SSHStalker botnet uses old IRC communication, automated SSH brute-forcing, cron persistence, and cryptomining to efficiently exploit Linux servers.

The Department of Homeland Security has been increasing pressure on tech companies to identify the owners of accounts that criticize ICE.

FileFlip is a privacy-first offline file converter for desktop that keeps your data on your device. You can convert images, documents, audio, and video across 70+ formats with batch processing and native Rust speed. Pay once for lifetime use and free updates. Audio and video conversion use FFmpeg, while image and document conversion works out of the box. You can work without internet access in secure environments with no file size limits.

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Quests in ARC Raiders often don't ask you to complete complicated tasks in your runs Topside. They're usually just asking you to bring a specific item back, or some just want you to look around in a specific area. But the quests, specifically the ones you get as you unlock new maps, are doing more than just asking you to bring something back. They're helping you acclimate to the new map, and teaching you about its more important areas. That's exactly what the 'A First Foothold' quest is doing when you first unlock the Blue Gate map. Speranza's gadgets and […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/how-to/arc-raiders-a-first-foothold-quest-guide/

A live LTO library trial showed holographic tape can integrate into existing infrastructure, shifting credibility from theory toward deployable archival storage.

Elon Musk is “actively” working to make xAI’s Grok chatbot “more unhinged, according to a former employee.

WriteGood is an AI writing partner built into your editor that delivers inline suggestions as tracked changes, helping you sharpen clarity, tone, and structure without losing your voice. It keeps you in control so you can accept, reject, or tweak every edit. It reads full-document context, supports custom style guides and templates for PRDs, RFCs, and posts, and lets you choose AI models. You can collaborate in real time, maintain a consistent voice across teams, and ship confident drafts faster.

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As much of Silicon Valley chases mega-rounds and buzzy AI deals, Stacy Brown-Philpot is running Cherryrock Capital like a throwback to venture capital's earlier days

This week, Alta unveiled its first integration collaboration, teaming up with Public School, a storied New York City brand.

According to sources familiar with Lenovo's plans, the device is slated to debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, scheduled for March 2 to 5. It marks the company's first detachable refresh in two years.

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星読みAI is a tool that allows you to create a personalized horoscope and natal chart by simply entering your nickname, date of birth, time of birth, and place of birth. It provides deep insights based on a vast amount of astrological data, making it an ideal guide not only for those interested in astrology but also for anyone aiming for personal growth.

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HDD capacity from one of the world's largest manufacturers has started to run dry, according to Western Digital's CEO, as major LTAs have been signed out. Western Digital's Consumer Share Drops to 5%, as Enterprise Demand Gobbles Up the Supply Well, the ongoing AI supercycle has disrupted supply chains, and we have talked about DRAM and NAND before, but it appears HDDs are also in significant demand: according to WD's CEO, Irving Tan, the manufacturer's entire capacity for this year is booked out. Speaking at the Q2 earnings call, Tan revealed that the focus has been on developing products that […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/western-digital-has-no-more-hdd-capacity-left-out/

MSI has put its Vector 16 gaming laptop on sale for just $1,299 at Walmart, offering a 35% discount for a beastly hardware combo. You get a Ryzen 9 8940HX, an RTX 5070 Ti, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB SSD, all backed up with a 90Wh battery. As far as RTX 5070 Ti laptops go, it has never gotten any cheaper.

Lenovo's Legion 7i Pro Gen 10 is 18% off ahead of Presidents Day, dropping its price all the way down to just $2,619.99.

To save a few bucks, someone ordered a used Ryzen 9 9900X3D worth $530 from Amazon but received a $150 Ryzen 9 3900X instead. The CPU had been replaced inside the box to deceive any inspection and was likely resold to the unlucky buyer, who ended up getting much less valuable silicon than they paid for.

Amazon's Presidents' Day sale is live, and I've rounded up the 18 best deals under $50 that you'd actually use, including earbuds, kitchen appliances, smart home gadgets, and more.

If you shoot with a Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm or L-mount mirrorless camera and want to expand your lens collection, Viltrox is well worth a look

ChatGPT users are mourning the loss of GPT-4o, and there are plenty of sad stories being shared online.

Hollywood organizations are pushing back against a new AI video model called Seedance 2.0, which they say has quickly become a tool for “blatant” copyright infringement.

Designer Kate Barton teams up with Fiducia AI and IBM for a NYFW presentation.

According to figures compiled by TechEpiphany, Amazon sold about 26,100 CPUs in the US in January 2026. AMD's X3D lineup continues to dominate, pushing the company's market share to an eye-popping 88 percent. But look closer and the story shifts from competitive wins to supply constraints: AI data centers are...

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Acer's and Asus's use of HEVC on their laptops and desktop PCs is allegedly infringing on Nokia's patent. Because of this, a German court ruled that they cannot sell their products in Germany until the matter is settled.

China’s optical lattice clock now contributes to global time, achieving unprecedented precision and challenging traditional caesium-based measurement systems.

My favorite Arcane and League of Legends spin-off just got better.

India’s $1.1B fund-of-funds will invest through private VCs to support deep-tech and manufacturing startups.

President's Day is drawing closer, and more laptop discounts are cropping up to celebrate, like Best Buy's 33% bargain for the reliable and slick ASUS Zenbook S 16 laptop.

The LPCAMM2 design is part of an ongoing effort to replace soldered LPDDR in mobile and ultra-thin systems with memory that is both upgradeable and space-efficient. It builds on first-generation LPCAMM2 modules, which typically shipped with LPDDR5 memory. The new LPDDR5X variant continues that evolution, delivering higher efficiency and faster...

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Earlier this month, Corsair rolled out a new packaging design for select DDR5 products. The shift reflects a market under strain: chipmakers are posting record revenues, while downstream customers are grappling with shortages, inflated prices, and a surge in fraudulent sales. Improving security and "transparency" around what's actually in the...

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OptionIncome is a tracking and analytics tool built specifically for income-focused option sellers, including wheel, cash-secured puts, covered calls, and spreads. Instead of juggling spreadsheets or relying on broker PnL that fails when you roll or get assigned, OptionIncome connects to your broker and automatically tracks your option selling activity at the strategy level. You can see how much option income you’re actually generating, with a breakdown by ticker or strategy, rolling PnL across the same strategy or campaign, and wheel cost basis and covered call performance.

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Syntara AI monitors over 6,000 U.S. stocks and 350 cryptocurrencies in real time. When unusual price or volume activity occurs across any of these monitored tickers, it cross-checks breaking news and sentiment and notifies you instantly. Instead of generic price notifications, Syntara filters signals using customizable thresholds and delivers structured summaries explaining what’s moving the asset, potential catalysts, and risk factors. This allows traders to understand the context while the move is still developing.

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Another case of CPU failure, but the user reports minimal CPU usage when it died. This time, it was the ASUS motherboard. Redditor Confirms Dead Ryzen 7 9800X3D on ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus After Leaving His System On Overnight With Nominal Load Ryzen 7 9800X3D death reports aren't uncommon, and they continuously surface on Reddit. Keep in mind that despite so many reports surfacing online, the RMA rates for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D are nearly on par with other Ryzen 9000 CPUs if we go by the data from Mindfactory. Still, it's important to examine every case of CPU failure […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-7-9800x3d-reportedly-dies-at-less-than-10-usage-on-asus-x870-motherboard/

Earlier this month, the developer behind the crowdfunded fantasy MMORPG Ashes of Creation, Intrepid Studios, suddenly collapsed, leaving backers and fans baffled less than two months after the game's launch on Steam Early Access. As it turns out, though, the project had been teetering on the brink of collapse for a very long time. YouTuber NefasQS, AKA Casper, has managed to interview one of the game's main investors, Jason Caramanis, who has come forward to reveal what he alleges is a massive, years-long fraud perpetrated by Steven Sharif, founder and creative director of Intrepid Studios. Caramanis is a 57-year-old multi-level […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/ashes-creation-investor-alleges-140-million-fraud/

The US and Taiwan have now agreed on an extensive trade framework, and by the looks of it, one of the major aspects of the agreement is to bolster supply chain expansion measures in America. TSMC & Other Taiwanese Suppliers Could See Tariff Exemptions Moving Ahead, Potentially Lowering Expansion Costs The semiconductor buildout in the US is probably the 'largest' ever by foreign entities in modern times, driven by TSMC and others' desire to diversify the chip supply chain to cater to their US customers. At the same time, tariffs have been a major concern for Taiwanese companies' investments, as […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/the-us-taiwan-trade-agreement-boosts-investment-climate-for-america-chip-supply-chain/

Sony is offering PlayStation 5 hardware for rent to customers in the UK. The selection includes PS5 consoles, controllers, PSVR 2, and even the PlayStation Portal. The cheapest offer starts from £9.50 per month for a base PS5 Slim, with leases for 12, 24, or 36 months. You can also pay a flat £19.50/month to get the console on a rolling basis with no commitments.

