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Claude desktop extension can be hijacked to send out malware by a simple Google Calendar event
Disney just shut down AI image prompts for its characters β and it might mark the end of the Wild West era of AI image creation
The Animal Crossing New Horizonsβ Switch 2 upgrade has brought me back to the island paradise for the first time since COVID β and boy, is it a different game now
'It is much more than showing pictures of animals. It is about evoking emotion' β how these stunning photos of rare Iberian Lynx converted a hunter into a photographer
Bethesda's Todd Howard reveals one of Fallout 3's biggest DLCs came from how much everyone hated the RPG's ending β "Iβll give us an average grade on that"
Highguard becomes the latest PvP project to fall victim to the industryβs brutal reset
The Steam Deck OLED is quietly vanishing from storefronts β and fans are asking questions
(PR) MSI and Mondu Partner to Transform B2B Procurement with Flexible "Buy Now, Pay Later" Solutions
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 β 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.
First Malicious Outlook Add-In Found Stealing 4,000+ Microsoft Credentials

Trying to dodge the 2026 tech price hikes? Hereβs the gear I'd buy sooner rather than later, plus practical tips for finding the best deals
Could this be a new era for 3D printers? Major milestone reached as tungsten printing is now finally possible
'Itβs as if they hopped off the screen' β Disney Worldβs Frozen Ever After reopens with more immersive Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff animatronics that βgave chillsβ
Cloud gaming on TVs suddenly looks like the future β2026 is the year the 'no console' world becomes realistic, thanks developments and hardware shortages
64GB of DDR5 RAM now costs more than a MacBook Air - memory prices have surged 300% in just six months
xAI lays out interplanetary ambitions in public all-hands
AI inference startup Modal Labs in talks to raise at $2.5B valuation, sources say
YouTube Expands Text of Variable Subscriber Notifications
YouTube will send you fewer channel notifications if you don't engage with themΒ
Avowedβs success shows how Game Pass can turn a midβbudget RPG into a hit
Diablo 2 developers on servicing the "millions of players" still playing the classic, releasing Reign of the Warlock on Steam, and working with Rahul Kohli
Diablo 2 gets Warlock as the first new class in decades and shadow drops on Steam and Xbox Game Pass
This compact OMEN 16L gaming PC delivers better value than building it yourself β and itβs on sale
Fortnite the Latest To Demand Secure Boot and TPM for Anti-Cheat
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 accessβalthough 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
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
The most notable mentions include changes to shader compilation and function calls that make RADV work more efficiently in ray tracingβa 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.
Dangerous new spyware can take full control of iPhone and Android devices
Security firm iVerify says it has uncovered a new spyware platform dubbed ZeroDayRAT, a tool designed to seize near-total control of a compromised smartphone. According to the company, the malware works on both Android and iOS devices β including the latest versions of each operating system β and offers a...
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HookTide β 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.
Apple could defy the RAM crisis with a rumored cheaper MacBook β which sounds like its biggest laptop launch for years
'SDUC cards in multi-terabyte capacities are already shipping': but where are these removable memory cards with 4TB or 8TB capacities that Sandisk launched almost two years ago?
OpenAI disbands mission alignment team
Appleβs Siri revamp reportedly delayedβ¦ again
Uber Eats launches AI assistant to help with grocery cart creation
An M2 MacBook Air Owner Combats Rising SSD Prices With a βJankyβ Mod That Hooks A Dongle To A SATA Drive, All Stuck Together Using Low-Quality Tape
Appleβs M2 MacBook Air offers decent hardware to those who require ample battery life and arenβt 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, weβll bear witness to some unorthodox examples of creative juices flowing on various social media channels. The latest mod involves a portable Mac owner who wasnβt 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 [β¦]
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
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 isnβt limited to desktop graphics cards and extends to gaming laptops, and youβll be thrilled to learn that the MSI Vector 16 HX AI, which houses the RTX 5070 Ti, is $200 off on Amazon. In short, youβre not just pocketing extra savings, but youβre also getting [β¦]
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/

Steam Deck availability goes up in smoke β suddenly goes out of stock in US, Asia stores
Tired of Edgeβs busy New Tab? Someone finally made a cleaner version with this new extension
WWE 2K26 drops a closer look at its CM Punk Showcase β including a glimpse at rewriting matches the Best in the World should've won
The creator of Fable was "tearing up" watching Xbox show off the RPG reboot's gameplay β "F*** me. This thing that we created, it's going to live"
Google is expanding tools to remove personal data from search results
The tools use Google's large-scale indexing systems to spot sensitive data, but they involve a key trade-off: users must share partial personal information so Google can locate full matches online. Once that data is entered, Google's scanners run periodic searches and alert users when results containing their details appear.
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The HDD brand that brought you the 1.8-inch, 2.5-inch, and 3.5-inch hard drives is now back with a $19 pocket-sized personal cloud for your smartphones - just make sure you don't lose it
'Satisfying and great-tasting results' β this five-star De'Longhi coffee maker is a spectacular value, and it's $200 off at Best Buy
Segway Navimow CEO on why it won't be 'simply piling on features' in its robot lawn mowers
IKEA just released the smart sensor range I've been waiting for β simple, helpful gadgets from as little as $6
Watch out, Tesla β the early Rivian R2 verdicts suggest it's going to be a serious Model Y rival
Who will own your companyβs AI layer? Gleanβs CEO explains
Microsoft says hackers are exploiting critical zero-day bugs to target Windows and Office users
How to get into a16zβs super-competitive Speedrun startup accelerator program
Cash App adds payment links so you can get paid in a DM
Amazonβs new eero Signal keeps you connected to the internet when outages occur
The search is on: 2026 Joseph C. Belden Innovation Award nominations are open
Activist investor Ancora publicly opposes the WBD-Netflix deal
Appleβs Much-Anticipated Siri Overhaul Hits A Snag, New Features To Now Roll Out In Batches
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apples-much-anticipated-siri-overhaul-hits-a-snag-new-features-to-now-roll-out-in-batches/

βBolder, Braver, Bloodierβ: CI Games Digs Into Lords of the Fallen 2 Combat in New Developer Deep-Dive
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 [β¦]
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
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/amd-cpu-market-share-huge-growth-q4-2025-ryzen-desktop-highest-revenue-ever/

Presidentβs Day blowout brings incredible savings on elite gaming PCs β up to $250 discounts on Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5080 rigs
Is your campaign structure holding you back in the era of AI?
For years, the gold standard in Search ads was granularity. Advertisers built elaborate, multi-layered campaigns to cover every variable, from match types to device bids⦠Meta Kicks Off New Data Center Project in Indiana
Meta's 30th data center in the U.S. will help to power its AI ambitions.Β
Instagram Looks to Tap Into the Mini Drama Trend
Mini dramas are having a moment on TikTok, and Instagram's now taken notice.
Threads Expands Manual Algorithm Control Option
The option gives you the capacity to change what you see in your Threads feed.
Snapchat Adds AI Generated Bitmoji Option in Lens+
The new option will generate a Bitmoji for you, based on an image.Β
Downloaded 7βZip from the wrong site? That βinstallerβ mightβve turned your PC into a proxy bot
How to kill Vox Engines in Helldivers 2 β weak points and best stratagems to use against the "voice of Cyberstan"
Discord's Age Verification System Drives Gamers to Seek Alternatives
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
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA App Hotfix 11.0.6.386
Maryland is betting billions that quantum computing is closer than we think
Maryland is planning as if that timeline could be close enough to matter. Gov. Wes Moore calls quantum computing a "lighthouse industry" and has backed a Capital of Quantum initiative centered on the University of Maryland's Discovery District in College Park, not far from IonQ's warehouse-turned-lab.
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Makers are turning discarded vapes into tiny musical instruments
The Vape Synth is a project from a trio who call themselves Paper Bag Team. Kari Love and David Rios are professors at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program, while Shuang Cai is a PhD student at Cornell who also teaches at both universities.
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docs2excel.ai β 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.
'A resounding home run' - the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds are some of the best we've tested and they even converted me from being an in-ear headphones skeptic
'I was out in Korea just a couple of weeks ago': SK Hynix partner has a cunning plan to simplify SSDs and cut memory use by 99% amidst RAM crisis
Get your caffeine fix at home for less with this four-star Breville Bambino Plus at a record-low price on Amazon
30 sophisticated silver home office upgrades to elevate your workspace
OpenAI hails 1 million Codex downloads, but warns limits may be coming - but ChatGPT Deep Research users get a whole load of upgrades to boost their work
The AirTag 2 is way more findable β and louder β than the original, and this is a truly worthy upgrade
Amazon's Presidents' Day sale is surprisingly filled with award-winning tech gadgets β here's everything I'd buy as a deals expert
DOJ says Trenchant boss sold exploits to Russian broker capable of accessing βmillions of computers and devicesβ
Why the economics of orbital AI are so brutal
Threadsβ new βDear Algoβ AI feature lets you personalize your feed
Google releases the first beta of Android 17, adopts a continuous developer release plan
How AI changes the math for startups, according to a Microsoft VP
UpScrolledβs social network is struggling to moderate hate speech after fast growth
Apple Officially Releases iOS 26.3 Update And More
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-officially-released-ios-26-3-update-and-more/

