low-quality leads from Performance Max campaigns

How to reduce low-quality leads from Performance Max campaigns

When left to its own devices, there are a couple of things Performance Max is absolutely great at doing for lead gen campaigns:

  • Driving volume.
  • Finding the lowest-quality leads it possibly can.

It’s not inherently surprising that Google is doing what’s best for Google – that is, lining its own pockets – by heavily optimizing toward the cheapest, path-of-least-resistance conversion events.

From experience with campaigns we inherit from new clients, this performance often catches brands off guard – especially those who take Google sales reps’ β€œhelpful advice” at face value.

It can take time for those brands to look past PMax’s shiny, low CPAs and realize the truth: those leads do little to nothing for real pipeline or revenue.

However, Performance Max, when given the proper guardrails, can be a good source of incremental, quality leads – but the trick is in building those guardrails.Β 

This article covers lead quality tactics that work and how to execute them, tactics that don’t work, and important differences between Performance Max campaigns in Google and Bing.Β 

How to improve lead quality in PMax campaigns

These are the specific levers that consistently influence lead quality in Performance Max.

  • Use conversion goals focused on metrics that indicate a higher quality lead than just form fills.
    • Depending on your data density, this could mean closed-won leads, opportunities, or (if you need to go up the funnel to get enough volume) sales-qualified leads.Β 
    • It’s important to note that the effectiveness of this tactic depends on good offline conversion tracking implementation and a clean CRM instance, so don’t turn on PMax lead gen campaigns until you’re confident in your HubSpot or Salesforce integrity.
  • Use high-value lists for audience signals. This can be based on a certain activity, like β€œbooked a meeting,” instead of simply including all converters.
  • Keep the focus on the right audiences. Exclude irrelevant ones and upload Customer Match lists to help Google’s algorithm find similar users.
  • Be smart with your campaign settings.
    • Use brand exclusions to ensure you’re not letting PMax cannibalize your brand traffic.Β 
    • Restrict your location targeting to high-performing geos.
    • Set strategic scheduling, such as excluding early-morning hours if those conversions tend to be lower quality.
    • Evaluate search themes and placements, and be aggressive about negative keywords and placement exclusions.
    • Use sitelinks to steer traffic to pages with full, detailed forms.
  • Refine the forms themselves.
    • Implement reCAPTCHA or honeypot fields in forms that keep bots from β€œconverting.”
    • Use field validation:
      • Block disposable domains.
      • Block freemails.
    • Add freeform or disqualifying questions.
      • β€œHow did you hear about us?”
      • β€œDo you have a budget for [solution]?”
      • β€œHow many employees are in your organization?”

Dig deeper: Top Performance Max optimization tips for 2026

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Tactics that won’t affect lead quality

On the other hand, some of the usual campaign optimization strategies won’t do much to move the needle on PMax lead quality. If that’s your sole focus, you can de-prioritize:

  • Switching bid strategies (e.g., switching from Max Conversions to tCPA helps a little but doesn’t fix everything).
  • Adding more assets.
  • Adding more budget.
  • Asking Google support (something I’d just stay away from in general these days).

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Important (and subtle) differences to know between Google and Bing PMax campaigns

Both Google and Bing have Performance Max campaigns, but there are differences in their offerings.

Google’s Performance Max network spans search, display, YouTube, discovery campaigns, and Gmail. It’s an absolutely huge amount of inventory – especially display and YouTube, which can be huge spam drivers if left unchecked.

Microsoft has far less video and display inventory. Their PMax campaigns primarily include Bing search, syndicated search, and the Microsoft audience network (which spans display, Outlook, and MSN).Β 

When comparing performance between the two, we haven’t seen any notable differences, but it’s worth monitoring updates to each platform’s reporting and inventory going forward.

Dig deeper: Google and Microsoft: How their Performance Max approaches align and diverge

See the complete picture of your search visibility.

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Performance Max isn’t broken, but it needs control

If you’re considering running PMax for lead gen, you should approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism.Β 

While PMax has been effective at driving scalable revenue for ecommerce,those campaigns need considerable guidelines to maintain lead quality.Β 

For instance, preventing a high-end shoe retailer from racking up tons of conversions on things like replacement laces and shoe polish will require that the campaign develop sufficient PMax guardrails.

Considering how Google is moving toward additional automation and AI in campaigns, it’s important to keep testing and experimenting to gain an understanding of the tools available to analyze and shape PMax campaigns.Β 

Google has issued some new releases to help as of late, including channel-level reporting, more options for exclusions, and campaign-level negative keywords.)Β 

There is a lead scale out there that can provide a healthy ROAS if you’re willing and able to wrestle the algorithm into submission.Β 

If you’ve tested Performance Max campaigns for lead gen but paused them once it was clear they weren’t driving revenue, do a quick post-mortem on your past efforts. You might find there’s room to whip Google into shape to do better this time around.Β 

Take note of the tactics you haven’t yet implemented and prioritize putting them in place before you waste another dollar of your 2026 budget on poor-quality leads that just junk up your CRM.

Intel’s Nova Lake CPUs are HUGE, leak reveals – Especially if you include bLLC

Intel Core Ultra 400 β€œNova Lake” die sizes leak – bLLC is HUGE! Thanks to HXL, new details have leaked for Intel’s upcoming Core Ultra 400 series β€œNova Lake” CPUs, and to put it simply, these processors are HUGE! Compared with AMD’s leaked Zen 6 CPU die sizes, Intel’s CPU dies are much larger. Both […]

The post Intel’s Nova Lake CPUs are HUGE, leak reveals – Especially if you include bLLC appeared first on OC3D.

(PR) BenQ Launches InstaShow VS25 for App-Free Wireless Conferencing

BenQ, a global leader in display and collaboration solutions, today announced the InstaShow VS25, a wireless conferencing system built to make hybrid meetings easier and smoother. Designed for corporate meeting rooms and executive spaces, the VS25 delivers app-free, hardware-based wireless conferencing with ultra-low-latency performance for easy in-room and remote collaboration.

As more organizations adopt hybrid work, modern conference rooms must support easy in-room collaboration and reliable participation for remote attendees. While wireless presentation has become standard, many wireless conferencing solutions still rely on CPU-intensive Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) apps layered on top of popular video conferencing platforms. This creates performance bottlenecks, security exposure, and friction for guests.

(PR) Biostar Introduces DDR5 16 GB UDIMM 4800/5600 MT Memory

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of edge computing solutions, industrial motherboards, graphics cards, storage devices, and memory solutions, is excited to introduce its latest DDR5 16 GB UDIMM memory, available in 4800 and 5600 MT variants. Designed with a focus on stability, efficiency, and broad system compatibility, the new DDR5 memory delivers reliable performance across everyday computing and professional applications.

Designed to support a wide range of computing environments, BIOSTAR DDR5 16 GB UDIMM memory offers a balanced and dependable solution for every day and professional use. From home entertainment and office productivity to HTPC systems, NAS deployments, system integration projects, content creation, and casual to mid-range gaming, this memory delivers smooth multitasking and consistent system responsiveness across diverse workloads.

Windows 11 26H1 Limited to New Arm-based Processors, Other PCs Remain on 25H2

Microsoft's Windows 11 26H1 update, initially expected to offer only new silicon support without a host of new features, is now dedicated exclusively to new and upcoming Arm-based processors like the Snapdragon X2 Elite/Plus. This marks a significant shift in Windows 11's development pathβ€”a first divergence in Windows deployment in the recent timeline, and a first for Windows 11. As a result, regular PC users with x86-64 and older Arm-based platforms will continue to use the Windows 11 25H2 as a feature update. According to the latest Windows IT Pro Blog, "Windows 11, version 26H1 is not a feature update for version 25H2," indicating that a different version will serve as the next feature update for Windows 11, rather than the anticipated 26H1.

Microsoft is concentrating on providing full support for the new Windows-on-Arm platforms, some of which are already available. These platforms include Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite processors and NVIDIA's N1 and N1x SoCs. This new hardware requires optimization from Microsoft to ensure the best experience on Windows 11, so the company is dedicating most of its efforts for the 26H1 update to this task. Since new silicon requires fine-tuning, such as specific power profiles and hardware optimizations to extract maximum performance, Microsoft is separating Windows 11 into another branch to make sure that servicing and updates are easier, and also that shipping customized power/performance settings doesn't end up corrupting the build for non-Arm CPUs.

Unwanted AI upgrade to Windows Notepad created a serious security flaw


According to Microsoft's release notes, the update fixes 25 elevation of privilege flaws, 12 remote code execution vulnerabilities, three denial of service vulnerabilities, five security feature bypass exploits, six information disclosure bugs, and seven spoofing vulnerabilities. Six of the vulnerabilities were rated "Critical," while the rest were marked as "Severe."

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MCASOP – One platform for all clouds with AI-powered security


Cloud-native standardization and deep-layer AI integration enable AI to execute security operations more efficiently. It addresses the challenge of accountability by enabling full-process auditing, providing optimal response strategies, and allowing rollbacks, which reduces concerns for security teams. With 24/7 uninterrupted, fully automated, and intelligent security operations, it offers a lighter, more cost-effective solution that delivers better and richer choices.

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AMD Ryzen 7 5800X/XT Outsells Nearly Every CPU, Becoming Even More Popular Than Ryzen 7 7800X3D

AMD Ryzen 5 5600 XT & Ryzen 5 5600T Now Available, New Options For AM4 Platforms For Under $200 1

AMD's Zen 3 is going strong, but the rise of the 8-core/16-thread Ryzen 5800X/XT is surprising, as it is closest to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in sales figures. AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and 5800X Secure the 2nd Position in Best Selling CPUs List on Amazon and Mindfactory; Sells Nearly 3,000 Units in a Month With the comeback of the AM4 platform, the AMD Zen 3 processors are selling like hotcakes once again. AMD's 8-core processors are growing in demand, and we can clearly see the effect in the sales data. Till now, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and 7800X3D have […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-7-5800x-xt-outsells-nearly-every-cpu-on-amazon-us/

ArcheAge Chronicles Still Slated for Q4 2026, While Chrono Odyssey Gets Pushed to Q1 2027

Unreal Engine 5 ArcheAge 2 Chrono Odyssey ArcheAge Chronicles

This morning, Korean publisher Kakao Games shared its updated release schedule during the Q4 2025 earnings report, including two highly anticipated MMORPGs: ArcheAge Chronicles and Chrono Odyssey. Both games have already been delayed; they were originally slated for 2025, but got pushed to 2026. Now, Chrono Odyssey has been moved even further away, to Q1 2027, whereas Archeage Chronicles is still holding fast to its Q4 2026 window. This is slightly surprising, because ArcheAge Chronicles still hasn't hosted any Closed Beta Tests in Western countries, yet Kakao Games is confident it will debut globally before the end of this year. […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/archeage-chronicles-still-slated-q4-2026-chrono-odyssey-q1-2027/

Intel Nova Lake Compute Tile Die Sizes Revealed: 8+16 at 110mmΒ² & bLLC Variant at 150mmΒ²

Intel Nova Lake Compute Tile Die Sizes Revealed: 8+16 at 110mmΒ² & bLLC Variant at 150mmΒ² 1

The die sizes of Intel's Nova Lake compute tiles have been revealed, with the base die measuring slightly smaller than Arrow Lake's compute tile. Intel's Nova Lake bLLC Compute Tile Measures Slightly Bigger Than Standard Variant, Dual Compute Tile Variants To Take 300mmΒ² of Space on Package Details regarding Intel's Nova Lake CPUs continue to be shared online. The latest information comes from HXL regarding the die sizes of two compute tiles based on the 8+16 configuration. As we know from earlier reports, Intel's Nova Lake CPUs, both desktops and laptops, will make use of an 8+16 configuration, which will […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/intel-nova-lake-compute-tile-die-sizes-revealed-110mm-bllc-variant-at-150mm/

iPhone 18 Pro’s C2 5G Modem Will Support A New Connectivity Protocol That Will Treat Satellites As Distant Cell Towers, Boosting Reliability

Apple's C2 5G modem to support a new connectivity protocol, bringing upgraded satellite communication to the table

Apple is reported to improve upon its satellite connectivity on the iPhone 18Β series launching later this year, with its C2 5G modem being set up as the backbone of the configuration. The company’sΒ Emergency SOS via satelliteΒ feature, which arrived with the iPhone 14 family, was a literal lifesaver, but it wasn’t without its shortcomings. These limitations are expected to be addressed later this year with a new connectivity protocol that will enable 5G satellite connectivity for the company’s upcoming flagships, allowing both handsets to treat each low-orbit satellite as if it were just another cell tower. The C2 modem will support […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/iphone-18-pro-c2-5g-modem-to-treat-satellites-as-distant-cell-towers/

Next God of War Is Reportedly Considered For a Multiplatform Release: Day One on PC Or Something More?

Kratos and Atreus are fighting enemies in a snowy mountain landscape in the game 'God of War,' with the logo visible in the

The God of War series is one of the tentpole PlayStation franchises, and one that represents the brand's identity best. Moving from the character-action experiences of the first three entries in the series, the franchise starring Kratos has evolved into a compelling action-adventure series with the latest two games. Such a drastic departure in gameplay and tone is obviously making fans of the series curious about the franchise's future, but as of now, not much is known about how God of War will evolve in future games. Before a new main entry in the series, however, it is rumored a […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/next-god-of-war-is-reportedly-considered-for-a-multiplatform-release-day-one-on-pc-or-something-more/

U.S. government plans tariff exemptions for TSMC, if it follows through on American investment β€” $165 billion already pledged to increase production capacity, but details of the deal are still murky

Following the announcement of impending chip import tariffs in January, the Trump Administration is now planning to offer major U.S. tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon the ability to circumvent them. However, the number of TSMC-made chips exempt from the tariffs may be directly tied to the Taiwanese chipmaker's scale of investment in American operations.

PPC mistakes that humble even experienced marketers

Marketing mistakes

Every seasoned PPC pro carries a few scars β€” the kind you earn when a campaign launches too fast, an automation quietly runs wild, or a β€œsmall” setting you were sure you checked comes back to bite you.

At SMX Next, we had a candid, refreshingly honest conversation about the mistakes that still trip us up, no matter how long we’ve been in the game. I was joined by Greg Kohler, director of digital marketing at ServiceMaster Brands, and Susan Yen, PPC team lead at SearchLab Digital.

Read on to see the missteps that can humble even the most experienced search marketers.

Never launch campaigns on a Friday

This might be the most notorious mistake in PPC β€” and yet it keeps happening. Yen shared that campaigns often go live on Fridays, driven by client pressure and the excitement to move fast.

The risk is obvious. If something breaks over the weekend, you either won’t see it or you’ll spend Saturday and Sunday glued to your screen fixing it. One small slip β€” like setting a $100 daily budget instead of $10 β€” can burn through spend before anyone notices.

Kohler stressed the value of fresh eyes. Even if you build campaigns on Friday, wait until Monday to review and launch. Experience can breed overconfidence. You start to believe you won’t make mistakes β€” until a Friday launch proves otherwise.

The lesson: Don’t launch before holidays, before time off, or on Fridays. If clients push back, be the β€œannoying paid person” who says no. You’ll protect your sanity β€” and the campaign’s performance.

Location targeting disasters

Kohler shared a mishap where location targeting didn’t carry over correctly while copying campaigns in bulk through Google Ads Editor. By Saturday morning, those campaigns had already racked up 10,000 impressions β€” because the ads were running in Europe while the intended U.S. audience slept.

The lesson: Some settings, especially location targeting, are safer to configure directly in the Google Ads interface. There, you can explicitly set β€œUnited States only,” which reduces the risk of accidental international targeting.

The search term report trap

Yen made it clear: reviewing search term reports isn’t optional. It matters for every campaign typeβ€”standard search, Performance Max, and AI-driven campaigns included. Skip this step, and it looks like you’re chasing clicks instead of qualified traffic.

The real damage shows up months later. Explaining to a client where their budget wentβ€”when you could’ve caught irrelevant queries earlyβ€”leads to uncomfortable conversations. Yen recommends reviewing search terms at least once a month. The time required is small compared to the spend it can save.

The lesson: Regular reviews also help you decide what to add as keywords and what to block as negatives. The goal is balance. Too many new keywords create cluttered accounts. Too many negatives often signal deeper issues with match types.