These dual Nvidia GTX Titan X GPUs in SLI are a solid upgrade for the user's current GTX 1650 GPU, provided they can make it work.

Following a complaint filed in 2016, the Competition Commission of India concluded that Intel’s India-only warranty rules were discriminatory compared to policies in other countries.

Some LGA-1954 motherboards will not be powerful enough to run Intel’s flagship Nova Lake chips at their peak – leaker claims According to the leaker Jaykihn, Intel’s next-generation Nova Lake flagship will be too power-hungry for some LGA-1954 motherboards. With two core chiplets and 52 total CPU cores, Intel’s next-generation flagship will be power-hungry. There […]

The post Intel Nova Lake CPU flagship needs beefier motherboards to reach full-power appeared first on OC3D.

All the ways to watch Aston Villa vs Newcastle in the FA Cup fourth round, with the Villans looking to extend their good recent run against the Magpies.

Resident Evil Requiem can't come out soon enough, and no demo for the first time hurts, but the new trailer tells me the wait will be worth it.

Looking for Quordle clues? We can help. Plus get the answers to Quordle today and past solutions.

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro is a much more affordable alternative to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 – here's why I think you should buy it if you want a rugged, budget-conscious wearable for your outdoor adventures.

LG's latest firmware update seemingly brightens most of its Dolby Vision picture modes on its OLED TVs, so I decided to test it out.

Don't buy a new Samsung 2026 TV; shop incredible deals on older models right now, which include top-rated 4K, QLED, and OLED displays.

GTA 6 will absolutely have podcasts, at least that's what I'm betting on. Here's the five shows I think the game will parody.

The commercial risks of poorly governed automation are now impossible for business leaders to ignore.

Logitech's MX Vertical is the mouse I always recommend first when I hear someone complaining about wrist or forearm pain, and right now you can pick it up for a lot less than normal during President's Day weekend.

The compilation continues Konami's recent strategy of remastering the franchise's most celebrated entries for today's hardware while retaining their original design and character.

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As much as Apple tries to avoid a price hike for the iPhone 18 series, this event could be inevitable. However, one strategy the company could apply to offer relief to customers is to keep the base models unchanged from last year. Then again, with its rumored agreement with NAND flash maker Kioxia including terms that Apple will pay double the price for storage, it potentially means that the premium could be applied to the higher internal memory variants. Also, paying twice the original amount doesn’t mean that the Cupertino will be immune from future price shifts, because contracts are subject to change […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-to-pay-kioxia-double-for-nand-storage/

We are still around two weeks away from Samsung's official unveiling of its Galaxy S26 series. Even so, the as yet unreleased Galaxy S26+ just went up for sale on Craiglist, leading many to conclude that the device is either a prototype or part of an outright scam. An enterprising netizen is now offering to sell to you the unreleased Galaxy S26+ on Craiglist A tipster has just published the photos of the Galaxy S26+ that has gone on sale on Craiglist. Do note that the tipster appears to be mistaken. Judging from the layout of the cameras, we can […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/the-unreleased-samsung-galaxy-s26-just-went-up-for-sale-on-craiglist/

While the 8GB VRAM does impose limits at higher settings and resolutions, MSI’s RTX 5060 Ti 8GB makes sense for 1080p gaming.

All the ways to watch Scotland vs England live streams online – including for FREE – for the Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield in the 2026 Six Nations.

This 2-in-1 set lands in August

Apple is apparently testing out a flip-style foldable, though it looks as though the book-style version will launch first.

Three 'movement snacks' you can do at your desk to undo the damage of gaming and office work

How to watch Man City vs Salford in the fourth round of the FA Cup as Pep Guardiola's side return to action.

Intel extends XeSS 3 support to almost all of its modern GPUs With the release of its 32.0.101.8509 graphics driver, Intel has extended support for XeSS far beyond the Xe3 GPUs within its Panther Lake series processors. XeSS 3 and its multi-frame generation (MFG) feature are now available on nearly all ARC GPUs. This includes […]

The post Frame Generation Everywhere! – Intel extends XeSS 3 support to new ARC GPUs appeared first on OC3D.

You describe your business, and Launch10 builds a landing page, creates a Google Search ad campaign with keywords and ad copy, and sets up conversion tracking. Everything connects automatically, so you can see which ads bring actual leads. You get a dashboard that shows spend, clicks, leads, and cost per lead in one place, along with recommendations on what to change to get better results. The whole process takes about 10 minutes.

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All the Arc GPUs have officially received support for Intel's latest Multi-Frame Generation with the new driver update. Intel Rolls Out Graphics Driver 8509, Supporting XeSS 3 Multi-Frame Generation on Intel Arc Alchemist and Battlemage dGPUs and iGPUs Intel's latest XeSS 3 Multi-Frame Generation, which was initially launched for Panther Lake processors/iGPUs, has now been rolled out for previous-gen GPUs as well. As promised recently, Intel has today launched its latest Arc Graphics driver for Windows version 32.0.101.8509, which brings support for XeSS 3 Multi-Frame Generation for both Alchemist and Battlemage families. As listed in the release notes, the XeSS […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/intel-officially-rolls-out-xess-3-multi-frame-generation-for-arc-alchemist-and-battlemage-gpus/

The latest discount on the AirPods Pro 3, courtesy of Amazon, has lowered the retail price of Apple’s flagship wireless earbuds to $209.99, down from $249, granting you $39 in savings. While it is not the highest drop that we’ve seen, it is still the second-best, and you’ll want to own these immediately because the AirPods Pro 3 are outfitted with some of the best features that you’ll ever want from a high-end audio product. Better noise cancellation, improved battery life, and heat-rate monitoring are some of the perks of owning the AirPods Pro 3 If you currently own a […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/airpods-pro-3-40-off-on-amazon-down-to-209-99/

BTC Ponzi scheme yields 20 years in prison for mastermind

7x DRAM price jump affecting ISP routers, gateways, and STBs

We pit five budget-friendly RGB fans against each other, in tests that don’t quite lead us to a clear winner. The most complete isn’t the best performing. There is, however, one clear loser that might be worth avoiding.

Micron is the first SSD maker to introduce the world's first mass-produced PCIe 6.0 datacenter SSD. The Micron 9650 series is capable of speeds of up to 28 GB/s.

An experiment revealed that people cannot differentiate between audio signals sent through premium audio cables, wet mud, and a banana.

Automaker BMW has filed a patent for a new fastener which takes design cues from the its iconic segmented roundel logo. but it has been accused of creating this design for service and repair gatekeeping.

With yet another Range Rover look-a-like unveiled it looks like there is no end to China's obsession with imitation

Some Android phones are already packed full of innovation, but there are five things that I still want to see.

Delhi High Court orders now allow domain registrar suspensions, expanding India’s anti-piracy enforcement beyond ISP blocking measures.

All the ways to watch Ireland vs Italy live streams online – including for FREE – as the buoyant Azzurri look to cause an upset in Dublin in the 2026 Six Nations.