No Manβs Sky Remnant Update Adds Gravity Manipulation and Hauling to the Game
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 [β¦]
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
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 [β¦]
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 Leviβs Stadium On Super Bowl Sunday
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 [β¦]
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 2027βs Helldivers Movie Led by Fast & Furious Director Justin Lin
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/jason-momoa-star-helldivers-film-fast-and-furious-director-justin-lin/

HPβs Response to Memory Shortages Isnβt Switching to Chinese Memory or Cutting Specs; Itβs Asking Gamers to βRentβ OMEN Laptops
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 [β¦]
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 β The League Quest Guide
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 [β¦]
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
TikTok Launches Local Feed in the US
TikTok US brings its local content display to American users.
Google Shares Coming AI-Powered Ad Innovations
Google's head of ads and commerce has shared some insights into what's coming.Β
Why video is the canonical source of truth for AI and your brandβs best defense

The Wild West of web scraping is changing, due in large part to OpenAIβs deal with Disney. The deal allows OpenAI to train on high-fidelity, human-verified cinematic content β intended to combat AI slop fatigue.Β
This deal opens up new opportunities to reinforce your brandβs visibility and recall. AI models are hungry for high-quality data, and this shift turns video into an essential asset for your brand.
Hereβs a breakdown of why video is the new source of truth for AI and how you can use it to protect your brandβs identity.
How AI brand drift happens
When a large language modelβs training set lacks data on a specific brand, the LLM doesnβt admit that it doesnβt know. Instead, it interpolates, filling the gaps in your brandβs 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. Hereβs 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 productβs features. But the model doesnβt 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 β forcing teams to correct misinformation that the product never published.Β

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 β50% offβ 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 studioβs work for global brands serves as the high-density data source that prevents brand drift.
For example, Karmanβs βThe Space That Makes Us Humanβ 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 βCRβ 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 βCRβ 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 hasnβt 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. Itβs 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 canβt ignore: Video is becoming source material
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.
Hereβs how it works in practice.
1. Capture: The hardware root of trust
Select Sony cameras use the brandβs 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 Qualcommβs products support a cryptographic seal that proves the photoβs 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 canβt replicate: authentic authority that audiences can see, hear, and trust.
Why expert video should be the source materialΒ

A video transcript of an expert explaining a complex topic often captures colloquial, nuanced details that polished, static blog posts miss. Hereβs 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 expertβs 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 brandβs expertise in the format that the model prefers. For example, Gemini might index the video, while Perplexity might index the transcript.
It doesnβt 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
Hereβs a concrete example recorded with Semrushβs Brand Control Quadrant framework:
Dig deeper: The future of SEO content is video β hereβs why
Context still beats compliance
With infinite, low-cost AI slop cropping up, itβs going to get harder and harder to fight deepfakes. But itβs 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 donβt provide a signed, high-density video record of your business, the AI will hallucinate one for you.


Generative Engine Optimization: The Patterns Behind AI Visibility

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 arenβt.
For bootstrapped form builder tool, Tally, ChatGPT became the #1 referral source.
Theyβre not alone. Across industries, the shift is already measurable.
ChatGPT reaches over 800 million weekly users. Googleβs 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 isnβt whether AI is changing discovery. Itβs whether your brand is showing up when it happens.
So GEO is real. But is it stable enough to invest in seriously?
Thatβs 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, Iβll share what weβve 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 βWhat is the best whey protein powder for a mom in their 50s,β 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, itβs 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.
Hereβs a snapshot of some key differences between GEO and traditional SEO:
| What Changes | Traditional SEO | GEO |
| Primary goal | Rank in top search positions | Be referenced or mentioned in AI answers |
| Success metrics | Rankings, clicks, traffic | Citations, mentions, share of voice |
| How users find you | Click through to your site | AI includes you in generated responses |
| Key platforms | Google, Bing | Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity |
| How you optimize content | Title tags, keywords, site speed, content quality | Self-contained paragraphs, clear facts, structured data |
| How you build credibility | Backlinks, author credentials, reviews, domain authority | Positive mentions across trusted platforms and communities |
Use this table to update your mental model.Β
Traditional SEO fundamentals still matter. Weβre just adapting how we apply them as AI systems change how people discover information.
Now, letβs 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 youβre 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. (Weβll 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 thatβs easy to extract and reassemble. Weβre 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

Together, these metrics help you understand not just whether youβre 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 Semrushβs Enterprise AIO, which monitors your brandβs 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.
Letβs 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 donβt 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 youβre credible for.
AI systems donβt 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 itβs 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 βmondayβ 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 βwhatβs the best grain-free dog food,β 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 isnβt to βadd schema.β The goal is to make your information logically structured so machines can consistently understand it across systems.
This is important because we donβt 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 isnβt 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 Semrushβs 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 donβt consume pages the way humans do. When generating answers, they retrieve specific passages from across the web and assemble them into a response.
Hereβs 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 weβve 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 βas mentioned aboveβ or βthis is whyβ 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: βThere are several reasons this method works. After trying it, most people find their eggplant tastes better. Thatβs why many chefs use it.β
Easy to extract: βSalting eggplant for 15 minutes before cooking removes bitterness and excess moisture. This technique improves the final texture.β
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 donβt 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 companyβs participation in relevant subreddit discussions shows expertise in action
- Your executivesβ 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 donβt 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 Semrushβs 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 didnβt. 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 wonβt connect it back to the AI mention that started it.
Thatβs the real measurement challenge. Itβs not just that the metrics are different. Itβs that the link between visibility and revenue becomes harder to trace.
The value here isnβt just the click. Itβs 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 βbest CRM,β 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 youβre 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 βoverpricedβ or βbuggy.β
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 βmeasurement blind spot.β You might be the most mentioned brand in ChatGPT, but your standard dashboards would show zero activity.
Platforms like Semrushβs AI Visibility Toolkit are built to solve this specific problem. They help quantify these βinvisibleβ 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 websiteβs performance (rankings and traffic) in traditional search. And one for your brandβs mentions across AI search
You need both to see the full picture.
What This Framework Doesnβt Guarantee
These principles increase your probability of appearing in AI answers. They donβt 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: youβre 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 thereβs no βrank #1β equivalent to chase.
That realism isnβt a reason to ignore GEO. Itβs 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
Whatβs 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 donβt 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.
Whatβs 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.


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Intel Arc B390 Achieves 12x Performance and 8x Performance-per-Watt vs Gen9 iGPU
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Ford's hands-free BlueCruise under federal safety review following fatal crashes
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Read full article at https://wccftech.com/rapidus-accelerates-2nm-push-and-plans-dramatic-production-expansion/

MercurySteamβs Blades of Fire Arrives on Steam This May With βVersion 2.0,β Adds NG+, NVIDIA DLSS 4 Support, and More
MercurySteam, the developer behind the critically acclaimed 2D action game, Metroid Dread, followed up its beloved Nintendo-exclusive outing with something completely different last year. Blades of Fire was a new 3D action-adventure game that saw you take the role of Aran de Lira, the last blacksmith capable of wielding and forging true steel, who is tasked with killing the Queen to save humanity. When it launched in May 2025, Wccftech's Francesco De Meo reviewed it, and despite it lacking in originality with its fantasy setting and narrative, he praised the weapon variety and forging mechanics, giving it an 8.5/10. A [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/blades-of-fire-steam-version-2-0-release-date-nvidia-dlss-4-mercurysteam/

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Art Direction is So Authentic It Triggered a National Antiquities Investigation
In less than a year since its release, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has become almost legendary. Breaking all records for Game of the Year awards, the role-playing game developed by Sandfall Interactive has enjoyed immense popularity thanks to its classic JRPG gameplay and incredible art direction. Funnily enough, that art direction is so convincing that it recently triggered a national antiquities investigation in the Middle East. "This can't be for real, my Expedition Journal that comes with the Monolith Set got detained by customs for being 'possibly ancient", reported Reddit user Ahmed15252 on the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 subreddit. "Customs [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/clair-obscur-expedition-33-art-direction-is-so-authentic-it-triggered-a-national-antiquities-investigation/

ASRock Phantom Gaming 360 LCD 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler Review: Great Cooling With VRM Fan & Halo-ARGB Fan Frame
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, [β¦]
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/