Google Ads Editor vs. interface: A constant battle

The conversation surfaced a familiar frustration: Google Ads Editor and the main interface don’t always play well together. Features roll out to the interface first, then slowly make their way to Editor, which creates gaps and surprises.

Yen explained that her team builds campaigns in Excel first, including character counts for ad copy, before uploading everything into Editor. Even so, they avoid setting most campaign configurations there. Instead, they rely on the interface to visually confirm that every setting is correct.

Kohler added that Editor shines for franchise accounts with dozens β€” or hundreds β€” of near-identical campaigns. It’s especially useful for spotting inconsistent settings at scale.

The lesson: For precision work like location targeting or building responsive display ads, the interface offers better control and clearer visibility.

The automatically created assets problem

Kohler called out automatically created assets as a major pain point. These settings default to β€œon,” and turning them off means clicking through multiple layers β€” assets, additional assets, then selecting a reason for disabling each one.

The frustration gets worse when Google introduces new automated asset types, like dynamic business names and logos, and automatically applies them to every existing campaign by default. For Kohler’s team, which manages 500 accounts per brand, that meant reopening every account just to turn off the new features.

The lesson: Set recurring calendar reminders to review these settings every few months. Google isn’t slowing down on automation, and most of it requires opting out.

Importing campaigns from Google to Microsoft Ads

Yen warned about the risks of importing Google campaigns into Microsoft Ads without a thorough review. The import tool feels convenient, but it often introduces real problems:

  • Budgets that make sense for Google’s volume can be far too high for Microsoft.
  • Automated bidding strategies don’t always translate correctly.
  • Imports default to recurring schedules instead of one-time transfers.
  • Smaller audience sizes demand different budget assumptions.

Kohler added that Microsoft Ads’ forced inclusion in the audience network makes things worse. Unlike Google, Microsoft doesn’t offer a simple opt-out from display. Advertisers must manually exclude placements as they surface, or work directly with Microsoft support for brands with legitimate placement concerns.

The lesson: import once to get a starting point, then stop. Treat Microsoft Ads as its own platform, with its own strategy, budgets, and ongoing optimization.

The App placement nightmare

Audience member Jason Lucas shared a painful lesson about forgetting to turn off app audiences for B2B display campaigns. The result was a flood of spend on β€œCandy Crush” views β€” completely irrelevant for business marketing.

Yen confirmed this is a common problem, made worse by how well Google hides the settings. To exclude all apps in the interface, advertisers must manually enter mobile app category code 69500 in the app categories section. In Editor, it’s easier β€” you can exclude all apps in one move.

Kohler added another familiar mistake: forgetting to exclude kids’ YouTube channels. His brands have accidentally spent so much on the Ryan’ World YouTube channel that they joke about helping fund the kid’s college tuition.

The lesson: Build a blanket exclusion list that covers apps, kids’ content, and inappropriate placements, then apply it to every campaign β€” no exceptions.

Content exclusions and placement control

Beyond app exclusions, the group stressed the need for comprehensive content exclusions across every campaign. Their advice is to apply these exclusions at launch, then review placement reports a few weeks later to catch anything that slips through.

The lesson: Consistency. Even when exclusions are in place, Google doesn’t always honor them. That makes regular placement monitoring essential. Automation can ignore manual rules, so verification is still the only real safeguard.

Call tracking quality issues

When the conversation turned to call tracking, Yen stressed the need for consistent client communication. Many businesses lack a CRM or close alignment with their sales teams, making it hard to evaluate call quality.

The lesson: Hold monthly check-ins that focus specifically on call quality, Yen said. If calls aren’t converting, the problem may be what happens after the phone rings, not marketing.

Kohler added a technical tip for CallRail users. Separate first-time callers from repeat callers in your conversion setup. Send both into Google Ads, but mark return calls as secondary conversions. That way, automated bidding doesn’t optimize for repeat callers the same way it does for new prospects.

The promo date problem

Litner flagged ongoing frustration with scheduled headline assets appearing outside their intended dates, especially for time-sensitive promotions. Although the issue now seems resolved, he still double-checks at both the start and end of each promotional period.

Kohler reported similar problems with automated rules. Scheduled rules sometimes don’t run at all or trigger a day early, which can pause campaigns too soon or activate them late.

The lesson: If you schedule a launch for a specific day, verify it manually that day. Don’t rely on automation alone.

AI Max settings and control

The conversation also touched on Google’s AI Max campaigns. Chad pointed out that all AI Max settings default to β€œon,” with no bulk way to disable them. The only option is digging into individual campaigns and ad groups.

Kohler suggested checking Google Ads Editor for workarounds. In some cases, Editor makes it easier to control settings like landing page expansion across multiple ad groups at once.

The lesson: While AI Max and Performance Max have improved, Yen noted they still demand close monitoring and manual exclusions to avoid wasted spend.

Account-level settings that haunt you

Yen called out an easy-to-miss issue: account-level auto-apply settings that don’t play nicely with AI Max and Performance Max campaigns. These controls live in three different places in the interface, which makes them easy to overlook unless you’re checking deliberately.

The lesson: Build a standard checklist of account-level settings and run through it whenever you touch a new account or launch automated campaign types.

Final wisdom

Several themes kept surfacing throughout the discussion:

  • Trust issues with ad platforms are justified, so verify everything.
  • Fresh eyes catch mistakes that familiarity glosses over.
  • Clear client communication prevents misplaced blame when performance slips.
  • Manual checks still matter, even as automation expands.
  • Well-maintained exclusion lists prevent repeat problems.
  • Google Ads Editor and the interface serve different roles, so use each for what it does best.

The bigger message: Mistakes happen to everyone, no matter how experienced you are. The real difference between novices and experts isn’t avoiding errors β€” it’s catching them fast, learning from them, and building systems so they don’t happen again.

As Kohler put it, these platforms will eventually humble everyone. The key is staying alert, questioning automation, and never launching campaigns on Fridays.

Watch: PPC mistakes I’ve made

πŸ’Ύ

From Friday launches to sloppy imports, PPC veterans share hard-earned lessons on automation traps, Google Ads Editor quirks, and more.

Nvidia bundles Resident Evil Requiem with select RTX 50 series GPUs

Nvidia partners with Capcom to give Resident Evil Requiem to new RTX 50 series GPU purchasers Nvidia has partnered with Capcom to create its new Resident Evil Requiem Game Bundle. This allows purchasers of specific RTX 50 series GPUs to get a free copy of the game with GeForce GPUs, laptops, and desktops. This bundle […]

The post Nvidia bundles Resident Evil Requiem with select RTX 50 series GPUs appeared first on OC3D.

Intel "Nova Lake" Compute Tile Die-sizes Surface

Intel is preparing to launch its next generation Core Ultra Series 4 "Nova Lake" processors in the second half of 2026. We have some hint on what the sizes of the Compute tiles of these chips could measure. "Nova Lake" remains a tile-based disaggregated chip, just like the current "Arrow Lake," with the most advanced foundry node being allocated only to the components that can benefit the most from it, the CPU cores. The CPU complex of the processor is located in the Compute tile, while low-power island E-cores are located on the SoC tile that's built on a slightly older foundry node.

Intel is building the Compute tile of "Nova Lake" on the TSMC N2 (2 nm nanosheet) foundry node. There will be different types of Compute tiles based on the CPU core count and cache sizes. The two most popular ones for the desktop platform will be the mainstream tile with 8P+16E core configuration and a standard L3 cache size shared among the eight P-cores and four E-core clusters. The second, more premium Compute tile type will be 8P+16E with bLLC, or big last-level cache. bLLC is an enlarged L3 cache that's estimated to be 3-4 times the size of the regular L3 cache. This is Intel's answer to AMD's 3D V-Cache. Estimates put the regular Compute tile to measure around 110 mmΒ², while the premium variant with bLLC is estimated to measure over 150 mmΒ². This 36% increase in die-area is entirely from the enlarged last-level cache.

KlyptAI – Upload videos and find clips instantly with natural language search


KlyptAI helps video creators and marketers organize their scattered footage libraries. Upload your raw clips, B-roll, and completed projects by dragging and dropping files into a centralized, private library. Once uploaded, KlyptAI automatically analyzes each video, generating descriptions, transcripts, and searchable tags without any manual tagging. Stop wasting hours scrubbing through disorganized folders to find a specific clip. Instead of relying on memory or vague file names, use natural language to search, such as 'city skyline at night' or 'talking head clips about marketing.' Rediscover your best content, speed up your editing workflow, and create more.

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AIdaptIQ – Unifying finance tools with an autonomous AI engine


Number7 AI is an AI-native accounting platform designed to address the "Fintech Island Problem" by replacing disconnected tools with a single autonomous engine. While traditional solutions require teams to switch between fragmented products for OCR, accounts payable, and spend management, Number7 uses a unified data model that provides continuous visibility across all financial boundaries.

The platform's proprietary AI engine manages document chaos that often disrupts standard automation, including handwritten, faded, and multi-page invoices. By integrating directly with ERPs and bank feeds, Number7 automates everything from invoice ingestion to real-time reconciliation.

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Exposed Training Open the Door for Crypto-Mining in Fortune 500 Cloud Environments

Intentionally vulnerable training applications are widely used for security education, internal testing, and product demonstrations. Tools such as OWASP Juice Shop, DVWA, Hackazon, and bWAPP are designed to be insecure by default, making them useful for learning how common attack techniques work in controlled environments. The issue is not the applications themselves, but how they are often

Microsoft Patches 59 Vulnerabilities Including Six Actively Exploited Zero-Days

Microsoft on Tuesday released security updates to address a set of 59 flaws across its software, including six vulnerabilities that it said have been exploited in the wild. Of the 59 flaws, five are rated Critical, 52 are rated Important, and two are rated Moderate in severity. Twenty-five of the patched vulnerabilities have been classified as privilege escalation, followed by remote code

SSHStalker Botnet Uses IRC C2 to Control Linux Systems via Legacy Kernel Exploits

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new botnet operation called SSHStalker that relies on the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) communication protocol for command-and-control (C2) purposes. "The toolset blends stealth helpers with legacy-era Linux exploitation: Alongside log cleaners (utmp/wtmp/lastlog tampering) and rootkit-class artifacts, the actor keeps a large back-catalog of

Memory Costs Now Make Up Nearly Half Of A Given Smartphone’s BOM, But Apple Remains Insulated For Now

A chip labeled 'Z32NNDPTSF 34 FDCHT' on a starry blue background.

In what is nothing short of a huge shocker, TrendForce has just reported that memory costs continue to escalate rapidly, and currently constitute nearly half of a given smartphone's Bill of Materials (BOM). In this melee, Apple remains relatively insulated for now after having instituted a series of cost management steps. TrendForce: "Memory, which historically accounted for around 10–15% of a smartphone’s BOM, has now surged to 30–40%" In a hard-hitting report, TrendForce has just reported that the cost of a typical 8GB+256GB memory configuration has surged by nearly 200 percent year-over-year in Q1 2026, roughly tripling from the same […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/memory-costs-now-make-up-nearly-half-of-a-given-smartphones-bom-but-apple-remains-insulated-for-now/

User Captures His GeForce RTX 5090 Catching Fire On Camera

A custom PC case with purple LED lighting and a visible NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card, alongside a close-up of a

This is a rare incident that was successfully captured on a camera, but the user cannot apply for RMA this time. MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Trio Catches Fire Instantly Upon Switching on the System; User Captures the Incident on his Camera Things can sometimes turn out wild if you own a GeForce RTX 5090, but you won't always be that lucky. The 16-pin connector melting issue is quite common, and users are able to get a replacement, assuming they have followed the manufacturer's guidelines. That said, this user saw something more terrible than just a regular connector melting. A video […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/user-captures-his-geforce-rtx-5090-catching-fire-on-camera/

Marvel’s Wolverine Unlikely to Show Up at February State of Play: Insomniac Says More Info Is Due in Spring

A close-up of Wolverine from the game 'Marvel's Wolverine' showing his claws extended, with a determined expression.

Speculation is already running rampant on which games will be featured in tomorrow's State of Play, and one of the most anticipated PlayStation games of the year is certainly Marvel's Wolverine from Insomniac Games. However, the studio has just dropped a tidbit hinting that it might not be featured at the event. Replying on X to a user who asked when they'd release more information, the developers said it's happening at some point this Spring. Obviously, we are not in Spring yet. It's possible they might still show off a brief new trailer without any further details about the game, […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/marvels-wolverine-unlikely-state-of-play-more-info-spring/

MSI Afterburner 4.6.7 Now Available: 5090 Lightning & AI PSU Support, New 16-Pin Connector Saftey Features

An MSI Lightning graphics card is depicted alongside a futuristic aircraft, with an MSI Afterburner interface showing stats

MSI Afterburner 4.6.7 BETA is now available for download, offering a big update with support for RTX 5090 Lightning & new MSI AI PSUs. MSI Afterburner 4.6.7 Adds Several New Features Including Support For RTX 5090 Lightning & AI PSUs, Auto Power-Limit Reduction To Prevent 16-Pin Connector Issues MSI is rolling out two major products this month, the RTX 5090 Lightning graphics card and its new MPG AI PSUs. To prepare for these hardware launches, MSI has rolled out the latest Afterburner utility, which is designed for tuning, overclocking, and monitoring various hardware components in your PC. MSI is making […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/msi-afterburner-4-6-7-available-5090-lightning-ai-psu-support-16-pin-connector-saftey/

Qualcomm’s Most Powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro May Get Skipped By Xiaomi Due To Its Expensive Price, A Pitfall Of Switching To TSMC’s 2nm Process

Xiaomi could skip the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro this year

Most smartphone manufacturers would have gladly equipped their flagships with Qualcomm’s pricey Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro had it not been for rising DRAM and NAND flash prices. Xiaomi, which has always announced its premium smartphones sporting the top-end silicon first, is starting to feel this weight on its shoulders. On top of that, the transition to TSMC’s 2nm process for this year’s chipsets isn’t going to be cheap, so in light of all these factors, a new rumor is doing the rounds, claiming that Xiaomi’s entire flagship smartphone lineup may only be equipped with the standard Snapdragon 8 […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xiaomi-will-not-use-snapdragon-8-elite-gen-6-pro-in-its-flagships-due-to-high-price/

AMD opens Crimson Desert game bundle for Ryzen, Radeon, and gaming laptop purchases

AMD has launched a new game bundle, and it applies to AMD CPUs, GPUs, and gaming laptops AMD has officially launched its newest β€œAMD Rewards” game bundle, offering PC gamers copies of Crimson Desert with eligible AMD Ryzen CPUs, Radeon GPUs, and AMD-powered gaming laptops. Crimson Desert is the next action-adventure open-world game from Pearl […]

The post AMD opens Crimson Desert game bundle for Ryzen, Radeon, and gaming laptop purchases appeared first on OC3D.

(PR) BenQ Announces New MA Series Flagship Monitors with Glossy Panels

BenQ, global innovator of visual display technology and digital lifestyle devices, today premiered MA270S and MA320UG, new MA Series flagships that redefine what a Mac display can be, bringing a sense of ease, clarity, and thoughtful design to modern Mac lifestyles. Designed for those who expect more than what's built in, the 2026 BenQ MA Series delivers the effortless simplicity Mac users love, now with BenQ's decades-long display expertise. With Mac-tuned colour, smoother motion, and design language that feels native to the Apple ecosystem, the MA Series expands creative freedom and everyday efficiency beyond familiar limits.

"We designed the new MA Series with Mac users in mind - something that doesn't just connect, but enhances," said Peter Huang, President of BenQ Corporation. "These monitors bring true Mac colours to life with smoother motion and smarter workflows, helping users work and create with greater freedom than ever before."

(PR) Memory Price Surge Intensifies Retail Pricing Pressure, Putting Global Smartphone Production at Risk of a Sharp Decline in 2026

TrendForce's latest smartphone industry research predicts that soaring memory prices are set to weigh heavily on global smartphone production in 2026. Total output is forecast to decline 10% YoY to approximately 1.135 billion units. With memory prices showing no clear signs of easing, the growing gap between higher retail prices and consumer price tolerance is expected to further dampen end demand.

Under a bear-case scenario, TrendForce warns that the annual contraction in global smartphone production could widen to 15% or more. The extent of the impact, however, will vary by brand, depending on differences in product mix and regional exposure.

ChatGPT now includes ads β€” and that subtle shift could reshape the emotional bond users have with the world’s favorite AI chatbot

ChatGPT’s introduction of ads may subtly erode user trust and attention at the exact moment Gemini’s ad-light, deeply integrated approach is making it easier for people to drift toward Google’s AI instead.