Niche Pig is an AI-powered niche research tool that discovers sub-niches and micro-niches within any market. Users enter a broad niche or topic, and the tool returns a list of more specific sub-niches scored by demand, profitability, and passion levels.

Each result includes potential product ideas, promotional angles, and suggested target audiences. The tool is designed to surface opportunities with buyer intent (audiences spending $100+ rather than casual browsers) and lower competition than broad market categories.

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Due to rising costs of memory and SSDs, Acer has also announced a price hike for its products. Acer Japan Says it Will Revise PC Product Prices, Starting February 20, 2026, as Memory and SSD Costs Keep Rising The PC hardware prices aren't ready to stabilize, and we are seeing major hardware manufacturers announcing price revisions almost every month. Recently, it was Maingear and Framework that announced price hikes a couple of times. ASUS also announced price hikes due to higher memory and SSD costs, and now it's Acer's turn, which has also announced a price revision. Acer Predator Gaming […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/acer-announces-a-price-hike-for-its-products-starting-february-20/

The Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Ryzen 7 9800X3D are the fastest gaming CPUs around, but which one is better? We tested both in a head-to-head gauntlet on in games, productivity apps, overclocked scenarios, and more to find out.

The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was unveiled to the public today in 1946.

Newegg is hosting Doorbuster sales over Presidents' Day weekend.

Check out these great Presidents' Day deals on Alienware gaming Laptops and Desktop PCs.

The MSI MAG 275UPD E14 is one of the cheapest 4K gaming monitors around, and you can score it for $200 ($80 off) for Newegg's Love For Tech sale.

Here's how to watch New Zealand vs South Africa T20 World Cup streams as two unbeaten teams battle for supremacy.

The Yellowstone universe never truly ends, and new spinoff Marshals is only a few weeks away — here's what you need to know.

The week's biggest tech news stories from Anthropic, Sony, Apple, and more for February 14, 2026.

SimplePrint lets you design and sell custom products without holding inventory. Connect your store, create products with straightforward design tools, and have every order printed and shipped from California within 48 to 72 hours. You pay no upfront fees or minimums, can scale easily, and rely on rigorous quality control. Start with a Shopify integration and expand as new marketplaces are added.

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Personalized Valentine’s surprise page for your loved one

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Advanced AI video creation with precise narrative control

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Scans terms and conditions for you

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A choose-your-own-adventure game meets personality quiz

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Your music companion

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Turn any AI task into a Keyboard Shortcut

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Make Your System Snap Back Into Alignment

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Ticket in, fix out. Every solution trains the next one.

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Parallel agents & headless CI/CD in your terminal

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Location-based audio guide powered by Wikipedia

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Build a home together, even when you're apart.

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Meta's shift from immersive virtual reality to smart glasses leaves no clear home for business-grade VR/AR headsets.

AI’s energy demands don’t tell the whole story. Used strategically, it can accelerate sustainability progress.

Nortora helps nonprofit teams plan and run fundraising galas without relying on spreadsheets. It combines guest management, sponsor and ticket reservations, and donor-aware seating charts in one place, allowing planners to keep parties together, place sponsors appropriately, and make changes without chaos. On event night, Nortora supports smoother execution with check-in tools and shared access for staff and volunteers. We’re actively collecting feedback to guide future developments.

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Samsung unveiled the use of its Heat Pass Block (HPB) technology in the Exynos 2600 to help lower thermal resistance and improve heat dissipation. Based on rumors, there has been a lot of interest in this solution, with even the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro schematic leak shown to be using it, which is a pleasant surprise because lots of manufacturers have incorporated custom cooling fans to help lower temperatures. While these additions have their use cases, the noise generated would definitely trigger some unease for users. Thankfully, a tipster says that the use of HPB will eliminate the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/exynos-2600-heat-pass-block-to-eliminate-custom-fans-in-smartphones/

Designed for the development of and use of AI models, the Acer Veriton GN100 uses the Nvidia Blackwell architecture to deliver ultimate performance.

Here's how to watch England vs Scotland T20 World Cup streams as qualification hopes are on the line.

The most geographically-widespread Winter Olympics ever needs a next-gen network - HPE tells us why it is the only choice.

The two-story location will sell products from Nothing and the more affordable, mass-market brand CMF.

Affirmations App helps you build a consistent, 5-minute daily affirmation practice that reshapes thoughts and behavior. It uses behavioral science, CBT principles, and spaced repetition to personalize affirmations your brain accepts. Stay on track with streaks, smart reminders, auto-shuffle, and a guided timer. Your entries remain private with end-to-end encryption, and the app is available for iOS and Android so you can practice anywhere.

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It's been three years since the AMD AM5 motherboard platform and the 600-series motherboards launched. Since its launch, the platform has seen the launch of several CPUs in the Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000, and Ryzen 9000 families. While the 600-series motherboards provide great features & compatibility with newer Zen 5 CPUs, motherboard makers are always looking to enhance user experiences through the latest technologies, so AMD has introduced a new chipset line called the 800-series. Now, AMD has introduced both X870 and B850 series chipsets for high-end and mainstream AM5 motherboards. Both of these chips provide brand-new designs and brand-new […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/msi-mpg-x870e-carbon-max-wifi-motherboard-review-maxing-out-carbon/

Intel's Nova Lake-S Desktop CPUs with 52 cores will require the highest-end 900-series motherboards to display their full performance potential. Intel Nova Lake 52-Core Desktop CPUs To Display Full Power on Higher-End 900-Series Motherboards, Rest Will Limit Performance & Power As per new information on Intel Nova Lake-S Desktop CPUs and their respective platforms shared by Jaykihn at X, it looks like only some ultra-high-end tier motherboards will have the prowess to display Nova Lake's full performance potential. The insider/leaker states that a certain selection of 900-series motherboards, presumably based on the Z990 chipset, will support the full power of […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/only-high-end-900-series-motherboards-support-full-power-of-intel-52-core-nova-lake-cpus/

A backend flaw in web admin dashboards used by one of India's largest pharmacy chains, exposed thousands of online pharmacy orders.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the company wants to increase its use of large language models for customer discovery, support and engineering.

LinkedGrow is an all-in-one LinkedIn content platform that lets you create, schedule, and optimize posts with AI while keeping costs low by bringing your own AI key. It learns your voice from past posts, analyzes what makes content go viral, and suggests stronger hooks and structure. Use AI-optimized posting times, a fast carousel generator, and a Reddit-to-LinkedIn transformer to turn web ideas into engaging updates. Train it, test ideas, and plan your calendar from one place.

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MrBeast acquires Step to teach financial skills to young users, expanding Beast Industries beyond media into fintech and money management.

All of Surfshark's best features are available for less, but not for much longer

I adore my Nintendo Switch 2, and take it with me just about everywhere I go – but I always make sure to have these party games in my bag too.

Viltrox's take on the classic 85mm f/1.4 professional portrait lens is a huge success, and it's excellent value too

Orphiq helps artists, managers, labels, and agencies plan music releases and guide career strategy. It unifies every rollout into one timeline, assigns tasks, and keeps collaborators aligned. You can create and schedule social content, get AI suggestions tuned to your sound and audience, and ask questions that reference your goals. Use multilingual chat, collaborate with your team, and tap into analytics and revenue insights to make confident decisions about your next move.

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Apple's iOS 26, in keeping with the historical norms, has now reached around three-fourths of all iPhones launched over the past four years (since 2022). Even so, Apple's latest software iteration for the iPhones is somewhat lagging when compared with the adoption recorded by the last-gen iOS 18 in the comparable timeframe, with the Liquid Glass design language likely to blame for this aberrant slowdown. Apple's iOS 26 is now running on 74 percent of all iPhones launched in the last four years Apple has just released the adoption statistics for iOS 26 now that 150 days have passed since […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apples-ios-26-lagging-behind-the-adoption-rates-of-both-ios-18-and-ios-17-blame-the-liquid-glass-ui/

Apple TV’s 2026 slate might have the next Barbie, Marty Supreme or Karate Kid – and I’m baffled it’s all streaming first.