Best RAM combo deals 2026 β make PC builds and upgrades more affordable with the best RAM bundle deals available
Intel Nova Lake die sizes leak, signaling higher cost β smaller compute tile still demands higher price on TSMC N2
MSI Afterburner adds 16-pin power connector warning for its MPG AI PSUs β new update could save your expensive GPU from melting
What to expect in digital advertising and commerce in 2026
Google VP Vidhya Srinivasan shares how Google is reimagining commercial experiences to be fluid, assistive and personal in 2026. Google previews WebMCP, a new protocol for AI agent interactions

Google today announced an early preview of WebMCP, a new protocol that defines how AI agents interact with websites.
- βWebMCP 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,β 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 βTool Contractβ 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 userβs 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 searchβand possibly SEO. Dan Petrovic called it the biggest shift in technical SEO since structured data. Glenn Gabe called this a big deal. Itβs 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, Googleβs 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 doesnβt 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 Srinivasanβs 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.
Googleβs blog post. What to expect in digital advertising and commerce in 2026
How AI-driven shopping discovery changes product page optimization

As consumers lean into AI search, the industry has focused on the technical βhowβ β tracking everything from Agentic Commerce Protocols (ACP) to ChatGPTβs latest shopping research tools. In doing so, it often misses the larger shift: conversational search, which is changing how visibility is earned.
Thereβs a common argument that big brands will always win in AI. I disagree. When you move beyond the βbest running shoesβ 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 itβs 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 βsomething light,β conversational search is the waiter who remembers that youβre ordering for dinner.
| Feature | Semantic search | Conversational search |
| Goal | To understand intent and context | To handle a flow of questions |
| How it thinks | It knows βcarβ and βautomobileβ are the same thing | It knows that when you say βhow much is it?β, βitβ refers to the car you just mentioned |
| The interaction | Searching with a phrase instead of keywords | Having a chat where the computer remembers what you were asking about before |
| Example | Asking βWhat is a healthy meal?β and getting results for βnutritious recipes.β | Asking βWhat is a healthy meal?β followed by βgive me a recipe for that.β |
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 βchefβ to interpret and consistent enough for the βwaiterβ 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 didnβt start by searching for βthe best cabinets.β Instead, she leveraged ChatGPT as her pseudo-designer and contractor, using AI to solve specific problems.
Product discovery happened naturally through constraint-based queries:
- βFind cabinets that fit these dimensions and match this specific wood type.β
- βAre these cabinets easy for a DIY installation?β
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, βWhere can I buy those?β
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 canβt answer the βWill this fit?β or βIs this easy?β questions, you wonβt be part of the final recommendation.

βRecommend productsβ is the top task users trust AI to handle, highlighting a clear opportunity for brands, according to Tinuitiβs 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 βground truthβ 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 βprompt volumes.β 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 havenβt mapped these lately, start there.
- Bridge the team gap: Talk to your product and sales teams. They know the specific attributes and βdeal-breakerβ 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 hasnβt 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 β 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., βWill my headphones connect to this computer?β). 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 βfamily-sizedβ 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
Provide vertical-specific product guidance
Breaking down your customer search journey and listening to your customersβ 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 youβre comparing your size 10 jeans to competitorsβ 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, youβre 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 arenβt asking for βthe best laptop bag.β Theyβre 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 βCan I β¦?β and βWill this work if β¦?β 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.
Hereβs what transforming your content can look like:
Traditional PDP copy
- Laptop backpack
- Water-resistant polyester exterior.
- Fits laptops up to 15β³.
- 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 15.6β³.
- 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 15-15.6β³ laptop, charger, and tablet, with room for a book or light jacket β 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 β and what actually works in 30 days
Technical foundations still matter for ecommerce
Just because search platforms change doesnβt mean we should abandon everything weβve 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, itβs about verification.Β
AI systems use your schema to validate facts before they risk reusing them in an answer. If the AI canβt verify your price, availability, or shipping details through a merchant feed or structured data, it wonβt risk recommending you.
Variant clarity is just as important. When differences like size, color, or configuration arenβt 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 whatβs 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 βgluten-free,β βeasy to install,β or βfits a 30-inch window.β
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 userβs behalf. Those who build for these multi-layered journeys will own the future of discovery.
OpenAI details how ads will work in ChatGPT

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 wonβt 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 arenβt shared with advertisers
- Sensitive topics: Health, politics and other sensitive chats wonβt show ads
- Controls: Users can adjust or turn off personalization β or upgrade to remove ads
According to Awan, the model itself doesnβt know when ads are present and canβt 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 platformβs 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.
Whatβs 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

Google Ads is rolling out recommended experiments on the Experiments page, surfacing test ideas based on an accountβs 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
AMDβs next-generation βMedusa Haloβ CPUs will be gaming MONSTERS AMDβs Strix Halo processors bring together strong Zen 5 CPU cores with a powerful RDNA 3.5 GPU. While βGorgon Haloβ will refresh this range as the Ryzen AI Max 400 series, AMD has something much bigger planned with βMedusa Haloβ. Rumour has it that this chip [β¦]
The post Expect a BIG BOOST from AMD Medusa Halo thanks to LPDDR6 support appeared first on OC3D.
Blizzard describes a "highly empowered" partnership with Xbox following its acquisition by Microsoft β supportive collaboration exists on both sides
Blizzard has "exciting conversations" about TV show adaptations of its iconic games β but the bar is high with fierce competition
I tested Microsoft Flight Simulator with this entry-level throttle quadrant from Honeycomb β the Bravo Lite is ideal for newcomers with smart control choices
Blizzard turns 35, and the studio says itβs ready to rebuild and move forward
MSI Afterburner 4.6.7 Beta 2 Adds 16-Pin GPU Protection and RTX 5090 Lightning Support
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.
Windows 11's next security push borrows heavily from smartphones
Microsoft recently announced a potentially major change in how Windows handles applications and software. The update comes with a new security model for the operating system. According to Microsoft Distinguished Engineer Logan Iyer, the change is expected to significantly improve security and trust across the Windows ecosystem.
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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 β still light on specifics β could soon include the debut of...
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RED NOW β 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.
Over 60 Software Vendors Issue Security Fixes Across OS, Cloud, and Network Platforms

Sony's new WF-1000XM6 elite earbuds seem to be imminent β here are 3 upgrades I hope to see, as a headphones reviewer
Fitbitβs Gemini-powered AI health coach is rolling out to iOS users β hereβs how to get it
Consent is broken. How do we fix it?
βIβm losing one of the most important people in my lifeβ β the true emotional cost of retiring ChatGPT-4o
Why 2026 is the year AI finally understands the work behind the work
Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, February 12 (game #1480)
NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, February 12 (game #977)
NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, February 12 (game #711)
Beware, this fake site offers up a malicious 7-Zip installer laced with malware
'Simple but dangerousβ β Top VPNs targeted by typosquatting as 14% of fake domains found to be malicious
ExpressVPN ditches USD-only billing for fixed local rates in major update
Amazon Pharmacy to expand same-day delivery to nearly 4,500 US cities
Build a pipeline and close deals with an exhibit table at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
TikTok launches an opt-in Local Feed in the US leveraging usersβ precise location
Integrate raises $17M to move defense project management into the 21st century
Hidden HTTP Page Can Cause Site Name Problems In Google
Google's John Mueller explains how a leftover HTTP homepage invisible to Chrome users can cause site-name and favicon problems in search results.
The post Hidden HTTP Page Can Cause Site Name Problems In Google appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Warframe Arrives on Android Devices in Canada First Before Going Global Next Week
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/warframe-android-mobile-devices-launch-canada-first-digital-extremes/

Adding AI to sinus surgery system saw malfunctions rocket from eight to 100 incidents, according to new investigation β skull-puncturing errors are the stuff of nightmares
Google Ads simplifies product campaign tracking

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 βEligibleβ and βNot eligibleβ 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 arenβt 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 Googleβs 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

AI search influence didnβt show up in our SEO reports or AI prompt tracking tools. It showed up in sales calls.
βFound you via Grok, actually,β a new lead said.
That comment stopped us cold. We hadnβt tried to rank in Grok. We werenβt 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: βWhy invest in a channel that doesnβt show up cleanly in attribution?β
To answer that, we ran controlled experiments using assets we could fully control β an agency website, personal sites, an ecommerce brand, and purpose-built test domains.
The goal wasnβt 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 didnβt 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 βbest ofβ lists on your own website
A simple tactic became popular over the past year:
- Create a βbest Xβ list on your site.
- Put yourself at the top.
- Let AI systems pick up the list.
Iβve seen agencies do this locally and felt conflicted about it.
It wasnβt spam. But it relied on a blind spot β 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 βbest Xβ-style prompts and found that βbestβ 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 βBest SEO agencies in Sydneyβ and included my own website among the entries to test whether AI would βtake the bait,β so to speak.
Within two weeks, LawrenceHitches.com appeared across AI tools for βbest SEO agency Sydneyβ style searches:

The speed was surprising β traditional SEO rarely moves that fast.
If visibility appears this easily, then visibility alone canβt 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 βbest Xβ list.
This time, the topic was βbest landscapers in Melbourneβ:

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 βappeared in AIβ doesnβt 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 βbest SEO agency Sydneyβ search run in January 2026 shows the same list-driven results:


This creates a real conflict for brands.
On one side, the data says yes β the Ahrefs research shows βBest Xβ 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 doesnβt build confidence with buyers. Thatβs the tension.
When bullish founders ask for the secret sauce to appear in ChatGPT, Iβm blunt. List-based βbest of Xβ pages that rank the author first have been a fast way to surface in some AI results.
That doesnβt work everywhere, and itβs unlikely to hold up long term.
Dig deeper: Google may be cracking down on self-promotional βbest ofβ 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 canβt 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 wouldnβt 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 wasnβt what the user was actually seeing.
If a brand can appear in a screenshot but disappear in a real user session, then appearance alone isnβt a metric.
We stopped asking if we showed up.
Instead, we started asking, βDid this change how buyers behaved?β
- 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
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
- Itβs 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.
Kadiβs 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: βOver-touristed destinations,β βHidden fees,β βBest time to fly,β and βHappy Hour at 30,000 ft.β
- Advisory pieces: βAirport cybersecurityβ and βduty-free shoppingβ guides
- Product and feature focus: βKadi kids carry-on adventure,β βcloud check-in features,β and inclusions in βbest suitcase round-ups.β

It worked:
- Coverage landed.
- Authority grew without the need for βtraditional SEO.β
- We saw temporary keyword spikes and traffic boosts.

But there was a catch: Digital PR alone wasnβt enough to close the gap with competitors. It created quick traction in search results, but it didnβt 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 βkids carry-onβ query.
We saw this happen on the day of the query and showed the pathway:Β
- They didnβt 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 doesnβt 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 βGEOβ 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.

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

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

Initially, these were βOh, cool, we got a lead from AIβ 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 didnβt 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 doesnβt replace discovery. It compresses the consideration phase.

Consideration is that messy middle where buyers reduce risk, shortlist vendors, compare tradeoffs, and ask, βWho should I trust?β
They answer these questions before a buyer ever clicks a link.Β
It means your website no longer carries the full load β 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, weβve moved from a straight funnel to a complex, AI-influenced pathway where consensus is key:

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 weβve stopped viewing them as the primary driver of value:
- Keyword rankings confirm search engines understand your entity.
- However, those high rankings donβt guarantee effective pre-selling.
Traditional SEO became a supporting signal β proof that the foundation is sound, rather than the end goal.
What this means for brands
After running a variety of AI search experiments, hereβs 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 itβs 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 isnβt 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

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.
Itβs not inherently surprising that Google is doing whatβs best for Google β that is, lining its own pockets β 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 β especially those who take Google sales repsβ βhelpful adviceβ at face value.
It can take time for those brands to look past PMaxβs 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 β but the trick is in building those guardrails.Β
This article covers lead quality tactics that work and how to execute them, tactics that donβt 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
- Itβs important to note that the effectiveness of this tactic depends on good offline conversion tracking implementation and a clean CRM instance, so donβt turn on PMax lead gen campaigns until youβre confident in your HubSpot or Salesforce integrity.
- Use high-value lists for audience signals. This can be based on a certain activity, like βbooked a meeting,β instead of simply including all converters.
- Keep the focus on the right audiences. Exclude irrelevant ones and upload Customer Match lists to help Googleβs algorithm find similar users.
- Be smart with your campaign settings.
- Use brand exclusions to ensure youβre 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 βconverting.β
- Use field validation:
- Block disposable domains.
- Block freemails.
- Add freeform or disqualifying questions.
- βHow did you hear about us?β
- βDo you have a budget for [solution]?β
- βHow many employees are in your organization?β
Dig deeper: Top Performance Max optimization tips for 2026
The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need.
Tactics that wonβt affect lead quality
On the other hand, some of the usual campaign optimization strategies wonβt do much to move the needle on PMax lead quality. If thatβs your sole focus, you can de-prioritize:
- Switching bid strategies (e.g., switching from Max Conversions to tCPA helps a little but doesnβt fix everything).
- Adding more assets.
- Adding more budget.
- Asking Google support (something Iβd just stay away from in general these days).
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.
Googleβs Performance Max network spans search, display, YouTube, discovery campaigns, and Gmail. Itβs an absolutely huge amount of inventory β 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 havenβt seen any notable differences, but itβs worth monitoring updates to each platformβs reporting and inventory going forward.
Dig deeper: Google and Microsoft: How their Performance Max approaches align and diverge
Track, optimize, and win in Google and AI search from one platform.
Performance Max isnβt broken, but it needs control
If youβre 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, itβs 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 youβre willing and able to wrestle the algorithm into submission.Β
If youβve tested Performance Max campaigns for lead gen but paused them once it was clear they werenβt driving revenue, do a quick post-mortem on your past efforts. You might find thereβs room to whip Google into shape to do better this time around.Β
Take note of the tactics you havenβt 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.
Intelβs Nova Lake CPUs are HUGE, leak reveals β Especially if you include bLLC
Intel Core Ultra 400 βNova Lakeβ die sizes leak β bLLC is HUGE! Thanks to HXL, new details have leaked for Intelβs upcoming Core Ultra 400 series βNova Lakeβ CPUs, and to put it simply, these processors are HUGE! Compared with AMDβs leaked Zen 6 CPU die sizes, Intelβs CPU dies are much larger. Both [β¦]
The post Intelβs Nova Lake CPUs are HUGE, leak reveals β Especially if you include bLLC appeared first on OC3D.
(PR) BenQ Launches InstaShow VS25 for App-Free Wireless Conferencing
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
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 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.
Elon Musk wants to launch AI satellites from the Moon using a giant catapult
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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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Fortnite escalates anti-cheat by mandating Secure Boot, TPM, and IOMMU
Starting February 19, all Fortnite tournaments on PC will require users to activate Secure Boot, TPM, and Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU). Although virtually all PC players likely already meet the anti-cheat system's hardware requirements, many might have to update their BIOS and startup settings.
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MCASOP β 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'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 [β¦]
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ArcheAge Chronicles Still Slated for Q4 2026, While Chrono Odyssey Gets Pushed to Q1 2027
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. [β¦]
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Intel Nova Lake Compute Tile Die Sizes Revealed: 8+16 at 110mmΒ² & bLLC Variant at 150mmΒ²
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 [β¦]
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iPhone 18 Proβs C2 5G Modem Will Support A New Connectivity Protocol That Will Treat Satellites As Distant Cell Towers, Boosting Reliability
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Next God of War Is Reportedly Considered For a Multiplatform Release: Day One on PC Or Something More?
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PPC mistakes that humble even experienced marketers

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 βsmallβ 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 weβve 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 wonβt see it or youβll 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 wonβt make mistakes β until a Friday launch proves otherwise.
The lesson: Donβt launch before holidays, before time off, or on Fridays. If clients push back, be the βannoying paid personβ who says no. Youβll protect your sanity β and the campaignβs performance.
Location targeting disasters
Kohler shared a mishap where location targeting didnβt 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 βUnited States only,β which reduces the risk of accidental international targeting.
The search term report trap
Yen made it clear: reviewing search term reports isnβt optional. It matters for every campaign typeβstandard search, Performance Max, and AI-driven campaigns included. Skip this step, and it looks like youβre chasing clicks instead of qualified traffic.
The real damage shows up months later. Explaining to a client where their budget wentβwhen you couldβve caught irrelevant queries earlyβleads 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 donβt 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. Itβs 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 βon,β 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 Kohlerβs 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 isnβt 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 Googleβs volume can be far too high for Microsoft.
- Automated bidding strategies donβt always translate correctly.
- Imports default to recurring schedules instead of one-time transfers.
- Smaller audience sizes demand different budget assumptions.
Kohler added that Microsoft Adsβ forced inclusion in the audience network makes things worse. Unlike Google, Microsoft doesnβt 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 βCandy Crushβ 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, itβs easier β you can exclude all apps in one move.
Kohler added another familiar mistake: forgetting to exclude kidsβ YouTube channels. His brands have accidentally spent so much on the Ryanβ World YouTube channel that they joke about helping fund the kidβs college tuition.
The lesson: Build a blanket exclusion list that covers apps, kidsβ 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 doesnβt 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 arenβt 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 doesnβt 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 donβt 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. Donβt rely on automation alone.
AI Max settings and control
The conversation also touched on Googleβs AI Max campaigns. Chad pointed out that all AI Max settings default to βon,β 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 donβt 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 youβre 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 isnβt avoiding errors β itβs catching them fast, learning from them, and building systems so they donβt 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 Iβve made