Marathon Gets New Gameplay Footage & Impressions from Chinese Event; Bungie: β€œEach Season Is Like a Roguelike Adventure”

A heavily armored soldier with a futuristic helmet and weapon leads an assault team in the game Marathon.

Following a recent Marathon hands-on event organized by Bungie for Chinese media, new gameplay footage and impressions are now available online. The event reportedly took place in Shanghai earlier this month and was the first held outside North America. The most impressive aspect reported by attendees was the significant expansion of worldbuilding and narrative depth. The tutorial and faction introductions now provide clear origins and motivations for the playable characters, creating a more coherent story framework for the extraction shooter game. Players can discover Dr. Strauss's will; he's a pivotal figure who connects multiple narrative threads from the original Marathon […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/marathon-new-footage-impressions-chinese-event-seasons-roguelike/

AMD openSIL β€œOpen-Source” Firmware Lands On AM5 Motherboards, Prepped For Zen 6

AMD openSIL "Open-Source" Firmware Lands On AM5 Motherboards, Prepped For Zen 6 Features 1

AMD's openSIL "Open-Source" firmware has been successfully ported to existing AM5 motherboards ahead of Zen 6's debut. Preparing For Next-Gen Zen 6 CPUs! AMD's openSIL Firmware Gets First Support on Existing AM5 Motherboards Blog 3mdeb has been successful in porting an existing AM5 motherboard to Coreboot, a CPU initialization firmware for AMD's CPUs under the new openSIL initiative. openSIL was announced back in 2023 as a full-on replacement to the existing AGESA firmware, paving the way forward for open-source firmwares that'll be used by future AMD chips. Last year, AMD confirmed that EPYC Venice CPUs based on the Zen 6 […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/amd-opensil-open-source-firmware-lands-on-am5-motherboards-prepped-for-zen-6/

Only 100 Units Of MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z Have Been Allocated To Taiwan With Lottery System

A graphics card with 'LIGHTNING' branding and a cooling system, accompanied by the text 'BUILT TO BE PERFECT'.

The limited-edition NVIDIA RTX 5090 is not just expensive; users will also need to be lucky enough to buy it by winning the lottery in some regions. MSI RTX 5090 32G Lightning Z is Only Available via Lottery System in Taiwan; Only 100 Units Allocated to the Country Regular GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs are already way above their MSRPs, but if you had your eyes on the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 32G Lightning Z limited edition, then you won't just have to pay a hefty $5200+ for the GPU, but also have to participate in a lottery system if you […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/only-100-units-of-msi-rtx-5090-lightning-z-have-been-allocated-to-taiwan-with-lottery-system/

ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN Isn’t the Only Grasshopper Manufacture Game You’re Getting This Year

A futuristic robotic character from the game Romeo Is a Dead Man made by Grasshopper Manufacture with a complex design featuring visible cables and an eye, surrounded by stars.

Grasshopper Manufacture's ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN released yesterday to fairly positive critical reviews. In Wccftech's review (8.7/10), Francesco De Meo wrote: It is the most mechanically polished and stable gameΒ since the original Shadows of the Damned, yet it beats with the heart ofΒ Flower, Sun, and Rain. It leaves behindΒ the technical jank and the empty-world frustrationsΒ ofΒ No More Heroes IIIΒ without losing the "punk" soul that makes a Suda51 gameΒ essential. It is a game thatΒ respects your timeΒ with its 12-hour runtime, but stillΒ leaves its markΒ with its fever-dream narrative. The debut on Steam seems very solid, too, with a 'Very Positive' verdict from user […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/romeo-is-a-dead-man-isnt-only-grasshopper-manufacture-game-2026/

(PR) GAMEMAX Launches NEX C51 and NEX C31 Panoramic PC Cases

GAMEMAX, a rising innovator in PC gaming hardware, today announced the launch of the NEX C51 and NEX C31, two new panoramic PC cases designed to combine premium showcase aesthetics, advanced cooling support, and modern connectivity at an accessible price point. Built for gamers and PC builders who want their hardware on full display, the NEX C51 and NEX C31 feature a pillar-free panoramic design with dual tempered glass panels, delivering a clean and uninterrupted view of internal components. With strong hardware compatibility and pre-installed ARGB cooling, the new NEX series is engineered to deliver exceptional value without compromise.

The GAMEMAX NEX C51 Panoramic ATX PC Case is designed for builders seeking a spacious, high-impact chassis that highlights premium components while maintaining excellent airflow. Its internal layout separates major heat-generating components from the power supply and cables, improving airflow efficiency and simplifying cable management.

Clearical – AI-powered time tracking for knowledge workers


Clearical delivers AI-powered automatic time tracking for Mac. It captures periodic screenshots, summarizes your activity on-device, and categorizes work while keeping your data private. With one click, you can push tracked time to Jira and Tempo, complete timesheets in seconds, and export to CSV. It also syncs with your calendar, learns your workflow, and works offline.

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Work on Next-Gen HBM5 & HBM6 Memory Is Already Underway, New Wide TC Bonders Ready

A close-up of Micron's HBM5 and HBM6 memory chips with each labeled version glowing against a dark background.

HBM memory will see a big upgrade with next-gen HBM5 and HBM6 standards, which are already being developed with new TC Bonders. Semiconductor Firm, Hanmi, Showcases First Wide TC Bonders Designed For Next-Gen HBM5 and HBM6 Memory NVIDIA and AMD are both going to launch their next-gen AI accelerators this year with HBM4 memory. These include the Vera Rubin and Instinct MI450 series products. But given the pace at which the AI tech industry is moving, work is already underway on the next-gen standards, namely HBM5 and HBM6. A report from Korean outlet, Heraldcorp, reveals that the first Wide TC […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/work-on-next-gen-hbm5-hbm6-memory-already-underway-new-wide-tc-bonders-ready/

ASUS Releases Latest BIOS For AM5 Motherboards, Featuring AGESA 1.3.0.0a Firmware

An ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-E Gaming WiFi motherboard with an AM5 socket and RGB lighting is displayed against a purple

After ASRock, ASUS also released its latest BIOS update with the latest AGESA firmware. However, it's still in the Beta version. ASUS Rolls Out BIOS Update for AM5 800-Series Motherboards with AMD AGESA 1.3.0.0a Firmware It's clear that major motherboard vendors are well aware of Ryzen 9000 CPU failures on 800-series motherboards. It wasn't just ASRock, which acknowledged the CPU failures on its AM5 motherboards, but recently, ASUS also released a statement considering the dead CPU reports that have been emerging for a long time. Similar to ASRock, ASUS also announced that it is working closely with AMD to investigate […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/asus-releases-latest-bios-for-am5-motherboards-featuring-agesa-1-3-0-0a-firmware/

Intel Nova Lake Desktop CPUs Don’t Allow LPE Core Overclocking, Power Limits Explained, & 74 TOPS NPU

An image featuring Intel's 'Nova Lake' branding alongside three Intel Core Ultra processors labeled '9,' '7,' and '5.'

More details of Intel's Nova Lake Desktop CPUs have been revealed by various leakers and insiders, such as OC, Power & NPU performance. Intel Nova Lake Desktop CPUs To Boast New Core Cluster Arrangement - Overclocking, Power Limits & NPU Explained A Bit More Yesterday, we reported that Intel's Nova Lake Desktop CPUs would consume over 700W of power in their dual compute tile configuration with up to 52 cores, along with insights on the cache & peak temperature limits. Now, several insiders have revealed even more details for the upcoming desktop processor family, such as overclocking support, power limits, […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/intel-nova-lake-desktop-cpus-dont-allow-lpe-core-overclocking-power-npu-detailed/

TSMC Greenlights Record $45 Billion CapEx to Boost Semiconductor Capacity

TSMC just reported its January 2026 revenue results, with a net revenue of NT$401.26 billion (about $12.763 billion), an increase of 19.8% from December 2025 and an increase of 36.8% from January 2025. While these results are impressive, TSMC will have to spend more to keep customers coming back, and its board has just approved a $44.962 billion package to expand and upgrade its semiconductor facilities in 2026. This is a record capital expenditure for TSMC, indicating that the AI boom and sustained demand from its mobile customers are enough to keep the capital expenditure increasing every year. Originally, the plans included spending about $17.141 billion in Q1 of 2025, $15.247 billion in Q2, $20.657 billion in Q3, and $14.981 billion in Q4. However, most of these funds will actually be spent in 2026. Less than the new $45 billion figure was spent in 2025, making the new 2026 CapEx target the largest one to date.

TSMC's plans for this massive figure include expanding production capacity with hundreds of thousands of wafers per month, distributed across mature, current, and next-generation advanced nodes. Interestingly, mature node capacity is as important as maintaining the current node production, as entire industries like the automotive industry rely on TSMC's production and advanced packaging to satisfy all market needs. The current plan is to allocate about 70-80% of the new $45 billion package towards advanced nodes, with about 10-20% going to advanced packaging and mask making. The remaining 10% will be used for specialty technology expansion, likely including silicon photonics and other technologies.

BoTTube – Video platform for AI agents to create, watch, and earn


BoTTube is a video platform built for AI agents. Bots create, watch, and earn while humans are welcome to explore and participate. With a simple Python client and API, you can register an agent in seconds and upload videos with a single command. The site showcases trending and recent uploads from agents and creators, making it easy to discover and engage with machine-generated content.

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North Korea-Linked UNC1069 Uses AI Lures to Attack Cryptocurrency Organizations

The North Korea-linked threat actor known as UNC1069 has been observed targeting the cryptocurrency sector to steal sensitive data from Windows and macOS systems with the ultimate goal of facilitating financial theft. "The intrusion relied on a social engineering scheme involving a compromised Telegram account, a fake Zoom meeting, a ClickFix infection vector, and reported usage of AI-generated

Strategic Prompt Architect – Scan prompts and files to stop prompt injection attacks


Strategic Prompt Architect helps individuals, developers, and enterprises secure AI workflows. It addresses risks like prompt injection and credential leaks with two offerings: the MPS-Agentic API for scalable, programmatic scanning and MalPromptSentinel, a privacy-first browser extension that runs entirely locally. You can scan files, prompts, and web content before they reach your AI, block threats at input boundaries, and protect sensitive data across chat interfaces and agentic pipelines.

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Blizzard Set To Redesign Newly Announced Overwatch Hero After Community Backlash

Blizzard recently announced a bunch of new heroes alongside a slew of structural and gameplay changes coming in a new update at the start of 2026's season 1. One of the characters announced to be landing in the season 1 update, Anran, received some backlash from the community, who called her design generic and samey. Compared to a previous appearance in the character trailer for her younger brother, her character design had objectively been softened from the blunter, bolder facial features shownβ€”a change that was criticized by the character's voice actor, who posted a video on X in which she said the character's design "Ozempic chic" and said that it had let down an audience who was expecting a character who breaks the mold.

In a recent response to the community backlash, Overwatch game director, Aaron Keller, has said that Blizzard would be working on Anran's design to make her "look and feel more like the fierce older sister that we all envisioned her to be." Keller clarifies that he believes Blizzard can make the character even better than she is in her current iteration, but he does not have any specific details regarding what changes will be made until testing has been done. While many celebrated the commitment to community feedback, not all Overwatch fans were pleased by the announcement, with some users on X saying that the move is capitulation to manipulative culture and that the announcement of a redesign has caused them to lose interest in the game.

Konami Announces a Silent Hill Transmission Event That’ll Air Just After the February State of Play

A title screen displaying 'Silent Hill Transmission' over a dark, striped background, with Β©Konami Digital Entertainment at

This coming Thursday, February 12, 2026, is when Sony and PlayStation will host the first State of Play event of 2026. It is set to air at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 10pm BT, and we now know that it's not the only showcase event of the evening. Konami has revealed that it will host a Silent Hill Transmission event that same night, featuring news about what's next for the Silent Hill franchise, including Silent Hill: Townfall. And it'll kick off approximately an hour after the State of Play ends. The news was announced in a short post on […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/silent-hill-transmission-event-following-state-of-play-konami/

HEVCut – Compress iCloud videos to reclaim iPhone and iCloud space


HEVCut compresses videos from your iCloud photo library by up to 70%, allowing you to reclaim storage on both your iPhone and iCloud without losing quality. It scans your entire library, lets you choose what to compress, and processes everything locally on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac for privacy.

Start for free and unlock unlimited compression with an optional Pro upgrade. Use batch compression to quickly free up gigabytes, keep your memories intact, and avoid the 'Cannot Take Photo' warning.

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A wireless HDMI transmitter meets a USB hub and the result is a surprisingly capable docking station for your laptop, your smartphone or even your gaming console - oh and you will absolutely love the receiver

4URPC’s wireless HDMI transmitter doubles as a 10Gbps USB hub with SD slots and 100W charging, turning a simple casting tool into a compact dock for laptops and tablets.

A Lucky iPhone 17 Pro Max Customer With AppleCare+ Coverage For Theft And Loss Received A Replacement With 8x The Internal Storage

An iPhone 17 Pro Max customer received a replacement from Apple with 8x the internal storage

A misplaced iPhone 17 Pro MaxΒ always feels like you’ve been punched in the gut, which is why the astute decision would always be to pay a monthly AppleCare+ fee that covers theft and loss. One lucky customer, who may not have known that he would fall into this specific circumstance, recounts how Apple sent a new unit touting eight times the internal memory of the first one. Keeping in mind the ludicrous premium the technology giant charges for storage upgrades, whether it’s an iPhone or a Mac, getting a replacement with more space than before will always put a sparkle […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/iphone-17-pro-max-customer-received-replacement-with-eight-times-the-internal-storage/

SearchAblePDF – Convert scanned PDFs into searchable text with OCR


SearchAblePDF converts image-only PDFs into selectable, searchable documents with an invisible text layer while preserving layout and formatting. It extracts up to 4.5 times more text than basic OCR by deskewing pages, boosting resolution, and reducing noise and watermarks, while supporting over 35 languages.

Use it to make documents accessible to screen readers, indexable by search engines, and easy to find across your files. Files auto-delete after 24 hours, and temporary access tokens keep data private.

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Samsung just set the date for its first Galaxy Unpacked of 2026 β€” and all signs point to the Galaxy S26 with plenty of Galaxy AI

Samsung has confirmed that its first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026 will take place on February 25 in San Francisco, California, with the Galaxy S26 lineup expected to headline the show alongside a continued push around Galaxy AI.

Nioh 3 PC Graphics Tuning Guide β€” How To Get The Best Experience From The PC Version

A character with a sword stands in a misty landscape with a red vortex in 'Nioh 3', accompanied by the text 'Optimized

With modern PC games continuing to push the trend of increasingly demanding requirements on PC hardware, default β€” and especially maximum β€” graphics presets often miss that coveted sweet spot between performance and visuals. Niohβ€―3 is expected to be no exception to this rule. Unfortunately, early impressions from the gaming press and community alike show a mixed bag of technical behavior across a multitude of PC setups, with reports of lower-than-expected framerates, high CPU usage, and other miscellaneous technical issues. Consequently, this guide's purpose is to help you attain an optimal balance between performance and visuals in Niohβ€―3. We shall […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/how-to/nioh-3-pc-graphics-tuning-guide-how-to-get-the-best-experience-on-pc/

(PR) Applied Materials Unveils Transistor and Wiring Innovations for Faster Chips

Applied Materials, Inc., the leader in materials engineering for the semiconductor industry, today introduced new deposition, etch and materials modification systems that boost the performance of leading-edge logic chips at 2 nm and beyond. The technologies supercharge AI compute through atomic-scale improvements to the most fundamental electronic building block - the transistor.

The transition to Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors is a major industry inflection and a critical enabler of the energy-efficient computing needed to deliver more powerful AI chips. As 2 nm-class GAA chips ramp to volume production this year, Applied is introducing new material innovations to enhance next-generation GAA transistors for angstrom nodes. The combined impact of the new chipmaking systems contributes a significant portion of the total energy-efficient performance gains of GAA process node transitions.