Feeling down about VR in 2026? I’ve been testing an XR arcade cabinet, and it has made me fall in love with my Quest 3 again.

A site owner blamed Google AI Search for falsely reporting their site offline. The answer was a content delivery pitfall.

The post Google AI Shows A Site Is Offline Due To JS Content Delivery appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

Which Fallout game is the best? We asked our readers that question, and the answer we got was clear — and with a few surprises in the results.

Apple’s entire iPhone 18 lineup has been reported to forego Qualcomm’s 5G modems in favor of the company’s C2 baseband chip, which was reportedly in development when the iPhone 16e launched last year. However, according to one analyst, the Cupertino firm is bringing in another wireless chip to the flagship series, and it will be the direct successor to the N1. Additionally, there are other changes expected, such as a smaller Dynamic Island, so let us discuss all details below. No improvements from the N2 wireless networking chip upgrade have been mentioned in the new report, but C2 5G modem could […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/iphone-18-pro-to-get-two-wiress-chip-upgrades/

Samsung begins to ship HBM4 memory at 11.7Gbps speeds, and claims an early industry lead.

Oura is using its smart rings to help shape US health legislation – here's everything you need to know.

Here's a sneaky way to watch the NBA All star Weekend 2026 for free from anywhere in the world as basketball's annual tournament returns Feb 13-15

Roku has added nine more free, ad-supported channels to The Roku Channel

Someone used ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 generative AI video platform to depict Tom Cruise fighting Brad Pitt, and no one in the film industry is happy about it.

The MG S5 is built on the same underpinnings as its award-winning hatchback counterpart, but it unfortunately lacks some of its predecessor’s excitement.

Cozy up and watch these great horror movies this Valentine's weekend.

President Trump’s reversal of the landmark ‘endangerment findings’ will cause major upset in the automotive industry – here’s what it could mean for electric vehicles.

Airbnb was poised to introduce an app that doesn't just search for you, but one that "knows you." CEO Brian Chesky said, "It will help guests plan their entire trip, help hosts better run their businesses, and help the company operate more efficiently at scale."

The recent leaderboard event on Black Ops 7 Zombies newest map, Mars Survival, was so bug-ridden that all players will get the rewards.

The Gnome Project has officially announced the Gnome 50 public beta testing phase and API, feature, and UI freeze ahead of the desktop environment's official launch later this year. The freeze effectively means that the features that are part of the new public beta version will be part of the official release when that lands on March 18, 2026. The Gnome 50 beta brings with it a number of features that should make living with Gnome significantly easier, especially if you have gaming-grade hardware. Gnome 50 public beta can be downloaded as a live image or installed via Flatpak using the 50beta branch from Flathub Beta. The biggest changes coming to Gnome 50 and the public beta include making VRR and fractional scaling non-experimental in Mutter, Gnome's Wayland compositor library, where the aforementioned features were previously experimental and needed to be enabled in the terminal. Gnome 50 will also complete Gnome's transition to a Wayland-only desktop environment, a move that has been in the works since mid-2025—Gnome 49 was shipped with X11 disabled, while Gnome 50 will feature no X11 code.

There are also myriad changes to screencasting—namely HiDPI and monitor mode emulation—and improved support for multi-monitor setups. Many of Gnome's default apps will also move to the 50.beta version, bringing along with them bug fixes and an overall increased level of polish. Nautilus, the default file manager, gets case-insensitive path completion; Gnome's symbolic icons are more crisp; GDM gets bug fixes and initial support for unified authentication; Gnome Control Center gets a text size slider and a few extra options to tweak; the Gnome Shell gets the option for parents to extend screen time limits; Gnome software will also get a progress bar when installing or removing add-ons as well as a few bug fixes and translation updates. The list goes on, but in general, it looks like Gnome 50 is shaping up to deliver a more cohesive desktop experience when it eventually launches in stable form.

One of PC gaming's greatest shooters has been given a free second life. Unreal Tournament 2004 is now available at no cost with Epic Games' blessing. The community-led revival preserves everything that made UT2004 a multiplayer legend: lightning-fast gunplay, large vehicle-filled maps, and deep mod support, while adding support for modern operating systems.

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The breakthrough builds on neuromorphic engineering, a field that designs hardware modeled after the human brain. Unlike traditional processors, which separate memory and computation, neuromorphic chips integrate both functions, enabling faster and more energy-efficient data handling. This biologically inspired approach has long been considered a promising way to narrow the...

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TextSlaps helps you write tough messages you’ve been avoiding. Describe your situation, pick a tone like Cold & Professional, HR-Safe Nuclear, or Burn the Bridge, and receive ready-to-send versions for SMS, email, and Slack with an escalation ladder when needed.

Sign up to try five free messages, then choose a plan with credits or unlimited use, save history, access templates, and get priority generation and support.

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Samsung opted for an iterative refresh for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series after Apple instituted a major design change for its iPhone 17 lineup. And, as a result, the South Korean tech behemoth is now reportedly paying the price for its inertia, if the latest tidbits about the series' pre-order cadence are anything to go by. The current pre-order trajectory for the Galaxy S26 series would make it nearly impossible for Samsung to meet the lineup's annual sales target According to the tipster Jason C, there is a "perceived lack of interest in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series." Also, as […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/samsung-galaxy-s26-series-reportedly-attracting-underwhelming-pre-orders/

Two banger games from Capcom are going to launch in a span of three months, starting with Resident Evil Requiem, which will arrive this month, followed by PRAGMATA, which is scheduled to release on April 24. While PC gamers have had the privilege of trying out the demo, which delivers a polished finish, you can begin preparing things in advance if you’re a console owner by pre-ordering the game on Amazon. Best of all, the listings are available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2. PRAGMATA offers a unique sci-fi experience, with the initial gameplay bringing in […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/pre-order-pragmata-for-ps5-switch-2-and-xbox-series-x-from-amazon/

It's no secret that user-submitted Steam Reviews have often been quite controversial, especially during so-called "review bombings". In these instances, specific games have been targeted with a deluge of negative reviews, thus crashing the overall user review score on Valve's platform. One of the earliest scenarios was the review bombing of Firewatch, Campo Santo's acclaimed adventure game released in 2016. The following year, YouTuber PewDiePie racially insulted a player during a livestream in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), and Campo Santo's founder Sean Vanaman asked YouTube to remove all of PewDiePie's videos from the platform. However, in retaliation, PewDiePie's legion of followers […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/valve-adds-ability-attack-pc-specs-steam-reviews/

The oceans hold vast uranium resources, and China’s recent extraction milestone is a start but does not yet ensure a large-scale fuel supply.

Drench your cooking space in this year's freshest color, paired with smart brushed stainless steel.

Corsair is putting its high-end RAM in a sealed plastic clamshell to help prevent return-related scams.

With these wireless video doorbells you can avoid subscription fees and keep control of your recordings at home.

This is what it means to be living in AI Time and, based on a new essay by Matt Shumer, CEO and Co-Founder of Otherside, potentially how to survive it.

OM System has announced the entry of Chinese budget camera manufacturer Sonida into the Micro Four Thirds System, but the expected new Songdian-branded camera probably won't take on offerings from OM System or Lumix

EPFL researchers teach AI to correct its own mistakes in video sequences, reducing drift and potentially extending realistic duration.

Some great Windows 11 laptops and desktops get a big price-cut over at Dell.

The company said hackers downloaded “a limited number of files” after breaking into an employee’s account. The hacking group ShinyHunters took responsibility for the breach.

AI companies have been hemorrhaging talent the past few weeks. Half of xAI’s founding team has left the company — some on their own, others through “restructuring” — while OpenAI is facing its own shakeups, from the disbanding of its mission alignment team to the firing of a policy exec who opposed its “adult mode” feature.  Watch as TechCrunch’s Equity podcast hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony […]

The Japanese sex toy maker said a hacker broke into an employee's inbox and stole customer names, email addresses, and correspondence, including order details and customer service inquiries.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance stands as one of the best RPGs of the last generation, and now it's on Xbox Game Pass — and with a free next-gen update, too.