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 [β¦]
The post Nvidia bundles Resident Evil Requiem with select RTX 50 series GPUs appeared first on OC3D.
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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.
Discord's age-check crackdown is already pushing users elsewhere
The decision, announced on February 9, signals a major shift in Discord's approach to moderation and compliance. The company says the system will apply universally, overriding prior account settings and community affiliations.
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Sony to exit the recordable Blu-ray market this month in another blow to physical media
The announcement isn't a surprise. Sony said in a 2024 interview that it would gradually end development and production of recordable Blu-ray discs and other optical disc formats. It said at the time that the decision was made because the cold storage market never really took off in the way...
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Nvidia bundles Resident Evil Requiem as AMD counters with Crimson Desert
Team Green's deal applies to desktop and laptop variants of the GeForce RTX 5070, 5070 Ti, 5080, and 5090, as well as pre-built desktops containing the cards. Resident Evil Requiem's somewhat modest system requirements β it recommends just an RTX 2060 β suggest that all participating GPUs should achieve high frame rates.
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KlyptAI β 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.
AIdaptIQ β 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.
Exposed Training Open the Door for Crypto-Mining in Fortune 500 Cloud Environments

Microsoft Patches 59 Vulnerabilities Including Six Actively Exploited Zero-Days

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

The new Jura Z10 coffee maker has a menu of 51 options including coffee, cold brew, and chocolate drinks β and you can place your order from your phone
The InkPad One is a new Linux-powered rival to the Kindle Scribe
Singapore says its four largest phone companies were hit by Chinese hackers
I test fitness tech for a living and have been diagnosed with sleep apnea β so I couldnβt resist turning myself into a guinea pig to see whether these 3 top sleep trackers could spot it
Konami announces a new Silent Hill Transmission showcase and, curiously, it's right after tomorrow's PlayStation State of Play
Discord tries to βshare clarityβ on disastrous age verification plans amid mass cancellations, but safe to say itβs not helping β itβs getting thoroughly community noted
Please, don't fall for these terrible gaming laptops β use these three golden rules before you buy anything
No, a Resident Evil 5 remake isn't likely to show up in tomorrow's PlayStation State of Play β that ESRB rating has been there for at least a year
'Time to switch brand.' Major Samsung Galaxy S26 series leak teases full specs β and it sounds like the phones could be the first big disappointment of 2026
Turn your computer off! Workers are causing massive office energy bills with these annoying habits
The four-star Fitbit Inspire 3 will kickstart your exercise goals β and it's down to a fantastic low price right now
Memory Costs Now Make Up Nearly Half Of A Given Smartphoneβs BOM, But Apple Remains Insulated For Now
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 10β15% of a smartphoneβs BOM, has now surged to 30β40%" 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 [β¦]
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
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/user-captures-his-geforce-rtx-5090-catching-fire-on-camera/

Marvelβs Wolverine Unlikely to Show Up at February State of Play: Insomniac Says More Info Is Due in Spring
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, [β¦]
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
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/msi-afterburner-4-6-7-available-5090-lightning-ai-psu-support-16-pin-connector-saftey/

Qualcommβs Most Powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro May Get Skipped By Xiaomi Due To Its Expensive Price, A Pitfall Of Switching To TSMCβs 2nm Process
Most smartphone manufacturers would have gladly equipped their flagships with Qualcommβs 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 TSMCβs 2nm process for this yearβs chipsets isnβt going to be cheap, so in light of all these factors, a new rumor is doing the rounds, claiming that Xiaomiβs entire flagship smartphone lineup may only be equipped with the standard Snapdragon 8 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xiaomi-will-not-use-snapdragon-8-elite-gen-6-pro-in-its-flagships-due-to-high-price/

Huge $400 saving on Alienware's Aurora gaming PC with 32GB of RAM and an 8GB RTX 5060 Ti β get a capable gaming PC for just $1,399
Sony will ship its final Blu-ray recorders this month β exit from Japanese market the end of an era for the segment
Save $458 on this AMD 9850X3D, X870 motherboard and 32GB of RAM bundle at Newegg β start your AM5 PC build for less than $800
RTX 5090 kicks off the Chinese New Year early with fireworks β $3,299 dream GPU upgrade becomes a fiery nightmare
Microsoft turns to superconductors for distributing power to its AI data centers β zero-resistance cables could reduce power losses and produce zero heat
A monitor light bar is the most underrated upgrade you can make to your setup β but not all of them are born equal, so hereβs how to choose one that fits you
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 βAMD Rewardsβ 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 [β¦]
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
"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
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.
OpenAI executive who opposed ChatGPT "adult mode" fired over sex discrimination claim
Ryan Beiermeister, who was OpenAI's vice president of product policy, had spoken out against ChatGPT's adult/spicy mode announced by CEO Sam Altman in October last year. The mode is being framed as allowing mature conversations β but it's obviously going to be used for more than discussing the latest arthouse...
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HP's latest offer turns gaming laptops into a monthly subscription
The offer arrives as gaming laptops grow more expensive, pushed up by pricier memory, storage, and GPUs, and as rigs age faster under modern game and AI workloads.
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ChatGPT now includes ads β and that subtle shift could reshape the emotional bond users have with the worldβs favorite AI chatbot
The NordVPN birthday sale just launched β free Amazon gift cards up to $50 now available across all of our favorite plans
Employees are wasting thousands of hours a month on admin - so is AI the answer?
England vs West Indies Free Streams: How to watch T20 World Cup match online from anywhere
βChatGPT is doneβ: OpenAI is rolling out ads to free and paying users, and not everyone is happy
Wix Studio review 2026
Marathon Gets New Gameplay Footage & Impressions from Chinese Event; Bungie: βEach Season Is Like a Roguelike Adventureβ
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/marathon-new-footage-impressions-chinese-event-seasons-roguelike/

AMD openSIL βOpen-Sourceβ Firmware Lands On AM5 Motherboards, Prepped For Zen 6
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 [β¦]
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
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 [β¦]
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 Isnβt the Only Grasshopper Manufacture Game Youβre Getting This Year
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/romeo-is-a-dead-man-isnt-only-grasshopper-manufacture-game-2026/

South Korean exchange's $40B Bitcoin mistake casts pall over country's fledgling crypto legislation β staffer fat-fingered 620,000 BTC instead of Korean Won
Atyla
The SEO tool for ChatGPT, Gemini and AI search engines
DASCA
Creative effects processor for designers
SkillShield
Security-scored directory for AI skills and agent tools
Hermes Markdown
A notebook for drafting AI prompts with a clarity score
Chatvas
An infinite canvas for ChatGPT branches
AI Community Manager
A humanlike agent that knows who, what and when to respond
(PR) GAMEMAX Launches NEX C51 and NEX C31 Panoramic PC Cases
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 β 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.
Work on Next-Gen HBM5 & HBM6 Memory Is Already Underway, New Wide TC Bonders Ready
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 [β¦]
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
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 [β¦]
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 Donβt Allow LPE Core Overclocking, Power Limits Explained, & 74 TOPS NPU
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, [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/intel-nova-lake-desktop-cpus-dont-allow-lpe-core-overclocking-power-npu-detailed/

Willow for Developers
Dictation for Cursor & AI IDEs, the fastest way to vibe code
marketfunkers
One brain for ad research, insights and testing.
Revo AI Email Assistant
AI with accurate replies that tackle the next-step tasks
Doraverse's All-in-One AI for Meetings
Meet in any language with live translations
Lyrica
A collaborative workspace for songwriting
Drift
Scroll on a isolated window while waiting for AI responses
SpotVault
Collect, save, and keep your foraging spots private
Tines
Build agents & automations integrated across your workspace
OnsetLab
Local tool-calling AI agents with SLMs
Ordo
An easy way to save, organize, and find bookmarked reels
happycapy
The agent-native computer, for the rest of us
The Genesis
Turn your special date into "living" generative art
Nolain OCR
Turn hundreds of documents into one clean spreadsheet
Subscription DayΒ² for iOS
Track paid subscriptions w/ analytics from multiple sources
JumprAI
Find any moment inside YouTube videos with AI search
0xAudit
The security layer for AI agents to scan, fix verify via MCP
Migma AI
Make emails sexy again
Somna
See your stress patterns to break stressful loops
Observational Memory by Mastra
Give your AI agents human-like memory
Tusk 2.0
Test code changes with production traffic
On-Call Health
Catch overload before it burns out your incident responders
Antal.Ai
Detects and obscures people in realtime video streams
Typeflow
Write like a native in any language with one shortcut
Oz by Warp
Run hundreds of cloud agents in parallel
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Connect your own AI with unlimited prompts and easy deploy
Microsoft confirms that Windows 11 version 26H1 will not be updated to version 26H2 this fall β won't get a new version until 2027
TSMC Greenlights Record $45 Billion CapEx to Boost Semiconductor Capacity
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 β 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.
North Korea-Linked UNC1069 Uses AI Lures to Attack Cryptocurrency Organizations