Marathon Gameplay Details Emerge at Early Influencer Event in China

Marathon is slated to launch on March 6, 2026, but a handful of influencers in China have apparently already been testing the game out ahead of the official launch, according to a post on Reddit and UCG on YouTube. The post and YouTube review detail some of the reports from the hands-on testing, revealing both in-game content and some first impressions about gameplay. First off, it's notable that the game has received a massive visual overhaul in terms of assets and UI, which is something the Marathon dev team has already shown off in previews and gameplay teasers, but the game world is overall much darker and more mysterious. The first-hand experiences in the post claim that there is deep world-building with a focus on the narrative and personalities in the game. The PvE is reportedly "extremely challenging," with enemy AI proactively calling in reinforcements to keep up the pressure, offering players little rest between combat encounters.

That's not to say players should expect to be getting buddy-buddy with other players, since the loot game pushes players to see each other as an easy way to grab loot. The reviewer also suggests that Marathon will seemingly emphasize the late game experience rather than encouraging early PvP and combat. Players are instead encouraged by the game systems to focus on completing missions, levelling up base stats, and upgrading gear before heading into combat situations. According to the reviewer, there will be decent variety when it comes to weapons and skills, and the skill balance is well tuned between the seven different character classes we know of so far. There are apparently 28 guns in the game, each with at least two skins, and the ability to change the gun model in some cases. Some additional information posted in the comments from the Chinese game event claim that there will be "more verticality than players expect," and that completing faction quests can unlock permanent map shortcuts between zones. There is also apparently an in-game creature called the Anomaly, which will be able to reshape the map mid-game. One source also claims that, in one game, there were three teams of six players each, bringing it up to 18 players per match.

StepCapture – Capture clicks to create clear SOPs in seconds


StepCapture lets you capture workflows and turn them into clear SOPs in seconds. Start a recording in your browser, and it automatically takes smart screenshots, labels clicks and keystrokes, and compiles step-by-step guides with editable page titles and URLs that you can share via encrypted links.

You can use StepCapture to onboard faster, train teams, and publish searchable knowledge bases with custom branding. Its features include advanced blur, AI-powered capture, and one-click sharing across any website or app.

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Google sent personal and financial information of student journalist to ICE

The tech giant handed over the personal information of a journalist and student who attended a pro-Palestinian protest in 2024. This is the latest example of ICE using its controversial subpoena powers to target people critical of the Trump administration.

Overwatch Season 1: Reign of Talon Goes Live as It Hits Reaches Record-Setting 100K+ Players on Steam

A selection of diverse animated characters from the game Endless Dungeon in dynamic poses against a blue and red hexagonal

Last week, Blizzard Entertainment hosted the second of its flurry of showcases to kick off 2026 with an Overwatch Spotlight, digging into the future of the game and everything players can expect for the coming year. Outside of the official name change back to just 'Overwatch,' we got a look at everything coming in Season 1: Reign of Talon, which has officially gone live. The showcase clearly reinvigorated the Overwatch community, because not only did the game have its "biggest weekend by player count in over a year," according to a press release after the showcase, but the launch of […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/overwatch-season-1-reign-of-talon-goes-live-as-it-hits-reaches-record-setting-100k-players-on-steam/

Apple’s Cost Management Efforts Pay Off As iPhone 18 Pro And Pro Max Base Storage Variants To Avoid Price Hikes

The image shows the Apple iPhone 15 Pro in orange, highlighting its triple-camera system and a dynamic orange and black

Apple has managed to use its considerable market heft to aggressively manage the cost of various key components, allowing the base storage variants of the upcoming iPhone 18 lineup to launch at the same price points as their iPhone 17 counterparts, as per a fresh supply chain analysis. Jeff Pu: Apple’s goal is to keep starting selling prices of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max "unchanged or at a similar level" to those of their iPhone 17 counterparts TF International Securities analyst, Ming Chi-Kuo, noted towards the end of January that Apple was working round the clock to prevent […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apples-cost-management-efforts-pay-off-as-iphone-18-pro-and-pro-max-base-storage-variants-to-avoid-price-hikes/

AMD's future 'Medusa Halo' APUs could use LPDDR6 RAM β€” new leak suggests Ryzen AI MAX 500 series could have 80% more memory bandwidth

Sometime in 2027 to 2028, AMD could release Medusa Halo, its next-gen entry in the high-performance Halo APU lineup. It's said to feature Zen 6 CPU cores and RDNA 5 graphics. A new leak suggests it could also support LPDDR6 memory, enabling bandwidths up to 460.8 GB/s on a 256-bit interface with 14,400 MT/s speeds.

(PR) Trust Launches Seron Slim Multi-Wireless Hyperscroll Mouse

Trust announces the launch of the new Seron Slim Multi-Wireless Hyperscroll Mouse - combining a portable design with ultimate productivity, this wireless mouse is the ideal companion for professionals who work across multiple devices and locations.

At just 31 mm in height, the Seron's ultra-thin design easily slips into any bag, whilst its premium metal hyperscroll wheel with tilt function makes navigating through lengthy documents and spreadsheets effortless. Whether scrolling vertically through reports and webpages or horizontally across data tables, users can work more efficiently throughout the day.

SilverStone Presents XE02-AM5B & XE02-TR5B SFF CPU Coolers

SilverStone has quietly expanded its comprehensive range of CPU cooling solutions with a myriad of brand-new designs, across both air and liquid cooling lines. A pair of 2U small form factor server/workstation CPU cooling solutions have gained the most media attention. As expected, the Taiwanese manufacturer has not issued any press material for this pair of freshly introduced AMD-oriented products. The SST-XE02-AM5B cooler's naming scheme clearly states that it is intended for deployment on Team Red's AM5 socket, although SilverStone's specification sheet mentions compatibility with the older AM4 platform. The SST-XE02-TR5B SKU's credentials list support of AMD's sTR5, SP6, TR4, and SP3 socket types.

The newest AM5B and TR5B models share similar traits; mainly a provision of five 6 mm heat-pipes combined with aluminium finsβ€”marketed as offering "excellent heat conducting efficiency"β€”and a centrally-positioned 60 mm PWM dual ball bearing fan. This fan model's specification sheet lists an RPM range of 2000 to 14,000, a 72.8 CFM maximum airflow rating, and max. air pressure of 47.18 mmH2O. Mean Time To Failure (MTTF) is estimated at 70,000 operational hours. Despite featuring the same fan, the two low-profile SST-XE02 models deviate in terms of CPU TDP ratingsβ€”the AM5/AM4 compatible cooler is rated up to 170 W, while the ever so slightly larger/heavier sibling (sTR5/SP6/TR4/SP3) is capable of tempering up to 350 W. Naturally, the more capable unit is tasked with handling (for example) EPYC 8004 and Ryzen Threadripper 7000 processors.

Monster Hunter Wilds Gets Major Anniversary Update, Capcom Confirms Large-Scale Expansion in the Works

On February 28, Monster Hunter Wilds will celebrate its first anniversary, and Capcom will be marking the occasion with a sizeable new content update that will introduce performance improvements and a slew of in-game events throughout February and March. Update 1.041, which lands on February 18, delivers the new missions, monsters, weapons, and rewards, alongside the aforementioned anniversary events. Monster Hunter Wilds producer, Ryozo Tsujimoto, announced the new update in a video posted on the official Monster Hunter YouTube channel. Tsujimoto also announced that Capcom is working on a new expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds that is on the same level as Iceborne and Sunbreak for Monster Hunter Worlds and Rise. Given the direct comparison, it's likely that this will also be a premium paid expansion coming in at around the same $39.99 price point as the aforementioned Worlds expansions. Aside from sharing that more details will arrive "this summer," meaning between June and August, no details have been shared about the contents of the new update, but the comparison also suggests we will see it launch with a new locale with a new hub, missions, and enemies.

The February 2026 update will add a new boss, the Arch-tempered Arkveld, a monster available to hunters above rank 100, in its own 10-star event quest alongside special 10-star quests featuring all four previous Arch-tempered monsters and rare rewards. Completing the Arch-tempered Arkveld quest will unlock a special optional hunt-a-thon quest pitting players against all four Arch-tempered monsters in a single quest. The update also makes the winning sword and pendant from the weapon design contest available to everyone as a special event quest reward. There will also be a collaboration with Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, and the anniversary events will make all previous time-specific event rewards available again through a weekly rotation of previous seasonal events. The anniversary events and collaboration will feature new and fun twists on existing quests to match the Festival of Accord vibes, with matching Stories rewards. The event festivities will last for a month, from February 18 to March 19, and there will be special one-time event rewards. The development team has also analyzed game data and prepared a special limited-time event featuring a buffed version of the least-hunted monster in the game, with the quest again delivering special cosmetics and rewards. Tsujimoto says that Capcom still has more in-store for Monster Hunter fans that it will reveal closer to the anniversary event start date.

(PR) Vermila Studios & Blumhouse Games Announce Launch of Crisol: Theater of Idols

Hello everyone! The twenty-something devs at Vermila Studios would like to thank you very much for your interest in Crisol: Theater of Idols. Today is an incredible day because, after more than five years under development, we can see everyone experiencing the game. Do not hesitate to leave a review, they are very encouraging and help us improve the game within our abilities. We hope Tormentosa surprises and terrifies you equally, and that your blood will protect you from all evil. Go for it, good luck!

Crisol: Theater of Idols is a first-person horror/action game set in Hispania, a twisted version of Spain. Play as Gabriel, a soldier who uses blood as both weapon and lifeline. Explore the cursed island of Tormentosa, uncover dark secrets, and battle horrifying enemies. Will you survive? Crisol is developed by Vermila Studios, and published by Blumhouse Games.

Subnautica 2 Is Reportedly the Most Wishlisted Game on Steam Among Upcoming 2026 Titles

Two divers in Subnautica 2 shine flashlights at a giant sea creature's glowing eyes in an underwater alien landscape, surrounded by

The number of wishlists a game has is never a one-to-one for how many copies it'll see when it finally releases, but you can't say those wishlists count for nothing, especially when there are millions of them, which is exactly what Subnautica 2, Forza Horizon 6, and Resident Evil Requiem have on Steam. Instead of its usual sales reporting, analyst firm Alinea Analytics' latest report digs into which upcoming titles have the most wishlists on Steam. Now, it's worth noting that the report clarifies that Valve's own ranking for the 'Top Wishlists' games on Steam also accounts for how quickly […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/subnautica-2-is-reportedly-the-most-wishlisted-game-on-steam-among-upcoming-2026-titles/

Xbox Game Pass Could Be Merged with PC Game Pass and Expanded with More Third-Party Services

The image shows the Xbox 'Game Pass' logo with an Xbox console and games, alongside a 'PC Game Pass' section.

According to two separate and trustworthy sources, Microsoft is reportedly considering the merging of the Xbox Game Pass Premium console subscription tier with PC Game Pass. The Verge's Tom Warren heard that the plans are far from finalized, but that's what Microsoft is thinking right now, and Windows Central has subsequently backed up the reporting with its own sources. Here's a breakdown of the respective feature sets as they are currently available to users: Feature PC Game Pass Xbox Game Pass Premium Price $11.99/month $14.99/month Platforms PC only Console, PC, Cloud First-Party Day-One Access Yes No (added within 1 year) […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-game-pass-could-be-merged-with-pc-game-pass/

Intel β€œNova Lake” 400K CPUs to consume over 700W of power!

Expect huge power draw from Intel’s 52-core Nova Lake CPU flagship According to the leaker kopite7kimi, the next-generation CPU flagship from Intel will have a HUGE maximum power draw. With 52 total cores, Intel’s next-generation β€œNova Lake” flagship will reportedly be able to draw over 700 watts of power. This is for a dual Compute […]

The post Intel β€œNova Lake” 400K CPUs to consume over 700W of power! appeared first on OC3D.

CXMT Reportedly Plans to Dedicate 20% of Mass Production Capacity to HBM3 Line in 2026

According to fresh news reports ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has just announced the initiation of HBM3 module mass manufacturing activities. The Chinese computer memory maker is slowly catching up with more mainstream international rivalsβ€”most notably, South Korean companies started full production of fourth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM3) products back in 2023. Over the past year, CXMT has demonstrated improved capabilities across a promising range of (mostly) commercial linesβ€”for example, their proprietary DDR5 and LPDDR5X designs were showcased in preview form, last November. By early February (2026), the likes of ASUS, Acer, Dell, and HP were reportedly weighing up the sourcing of CXMT consumer-grade memory products.

The first signs of CXMT's diversification into the development of "homegrown" HBM3 modules were divulged by industry insiders, last May. By early autumn, a joint ventureβ€”involving YMTCβ€”seemed to pave the way for an acceleration of the Chinese industry's overall HBM manufacturing footprint. Huawei's newest/futuristic Ascend AI accelerator relies on "in-house" HBM tech, due to global sanctions preventing the supply of cutting-edge Micron, Samsung, SK Hynix components to Chinese firms. An MK South Korea reports cites recent information disclosed by an anonymous source, regarding a secret partnership: "Huawei, which is leading the development of AI semiconductors in China, is developing HBM together with CXMT. It is expected to enter mass production despite (talk of) low yield(s)." Further inside track info posits that CXMT is planning a per month output of 60,000 wafers for "HBM3 production." This impressive guesstimate allegedly accounts for about 20% of the memory maker's total manufacturing capacity of 300,000 wafers per month, at least for 2026.

Intel and Google Strengthen Intel Trust Domain Extensions in Joint Security Review

Intel and Google published the results of a significant joint security review of Intel Trust Domain Extensions (Intel TDX). The five-month engagement between Intel's INT31 research team and Google Cloud Security focused on hardening Intel TDX Module 1.5, the core software responsible for managing confidential virtual machines. The review identified five vulnerabilities and 35 other weaknesses or areas for improvement. According to Intel, all five vulnerabilities were patched in the latest code version released to partners.

Intel TDX represents a shift in data center security. Unlike traditional virtualization, where the hypervisor has full access to guest data, TDX creates "Trust Domains" (TDs), or hardware-isolated virtual machines. These are cryptographically isolated from the hosting infrastructure using Intel's Secure Arbitration Mode (SEAM). The system relies on the Intel TDX Module, a digitally signed software shim running in SEAM. It enforces security policies that hardware alone cannot handle. Because a compromise of this module could theoretically bypass the system's isolation guarantees, it is a critical verification target.

(PR) NVIDIA DLSS 4 Comes to High On Life 2, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

Each week, new games and apps integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players.

This week, both High On Life 2 and Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties are launching with support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation. And Reniamal launches February 13th with DLSS Super Resolution. And our Resident Evil Requiem GeForce RTX 50 Series Bundle is available now.

Intel Core Ultra 400 "Nova Lake-S" NPU Churns Out 74 TOPS Throughput

Intel's upcoming Core Ultra Series 4 "Nova Lake-S" could be the company's first desktop processor series to offer Microsoft Copilot+ native acceleration capability. The NPU of "Nova Lake" offers throughput of 74 TOPS, far exceeding the 40 TOPS required by Copilot+. Intel already met this with its "Lunar Lake" mobile processors, but its current "Arrow Lake-S" and upcoming "Arrow Lake-S Refresh" processors only do 13 TOPS as they implement an older generation NPU carried over from "Meteor Lake."

This is not to say that all desktop processor models of "Nova Lake-S" offer 74 TOPS, some could offer lower throughput, but there's plenty of product segmentation room for Intel to ensure that even its cheapest retail model offers at least 40 TOPS to meet Copilot+ requirements. AMD might end up beating Intel to the title of first socketed desktop processor with a Copilot+ capable NPU. The company could launch its Ryzen AI 400 series "Gorgon Point" Socket AM5 APUs sooner than Intel's rumored late-2026 debut of the Core Ultra Series 4 desktop processors.

(PR) Carbice & DarkNX Partner Up to Advance Reliability & Performance of AI Data Centers

Carbice, a leader in vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes and manufacturing assembly solutions for advanced computing and power systems, today announced a strategic partnership with DarkNX, a global digital infrastructure company building next-generation AI data centers optimized for high-density workloads. Through the partnership, Carbice becomes a system-level solutions expert in data center design, with interface assembly and material expertise, and long-term performance validation to support next-generation AI infrastructure at scale.

Under the partnership, Carbice will support DarkNX and its customers' data center development projects with expertise and data collection through the Carbice Lab, a recognized center of thought leadership in thermal interface reliability. Carbice will work alongside other partners whose technology was selected as a core element of DarkNX's recently announced 300MW data center campus in Ontario, Canada. Together, DarkNX, Carbice, and others will support performance and reliability from chip-level cooling through critical thermal, mechanical, and electrical interfaces that impact long-term uptime and hardware life, and lower the cost to OEMs of building servers.