Xbox is shutting down Social Clubs on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in April 2026. Here is what is changing, what happens to existing clubs, and how players can stay connected using other features.

Wavlink's Thunderlight docking station proves that Thunderbolt 5 docks don't have to cost an arm and a leg. This limited-time deal is indeed very limited, so don't wait too long.

The latest catalyst for the sell-off is an FTC letter sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook, alleging that Apple News promotes liberal media outlets while suppressing conservative ones. According to the agency, this alleged left-wing bias violates federal consumer protection laws and raises "serious questions" about whether the company is...

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MyVibe is the instant publishing platform for AI-generated creations. Anyone can build with Claude, Lovable, v0, or Bolt, but sharing typically involves DNS, hosting, and CI/CD headaches. MyVibe removes the barrier between "I made this" and "here's the link." Drop code from any AI tool or use the MyVibe skill to publish instantly without needing a developer.

MyVibe offers instant publishing, true ownership with self-hosting options, and living documents that allow readers to explore insights interactively. Blogs publish thoughts, videos publish voice, and MyVibe publishes executable understanding. Free to use.

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Highguard is the latest free-to-play first-person shooter to hit the market, and if things keep going the way they are now, it'll also be the latest free-to-play first-person shooter that was shut down after being unable to break through as a massive hit right at launch. After its trailer at The Game Awards failed to land with players, and the weeks of silence that followed did nothing to help, when it arrived, before players even made it through the tutorial, they were leaving negative reviews on Steam. Even though it had over 97K concurrent players on Steam when it launched, […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/former-highguard-dev-calls-out-players-for-slandering-the-game-before-they-played-it/

On episode 341 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Andrea Cruz, Head of B2B at Tinuiti, to unpack a mistake many senior marketers quietly struggle with: freezing when clients demand answers you don’t immediately have.

The conversation explored how communication missteps can escalate client tension — and how the right mindset, preparation, and culture can turn those moments into career-defining growth.

From hands-on marketer to team leader

As Cruz advanced in her career, she shifted from managing campaigns directly to leading teams running large, complex accounts. That transition introduced a new challenge: representing work she didn’t personally execute day to day.

When clients pushed back — questioning performance or expectations — Cruz sometimes froze. Saying “I don’t know” or delaying a response could quickly erode trust and escalate frustration.

Her key realization: senior leaders are expected to provide perspective in the moment. Even without every detail, they must guide the conversation confidently.

How to buy time without losing trust

Through mentorship and experience, Cruz developed a practical technique: asking clarifying questions to gain thinking time while deepening understanding.

Examples include:

• Asking clients to clarify expectations or timelines
• Requesting additional context around their concerns
• Confirming what the client already knows about the situation

These questions serve two purposes: they slow down emotionally charged moments and ensure responses address the real issue, not just the surface complaint.

For Cruz, this approach was especially important as a non-native English speaker, giving her space to process complex conversations and respond clearly.

A solutions-first culture beats blame

Cruz emphasized that mistakes are inevitable — but how teams respond defines long-term success.

At Tinuiti, the focus is not on assigning blame but on answering two questions:

1. Where are we now?
2. How do we get to where we want to be?

This solutions-oriented mindset creates psychological safety. Teams can openly acknowledge errors, run post-mortems, and identify patterns without fear. Cruz argues that leaders must model this behavior by sharing their own mistakes, not just scrutinizing others’.

That transparency builds trust internally and with clients.

Proactive communication builds stronger client relationship

Rather than waiting for clients to surface problems, Cruz encourages teams to raise issues first. Acknowledging underperformance — even when clients haven’t noticed — demonstrates accountability and strengthens partnerships.

She also recommends tailoring communication styles to each client. Some prefer concise updates; others want detailed explanations. Documenting these preferences helps teams deliver information in ways that resonate.

Regular check-ins about business roadblocks — not just campaign metrics — position agencies as strategic partners, not just media operators.

Common agency mistakes in B2B advertising

Cruz didn’t hold back on recurring issues she sees in audits:

• Budgets spread too thin: Running too many channels with insufficient spend leads to meaningless data and weak performance.
• Underfunded campaigns: B2B CPCs are inherently high. Campaigns generating only a few clicks per day rarely produce actionable results.

Her advice is blunt: if the budget can’t support a channel properly, it’s better not to run it.

AI is more than a summarization tool

On AI, Cruz cautioned against shallow usage. Treating AI as a simple spreadsheet summarizer misses its broader potential.

Her team is experimenting with advanced applications — automated audits, workflow integrations, and operational efficiencies. She compares AI’s role to medical diagnostics: a powerful assistant that augments expert judgment, not a replacement for it.

For marketers, that means staying curious and continuously exploring new use cases.

The takeaway: preparation and passion drive resilience

Cruz’s central message is simple: mistakes will happen. What matters is preparation, adaptability, and maintaining a solutions-first mindset.

By anticipating client needs, personalizing communication, and embracing experimentation, marketers can transform stressful moments into opportunities to build credibility.

Looking to take the next step in your search marketing career?

Below, you will find the latest SEO, PPC, and digital marketing jobs at brands and agencies. We also include positions from previous weeks that are still open.

Newest SEO Jobs

(Provided to Search Engine Land by SEOjobs.com)

• Digital Marketing Manager (SEO, Content, Social)
  February 13, 2026
  Digital Marketing Manager The Digital Marketing Manager will be expected to lead a team that effectively crafts and implements digital marketing initiatives including search marketing, social media, email marketing and lead management for clients in a variety of industries. Candidates should expect to be engaged in managing multiple team members, clients and simultaneous projects, assisting […]
• Manager, Digital Marketing (SEO/SEM, Growth)
  February 13, 2026
  About Us HighLevel is a cloud-based, all-in-one white-label marketing and sales platform that empowers marketing agencies, entrepreneurs, and businesses to elevate their digital presence and drive growth. We are proud to support a global and growing community of over 2 million businesses, from marketing agencies to entrepreneurs to small businesses and beyond. Our platform empowers […]
• Organic Growth Strategist
  February 13, 2026
  Omniscient Digital is an organic growth agency that partners with ambitious B2B SaaS companies like SAP, Adobe, Loom, and Hotjar to turn SEO and content into growth engines. About this role We’re hiring an SEO Outreach Specialist to partner with high-authority brands and build high-quality backlinks to support our clients’ growth and authority. You will […]
• Digital Marketing Manager (SEO/SEM)
  February 12, 2026
  SUMMARY The Digital Marketing Manager is a growth-oriented role that will evolve into a strategic marketing leadership position. You will work closely with the CCO and leadership team to shape our go-to-market strategy while executing high-impact marketing programs today. JOB RESPONSIBILITIES ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Strategic Marketing & Positioning Collaborate with CCO and commercial leadership to evolve […]
• Digital Marketing Manager (SEO/Graphic Design)
  February 12, 2026
  Job Description We are a highly motivated bunch who seek to create a space where you know you are going to have a good time. We are known for our art-inspired spaces that are great for social gatherings. Our restaurants are wall to wall with lights, murals, and vignettes. We are the marinara-muddled minds behind […]
• Law Firm Digital Marketing Manager (Content, SEO/SEM)
  February 12, 2026
  Benefits: Bonus based on performance Competitive salary Training & development Fischetti Law Group, a fast-growing Personal Injury and Estate Planning law firm, is seeking a creative, results-driven Digital Marketing Manager to lead our digital presence and community outreach efforts. This is a full-time, in-office position working directly with our Management team to expand our brand […]
• Digital Marketing Manager (SEO, SEM, Social, Programmatic)
  February 11, 2026
  Who We Are Oncourse Home Solutions (OHS) is a people-centric, $500M organization that is owned by private equity firm, Apax Partners operating under the brands American Water Resources, Pivotal Home Solutions and American Home Solutions. We do what is right for our people so they can do their best when serving our 1.9+ million customers […]
• SEO/GEO/AEO Digital Marketing Manager
  February 11, 2026
  AppFolio is more than a company. We’re a community of dreamers, big thinkers, problem solvers, active listeners, and multipliers. At every opportunity, we set the pace while delivering innovation built to carry real estate into the future. One in which every experience feels effortless, yet meaningful. Where customers are empowered to take on any opportunity. […]
• Sr. Manager of Digital Marketing (SEO, SEM, Content, Technical)
  February 11, 2026
  The Company: VeSync is a portfolio company with brands that cover different categories of health & wellness products. We wouldn’t be surprised if you have one of our Levoit air purifiers in your living room or a COSORI air fryer whipping up healthy and delicious meals for you every night. We’re a young and energetic […]
• Senior SEO Strategist
  February 11, 2026
  We’re looking for a Senior SEO Strategist to lead enterprise-level organic growth strategies across traditional search and modern discovery channels, including AI-powered SERPs, Google AI Overviews, and large language models (LLMs). In this role, you’ll own both strategy and execution for a portfolio of enterprise and high-growth clients. You’ll act as a trusted, client-facing advisor—translating complex technical […]