We raved about these Ninja air fryers, coffee machines and slushie makers β and we love them even more at up to 54% off
Nordic Combined at Winter Olympics 2026 Free Streams: TV Channels, Schedule, Preview
Samsung to hold its Galaxy S26 event on February 25
Strategic Prompt Architect β 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.
With co-founders leaving and an IPO looming, Elon Musk turns talk to the moon
Blizzard Set To Redesign Newly Announced Overwatch Hero After Community Backlash
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.
Claude surprised researchers by running a vending machine business better than its rivals and bending every rule to win
I'm a TV reviewer, and now is a great time to buy 4 of my favorite sets of the year β from bargain LG OLEDs to huge mini-LEDs
Konami Announces a Silent Hill Transmission Event Thatβll Air Just After the February State of Play
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/silent-hill-transmission-event-following-state-of-play-konami/

HEVCut β 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.
Obsclair β Discover local spots, book quickly, and unlock deals
Obsclair helps you find local spots, compare vibe, distance, and availability, and book in seconds with clear pricing and confirmations. You can browse profiles, filter what matters, and get reminders to ensure you show up on time. Obsclair also supports creators and venues with calendar and wallet features!
Curious about retro gaming? From bespoke consoles to marvelous upscalers, I can't recommend these products enough
I'm a fitness writer, and these are my 16 essential home workout solutions, including the cheap way I built muscle and the massage gun I use every day
OpenAI policy exec who opposed chatbotβs βadult modeβ reportedly fired on discrimination claim
Bluesky Adds Drafts, Updated Welcome Screen
Bluesky's growth has slowed, but it is seeing some growth early in the new year.Β
If you're quick, you can nab AU$200 off our favourite overall blender right now
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
Discord, we all know this isn't really about 'creating a safer community', so I'm done with your app β but I'm not sure where to go next
A Lucky iPhone 17 Pro Max Customer With AppleCare+ Coverage For Theft And Loss Received A Replacement With 8x The Internal Storage
A misplaced iPhone 17 Pro MaxΒ always feels like youβve 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 itβs an iPhone or a Mac, getting a replacement with more space than before will always put a sparkle [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/iphone-17-pro-max-customer-received-replacement-with-eight-times-the-internal-storage/

YouTube Adds Auto Captions When Muted, New AI Feature
The latest feature updates from YouTube.
Overwatch just shattered its Steam PC player count record with its new Season 1 update release β it's the most-watched game on Twitch right now, too
SearchAblePDF β 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.
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
I tested the Philips turntable with a CD player squirrelled away in its plinth and honestly, for this money it's hard to argue with the versatility
Barely any Microsoft 365 users are actually paying for Copilot - despite Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella claiming it is 'a true daily habit.'
Short-Track Speed Skating at Winter Olympics 2026 Free Streams: TV Channels, Schedule, Preview
Struggling to get started with your spring clean? IKEA has the perfect sunny accessories to give you the motivation you need β from $2
Amazon may launch a marketplace where media sites can sell their content to AI companies
An ice dance duo skated to AI music at the Olympics
Nioh 3 PC Graphics Tuning Guide β How To Get The Best Experience From The PC Version
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/how-to/nioh-3-pc-graphics-tuning-guide-how-to-get-the-best-experience-on-pc/

Avoid rising memory costs β this RX 9070 XT pre-built gaming PC delivers 32GB of RAM for a price that beats building it yourself
Allumeria Steam demo reinstated after Microsoft's DMCA over Minecraft-related βinfringementβ is rescinded [UPDATE]
Steamβs mostβwishlisted games reveal an unexpected frontrunner β and Xbox Game Studios is holding strong
Fallout was a "B-tier side project" for its original dev and lost two huge licenses, but its creators are glad β "So many negatives turned out to be positives"
(PR) Applied Materials Unveils Transistor and Wiring Innovations for Faster Chips
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
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.
RRAM hasn't delivered yet, but stacked memory is being pitched to run neural networks in place
A team at the University of California, San Diego has redesigned how RRAM operates in an effort to accelerate the execution of neural network models. According to UCSD electrical engineer Duygu Kuzum, the approach could eventually enable a new class of local AI applications, assuming the technology's remaining challenges can...
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StepCapture β 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.
Arm's owner and Intel say their Z-Angle Memory, HBM-rival, will hit the market in 2029 - but I hope it won't be another Optane/3D-Xpoint, which caused Micron to lose millions
My most anticipated upcoming phone isn't this year's iPhone, it's a Chinese flagship filled with one-of-a-kind features
F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season testing live streams: how to watch online from anywhere in the world
Boston Dynamics CEOΒ Robert PlayterΒ stepsΒ down after 30 years at the company
VC Masha Bucher, Epstein associate and Day One founder, explains herself
Google sent personal and financial information of student journalist to ICE
Okay, now exactly half of xAIβs founding team has left the company
Overwatch Season 1: Reign of Talon Goes Live as It Hits Reaches Record-Setting 100K+ Players on Steam
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 [β¦]
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/

Appleβs Cost Management Efforts Pay Off As iPhone 18 Pro And Pro Max Base Storage Variants To Avoid Price Hikes
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: Appleβs 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 [β¦]
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
Meta Experiments With a New Image Sharing App
The new app would be based on the Shots function that was tested on Instagram.
Microsoft might be getting U.S. tariff exemptions on chips supplied by TSMC β potentially dramatically lowering costs
(PR) Trust Launches Seron Slim Multi-Wireless Hyperscroll Mouse
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
The newest AM5B and TR5B models share similar traits; mainly a provision of five 6 mm heat-pipes combined with aluminium finsβmarketed as offering "excellent heat conducting efficiency"βand 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 ratingsβthe 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
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
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.
Logitech's Pro X2 Superstrike mouse replaces microswitches with electromagnetic analog sensing
The Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike is now available for purchase at a hefty $180 price tag. The Swiss manufacturer claims that the new mouse can provide a competitive edge over traditional solutions β a selling point likely to appeal to esports athletes and other professional gamers.
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'As adoption grows, confidence in safeguards must rise with it': Microsoft reveals new tool which can track backdoors in LLMs - and it's hoping this will restore trust in AI across the world
A cure for the memory crisis? John Carmack envisions fiber cables replacing RAM for AI usage, which would mean a better future for us all
4 bargain-priced soundbars that will instantly upgrade your TV's disappointing built-in sound β without breaking the bank
SmarterTools network breached using auth-bypass attack against single unpatched virtual machine
Here are 15 last-minute tech gadgets from Amazon that I'd actually want to receive for Valentine's Day
I made the switch to 4K Blu-ray and have never looked back β these are the discs I'd recommend above all others
'Extremely comfortable': Steelcase Leap - the gold-standard of office chairs - gets a rare price-cut in the Better Together sale
Hereβs how Rivian changed the rear door manual release on the R2
Facebook adds new AI features, animated profile photos, and backgrounds for text posts
Subnautica 2 Is Reportedly the Most Wishlisted Game on Steam Among Upcoming 2026 Titles
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 [β¦]
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
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) [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-game-pass-could-be-merged-with-pc-game-pass/

9 fun questions to try asking Google Photos
Learn more about Google Photosβ new Ask button as well as other functions of its Ask Photos feature. Meta Faces Trial Over Teen Safety Measures