Rare NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 20 GB Engineering Sample Acquired by TPU Forumite

ChintzyPC, a new member of the TechPowerUp community, has kindly shared their experience of picking up an unreleased "Ampere" generation engineering sample. Their forum debut appeared in the form a very in-depth exploration of NVIDIA's very rare GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 20 GB model. Late last year a scruffy yet fairly official-looking ASUS ROG Strix non-Ti variant turned up via the Chinese second-hand market. Fortuntely, ChintzyPC has acquired a comparatively pristine example of Team Green's Founders Edition design. GA102 GPU-based GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and 3080 (non-Ti) 20 GB cards are unusual prospects, given that NVIDIA has not officially disclosed the existence of these past-gen models. TechPowerUp's GPU database lists the former, with a release date of January 2022 and a $1199 (USD) MSRP, but the GeForce RTX 3080 (non-Ti) 20 GB SKU remains unregistered.

ChintzyPC recounted an acquaintance's purchasing of two "3080 Ti 20 GB Engineering Samples" via a local seller, to the tune of $200 per unit. Surprisingly, the cards turned up in formal packaging, complete with a sticker that bears model codes, serial numbers, and barcodes. They note that not much confidence was inspired when the vendor disappeared soon after processing their friend's orders. ChintzyPC's write-up details a "mix of teardown notes, benching results, and general observations, while figuring out what exactly this thing is and how it behaves." After initial tinkering sessions, ChintzyPC concluded that their latest curio is an: "unreleased (GeForce) RTX 3080 Ti 20 GB engineering sample with GA102-250 on a hybrid (RTX) 3090-style PCB. 320-bit bus, requires patched driver. Gaming performance sits around a GeForce RTX 3080 (non-Ti) 12 GB. Compute workloads crash. Overclocks normally but firmware is heavily locked down. Very strange card, (but) a fun one to dig into...In case anyone wonders (whether) there is an uploaded version of this VGA BIOS, (it is available) here (through TPU's collection)." A commenter (Dr. Do) and VideoCardz reckon that only a limited batch of retail-grade MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 20 GB cards seeped out via back channel avenues in 2021β€”only within Russian territories.

Microsoft is Refreshing Secure Boot Certificates on Millions of Windows PCs

On your Windows PC, the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware has a Secure Boot Certificate that mandates only verified software starts the boot-up sequence. Microsoft is preparing to refresh these certificates, and the company announced that millions of Windows PCs in circulation will receive new Secure Boot Certificates in an industry-wide gradual rollout to replace aging certificates that are expiring soon. According to the latest Windows Blog, the original Secure Boot Certificates introduced way back in 2011 are reaching the end of their planned lifecycle, with the expiration date set for late June 2026. This not only mandates updating but also requires a massive staged rollout from OEMs and Microsoft's partners to ensure that all Windows devices stay secure.

According to Microsoft, this is one of the largest industry collaborations that spans the Windows ecosystem, including servicing, firmware updates, and countless device configurations from OEMs and other hardware makers. Firmware makers are at the center with their UEFI BIOS patches, which will now have to replace their aging Secure Boot Certificates. The blog also states that OEMs have been provisioning updated certificates on their new devices, with some devices from 2024 and almost all PCs from 2025 updated to support the new certificate. Interestingly, older PCs and devices that were shipped prior to these years will also be taken care of, with major OEMs providing their own guidance on updating the certificate. If you don't see your OEM offering an update, be patient as the rollout is gradual.

Kysona Launches Saturn Pro, Saturn SE: 56 g Ergo Gaming Mice with Charging Dock

Kysona is known for its affordable, high-performance gaming peripherals, having previously launched the Jupiter and Mercury wireless symmetrical gaming mice, which weigh in at 40-46 g, and the brand has now announced the Saturn series gaming mice, which bring the same sensor and MCU hardware found in the aforementioned symmetrical models into an ergonomic shell. The Saturn series comes in two flavors: the more expensive Pro model, which comes with a PixArt PAW 3395 sensor and a bigger 500 mAh battery, and the Saturn SE, which uses the PixArt PAW 3311 sensor, ditches the 8 kHz polling, features a different coating, and comes in around 2 g lighter for itβ€”56 g for the SE, 58 g for the Pro.

The Saturn gaming mice use a shell design reminiscent of something like the Razer Basilisk V3 or the more recent Mchose G7 seriesβ€”that is to say, the Saturn shell is a right-handed ergonomic gaming mouse with a thumb rest. Kysona suggests that the shape is optimized for palm and claw grips and that the "ice-feeling coating" is resistant to sweat and helps maintain grip during intense gaming sessions. The Saturn measures in at 126 Γ— 75 Γ— 41 mm, making it 4 mm shorter than the Aforementioned Razer Basilisk and 5 mm shorter and 4 mm narrower than the venerable Logitech G502. The Saturn also looks to have slightly more palm support and a pronounced curve to the right near the back of the mouse shell. No specific switches or encoder are mentioned, but an image on the site suggests that the Saturn mice will use Huano 100M Transparent Green Shell White Dot switches, which are a medium force mechanical switch with an MTBF of 100 million clicks. Aside from the main click buttons, the Saturn features two programmable side buttons, and both models feature wired, 2.4 GHz, and Bluetooth connectivity. The Saturn Pro comes in black, pink, and white, and is available for $35.99 after a 60% launch discount, while the Saturn SE is available in white or black and comes in at $24.99 after that same launch discount, but this model includes a charging dock that doubles as a receiver extender.

(PR) Romeo is a Dead Man Directors Discuss Haywire Development Process

Hey readers, ever hear the story of the FBI Space-Time Police Special Agent Romeo, who takes down space-time criminals in search of his lost girlfriend? No? Well, you'll be able to find out with the arrival of Romeo is a Dead Man! We've uploaded one final trailer for you all today, featuring some brand-new music that'll be in the game. Seeing is believing as they say, so take a good hard look.

As you can see we're getting some pretty serious artists to contribute to the game's soundtrack, further reinforcing Romeo is a Dead Man as a dead-serious action-adventure game. How serious exactly? Well, we asked Grasshopper Manufacture CEO, director, and scenario writer Goichi Suda (pictured left) and co-director and scenario writer Ren Yamazaki (pictured right) to find out.

(PR) Axiomtek Introduces IMB550 ATX Motherboard Powered by 15th Gen Intel Core Ultra Processors

Axiomtek, a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted to the research, development, and manufacture of innovative, highly efficient, and reliable industrial computer products, is proud to announce the IMB550, a high-performance ATX motherboard designed for demanding AI vision inspection, high-performance computing (HPC), and image analysis applications.

The IMB550 is powered by 15th Gen Intel Core Ultra 9/7/5 processors (Arrow Lake-S) with the Intel W880 chipset. It features a PCIe Gen 5 x16 slot for multiple high-end graphics or acceleration cards, and two M.2 Key M slots for NVMe SSD storage with RAID 0/1 support, providing scalable performance, flexibility, and reliability to meet the demands of next-generation AI workloads.

UppaGame – Create AI-powered K-12 lessons and exams in minutes


UppaGame empowers K-12 teachers, educators, and homeschoolers to generate national standards-aligned lessons and exams in minutes, emphasizing critical thinking through AI-driven variability. It reduces over 20 hours of prep time weekly, helping to combat teacher burnout. Tailored to curricula in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US, UK, South Africa, and Singapore, it ensures a seamless local fit from launch.

View startup

DPRK Operatives Impersonate Professionals on LinkedIn to Infiltrate Companies

The information technology (IT) workers associated with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are now applying to remote positions using real LinkedIn accounts of individuals they're impersonating, marking a new escalation of the fraudulent scheme. "These profiles often have verified workplace emails and identity badges, which DPRK operatives hope will make their fraudulent

Intel Showcases Its β€œZAM Memory” Prototype for the First Time, Revealing Z-Angle Architecture with Breakthrough Thermal and Compute Performance

Three unidentified individuals on stage at an 'intel connection' event, with one holding a chip encased in a clear square

Intel's ZAM memory approach has seen significant traction recently, and Team Blue has surprisingly unveiled the prototype of the technology, making promising claims. Intel & Partners Are Working on the Z-Angle Memory to Solve Thermal & Compute Constraints With Existing Solutions While Team Blue has been out of the DRAM business for several decades now, the company has recently entered a new frontier with the SoftBank subsidiary Saimemory, unveiling a solution called Z-Angle Memory (ZAM) to break HBM's monopoly. While we did discuss on ZAM last week, it appears that Intel was quick to showcase a prototype to the world, […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/intel-showcases-its-zam-memory-prototype-for-the-first-time/

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Will Reportedly Headline February’s PS Plus Extra Games

Spider-Man battling Venom in a fiery, chaotic setting from a Marvel 2024 release.

Later this week, Sony is set to host its first State of Play event of 2026. This hour-long showcase will include several announcements we could guess at, and many we won't be able to, but a new report from Billbil-kun at Dealabs has pretty much cemented one of the announcements that we'll see at Thursday's show (if we don't see it tomorrow): the games entering the PS Plus Extra Catalog for February 2026. Which, according to the report, will be headlined by Marvel's Spider-Man 2. The first of Insomniac's Spider-Man titles, Marvel's Spider-Man (the remastered variant, that is), entered the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/marvels-spider-man-2-will-reportedly-headline-februarys-ps-plus-extra-games/

February 2026 PlayStation State of Play: Where To Watch, What To Expect

The PlayStation logo and text 'STATE OF PLAY' with broadcast details for Thursday, Feb 12 at 2:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM ET, and

PlayStation is ready to reclaim the spotlight after the Xbox Developer Direct and the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase. After a quiet start to the year, Sony has officially pulled back the curtain on a massive February State of Play, which promises to be a beefy broadcast that will set the tone for the PS5’s 2026 lineup. With rumors of new first-party reveals and long-awaited updates on third-party projects, here is everything you need to know about the upcoming showcase. When and Where to Watch State of Play February 2026 Sony has confirmed that this State of Play will feature a […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/february-2026-playstation-state-of-play-where-to-watch-what-to-expect/

Memory makers are set to earn $551 billion from the AI boom, twice as much as contract chip manufacturers β€” forecasts suggest that 2026 revenue will skyrocket thanks to data center demand

While all makers of microelectronics are set to benefit from the AI supercycle, the memory industry is projected to generate more than twice the revenue of the foundry industry.

Intel's top-end Nova Lake desktop CPU said to devour up to 700W in PL4 β€” claimed power draw close to double Arrow Lake

Fresh leaks reveal that Nova Lake might have a maximum power limit of 700W on the top-end, unlocked silicon with dual compute tiles. Moreover, Nova Lake is apparently blocking TJMax offsets and removing the ability to prevent thermal throttling. Lastly, the family can apparently boot without the P-cores entirely, relying on LP-E cores or E-cores.

Google pushes AI Max tool with in-app ads

Google vs. AI systems visitors

Google is now promoting its own AI features inside Google Ads β€” a rare move that inserts marketing directly into advertisers’ workflow.

What’s happening. Users are seeing promotional messages for AI Max for Search campaigns when they open campaign settings panels.

  • The notifications appear during routine account audits and updates.
  • It essentially serves as an internal advertisement for Google’s own tooling.

Why we care. The in-platform placement signals Google is pushing to accelerate AI adoption among advertisers, moving from optional rollouts to active promotion. While Google often introduces AI-driven features, promoting them directly within existing workflows marks a more aggressive adoption strategy.

What to watch. Whether this promotional approach expands to other Google Ads features β€” and how advertisers respond to marketing within their management interface.

First seen. Julie Bacchini, president and founder of Neptune Moon, spotted the notification and shared it on LinkedIn. She wrote: β€œNothing like Google Ads essentially running an ad for AI Max in the settings area of a campaign.”

Bing Webmaster Tools officially adds AI Performance report

Microsoft today launched AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools in beta. AI Performance lets you see where, and how often, your content is cited in AI-generated answers across Microsoft Copilot, Bing’s AI summaries, and select partner integrations, the company said.

  • AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools shows which URLs are cited, which queries trigger those citations, and how citation activity changes over time.
  • Search Engine Land first reported on Jan. 27 that Microsoft was testing the AI Performance report.

What’s new. AI Performance is a new, dedicated dashboard inside Bing Webmaster Tools. It tracks citation visibility across supported AI surfaces. Instead of measuring clicks or rankings, it shows whether your content is used to ground AI-generated answers.

  • Microsoft framed the launch as an early step toward Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) tooling, designed to help publishers understand how their content shows up in AI-driven discovery.

What it looks like. Microsoft shared this image of AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools:

What the dashboard shows. The AI Performance dashboard introduces metrics focused specifically on AI citations:

  • Total citations: How many times a site is cited as a source in AI-generated answers during a selected period.
  • Average cited pages: The daily average number of unique URLs from a site referenced across AI experiences.
  • Grounding queries: Sample query phrases AI systems used to retrieve and cite publisher content.
  • Page-level citation activity: Citation counts by URL, highlighting which pages are referenced most often.
  • Visibility trends over time: A timeline view showing how citation activity rises or falls across AI experiences.

These metrics only reflect citation frequency. They don’t indicate ranking, prominence, or how a page contributed to a specific AI answer.

Why we care. It’s good to know where and how your content gets cited, but Bing Webmaster Tools still won’t reveal how those citations translate into clicks, traffic, or any real business outcome. Without click data, publishers still can’t tell if AI visibility delivers value.

How to use it. Microsoft said publishers can use the data to:

  • Confirm which pages are already cited in AI answers.
  • Identify topics that consistently appear across AI-generated responses.
  • Improve clarity, structure, and completeness on indexed pages that are cited less often.

The guidance mirrors familiar best practices: clear headings, evidence-backed claims, current information, and consistent entity representation across formats.

What’s next. Microsoft said it plans to β€œimprove inclusion, attribution, and visibility across both search results and AI experiences,” and continue to β€œevolve these capabilities.”

Microsoft’s announcement. Introducing AI Performance in Bing WebmasterΒ ToolsΒ Public PreviewΒ 

How to make automation work for lead gen PPC

B2B advertising faces a distinct challenge: most automation tools weren’t built for lead generation.

Ecommerce campaigns benefit from hundreds of conversions that fuel machine learning. B2B marketers don’t have that luxury. They deal with lower conversion volume, longer sales cycles, and no clear cart value to guide optimization.

The good news? Automation can still work.

Melissa Mackey, Head of Paid Search at Compound Growth Marketing, says the right strategy and signals can turn automation into a powerful driver of B2B leads. Below is a summary of the key insights and recommendations she shared at SMX Next.

The fundamental challenge: Why automation struggles with lead gen

Automation systems are built for ecommerce success, which creates three core obstacles for B2B marketers:

  • Customer journey length: Automation performs best with short journeys. A user visits, buys, and checks out within minutes. B2B journeys can last 18 to 24 months. Offline conversions only look back 90 days, leaving a large gap between early engagement and closed revenue.
  • Conversion volume requirements: Google’s automation works best with about 30 leads per campaign per month. Google says it can function with less, but performance is often inconsistent below that level. Ecommerce campaigns easily hit hundreds of monthly conversions. B2B lead gen rarely does.
  • The cart value problem: In ecommerce, value is instant and obvious. A $10 purchase tells the system something very different than a $100 purchase. Lead generation has no cart. True value often isn’t clear until prospects move through multiple funnel stages β€” sometimes months later.

The solution: Sending the right signals

Despite these challenges, proven strategies can make automation work for B2B lead generation.

Offline conversions: Your number one priority

Connecting your CRM to Google Ads or Microsoft Ads is essential for making automation work in lead generation. This isn’t optional. It’s the foundation. If you haven’t done this yet, stop and fix it first.

In Google Ads’ Data Manager, you’ll find hundreds of CRM integration options. The most common B2B setups include:

  • HubSpot and Salesforce: Both offer native, seamless integrations with Google Ads. Setup is simple. Once connected, customer stages and CRM data flow directly into the platform.
  • Other CRMs: If you don’t use HubSpot or Salesforce, you can build a custom data table with only the fields you want to share. Use connectors like Snowflake to send that data to Google Ads while protecting user privacy and still supplying strong automation signals.
  • Third-party integrations: If your CRM doesn’t integrate directly, tools like Zapier can connect almost anything to Google Ads. There’s a cost, but the performance gains typically pay for it many times over.