Newest PPC and paid media jobs

(Provided to Search Engine Land by PPCjobs.com)

• Digital Paid Media Manager ~ Buzz Franchise Brands ~ $70,000-$90,000 ~ In-office (USA) ~ Virginia Beach, VA, United States
  February 13, 2026
  Benefits 401(k) 401(k) matching Company parties Competitive salary introduce open tags Dental insurance Imageno duplicate details Free food & snacks Health insurance Opportunity for advancement Paid time off Parental leave Vision insurance Wellness resources Buzz Franchise Brands i s a fast-growing, multi-brand franchise company headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA. We’re seeking a Digital Paid Media […]
• Account Manager, Paid Social ~ DEPT® ~ $70,000-$80,000 ~ Remote (USA)
  February 13, 2026
  WHY DEPT®? We are pioneers at heart. What this means, is that we are always leaning forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, […]
• Paid Search Manager ~ Nutricost ~ $50,000-$70,000 ~ In-office (USA) ~ Vineyard, UT, United States
  February 13, 2026
  Overview Nutricost is a leading supplement brand known for high-quality nutrition at affordable prices. We proudly partner with Shaquille O’Neal, the Utah Jazz, BYU Athletics, and US Speedskating to promote health and performance nationwide. Job Overview We are seeking a highly experienced and results-driven Paid Search Manager to lead Nutricost’s paid search strategy and execution […]
• Paid Search Manager ~ Dell Technologies ~ $148,750 – $192,500 ~ In-office (USA) ~ Round Rock, TX, United States
  February 12, 2026
  Paid Search Manager Location: Round Rock, TX – Onsite (5 days a week) Responsibilities Implement and optimize paid search campaigns to meet KPIs and business objectives. Supervise a team of paid search specialists to ensure operational rigor, budget pacing, and campaign quality. Collaborate with creative teams, vendors, and internal stakeholders to develop and execute effective […]
• (USA) Manager, Digital Media – Paid Search ~ Sam’s Club ~$80,000-$155,000 ~ In-office (USA) ~ Bentonville, AR, United States
  February 12, 2026
  Overview Sam’s Club is hiring a Senior Manager, Marketing Planning & Strategy (Paid Search + Measurement Enablement) to strengthen one of our largest growth engines: paid search and paid channels performance. This role sits in Marketing, but operates at the intersection of paid media, analytics, and technical enablement—ensuring our campaigns are executed flawlessly, measured accurately, […]

Other roles you may be interested in

Senior Manager, SEO, Kennison & Associates (Hybrid, Boston MA)

• Salary: $150,000 – $180,000
• You’ll own high-visibility SEO and AI initiatives, architect strategies that drive explosive organic and social visibility, and push the boundaries of what’s possible with search-powered performance.
• Every day, you’ll experiment, analyze, and optimize-elevating rankings, boosting conversions across the customer journey, and delivering insights that influence decisions at the highest level.

Backlink Manager (SEO Agency), SEOforEcommerce (Remote)

• Salary: $60,000
• Managing and overseeing backlink production across multiple campaigns
• Reviewing and approving backlink opportunities (guest posts, niche edits, outreach-based links, etc.)

Senior Content Marketing Manager / Director, ClarityPay (Hybrid, New York, NY)

• Salary: $95,000 – $135,000
• Create high-quality content for core channels: website, LinkedIn, email, SMS, and internal communications
• Write clear, compelling, and on-brand copy—from lifecycle messaging and short-form updates to long-form pages and narratives

PPC Specialist, BrixxMedia (Remote)

• Salary: $80,000 – $115,000
• Manage day-to-day PPC execution, including campaign builds, bid strategies, budgets, and creative rotation across platforms
• Develop and refine audience strategies, remarketing programs, and lookalike segments to maximize efficiency and scale

Performance Marketing Manager, Mailgun, Sinch (Remote)

• Salary: $100,000 – $125,000
• Manage and optimize paid campaigns across various channels, including YouTube, Google Ads, Meta, Display, LinkedIn, and Connected TV (CTV).
• Drive scalable growth through continuous testing and optimization while maintaining efficiency targets (CAC, ROAS, LTV)

SEO and AI Search Optimization Manager, Big Think Capital (New York)

• Salary: $100,000
• Own and execute Big Think Capital’s SEO and AI search (GEO) strategy
• Optimize website architecture, on-page SEO, and technical SEO

Senior Copywriter, Viking (Hybrid, Los Angeles Metropolitan Area)

• Salary: $95,000 – $110,000
• Editorial features and travel articles for onboard magazines
• Seasonal web campaigns and themed microsites

Digital Marketing Manager, DEPLOY (Hybrid, Tuscaloosa, AL)

• Salary: $80,000
• Strong knowledge of digital marketing tools, analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics), and content management systems (CMS).
• Experience Managing Google Ads and Meta ad campaigns.

Paid Search Marketing Manager, LawnStarter (Remote)

• Salary: $90,000 – $125,000
• Manage and optimize large-scale, complex SEM campaigns across Google Ads, Bing Ads, Meta Ads and other search platforms
• Activate, optimize and make efficient Local Services Ads (LSA) at scale

Senior Manager, SEO, Turo (Hybrid, San Francisco, CA)

• Salary: $168,000 – $210,000
• Define and execute the SEO strategy across technical SEO, content SEO, on-page optimization, internal linking, and authority building.
• Own business and operations KPIs for organic growth and translate them into clear quarterly plans.

Search Engine Op imization Manager, NoGood (Remote)

• Salary: £80,000 – $100,000
• Act as the primary strategic lead for a portfolio of enterprise and scale-up clients.
• Build and execute GEO/AEO strategies that maximize brand visibility across LLMs and AI search surfaces.

Senior Content Manager, TrustedTech (Irvine, CA)

• Salary: $110,000 – $130,000
• Develop and manage a content strategy aligned with business and brand goals across blog, web, email, paid media, and social channels.
• Create and edit compelling copy that supports demand generation and sales enablement programs.

Note: We update this post weekly. So make sure to bookmark this page and check back.

Jon Favreau explains why The Mandalorian & Grogu had to “up our game” for theaters — and teases what’s next for Grogu.

4K Blu-ray provides the sort of quality streaming could never live up to – and these starter packs are all you need to experience the joy of UHD discs.

Basketball’s biggest names are ready for an all-out showdown. Here's how to watch NBA All-Star 2026 live streams in all parts of the world.

Create your perfect playful workspace.

If you have an old Apple device lying around, Best Buy is currently offering a trade-in offer that allows you to save big on a brand-new Apple device.

You can power up WhatsApp by adjusting a few hidden settings – here are 7 of the best changes to make.

WPvivid Backup & Migration plugin allows for arbitrary file upload which can lead to remote code execution.