New court cases could lead to new laws governing social mediaΒ apps.
Facebook Adds AI-Generated Profile Videos
Meta is keen to show off its AI tools.
LinkedIn Shares Tips on How To Optimize Content for AI Chatbots
Some pointers for content efforts in the age of AI.
Intel βNova Lakeβ 400K CPUs to consume over 700W of power!
Expect huge power draw from Intelβs 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, Intelβs next-generation βNova Lakeβ flagship will reportedly be able to draw over 700 watts of power. This is for a dual Compute [β¦]
The post Intel βNova Lakeβ 400K CPUs to consume over 700W of power! appeared first on OC3D.
Overwatch's massive Season 1 update and Reign of Talon relaunch is live with 5 new hero characters and more β I'm not coming back, but you may want to
"Discord alternatives" searches jump 10,000% overnight as the gaming platform introduces global age verification β Is a total collapse imminent?
Lenovo warns of "pricing sensitivity" and rising hardware costs β your best bet is to buy now, and I found the best laptop deals currently running
CXMT Reportedly Plans to Dedicate 20% of Mass Production Capacity to HBM3 Line in 2026
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 ventureβinvolving YMTCβseemed 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 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
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
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
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 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 2021βonly within Russian territories.
Microsoft is Refreshing Secure Boot Certificates on Millions of Windows PCs
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
The Saturn gaming mice use a shell design reminiscent of something like the Razer Basilisk V3 or the more recent Mchose G7 seriesβthat 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
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
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.
G.Skill settles class action lawsuit over deceptive memory speed claims for $2.4 million
The plaintiffs claimed that G.Skill violated federal consumer protection laws by falsely advertising the speeds of its DDR4 desktop memory modules, rated above 2133 MHz, and DDR5 DIMMs, rated over 4800 MHz. The lawsuit argued that the misleading labeling led customers to believe the advertised speeds could be achieved by...
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Spotify's growth looks like a victory lap, hits 750 million monthly users
For the fourth quarter of 2025, Spotify generated β¬4.5 billion ($5.4 billion) in total revenue β a six percent increase quarter-over-quarter and up seven percent compared to the same period in 2024. Gross margin reached 33.1 percent, and operating income of β¬701 million exceeded expectations due to lower than anticipated social charges.
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UppaGame β 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.
DPRK Operatives Impersonate Professionals on LinkedIn to Infiltrate Companies

I've found the perfect new ergonomic chair for your office: SIHOO Doro C300 provides all-day comfort and itβs $300 right now
Microsoft researchers crack AI guardrails with a single prompt
What a deal! Save $745 on the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i creative powerhouse with Core Ultra 9 and RTX 5070
Someone has just invented the dream lossless Dolby Atmos music service for audiophiles β but it needs some changes before it's likely to really take off
Intel Showcases Its βZAM Memoryβ Prototype for the First Time, Revealing Z-Angle Architecture with Breakthrough Thermal and Compute Performance
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, [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/intel-showcases-its-zam-memory-prototype-for-the-first-time/

Marvelβs Spider-Man 2 Will Reportedly Headline Februaryβs PS Plus Extra Games
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 [β¦]
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
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 PS5βs 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 [β¦]
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
Ayaneo Next 2 Windows handheld goes official with Ryzen AI Max+ 395 β also features massive 116 Whr battery, and a starting price of $1,799
White House mulling tariff exemptions for Big Tech β Amazon, Google, Microsoft, other AI hyperscalers to be spared worst of import duties with U.S.-Taiwan deal
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
Microsoft is refreshing Secure Boot certificates to plug security holes before they happen β if you bought a PC last year, you should be set
Fitbitβs personal health coach is expanding to more people in public preview.
Google pushes AI Max tool with in-app ads

Google is now promoting its own AI features inside Google Ads β a rare move that inserts marketing directly into advertisersβ workflow.
Whatβs 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 Googleβs 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: βNothing like Google Ads essentially running an ad for AI Max in the settings area of a campaign.β
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, Bingβs 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.
Whatβs 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 donβt indicate ranking, prominence, or how a page contributed to a specific AI answer.
Why we care. Itβs good to know where and how your content gets cited, but Bing Webmaster Tools still wonβt reveal how those citations translate into clicks, traffic, or any real business outcome. Without click data, publishers still canβt 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.
Whatβs next. Microsoft said it plans to βimprove inclusion, attribution, and visibility across both search results and AI experiences,β and continue to βevolve these capabilities.β
Microsoftβs 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 werenβt built for lead generation.
Ecommerce campaigns benefit from hundreds of conversions that fuel machine learning. B2B marketers donβt 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: Googleβs 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 isnβt 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 isnβt optional. Itβs the foundation. If you havenβt done this yet, stop and fix it first.
In Google Adsβ Data Manager, youβll 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 donβt 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 doesnβt integrate directly, tools like Zapier can connect almost anything to Google Ads. Thereβs 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 βhand raiserβ β someone engaged on your site who isnβt an MQL yet but clearly interested.
The key is assigning relative value to these actions, even when you donβt 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 whatβs 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 campaignβs 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 βmarry you on the first date.β 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 youβre selling to other businesses. Start prompts with clear context, like: βYouβre a SaaS company that sells to other businesses.β That single line shifts the AIβs 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 20β30 hours can now be done in 10β15 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 competitorβs keywords alongside your clientβs keywords. Then ask the AI to:
- Identify keywords competitors rank for that you donβt to uncover gaps to fill.
- Identify keywords you own that competitors donβt 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 thereβs 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 wasnβt 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 arenβt 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 teamβs 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 whatβs already built into your ad platforms to get more out of every campaign.
Watch: Itβs time to embrace automation for B2B lead genΒ

Microsoft just issued a Secure Boot warning for 2026 β hereβs what it means for Windows security
"Windows Gaming Edition" or something else? Microsoft has been laying the foundation for a gaming-focused OS for years β here's what it could look like.
SK hynix Plans 16 Gb LPDDR6 Modules Running at 14.4 Gbps, Samsung Chips Run at 12.8 Gbps
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
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 GenAIβFuture Remedy Games May Not
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
#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
Despite featuring downgraded specifications, the customized GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 24 GB version still demands a hefty cost of entryβa main JD.com listing advertises a price tag of 29,999 yuan (~$4341 USD). Last month, Tony Yuβthe manager of ASUS Chinaβshowcased 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
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.
Light may outshine quantum for some of computing's toughest optimization problems
Published in Nature, the study details the first large-scale demonstration of a photonic Ising machine operating without the cryogenic constraints typical of quantum computing systems. The device, developed by physicist Bhavin J. Shastri and collaborators at McGill University, builds on a concept rooted in early 20th-century magnetism and adapts it...
Read Entire Article
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 β ranging from letters to portraits β gradually comes into view. In one demonstration, the...
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Envoye Pay β 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.
Artwurk.ai β 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.
'There is varied interest in different crafts at Remedy into investigating these AI tools', says Remedy interim CEO, but confirms Control Resonant 'does not use generative AI content at all'
Jony Ive's dream car will be so expensive that you'll never find out why he's wrong about touchscreens
Hate WhatsApp on Android? Try my picks for 5 great alternatives
I've been covering gaming laptops for years β these are the 9 I'd buy this week
There's a new super-cheap Dolby Atmos surround soundbar in town β the Bowfell Halo promises heavenly home theater for small spaces
Got a KitchenAid stand mixer? Turn it into a food processor, spiralizer, or ice cream maker with these attachments, going cheap at Best Buy
βItβs absurdβ: YouTube TV subscribers slam its new sports subscription plan, despite its tempting price tag
Budget-friendly OLED TVs don't get much better than the LG B5 β this entry-level OLED 'offers impressive pictures for the price'
'This case is about two of the richest corporations who have engineered addiction in childrenβs brains' β lawsuit against Meta and YouTube could decide the fate of social media
I've spent hundreds of hours with Nintendo Switch 2 already, and I couldn't imagine doing it without these must-have accessories
Walmart's Presidents' Day sale is live β here's everything I'm buying as a shopping expert, including kitchen appliances, AirPods, furniture and more
'We are currently at work on a large scale expansion' β Monster Hunter Wilds producer teases major update that will be revealed this summer
BeyondTrust RCE flaw lets hackers run code without logging in
The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro could be here in weeks β and a new leak suggests theyβll have a big change in store
It's been more than two years since I reviewed the PlayStation Portal, and it's still my absolute favorite PS5 accessory β here's how some of you can get 5% off
Authentication in 2026 - moving beyond foundational MFA to tackle the new era of attacks
Safer Internet Day β How the VPN industry is reacting to the rising risks of AI
There's a simple way to watch the Winter Olympics 2026 for free
Former Tesla product manager wants to make luxury goods impossible to fake, starting with a chip
Singapore says China-backed hackers targeted its four largest phone companies
Vega raises $120M Series B to rethink how enterprises detect cyber threats
What to know about Netflixβs landmark acquisition of Warner Bros.Β
Google expands tools to let users remove sensitive data about themselves from Search
Trump EPA reportedly seeks to revoke landmark air pollution rule
βA New Chapter of Horrorβ: Supermassiveβs Directive 8020 Arrives on PC and Consoles in May 2026
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/directive-8020-release-date-ps5-pc-dark-pictures-supermassive-games/

Chinaβs Largest Memory Manufacturer, CXMT, Plans to Allocate a βLarge Chunkβ of Its DRAM Production to HBM3, Hoping to Compete in the AI Race
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 [β¦]
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 Itβs A 13-Year-Old Title
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 doesnβt necessarily mean the game is running at the same image quality on both phones, with the details posted below. [β¦]
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
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 [β¦]
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 Capcomβs RE Remake Plans [Update]
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/resident-evil-5-remake-capcom/