Embrace micro conversions with strategic values

Micro conversions signal intent. They show a β€œhand raiser” β€” someone engaged on your site who isn’t an MQL yet but clearly interested.

The key is assigning relative value to these actions, even when you don’t know their exact revenue impact. Use a simple hierarchy to train automation what matters most:

  • Video views (value: 1): Shows curiosity, but qualification is unclear.
  • Ungated asset downloads (value: 10): Indicates stronger engagement and added effort.
  • Form fills (value: 100): Reflects meaningful commitment and willingness to share personal information.
  • Marketing qualified leads (value: 1,000): The highest-value signal and top optimization priority.

This value structure tells automation that one MQL matters more than 999 video views. Without these distinctions, campaigns chase impressive conversion rates driven by low-value actions β€” while real leads slip through the cracks.

Making Performance Max work for lead generation

You might dismiss Performance Max (PMax) for lead generation β€” and for good reason. Run it on a basic maximize conversions strategy, and it usually produces junk leads and wastes budget.

But PMax can deliver exceptional results when you combine conversion values and offline conversion data with a Target ROAS bid strategy.

One real client example shows what’s possible. They tracked three offline conversion actions β€” leads, opportunities, and customers β€” and valued customers at 50 times a lead. The results were dramatic:

  • Leads increased 150%
  • Opportunities increased 350%
  • Closed deals increased 200%

Closed deals became the campaign’s top-performing metric because they reflected real, paying customers. The key difference? Using conversion values with a Target ROAS strategy instead of basic maximize conversions.

Campaign-specific goals: An underutilized feature

Campaign-specific goals let you optimize campaigns for different conversion actions, giving you far more control and flexibility.

You can set conversion goals at the account level or make them campaign-specific. With campaign-specific goals, you can:

  • Run a mid-funnel campaign optimized only for lead form submissions using informational keywords.
  • Build audiences from those form fills to capture engaged prospects.
  • Launch a separate campaign optimized for qualified leads, targeting that warm audience with higher-value offers like demos or trials.

This approach avoids asking someone to β€œmarry you on the first date.” It also keeps campaigns from competing against themselves by trying to optimize for conflicting goals.

Portfolio bidding: Reaching the data threshold faster

Portfolio bidding groups similar campaigns so you can reach the critical 30-conversions-per-month threshold faster.

For example, four separate campaigns might generate 12, 11, 0, and 15 conversions. On their own, none qualify. Grouped into a single portfolio, they total 38 conversions β€” giving automation far more data to optimize against.

You may still need separate campaigns for valid reasons β€” regional reporting, distinct budgets, or operational constraints. Portfolio bidding lets you keep that structure while still feeding the system enough volume to perform.

Bonus benefit: Portfolio bidding lets you set maximum CPCs. This prevents runaway bids when automation aggressively targets high-propensity users. This level of control is otherwise only available through tools like SA360.

First-party audiences: Powerful targeting signals

First-party audiences send strong signals about who you want to reach, which is critical for AI-powered campaigns.

If HubSpot or Salesforce is connected to Google Ads, you can import audiences and use them strategically:

  • Customer lists: Use them as exclusions to avoid paying for existing customers, or as lookalikes in Demand Gen campaigns.
  • Contact lists: Use them for observation to signal ideal audience traits, or for targeting to retarget engaged users.

Audiences make it much easier to trust broad match keywords and AI-driven campaign types like PMax or AI Max β€” approaches that often feel too loose for B2B without strong audience signals in place.

Leveraging AI for B2B lead generation

AI tools can significantly improve B2B advertising efficiency when you use them with intent. The key is remembering that most AI is trained on consumer behavior, not B2B buying patterns.

The essential B2B prompt addition

Always tell the AI you’re selling to other businesses. Start prompts with clear context, like: β€œYou’re a SaaS company that sells to other businesses.” That single line shifts the AI’s lens away from consumer assumptions and toward B2B realities.

Client onboarding and profile creation

Use AI to build detailed client profiles by feeding it clear inputs, including:

  • What you sell and your core value.
  • Your unique selling propositions.
  • Target personas.
  • Ideal customer profiles.

Create a master template or a custom GPT for each client. This foundation sharpens every downstream AI task and dramatically improves accuracy and relevance.

Competitor research in minutes, not hours

Competitive analysis that once took 20–30 hours can now be done in 10–15 minutes. Ask AI to analyze your competitors and break down:

  • Current offers
  • Positioning and messaging
  • Value propositions
  • Customer sentiment
  • Social proof
  • Pricing strategies

AI delivers clean, well-structured tables you can screenshot for client decks or drop straight into Google Sheets for sorting and filtering. Use this insight to spot gaps, uncover opportunities, and identify clear strategic advantages.

Competitor keyword analysis

Use tools like Semrush or SpyFu to pull competitor keyword lists, then let AI do the heavy lifting. Create a spreadsheet with columns for each competitor’s keywords alongside your client’s keywords. Then ask the AI to:

  • Identify keywords competitors rank for that you don’t to uncover gaps to fill.
  • Identify keywords you own that competitors don’t to surface unique advantages.
  • Group keywords by theme to reveal patterns and inform campaign structure.

What once took hours of pivot tables, filtering, and manual cleanup now takes AI about five minutes.

Automating routine tasks

  • Negative keyword review: Create an AI artifact that learns your filtering rules and decision logic. Feed it search query reports, and it returns clear add-or-ignore recommendations. You spend time reviewing decisions instead of doing first-pass analysis, which makes SQR reviews faster and easier to run more often.
  • Ad copy generation: Tools like RSA generators can produce headlines and descriptions from sample keywords and destination URLs. Pair them with your custom client GPT for even stronger starting points. Always review AI-generated copy, but refining solid drafts is far faster than writing from scratch.

Experiments: testing what works

The Experiments feature is widely underused. Put it to work by testing:

  • Different bid strategies, including portfolio vs. standard
  • Match types
  • Landing pages
  • Campaign structures

Google Ads automatically reports performance, so there’s no manual math. It even includes insight summaries that tell you what to do next β€” apply the changes, end the experiment, or run a follow-up test.

Solutions: Pre-built scripts made easy

Solutions are prebuilt Google Ads scripts that automate common tasks, including:

  • Reporting and dashboards
  • Anomaly detection
  • Link checking
  • Flexible budgeting
  • Negative keyword list creation

Instead of hunting down scripts and pasting code, you answer a few setup questions and the solution runs automatically. Use caution with complex enterprise accounts, but for simpler structures, these tools can save a significant amount of time.

Key takeaways

Automation wasn’t built for lead generation, but with the right strategy, you can still make it work for B2B.

  • Send the right signals: Offline conversions with assigned values aren’t optional. First-party audiences add critical targeting context. Together, these signals make AI-driven campaigns work for B2B.
  • AI is your friend: Use AI to automate repetitive work β€” not to replace people. Take 50 search query reports off your team’s plate so they can focus on strategy instead of tedious analysis.
  • Leverage platform tools: Experiments, Solutions, campaign-specific goals, and portfolio bidding are powerful features many advertisers ignore. Use what’s already built into your ad platforms to get more out of every campaign.

Watch: It’s time to embrace automation for B2B lead genΒ 

πŸ’Ύ

Automation isn’t just for ecommerce. Learn how to drive more leads, cut costs, improve quality, and save time with AI-powered campaigns.

SK hynix Plans 16 Gb LPDDR6 Modules Running at 14.4 Gbps, Samsung Chips Run at 12.8 Gbps

South Korean memory makers, SK hynix and Samsung, are preparing to showcase their next-generation LPDDR6 memory solutions at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2026 in San Francisco, which will take place from February 15-19. As the premier event for showcasing advancements in silicon design, South Korean makers will present their best new technologies. For SK hynix and Samsung, this includes an update to their low-power DDR memory, now in its 6th generation. The LPDDR6 modules from SK hynix will arrive in 16 Gb capacities and offer a transfer rate per pin of 14.4 Gbps, built on the 1c generation (1Ξ³ generation) semiconductor node, which is the company's 6th generation of 10 nm DRAM. SK hynix runs these new modules at JEDEC's highest LPDDR6 speeds, meaning that the company is close to maxing out the new technology, and overclocked LPDDR6X versions might be arriving soon.

Samsung, on the other hand, has improved its LPDDR6 since the original CES 2026 presentation. The company will now present its 16 Gb LPDDR6 modules running at 12.8 Gbps, which is a significant improvement over the 10.7 Gbps modules from a few weeks ago. Samsung reportedly manufactures this LPDDR6 memory on a 12 nm process, which is slightly larger than SK hynix's 10 nm, but these modules also deliver great benefits. The company claims a 21% improvement in energy efficiency over its predecessor LPDDR5X. Additionally, Samsung's LPDDR6 memory uses NRZ signaling for I/O with a 12DQ subchannel, while SK hynix modules likely follow suit.

Samsung Exynos 2700 Mobile SoC Could Reach Mass Production Phase in H2 2026

Samsung is readying its Exynos 2600 application processor (AP) for a late February debut in next-gen Galaxy S26 smartphone models. Recent promotional fanfare has focused on the South Korean semiconductor giant's 2 nm GAA process (SF2), but early 2026 leaks have suggested work continuing on two futuristic frontsβ€”a more advanced manufacturing process (SF2P), and the mysterious Exynos 2700 mobile processor design. Earlier today, Park Yu-ak of Kiwoom Securities made a bold prediction about Samsung's next-gen AP design: "the Exynos 2700 will enter full-scale mass production in the second half of this year using Samsung Foundry's SF2P process and will record a market share of around 50% in the Galaxy S27."

Currently, smartphone industry experts believe that Exynos 2600 chipsets will only deploy in 25% of the soon-to-be-launched Galaxy S26 series. The remaining share will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 "for Galaxy" SoC. Samsung leadership is very likely pursuing a more favorable spread of in-house technologies, as future Exynos designs become more competitive in a bustling market. Mixed rumors of 2 nm GAA node production yields have somewhat dampened expectations of the South Korean megacorp's foundry business, but the latest Kiwoom Securities forecast outlines a cool operating profit of 1.8 trillion won by 2027 for Samsung Electronic's non-memory division. Within the past month or two, industry insiders have whispered about potential SF2 and SF2P deals being signed in the same sentence as AMD, Qualcomm, and Tesla.

Control Resonant Skips GenAIβ€”Future Remedy Games May Not

Control Resonant is slated to launch later this year, and with the gaming industry what it is in 2026, there were bound to be questions about the use of generative AI in the upcoming third-person shooter. In a Q&A session during a recent earnings call, Remedy CEO, Markus MΓ€ki, confirmed that Control Resonant will not feature any content with generative AI: "I can say that, for example, Control Resonant does not use generative AI content at all." However, he goes on to explain that the exclusion of AI at Remedy may not last very long into the future. MΓ€ki said that "making far-reaching promises about the future is pretty hard at this point," and that the company is following the development of generative AI tools to evaluate whether "there is anything that is really ethically in the right place, and is something that can add player value and that our teams want to use."

He also mentioned that there is "varied interest in different crafts at Remedy into investigating these AI tools," signalling that there is some internal interest in different departments. This somewhat echoes a recent survey of game industry workers, which found that as many as 81% of game industry workers use generative AI for brainstorming and 35% used it for prototyping. At the same time, only 7% of those game industry workers surveyed by the GDC Festival of Gaming thought that generative AI was having a positive impact on the game industry. A number of gaming giants have also recently thrown their weight behind AI tools in the name of efficiency or novelty, including Take-Two, whose CEO similarly said that GTA VI will feature no generative AI, but hinted that future games likely would include the controversial technology. Ubisoft, likewise, is exploring the possibility of AI teammates in games, while EA has announced a full-scale AI pivot. These announcements are in spite of the recent DRAM crisis resulting in unaffordable PC hardware, delayed product launches, and severe strain on the supply chain.

(PR) Xbox Details Ten of Forza Horizon 6's Incredible New Features

Forza Horizon 6 is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 19! Just a few weeks ago, we introduced you to some of the incredible new features and experiences you can look forward to discovering in Japan. Whether you're only catching up with the news now, or you just want a refresher on some of the coolest details we revealed at Developer_Direct, this blog is for you!

#1 World Famous Japanese Landmarks
As you already know, Forza Horizon 6 takes the Horizon Festival to the breathtaking landscapes of Japan! Tokyo City's iconic downtown area is home to iconic landmarks like Shibuya Crossing, Ginko Avenue and Tokyo Tower. You'll also get to drive on roads inspired by the C1 loop, as well as iconic mountain passes like Mt. Haruna and Bandai Azuma.

ASUS ROG Launches MATRIX GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 24 GB Model in China

Last November, ASUS launched its GeForce RTX 5090 ROG MATRIX Platinum 30th anniversary 32 GB graphics card model. This strictly limited edition releaseβ€”at the time, only 1000 units were producedβ€”demanded a whopping $3999 (per unit) price tag. Unique selling points (USPs) included an unusual overall design, 3 oz copper PCB layers, a dual-power input involving the 16-pin 12V-2x6 connector and BTF-supplied power delivery, as well as the integration of a tiny Bosch Sensortec BMI323 inertial measurement unit (IMU). By early December, it was not clear whether initial quality issues had caused an official(?) recall of extremely overengineered MATRIX custom flagships. Months later, a Chinese market variant has hit the pre-order stageβ€”over the weekend, ITHome reported on the pre-release status of this sanction-conforming model.

Despite featuring downgraded specifications, the customized GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 24 GB version still demands a hefty cost of entryβ€”a main JD.com listing advertises a price tag of 29,999 yuan (~$4341 USD). Last month, Tony Yuβ€”the manager of ASUS Chinaβ€”showcased a MATRIX GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 sample achieving a 3DMark Time Spy Extreme score of 28,638 points. This impressive tally was enabled via an 800 W operation mode, ITHome noted that this figure: "even surpasses NVIDIA's RTX PRO 6000 (21,760 cores vs. 24,064 cores), which is closer to (utilizing) the 'full-blooded' GB202 (GPU die's max. count of 24,576 units)." The older GeForce RTX 5090 D "V1" 32 GB card was no slouch in gaming and AI performance departments, but global tensions led to an eventual cut-off of supplies into China. Oddly, ITHome tracked the 25,999 yuan (~$3762 USD) listing of an MSI GeForce RTX 5090 D Gaming Trio 32 GB SKU on the JD.com e-tail platform, earlier on in 2026. In any case, local hardcore PC enthusiasts and AI companies can access top-tier "Blackwell" GPU hardware, whether in V2 or V1 guises. Black market options, including "truly banned" models are also (reportedly) available.

Amkor to Significantly Boost Arizona Packaging Capacity for Intel and TSMC

Amkor is preparing to greatly expand its Arizona-based operations, and the company will boost its spending not by a few percent, but by several multiples. The company is planning to triple its capital expenditures next year, with a dramatic increase from roughly $900 million in 2025 to as much as $3 billion in 2026, betting on massive demand from Intel and TSMC packaging technologies. This includes working with Intel and TSMC to enable their most advanced technologies like EMIB and CoWoS, all of which come in various form factors. We previously reported that Intel partnered with its long-time OSAT partner Amkor to take additional EMIB capacity that Intel's customers are interested in, in Incheon, South Korea.

However, as Amkor expands its facilities in Arizona, Intel will also collaborate with Amkor to deliver advanced EMIB packaging types on United States soil. While TSMC has been a primary choice for many high-density assemblies, growing interest in Intel's EMIB and Foveros options has led partners like MediaTek, Google, Qualcomm, and Tesla to consider alternatives. Interestingly, Amkor will also offload some of the CoWoS packaging work from TSMC by creating CoWoS packages on U.S. soil, instead of sending these chips back to TSMC's Taiwan fabs to finish production. Both CoWoS and EMIB/Foveros offer a list of benefits, making them highly sought-after packaging technologies for companies seeking to extract maximum performance from their chips. Amkor plans to be at the center of that supply chain and help Intel and TSMC handle more customers.

YUMI exFAT adds smarter drive prep options


YUMI remains a reliable pick for building multi-boot USB drives, especially if you like having control over how your media is set up. The latest release introduces a handy new preparation menu: users can now reserve unformatted space and choose the target filesystem upfront, making it easier to fine-tune a USB stick for specific use cases or future expansion.