After Helldivers 2 cheaters used "in-game exploits" to try and get an easy Major Order win, the Battle for Cyberstan just became harder. Thanks, "dissidents."

We have found a massive 33% discount on the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, one of the first laptops ever made with Copilot+ AI that still holds up today with its Snapdragon X Elite CPU, vibrant AMOLED display, and other rich features.

Microsoft has warned of a new tactic called AI Recommendation Poisoning, where hidden instructions inside links can manipulate an assistant’s memory and bias future recommendations. The company advises users to review and clear saved AI memories to reduce risk.

Shift Up has stated it is reviewing platform expansion beyond PS5 and PC for Stellar Blade, positioning 2026 as a transitional year for the franchise and sparking speculation about a possible Xbox release.

Experience terrifying survival horror with FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, and dive into pulse-pounding action with legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy. Both of their journeys and unique gameplay styles intertwine into a heart-stopping, emotional experience that will chill you to your core. The clock's ticking as we draw closer and closer to the arrival of Resident Evil Requiem. The latest trailer is packed with details about key characters, the mysterious threats that stand in their way, and new gameplay footage.

The story begins with a string of mysterious deaths throughout the United States with all roads returning to the city of disaster and despair, Raccoon City. As Grace and Leon's paths converge, they must face their pasts and uncover the truth. Watch it if you dare...

Last month, Scythe started to promote two Mugen 6 ASUS TUF ALLIANCE edition models. A handful of social media posts provided an early look at the Japanese PC cooling hardware specialist's slight reworkings of the existing Dual Fan ARGB designs. Throughout mid-to-late January, the staggered release of promotional renders showcased newly co-branded white and black units. Scythe's social media accounts teased the latest Mugen 6 revisions leveraging a few improvements. The powerful proprietary Wonder Tornado 120 mm ARGB fans have been updated with anti-vibration pads, and the main block's aluminium fin-stack sports a different type of coating.

Scythe's Q1 2026 revamp of premium-tier single-tower air coolers has just launched in Taiwan, according to an ITHome news article. Yesterday's report outlines a day one release price tag of NT$1790 (~$57.10 USD). Apart from Scythe's typo-laden online marketing of improved features, the newer SKUs are decorated with familiar military themed TUF Gaming patterns and logos/text. Oddly, there is no actual Scythe branding present on the heatsink or Wonder Tornado fans—we hope that they get a shout-out on the finalized Mugen 6 X ASUS TUF ALLIANCE retail packaging, at least.

Ubisoft recently started a massive overhaul, which would see, among other measures, the company split into five so-called creative houses, each responsible for the funding, creative direction, marketing, and publishing strategies of its own games. While the actual structure and split of each creative house's IPs was previously decided, not much else has been revealed about how the new plan is coming along. Now, however, it has been revealed in recent financial filings that Ubisoft plans to hire external talent to lead some of the creative houses, with the first official hire being Charles Guillemot, the son of Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot. This hire is technically a carryover from before the restructure, but Charles has seemingly been grandfathered in as lead for Creative House 1, which is just Vantage Studios and is in charge of Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six—some of Ubisoft's biggest franchises.

According to the financial report, Ubisoft will start implementing its new operating model in April, which is likely when we will hear more about who is running the other creative houses. Additionally, Ubisoft says it has seen "the return of numerous skilled former Ubisoft employees in our studios over the recent years." Ubisoft's recent actions, specifically the cessation of its work from home policy, budget cuts, and recent executive and management priorities, have not been met favorably by Ubisoft employees, with thousands of Ubisoft workers arranging a strike and calling for the resignation of Yves Guillemot and for management to take responsibility for their part in the company's recent performance, which will apparently result in up to 18% of the company's staff being laid off.

It's good to be back! After releasing Kena: Bridge of Spirits, we took some time to figure out what we wanted to create next. We explored ideas that could capture the heart of what made Kena special while building on everything we'd learned along the way. When we began thinking about returning to her world, we were drawn to the idea of Kena as a more experienced Spirit Guide who could use her skills to help the living, not just those who had passed on.

In Kena: Scars of Kosmora, Kena is older and renowned as a Spirit Guide. In hopes of finding answers to the affliction she has endured all her life, Kena travels to the mysterious island of Kosmora. Home to distinct cultures and regions, Kosmora is full of buried secrets from a tragic past. On Kosmora, Kena is confronted by a powerful spirit that fractures her staff. A spirit guide's staff is their identity - their tool to help and commune with spirits. Kena's staff was also keeping her alive. To survive, Kena must accept Kosmora's forgotten form of Spirit Guiding which uses Alchemy to manipulate the power of the elements.

Last May, insiders alleged that the US Government Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) was eyeing up a handful of Chinese tech companies. At the time, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) was considered for inclusion within an extensive "export blacklist." With the regional exit of more mainstream computer memory manufacturing companies, the likes of CXMT and Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC) are being tracked as the native Chinese industry's leading lights. Earlier today, a revised Pentagon Section 1260H document seemed to no longer feature the aforementioned duo of memory and storage makers. Hours later, industry observers and journalists noticed that the updated list had been removed from public view. A fresh Reuters news article mentions the adding of Alibaba and Baidu to the latest edition of the US administration's trade blacklist. Across the past few years, these gigantic tech players are best known for unprecedented large-scale purchases of AI-crunching hardware, mostly supplied by NVIDIA.

The US Department of War's (DOW) Section 1260H document designates Chinese companies with (alleged) military or communist party connections. Last year's addition of CXMT caused plenty of head scratching—the Hefei, Anhui-based memory chip manufacturer largely specializes in consumer-grade products. Earlier this month, Nikkei Asia divulged inside track information about ASUS, Acer, Dell, and HP's supposed consideration of CXMT DDR5 and DDR4 lines. The apparent lifting of blacklist status could make it easier for Western OEMs to acquire DRAM from CXMT, and NAND from YMTC, although the latter still remains within the US Commerce Department's sights (considered a threat to the region's supply chain). CXMT's recent advancement into mass production of HBM3 will (inevitably) elevate its local profile, but a reported collaboration with Huawei—involving the next-gen Ascend 950 AI accelerator—could attract extra Pentagon scrutiny.

A newly unveiled patent confirms Sony's commitment to making extra-large video games far more manageable in size. The patent, recently added to the World Intellectual Property Organization's database, describes an "asset streaming" technology that relies heavily on internet connectivity, but Sony emphasizes that this is not related to cloud gaming...

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You can only make one first impression. It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, and moments to ruin it. These are things we've grown up hearing, but have we been preparing properly? You won't get another chance at walking up to someone for the first time. You can't ask your boss to disregard the fact that you got upset during a meeting. But here's the good news: you can practice. Social Gym is a platform for setting up scenarios that would be difficult or awkward to navigate in real life and working through them with anonymous, vetted people who provide feedback. Learn how to communicate the way you wish you could.

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Gramtra is a free Instagram downloader that lets you save Reels, Stories, and Posts in original HD quality. Simply paste any Instagram URL and download instantly—no login required and no watermarks added.

What sets Gramtra apart is its bulk download feature for carousel posts. Instead of saving each photo or video one by one, you can download all media from a single post with one click. The tool works on any device and generates shareable download links for easy sharing.