Trump Mobileβs T1 Phone Is A Tacky, Gaudy, And Garish Imitation Of A Sleek Smartphone
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 [β¦]
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 βLarge Scale,β βIceborneβ and βSunbreakβ-Sized Expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds This Summer
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/monster-hunter-wilds-large-scale-iceborne-sunbreak-sized-expansion-summer-2026-capcom/

Alphabet is doubling its capital expenditure to a staggering $180 billion in 2026 β earnings suggest that the company's AI investments may be paying off
Oakley Meta HSTN glasses for as little as $339.15 for a limited-time only
Harvard researchers develop novel 3D printing method for soft robotics β rotational multi-material method creates muscle-like structures that can be programmed to twist, lift, or bend
Why governance maturity is a competitive advantage for SEO

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?
Hereβs the thing: this isnβt an SEO failure, but a governance failure. Itβs 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 isnβt bureaucracy β itβs your insurance policy
I know what youβre thinking. βGreat, another framework that means more meetings and approval forms.β But hear me out.
The Visibility Governance Maturity Model (VGMM) isnβt about creating red tape. Itβs about establishing clear ownership, documented processes, and decision rights that prevent your work from being accidentally destroyed by teams who donβt 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 β and who approved skipping the SEO review.
This maturity model:
- Protects your work from being undone by releases you werenβt consulted on.
- Documents your standards so youβre not explaining canonical tags for the 47th time.
- Establishes clear ownership so youβre 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 youβre 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 youβre still dealing with:
- Content teams who write AI-generated fluff.
- Developers who donβt understand crawl budget.
- Product managers who launch features that break structured data.
- Marketing directors who want βjust one small changeβ that tanks rankings.
Without governance, youβre the only person who understands how all these pieces fit together.Β
When something breaks, everyone expects you to fix it β usually yesterday. When traffic is up, itβs because marketing ran a great campaign. When itβs down, itβs your fault.
You become the hero the organization depends on, which sounds great until you realize you can never take a real vacation, and youβre working 60-hour weeks.
Dig deeper: Why most SEO failures are organizational, not technical
What VGMM actually measures β in terms you care about
VGMM doesnβt 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 whoβs responsible for SEO decisions.
- Changes happen without SEO review.
- You discover problems after theyβve tanked traffic.
- Youβre constantly firefighting.
- Documentation doesnβt exist or is ignored.
Level 2: Aware (slightly better)
- Leadership admits SEO matters.
- Some standards exist but arenβt enforced.
- You have allies but no authority.
- Improvements happen but get reversed next quarter.
- Youβre still the only one who really gets it.
Level 3: Defined (getting somewhere)
- SEO ownership is documented.
- Standards exist, and some teams follow them.
- Youβre consulted before major changes.
- QA checkpoints include SEO review.
- Youβre 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.
- Youβre doing strategic work, not firefighting.
- The organization values prevention over reaction.
Most organizations sit at Level 1 or 2. Thatβs not your fault β itβs a structural problem that VGMM helps diagnose and fix.
Dig deeper: SEOβs future isnβt content. Itβs 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 doesnβt 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 0β100% 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 isnβt about effort β itβs about whether governance actually works.
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 βquick changesβ β You explain why itβs not quick (again).
- Site goes down β Everyone asks why you didnβt catch it.
After governance maturity improves:
- Product canβt 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 doesnβt 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 donβt need to explain VGMM theory. You need to connect it to problems leadership already knows exist.
- Frame it as risk reduction: βWeβve had three major traffic drops this year from changes that SEO didnβt review. VGMM helps us identify where our process breaks down so we can prevent this.β
- Frame it as efficiency: βIβm spending 60% of my time firefighting problems that could have been prevented. VGMM establishes processes so I can focus on growth opportunities instead.β
- Frame it as a competitive advantage: βOur competitors are getting cited in AI Overviews, and weβre not. VGMM evaluates whether we have the governance structure to compete in AI-mediated search.β
- Frame it as scalability: βRight now, our SEO capability depends entirely on me. If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, nobody knows how to maintain what weβve built. VGMM establishes documentation and processes that make our SEO sustainable.β
- The ask: βIβd like to conduct a VGMM assessment to identify where our processes need strengthening.β
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 youβre 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 werenβt 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 donβt 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 isnβt about making your job harder. Itβs 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 whoβs always fixing emergencies to being the person who builds systems that prevent them.
You didnβt become an SEO professional to spend your career firefighting. VGMM helps you get back to doing the work that actually matters β the strategic, creative, growth-focused work that attracted you to SEO in the first place.
If youβre tired of watching your best work get undone by teams who donβt understand SEO, if youβre exhausted from being the only person who knows how everything works, if you want your expertise to be recognized and protected β start the VGMM conversation with your leadership.
The framework exists. Whatβs missing is someone in your organization saying, βWe need to govern visibility like we govern everything else that matters.β
That someone is you.
Dig deeper: Why 2026 is the year the SEO silo breaks and cross-channel execution starts
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(PR) Directive 8020 Sci-Fi Survival Horror Launches on May 12, Pre-orders Now Open
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
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 vibeβno 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
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
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
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
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
"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 customerβfrom hyperscalers to enterprisesβas they shift to AI-powered workloads."
AMD Launches Crimson Desert Promo Bundles for Qualifying Ryzen & Radeon Hardware
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 degreeβas 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
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
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 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
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
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.
This lucky gamer's PC hardware dump discovery included $500 worth of DDR4 memory
A Redditor and possible Beatles fan, going by the NSFW name of ringosbigf**kingnose, posted about their discovery on the r/pcmasterrace subreddit.
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ParrotOS 7.0 delivers major under-the-hood overhaul
ParrotOS is a compelling Linux alternative for users who want strong security features without the bloat. Version 7.0 is a significant upgrade, bringing a reworked backend, a modern KDE Plasma 6 desktop, and a refreshed Echo theme, while keeping the system lean and responsive.
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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.
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Reynolds Ransomware Embeds BYOVD Driver to Disable EDR Security Tools

From Ransomware to Residency: Inside the Rise of the Digital Parasite

Zettlab D6 Ultra NAS review: Ironically, AI might not be the best feature of this network-attached storage device
Power your home for days with this massive Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus portable power station - it's got a $1100 discount right now
Workday CEO Eschenbach steps down β co-founder Bhusri to return
The Until Dawn developer's next game, Directive 8020, just got a release date at long last
NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, February 11 (game #976)
Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, February 11 (game #1479)
NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, February 11 (game #710)
Save $200 on Creality's 'exceptional' beginner 3D printer - Hi Combo is just $399 with multi-color printing and fast 500mm/s speeds
58% of Brits faced significant online risk in 2025 β increased AI usage is reducing digital trust
Proton VPNβs new Android update fixes the one thing we hate about βQuick Connectβ
How to watch Jordan Stolz at Winter Olympics 2026: Free Speed Skating Streams, TV Channels
Salesforce halts development of new features for Heroku cloud AI platform
Refreshing your home audio setup? From Sonos to Bose, Iβve tested each and every wireless speaker here, and rounded up my faves for superb sound and features in spades
Romeo is a Dead Man is a hyper-violent sci-fi trip thatβs as gripping as it is mystifying
Mario Tennis Fever is a fun and wacky tennis game, if not quite a Switch 2 exclusive smash
Rumor suggests Intel's next-gen flagship CPU could eat your PC's power supply for breakfast β but don't panic yet
A modder has created a Witcher 4 prequel quest starring Ciri before The Witcher 4 has even released β but you might have some trouble running it
When machines remember us: Rethinking privacy in the age of humanoids
YouTubers arenβt relying on ad revenue anymore β hereβs how some are diversifying
Hauler Hero collects $16M for its AI waste management software
India orders social media platforms to take down deepfakes faster
Former GitHub CEO raises record $60M dev tool seed round at $300M valuation
Spotify hits a record 751M monthly users thanks to Wrapped, new free features
Primary Ventures raises healthy $625M Fund V to focus on seed investing
Proptech startup Smart Bricks raises $5M pre-seed led by a16z
AI video startup Runway raises $315M at $5.3B valuation, eyes more capable world models
Google Can Now Monitor Search For Your Government IDs
Google's Results about you tool now monitors Search results for government-issued IDs like passports, driver's licenses, and Social Security numbers.
The post Google Can Now Monitor Search For Your Government IDs appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Crimson Desert AMD Game Bundle Announced β Get the Open World Game for Free by Purchasing AMD Hardware from Eligible Retailers
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. β Select laptops that contain an AMD Ryzen [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/crimson-desert-amd-game-bundle-announced-free-game/

NVIDIAβs Resident Evil Requiem Game Bundle For GeForce RTX 50 GPUs Now Available
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 [β¦]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/nvidia-resident-evil-requiem-game-bundle-geforce-rtx-50-gpus/


































































































































































