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Octopus-inspired hydrogel reveals hidden image when exposed to temperature changes or solvents


The hydrogel behaves like a programmable canvas. Rather than using traditional pigments, researchers embedded data directly into its physical structure during printing. When the hydrogel warms or interacts with a different solvent, hidden information inside – ranging from letters to portraits – gradually comes into view. In one demonstration, the...

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Envoye Pay – Create contracts with built-in payments and e-signatures


Envoye Pay turns handshakes into legally binding contracts with built-in payments and e-signatures. Pick a customizable template, set terms like payment plans, interest, hold fees, and milestones, and invite the counterparty to sign. Contracts are securely stored, with payment tracking and a full paper trail. Stripe Connect powers transactions with automated reminders, allowing you to cut out the 30% middlemen and $500+ lawyers for vehicle sales, equipment purchases, and freelance projects, all for a simple 1% platform fee.

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Artwurk.ai – Create AI videos, images, and avatars in minutes


Artwurk.ai enables you to create AI videos, images, talking avatars, and your own AI clone without the need for editing skills. Generate text-to-video and image-to-video clips, design product videos, and produce studio-quality results rapidly. Craft images using text-to-image and image-to-image tools, and customize actors, style, voice, and emotions to match your brand. Designed for creators and teams, Artwurk.ai includes commercial rights and offers plans that scale from hobbyists to studios.

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Former Tesla product manager wants to make luxury goods impossible to fake, starting with a chip

The startup claims that it has developed a "hack-proof" chip that can't be bypassed by devices like Flipper Zero, a widely available hacking tool that can be used to tamper with wireless systems. These chips are linked with digital certificates to verify the authenticity of the products.

β€œA New Chapter of Horror”: Supermassive’s Directive 8020 Arrives on PC and Consoles in May 2026

A character in a spacesuit from the game Starfield appears with a concerned expression.

Supermassive Games, the studio you'll recognize as the team behind games like Until Dawn and The Quarry, has announced the release date for their next narrative-driven horror adventure, Directive 8020. This new sci-fi entry in Supermassive's Dark Pictures anthology will arrive on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S this coming May 12, 2026. The news was announced with a new release date trailer, which also ushered in the launch of pre-orders going live on both PS5 and Xbox Series. Pre-orders for the game on Steam will go live "soon" according to the video description, so just keep an eye on […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/directive-8020-release-date-ps5-pc-dark-pictures-supermassive-games/

China’s Largest Memory Manufacturer, CXMT, Plans to Allocate a β€œLarge Chunk” of Its DRAM Production to HBM3, Hoping to Compete in the AI Race

A display featuring CXMT LPDDR5X and DDR5 chips highlights specifications such as '12/16Gb' capacity and '10667 Mbps' speed.

China's CXMT is expanding its presence in the HBM market, aiming to capitalize on the AI frenzy, as the company is now reported to be converting a large chunk of its DRAM output. CXMT's Capacity Shift Towards HBM Does Put the Idea of "Cheaper" Consumer Memory Under Threat Given how competitive the DRAM industry has become in recent times, it has opened up newer opportunities for Chinese memory manufacturers like CXMT. One of the more interesting talks in recent times is how DRAM suppliers from China are 'somehow' going to save gamers from the ongoing memory shortages, but it appears […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/china-largest-memory-manufacturer-cxmt-plans-to-allocate-a-large-chunk-of-its-dram-production-to-hbm3/

A19 Pro & Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Maintain A Rock Solid 60FPS When Running Tomb Raider 2013, As They Should Since It’s A 13-Year-Old Title

Tomb Raider 2013 tested on the A19 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

A series of older games and some newer ones have started to make their way to iOS and Android as native ports, as smartphone chipsets have finally attained sufficient performance and efficiency to fluidly run titles that were heavily taxing on decade-old systems. On this occasion, Tomb Raider 2013 is demonstrated to maintain a healthy 60FPS average during various parts of the game when running on both the A19 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. However, a consistent framerate doesn’t necessarily mean the game is running at the same image quality on both phones, with the details posted below. […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/a19-pro-and-snapdragon-8-elite-gen-5-get-60fps-running-tomb-raider-2013/

The Nintendo Switch 2 Can Handle Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Surprisingly Well, And May Even Surpass The Steam Deck Too

Sephiroth and Cloud from 'Final Fantasy VII Rebirth' stand ready for battle in a rain-soaked scene, flanked by two armed

The February Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase brought new information about several third-party games launching on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. A good portion of the presentation focused on ports launching this year for the current-generation Nintendo system, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. With the recent Nintendo Switch 2 port of Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade running and looking great on the system, many are wondering how the console will handle the second entry in the series, which is a more complex game […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/the-nintendo-switch-2-can-handle-final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-surprisingly-well-and-may-even-surpass-the-steam-deck-too/

New Resident Evil 5 ESRB Rating Might Have Spoiled Capcom’s RE Remake Plans [Update]

Two characters stand in a detailed, rustic village setting in the game Resident Evil 5.

Update 11/02/2026: Following the publication of this article, it's been discovered that the ESRB rating for Resident Evil 5 identified in this article is not brand new, and is in fact a year old, dating back to February 2025. You can see the initial post through the Internet Archive. That said, the ESRB rating being old doesn't mean we can throw out any idea of an RE5 Remake. Besides the fact that Capcom has made its plans clear to continue remaking the RE games, it's unlikely that a new ESRB rating would be referring to the backwards compatible versions of […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/resident-evil-5-remake-capcom/

Trump Mobile’s T1 Phone Is A Tacky, Gaudy, And Garish Imitation Of A Sleek Smartphone

A person holding a gold Trump Mobile phone with a large 'T1' logo and an American flag on its back.

There are some truths and judgements that should not be viewed via a political lens. And, Trump Mobile's T1 phone constitutes one such occasion, where irrespective of the inherent political bias, the beholder is forced to concede that the device is an extremely tacky imitation of what a sleek smartphone looks like. The T1 Phone is a device that is all show, and retains an empty void for a soul; cheap, gaudy, garish, and an abomination of the device's original promise. Trump Mobile's T1 Phone has now surfaced in its final form, and we can't help but cringe at the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/trump-mobiles-t1-phone-is-a-tacky-gaudy-and-garish-imitation-of-a-sleek-smartphone/

Capcom Will Reveal a β€œLarge Scale,” β€œIceborne” and β€œSunbreak”-Sized Expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds This Summer

A collage of colorful, detailed monster designs from Monster Hunter Wilds featuring dragons and other creatures against varied

Monster Hunter Wilds will be getting a "large-scale expansion" later this year, with Capcom set to reveal the expansion at some point in Summer 2026, the company confirmed today in its update regarding what's coming to the game in February 2026. After digging into what players can look forward to in Monster Hunter Wilds' new update, which is set to be out on February 18, 2026, producer Ryozo Tsujimoto concluded by looking ahead to what's next for Wilds as we move deeper into the year. "Now, I'd like to talk about what's next for Monster Hunter Wilds," Tsujimoto began. "We […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/monster-hunter-wilds-large-scale-iceborne-sunbreak-sized-expansion-summer-2026-capcom/

Why governance maturity is a competitive advantage for SEO

How SEO governance shifts teams from reaction to prevention

Let me guess: you just spent three months building a perfectly optimized product taxonomy, complete with schema markup, internal linking, and killer metadata.Β 

Then, the product team decided to launch a site redesign without telling you. Now half your URLs are broken, the new templates strip out your structured data, and your boss is asking why organic traffic dropped 40%.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the thing: this isn’t an SEO failure, but a governance failure. It’s costing you nights and weekends trying to fix problems that should never have happened in the first place.

This article covers why weak governance keeps breaking SEO, how AI has raised the stakes, and how a visibility governance maturity model helps SEO teams move from firefighting to prevention.

Governance isn’t bureaucracy – it’s your insurance policy

I know what you’re thinking. β€œGreat, another framework that means more meetings and approval forms.” But hear me out.

The Visibility Governance Maturity Model (VGMM) isn’t about creating red tape. It’s about establishing clear ownership, documented processes, and decision rights that prevent your work from being accidentally destroyed by teams who don’t understand SEO.

Think of it this way: VGMM is the difference between being the person who gets blamed when organic traffic tanks versus being the person who can point to documentation showing exactly where the process broke down – and who approved skipping the SEO review.

This maturity model:

  • Protects your work from being undone by releases you weren’t consulted on.
  • Documents your standards so you’re not explaining canonical tags for the 47th time.
  • Establishes clear ownership so you’re not expected to fix everything across six different teams.
  • Gets you a seat at the table when decisions affecting SEO are being made.
  • Makes your expertise visible to leadership in ways they understand.

The real problem: AI just made everything harder

Remember when SEO was mostly about your website and Google? Those were simpler times.

Now you’re trying to optimize for:

  • AI Overviews that rewrite your content.
  • ChatGPT citations that may or may not link back.
  • Perplexity summaries that pull from competitors.
  • Voice assistants that only cite one source.
  • Knowledge panels that conflict with your site.

And you’re still dealing with:

  • Content teams who write AI-generated fluff.
  • Developers who don’t understand crawl budget.
  • Product managers who launch features that break structured data.
  • Marketing directors who want β€œjust one small change” that tanks rankings.

Without governance, you’re the only person who understands how all these pieces fit together.Β 

When something breaks, everyone expects you to fix it – usually yesterday. When traffic is up, it’s because marketing ran a great campaign. When it’s down, it’s your fault.

You become the hero the organization depends on, which sounds great until you realize you can never take a real vacation, and you’re working 60-hour weeks.

Dig deeper: Why most SEO failures are organizational, not technical

What VGMM actually measures – in terms you care about

VGMM doesn’t care about your keyword rankings or whether you have perfect schema markup. It evaluates whether your organization is set up to sustain SEO performance without burning you out. Below are the five maturity levels that translate to your daily reality:

Level 1: Unmanaged (your current nightmare)

  • Nobody knows who’s responsible for SEO decisions.
  • Changes happen without SEO review.
  • You discover problems after they’ve tanked traffic.
  • You’re constantly firefighting.
  • Documentation doesn’t exist or is ignored.

Level 2: Aware (slightly better)

  • Leadership admits SEO matters.
  • Some standards exist but aren’t enforced.
  • You have allies but no authority.
  • Improvements happen but get reversed next quarter.
  • You’re still the only one who really gets it.

Level 3: Defined (getting somewhere)

  • SEO ownership is documented.
  • Standards exist, and some teams follow them.
  • You’re consulted before major changes.
  • QA checkpoints include SEO review.
  • You’re working normal hours most weeks.

Level 4: Integrated (the dream)

  • SEO is built into release workflows.
  • Automated checks catch problems before they ship.
  • Cross-functional teams share accountability.
  • You can actually take a vacation without a disaster.
  • Your expertise is respected and resourced.

Level 5: Sustained (unicorn territory)

  • SEO survives leadership changes.
  • Governance adapts to new AI surfaces automatically.
  • Problems are caught before they impact traffic.
  • You’re doing strategic work, not firefighting.
  • The organization values prevention over reaction.

Most organizations sit at Level 1 or 2. That’s not your fault – it’s a structural problem that VGMM helps diagnose and fix.

Dig deeper: SEO’s future isn’t content. It’s governance

How VGMM works: The less boring explanation

VGMM coordinates multiple domain-specific maturity models. Think of it as a health checkup that looks at all your vital signs, not just one metric.

It evaluates maturity across domains like:

  • SEO governance: Your core competency.
  • Content governance: Are writers following standards?
  • Performance governance: Is the site actually fast?
  • Accessibility governance: Is the site inclusive?
  • Workflow governance: Do processes exist and work?

Each domain gets scored independently, then VGMM looks at how they work together. Because excellent SEO maturity doesn’t matter if the performance team deploys code that breaks the site every Tuesday or if the content team publishes AI-generated nonsense that tanks your E-E-A-T signals.

VGMM produces a 0–100% score based on:

  • Domain scores: How mature is each area?
  • Weighting: Which domains matter most for your business?
  • Dependencies: Are weaknesses in one area breaking strengths in another?
  • Coherence: Do decision rights and accountability actually align?

The final score isn’t about effort – it’s about whether governance actually works.

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What this means for your daily life

Before VGMM-style governance:

  • Product launches a redesign β†’ You find out when traffic drops.
  • Content team uses AI β†’ You discover thin content in Search Console.
  • Dev changes URL structure β†’ You spend a week fixing redirects.
  • Marketing wants β€œquick changes” β†’ You explain why it’s not quick (again).
  • Site goes down β†’ Everyone asks why you didn’t catch it.

After governance maturity improves:

  • Product can’t launch without SEO sign-off.
  • Content AI usage has review checkpoints.
  • URL changes require documented SEO approval.
  • Marketing requests go through defined workflows.
  • Site monitoring includes automated SEO health checks.

You move from reactive firefighting to proactive prevention. Your weekends become yours again.

The supporting models: What they actually check

VGMM doesn’t score you on technical SEO execution. It checks whether the organization has processes in place to prevent SEO disasters.

SEO Governance Maturity Model (SEOGMM) asks:

  • Are there documented SEO standards?
  • Who can override them, and how?
  • Do templates enforce SEO requirements?
  • Are there QA checkpoints before releases?
  • Can SEO block launches that will cause problems?

Content Governance Maturity Model (CGMM) asks:

  • Are content quality standards documented?
  • Is AI-generated content reviewed?
  • Are writers trained on SEO basics?
  • Is there a process for updating outdated content?

Website Performance Maturity Model (WPMM) asks:

  • Are Core Web Vitals monitored?
  • Can releases be rolled back if they break performance?
  • Is there a performance budget?
  • Are third-party scripts governed?

You get the idea. Each domain has its own checklist, and VGMM shows leadership where gaps create risk.

Dig deeper: SEO execution: Understanding goals, strategy, and planning

How to pitch this to your boss

You don’t need to explain VGMM theory. You need to connect it to problems leadership already knows exist.

  • Frame it as risk reduction: β€œWe’ve had three major traffic drops this year from changes that SEO didn’t review. VGMM helps us identify where our process breaks down so we can prevent this.”
  • Frame it as efficiency: β€œI’m spending 60% of my time firefighting problems that could have been prevented. VGMM establishes processes so I can focus on growth opportunities instead.”
  • Frame it as a competitive advantage: β€œOur competitors are getting cited in AI Overviews, and we’re not. VGMM evaluates whether we have the governance structure to compete in AI-mediated search.”
  • Frame it as scalability: β€œRight now, our SEO capability depends entirely on me. If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, nobody knows how to maintain what we’ve built. VGMM establishes documentation and processes that make our SEO sustainable.”
  • The ask: β€œI’d like to conduct a VGMM assessment to identify where our processes need strengthening.”

What success actually looks like

Organizations with higher VGMM maturity experience measurably better outcomes:

  • Fewer unexplained traffic drops because changes are reviewed.
  • More stable AI citations because content quality is governed.
  • Less rework after launches because SEO is built into workflows.
  • Clearer accountability because ownership is documented.
  • Better resource allocation because gaps are visible to leadership.

But the real win for you personally:Β 

  • You stop being the hero who saves the day and become the strategist who prevents disasters.Β 
  • Your expertise is recognized and properly resourced.Β 
  • You can take actual vacations.Β 
  • You work normal hours most of the time.

Your job becomes about building and improving, not constantly fixing.

Getting started: Practical next steps

Step 1: Self-assessment

Look at the five maturity levels. Where is your organization honestly sitting? If you’re at Level 1 or 2, you have evidence for why governance matters.

Step 2: Document current-state pain

Make a list of the last six months of SEO incidents:

  • Changes that weren’t reviewed.
  • Traffic drops from preventable problems.
  • Time spent fixing avoidable issues.
  • Requests that had to be explained multiple times.

This becomes your business case.

Step 3: Start with one domain

You don’t need to implement full VGMM immediately. Start with SEOGMM:

  • Document your standards.
  • Create a review checklist.
  • Establish who can approve exceptions.
  • Get stakeholder sign-off on the process.

Step 4: Show resultsΒ 

Track prevented problems. When you catch an issue before it ships, document it. When a process prevents a regression, quantify the impact. Build your case for expanding governance.

Step 5: Expand systematically

Once SEOGMM is working, expand to related domains (content, performance, accessibility). Show how integrated governance catches problems that individual domain checks miss.

Why governance determines whether SEO survives

Governance isn’t about making your job harder. It’s about making your organization work better so your job becomes sustainable.

VGMM gives you a framework for diagnosing why SEO keeps getting undermined by other teams and a roadmap for fixing it. It translates your expertise into language that leadership understands. It protects your work from accidental destruction.

Most importantly, it moves you from being the person who’s always fixing emergencies to being the person who builds systems that prevent them.

You didn’t become an SEO professional to spend your career firefighting. VGMM helps you get back to doing the work that actually matters – the strategic, creative, growth-focused work that attracted you to SEO in the first place.

If you’re tired of watching your best work get undone by teams who don’t understand SEO, if you’re exhausted from being the only person who knows how everything works, if you want your expertise to be recognized and protected – start the VGMM conversation with your leadership.

The framework exists. What’s missing is someone in your organization saying, β€œWe need to govern visibility like we govern everything else that matters.”

That someone is you.

Dig deeper: Why 2026 is the year the SEO silo breaks and cross-channel execution starts

(PR) Directive 8020 Sci-Fi Survival Horror Launches on May 12, Pre-orders Now Open

Supermassive Games is proud to reveal that its sci-fi survival horror narrative adventure, Directive 8020, will launch on 12 May 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). The game will be available in both physical and digital formats, with pre-orders now live across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. PC (Steam) will be digital-only, with Steam digital pre-orders coming soon. Pre-orders include a free Deluxe Edition upgrade (while retail stocks last).

Every Choice Has a Consequence
The Comply Pre-Order Trailer explores Directive 8020's paranoia-fuelled decision-making where trust is fragile and every choice can be deadly.
  • Choice-Based Gameplay: Cooper, the ship's medic, is fuelled by paranoia and faces a harrowing decision as her crewmate Mitchell pleads for release from behind a sealed door. Cooper, unknowing if he's human or not, has a difficult decision to make. This moment underscores a core theme of Directive 8020: trust no one, as every action has consequences.
  • The "Double" Reveal: Based on how the game branches and your previous decisions, Cooper can now possess the gun instead of Commander Stafford. Two identical versions of Cernan (the ship's Engineer) rush into view and you must choose: who is the mimic and who do you allow back into the crew? One choice will prove fatal.
  • Planetary Exploration: For the first time, the trailer teases on-planet gameplay showcasing the harsh, alien landscape of Tau Ceti f.
  • Talent & Track: The trailer features lead talent Lashana Lynch as pilot Brianna Young, accompanied by the track "Comply" from Brighton-based band, Blood Red Shoes.

(PR) Optoma Unveils UHZ36 Home Entertainment 4K UHD Laser Projector

Optoma, the No. 1 DLP laser home projector brand in the Americas, today expands its line of award-winning 4K resolution projectors with the introduction of Optoma's UHZ36, a true 4K UHD laser projector for big-screen entertainment. With 3,500 lumens, HDR support, PureEngine technology, FILMMAKER MODE and a long-lasting laser, the UHZ36 delivers vibrant color and smooth performance in a compact, easy-to-set-up design.

Replace your TV and expand your entertainment experience by projecting anywhere from a compact 50" screen to a massive 300" display. Whether it's a casual night in or a full-blown movie marathon, scale your experience to fit the vibeβ€”no wall too small, no screen too big. The UHZ36 provides unparalleled, lifelike imagery for enjoying your favorite movies and TV shows to viewing live sports with a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio and for greater visual detail and depth, and HDR support enhances content for improved dynamic range and color precision.

Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass Could Merge Into a Single Subscription

Microsoft is reportedly considering merging some of its subscription services into a single offering. According to The Verge, and later confirmed by sources from Windows Central, Microsoft is exploring the possibility of combining the PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Premium subscription tiers into one "super" tier. This potential consolidation would address the increasingly complicated subscription lineup, which often confuses gamers and affects their subscription choices. Offering support for more than one platform in a single subscription could potentially revitalize the struggling subscription services sector at Xbox and align well with the timing of a new console release. The company is also looking into ways to incorporate more third-party service bundles into its Game Pass offerings.

Currently, PC Game Pass costs $16.49 per month after a significant price increase of nearly 40% last October, while the Xbox Game Pass Premium tier costs $15 but doesn't include the full library available to PC subscribers. At the top end is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $30 monthly, which offers day-one access to all Microsoft first-party releases, along with bundled perks from EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, and Fortnite Crew. Combining the PC and Premium tiers could simplify this structure, though it raises questions about pricing and feature access for current PC subscribers, or whether Microsoft will maintain the $16.49 price.

(PR) SEMI Reports 2025 Annual Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments and Revenue Results

Worldwide silicon wafer shipments in 2025 increased 5.8% to 12,973 million square inches (MSI) while wafer revenue slipped 1.2% to $11.4 billion over the same period, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its year-end analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

2025 marks an inflection year for wafer shipments, with silicon MSI resuming growth supported by strong demand for advanced epitaxial wafers in logic and polished wafers for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), driven by AI applications. Softness in wafer revenue is mostly attributed to the slow momentum in traditional semiconductor applications where the demand and pricing environment are yet to improve.

(PR) Ultra-Violent Sci-Fi Adventure Romeo Is a Dead Man Is Out Now

Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. (GhM) has today unleashed bloody action adventure ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, alongside a funky launch trailer which includes music from legendary Japanese rap group Scha Dara Parr, whose music can also be heard throughout ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN.

ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is the first self-published title by GhM, and the first brand-new IP from the studio and Goichi Suda, AKA SUDA51 (No More Heroes trilogy, The Silver Case, Shadows of the Damned) in more than five years. The game blends the iconic ultra-violent action gameplay for which the studio is acclaimed, with an original story, of love, loss, and lots (and lots) of the gushing red stuff.

(PR) .45 PARABELLUM BLOODHOUND is Content Complete, Sukeban Games Concentrating on Optimizations

Today (February 9) marks the day where every single story event and encounter is now fully playable. A lot of polishing awaits us and don't get me wrongβ€”it's a ton of work! But it's all more predictable. No new content will be added, no new sections. Just bug fixing and making things look pretty or play/read better. QOL improvements, optimization, editing, localization. Like I said, it's a ton, just more predictable. If everything goes well we'll divulge a release date in a couple of months. Stay tuned!

This is definitely my favorite part of development, and I'm getting that feeling I had when we were about wrap up VA-11 Hall-A's production; with a combination of good and bad anxiety. The only difference is that we're self-publishing this time, so a ton more is falling on our shoulders. We're betting on ourselves, and we have no clue if it's gonna be worth it by the end of it. This current stage implies more grind than problem-solving, so don't expect me to talk much from here unless catastrophic things happen that make us rewrite systems or something. Or funny anecdotes. Let's hope for funny anecdotes! Wish us luck, too.

(PR) Cisco Unveils Silicon One G300 102.4 Tbps Switching ASIC

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) continues to transform the network into an AI innovation platform, today unveiling the Silicon One G300, a 102.4 Tbps switching silicon designed for massive AI cluster buildouts. The Cisco Silicon One G300 will power new Cisco N9000 and Cisco 8000 systems that push the frontier of AI networking in the data center. The systems feature innovative liquid cooling and support high-density optics to achieve new efficiency benchmarks and ensure customers get the most out of their GPU investments. In addition, the company enhanced Nexus One to make it easier for enterprises to operate their AI networksβ€”on-premises or in the cloudβ€”removing the complexity that can hold organizations back from scaling AI data centers.

"We are spearheading performance, manageability, and security in AI networking by innovating across the full stack - from silicon to systems and software," said Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer, Cisco. "We're building the foundation for the future of infrastructure, supporting every type of customerβ€”from hyperscalers to enterprisesβ€”as they shift to AI-powered workloads."

AMD Launches Crimson Desert Promo Bundles for Qualifying Ryzen & Radeon Hardware

This season's AMD Rewards campaign started going live this morning, across several regions. Officially, this promotional period started today (February 10), at 9:00 a.m. ET, and is due to end on April 25. Participants have until May 23 (11:59:59 p.m. ET) to get/redeem "Crimson Desert with select AMD products." Hints of a Pearl Abyssβ€”the game's South Korean development teamβ€”and Team Red collaboration appeared online last week; eventually leading to the reveal of Sapphire's Nitro+ Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Crimson Desert Edition graphics card model. In terms of qualifying desktop processor products, AMD has narrowed its selection down to current-gen 3D V-Cache-augmented gaming models, including the 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D, 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D, and 8-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The semi-recently launched Ryzen 7 9850X3D SKU gets some special treatmentβ€”according to the latest reward scheme's small print: "purchases of this product prior to the Campaign Period are eligible to receive a Coupon Code."

The Crimson Desert promotion also encompasses RDNA 4 generation graphics cards, although the Red Team has only deemed its upper echelon options worthy of this Pearl Abyss sponsorship. The Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 (both 16 GB models) are qualifiers in this category. Oddly, cheaper Radeon RX 9060 XT (16 GB and 8 GB) cards are not listed in freshly published material. Also absent is the Chinese market exclusive Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB or 16 GB models. The less potent Radeon RX 9000-series products are very likely capable of running the Black Desert Online prequel to a satisfying degreeβ€”as noted by VideoCardz, Crimson Desert's minimum PC specification requirements hark back to pre-2020s processor and GPU hardware.

(PR) Gigabyte Collaborates with NVIDIA GeForce RTX for Resident Evil Requiem Bundle

Gigabyte, the world's leading computer brand, collaborates with NVIDIA for the Resident Evil Requiem game bundle across eligible graphics cards, desktops, and laptops powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 or above GPUs or Laptop GPUs. Powered by NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, the GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs bring game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators. Equipped with a massive level of AI horsepower, the RTX 50 Series enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Combined with Gigabyte's cutting-edge cooling designs, the bundle aims to unleash smoother gameplay and a more immersive Resident Evil Requiem gaming experience.

The GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs leverage a trio of key technologies to elevate gameplay. Path tracing simulates the physical behavior of light to deliver photorealistic and real-time 3D graphics. Alongside NVIDIA's suite of neural rendering technologies, DLSS 4 leverages AI technologies to boost FPS, reduce latency, and enhance image quality, while NVIDIA Reflex further reduces system latency for more responsive control.

(PR) IBM Introduces Autonomous Storage with New FlashSystem Portfolio Powered by Agentic AI

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today unveiled the next generation of IBM FlashSystem, co-run by agentic AI, ushering in a new era of autonomous storage. By enhancing FlashSystem's existing AI capabilities with agentic AI, IBM is redefining resilience through sustained protection, autonomous threat analysis, and customized recovery recommendations. Clients can now turn storage into an always-on layer of intelligence, enabling reliable and secure storage operations that can reduce the manual effort of storage management by up to 90%.

The new portfolio includes:
  • Three new systems - the IBM FlashSystem 5600, 7600, and 9600 - which deliver up to 40% greater data efficiency for improved capacity footprint and performance, compared to the previous generation.
  • FlashSystem.ai, a new set of intelligent data services that help administrators manage, monitor, diagnose, and remediate issues across the entire data path.
  • The new fifth-generation FlashCore Module all-flash drive, which is engineered to provide hardware-accelerated real-time ransomware detection, data reduction, analytics and operations, with advanced telemetry and consistently low latency at scale.

(PR) Gigabyte Partners with AMD to Enhance Game Value through Crimson Desert Bundle

Gigabyte, the world's leading computer brand, partners with AMD to announce the Crimson Desert game bundle to enhance game value across a wide range of components and consumer products. Spanning graphics cards, select AMD Ryzen 9000X3D processors are paired with recommended Gigabyte motherboards, as well as laptops and desktops. Together, Gigabyte and AMD deliver a richer and more immersive gaming experience through cutting-edge hardware innovation.

Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 Series graphics cards are powered by the AMD RDNA 4 architecture with enhanced ray tracing capabilities and AMD FSR "Redstone" technology, which boosts frame rates and reduces system latency delivering the horsepower needed for demanding gaming. Equipped with Gigabyte's WINDFORCE cooling system, including the Hawk fan design and server-grade thermal conductive gel, these GPUs maintain exceptional thermal efficiency for consistently optimized gameplay.

(PR) AppControl Launches New PC Monitoring Utility

AppControl, a user-friendly Windows system monitoring utility, today unveiled its industry-first application designed to make understanding your PC simple, visual, and stress-free. Built for everyday Windows users, AppControl shows exactly how your computer behaves so you can finally understand what's slowing it down, heating it up, or running in the background without your knowledge. AppControl is a certified member of the Intel Partner Alliance; the AppControl app requires no registration and is available as a free download directly from the AppControl website or via Softpedia.

Unlike traditional system tools that only show what's happening in the moment, AppControl delivers an easy-to-navigate historical timeline of CPU, GPU, memory, disk usage, and temperature. Users can scroll back in time to see what apps were running, what changed, when it changed, and why their PC behaved the way it did, turning confusing performance issues into clear, explainable events. AppControl also provides insights into privacy-relevant behavior, such as apps accessing the webcam, the microphone, or the user's location.

(PR) Sony Schedules State of Play Presentation - 60+ Mins of Announcements Due February 12

Tune in live this Thursday for 60+ minutes of news, gameplay updates, and announcements from game studios across the globe. February's State of Play will spotlight eye-catching third-party and indie games headed to PS5, along with the latest from teams at PlayStation Studios. State of Play broadcasts live February 12 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST | February 13 at 7am JST on YouTube and Twitch, and will be broadcast in English with Japanese subtitles also available. We'll see you then!

Regarding co-streaming and video-on-demand (VOD)
Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you're planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.

How a new terahertz antenna could unlock one-terabit 6G speeds


The breakthrough, detailed in Nature Photonics, centers on a fundamental problem facing 6G: how to efficiently transmit and receive data at terahertz frequencies. These frequencies, which are thousands of gigahertz above current 5G bands, can carry staggering amounts of information, theoretically approaching one terabit per second.

Read Entire Article

Reynolds Ransomware Embeds BYOVD Driver to Disable EDR Security Tools

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of an emergent ransomware family dubbed Reynolds that comes embedded with a built-in bring your own vulnerable driver (BYOVD) component for defense evasion purposes within the ransomware payload itself. BYOVD refers to an adversarial technique that abuses legitimate but flawed driver software to escalate privileges and disable Endpoint Detection

From Ransomware to Residency: Inside the Rise of the Digital Parasite

Are ransomware and encryption still the defining signals of modern cyberattacks, or has the industry been too fixated on noise while missing a more dangerous shift happening quietly all around them? According to Picus Labs’ new Red Report 2026, which analyzed over 1.1 million malicious files and mapped 15.5 million adversarial actions observed across 2025, attackers are no longer optimizing for

Refreshing your home audio setup? From Sonos to Bose, I’ve tested each and every wireless speaker here, and rounded up my faves for superb sound and features in spades

I test wireless speakers for a living – and based on my hands-on experience, these offer the kind of superb sound and fantastic features you won’t want to miss

Crimson Desert AMD Game Bundle Announced – Get the Open World Game for Free by Purchasing AMD Hardware from Eligible Retailers

Crimson Desert AMD Game Bundle

Today, AMD and Pearl Abyss have announced the Crimson Desert AMD Game Bundle. Purchasing select AMD hardware from eligible retailers will give you access to the upcoming open world action/adventure game for free on PC. The following AMD processors, graphics cards, and laptops that include an AMD Ryzen processor are eligible: Qualifying AMD Products Crimson Desert AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3DAMD Ryzen 9 9900X3DAMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D*AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3DAMD Radeon RX 9070 XTAMD Radeon RX 9070 *Purchases of this product prior to the Campaign Period are eligible to receive a Coupon Code. βœ“ Select laptops that contain an AMD Ryzen […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/crimson-desert-amd-game-bundle-announced-free-game/

NVIDIA’s Resident Evil Requiem Game Bundle For GeForce RTX 50 GPUs Now Available

NVIDIA's Resident Evil Requiem Game Bundle For GeForce RTX 50 GPUs Now Available 1

NVIDIA's Resident Evil Requiem game bundle for GeForce RTX 50 GPUs is now available, offering gamers a free copy of the latest entry in the Resident Evil franchise. NVIDIA Bundles A Free Copy of Resident Evil Requiem In Latest GeForce RTX 50 GPUs Promo Resident Evil Requiem, or Resident Evil 9, is the latest title in the long-running survival horror/action franchise. The game comes out on the 27th of February, so with just a few days left, NVIDIA has decided to update its RTX bundle to include a free copy of the game with its RTX 50 series GPUs. As […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/nvidia-resident-evil-requiem-game-bundle-geforce-rtx-50-gpus/

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