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Micron has commenced mass production of its 9650 SSD, the world's first PCIe Gen6 storage solution with up to 28 GB/s transfer rates. Micron 9650 - The World's First PCIe Gen6 SSD With 28 GB/s Read Speeds With Both Air & Liquid-Cooled Models Two years ago, Micron announced the development of its first PCIe Gen6 SSDs. These SSDs were rated at 26 GB/s at the time, but today marks the first official announcement of an actual Gen6-based product that is under production, the Micron 9650. With 9650 SSDs, Micron is promising a 2x speedup in Sequential Read and 40% speedup […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/micron-begins-mass-producing-worlds-first-pcie-gen6-ssd-9650-28-gbps-read-speeds/

Cerebras' AI chips have seen their first mainstream adoption by none other than OpenAI, as the AI lab reveals that their latest Codex model has another compute provider alongside NVIDIA. OpenAI Has Managed to Achieve a Shocking 1,000 TPS Output, With Cerebras' Blazing-Fast Bandwidth Well, there has been an NVIDIA-OpenAI saga on the financing front, but it appears that, in the race for compute, OpenAI has taken an interesting route through its earlier partnership with Cerebras. In the company's recent Codex release, it is disclosed that the GPT‑5.3‑Codex‑Spark is powered by Cerebras' AI chips and, more specifically, that the benefit […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/openais-latest-codex-model-runs-on-cerebras-infrastructure-hinting-at-a-serious-second-option-for-ai-inference-beyond-nvidia/

Leaked earlier in the week by Dealabs and confirmed at yesterday's State of Play, the latest web-swinging adventure from Insomniac Games, 2023's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is the headlining title for the February 2026 batch of PS Plus Extra games entering the Game Catalog. It enters the library of games that players have access to through their subscription, alongside eight other games, including several of the more notable indie releases from the last few years. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 wasn't the only game that was leaked ahead of this batch's official confirmation. Neva and Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown were also part […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/marvels-spider-man-2-headlines-february-2026-ps-plus-extra-games-supported-by-a-few-strong-indies/

Save on Lenovo this Presidents' Day weekend.

Lenovo’s Legion Go S undercuts its original price with a limited-time deal, making it an appealing option for gamers who want better performance without Windows overhead.

Check out Gemini features that help students learn complex subjects, study for exams and prepare for their careers.

Cloudflare yesterday announced its new Markdown for Agents feature, which serves machine-friendly versions of web content alongside traditional human-facing pages.

• Cloudflare described the update as a response to the rise of AI crawlers and agentic browsing.
• When a client requests text/markdown, Cloudflare fetches the HTML from the origin server, converts it at the edge, and returns a Markdown version.
• The response also includes a token estimate header intended to help developers manage context windows.
• Early reactions focused on the efficiency gains, as well as the broader implications of serving alternate representations of web content.

What’s happening. Cloudflare, which powers roughly 20% of the web, said Markdown for Agents uses standard HTTP content negotiation. If a client sends an Accept: text/markdown header, Cloudflare converts the HTML response on the fly and returns Markdown. The response includes Vary: accept, so caches store separate variants.

• Cloudflare positioned the opt-in feature as part of a shift in how content is discovered and consumed, with AI crawlers and agents benefiting from structured, lower-overhead text.
• Markdown can cut token usage by up to 80% compared to HTML, Cloudflare said.

Security concern. SEO consultant David McSweeney said Cloudflare’s Markdown for Agents feature could make AI cloaking trivial because the Accept: text/markdown header is forwarded to origin servers, effectively signaling that the request is from an AI agent.

• A standard request returns normal content, while a Markdown request can trigger a different HTML response that Cloudflare then converts and delivers to the AI, McSweeney showed on LinkedIn.
• The concern: sites could inject hidden instructions, altered product data, or other machine-only content, creating a “shadow web” for bots unless the header is stripped before reaching the origin.

Google and Bing’s markdown smackdown. Recent comments from Google and Microsoft representatives discourage publishers from creating separate markdown pages for large language models. Google’s John Mueller said:

• “In my POV, LLMs have trained on – read & parsed – normal web pages since the beginning, it seems a given that they have no problems dealing with HTML. Why would they want to see a page that no user sees? And, if they check for equivalence, why not use HTML?”

And Microsoft’s Fabrice Canel said:

• “Really want to double crawl load? We’ll crawl anyway to check similarity. Non-user versions (crawlable AJAX and like) are often neglected, broken. Humans eyes help fixing people and bot-viewed content. We like Schema in pages. AI makes us great at understanding web pages. Less is more in SEO !”

• Cloudflare’s feature doesn’t create a second URL. However, it generates different representations based on request headers.

The case against markdown. Technical SEO consultant Jono Alderson said that once a machine-specific representation exists, platforms must decide whether to trust it, verify it against the human-facing version, or ignore it:

• “When you flatten a page into markdown, you don’t just remove clutter. You remove judgment, and you remove context.”
• “The moment you publish a machine-only representation of a page, you’ve created a second candidate version of reality. It doesn’t matter if you promise it’s generated from the same source or swear that it’s ‘the same content’. From the outside, a system now sees two representations and has to decide which one actually reflects the page.”

Dig deeper. Why LLM-only pages aren’t the answer to AI search

Why we care. Cloudflare’s move could make AI ingestion cheaper and cleaner. But could it be considered cloaking if you’re serving different content to humans and crawlers? To be continued…

Google Ads is rolling out a feature that lets advertisers calculate conversion value for new customers based on a target return on ad spend (ROAS), automatically generating a suggested value instead of relying on manual estimates.

The update is designed for campaigns using new customer acquisition goals, where advertisers want to bid more aggressively to attract first-time buyers.

How it works. Advertisers enter their desired ROAS target for new customers, and Google Ads proposes a conversion value aligned with that goal. The system removes some of the guesswork involved in estimating how much a new customer should be worth in bidding models.

The feature doesn’t yet adjust dynamically at the auction, campaign, or product level. Advertisers still apply the value at a broader setting rather than letting the system vary bids based on context.

Why we care. Assigning the right value to a new customer is a weak spot in performance bidding. Many advertisers manually set a flat value that doesn’t always reflect profitability or long-term goals.

By tying suggested conversion values to a target ROAS, advertisers can now optimise towards a more strategy-driven bidding, potentially improving how acquisition campaigns balance growth and efficiency.

What advertisers are saying. Early reactions suggest the feature is a meaningful improvement over static manual inputs. Founder of Savvy Revenue, Andrew Lolk argues the next step would be auction-level intelligence that adjusts values depending on campaign or product performance.

What to watch. If Google expands the feature to support more granular adjustments, it could further reshape how advertisers structure acquisition strategies and value lifetime customer growth.

For now, the tool offers a more structured way to calculate new customer value.

First seen. This update was first spotted by Founder and Digital Marketer Andrew Lolk who showed the new setting on LinkedIn.

A previously undocumented threat actor has been attributed to attacks targeting Ukrainian organizations with malware known as CANFAIL. Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) described the hacking group as possibly affiliated with Russian intelligence services. The threat actor is assessed to have targeted defense, military, government, and energy organizations within the Ukrainian regional and

Several state-sponsored actors, hacktivist entities, and criminal groups from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia have trained their sights on the defense industrial base (DIB) sector, according to findings from Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG). The tech giant's threat intelligence division said the adversarial targeting of the sector is centered around four key themes: striking defense

Buy the 1TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD and get $70 Norton 360 Standard subscription for free this President's Day.

We've not had a horror series on Netflix for a good while, but the streamer is about to change that with the terrifying Something Very Bad is Going to Happen.

Nvidia GeForce Now has come to Amazon Fire TV Sticks, following its arrival on Linux.

The 2026 Lowe's Presidents' Day sale is finally live, and I'm sharing the top deals, plus everything that I'm buying for my backyard and home to prepare for spring.

Criminals are pushing surveillance tools into the Google Chrome Web Store - so be on your guard.

IO Interactive has released a new story trailer for 007 First Light, offering a deeper look at the Hitman studio's re-imagining of James Bond's origin story.

I tested the JBL Charge 6 against the Marshall Middleton II, and this is the Bluetooth speaker I’d recommend overall.

How to watch Hull vs Chelsea in the 4th round of the FA Cup for free as Liam Rosenior faces his former side.

TechRadar breaks down the ending of Crime 101 with some help from writer-director Bart Layton.

The V-Copter Falcon Mini is a unique and innovative bi-copter drone — but while fight is a lot of fun, the camera is far from the best I’ve seen.

The model is known for its overly sycophantic nature and its role in several lawsuits involving users' unhealthy relationships with the chatbot.

The financial regulator revealed in a response to a TechCrunch records request that the probe was closed in September 2025.

India turns to Alibaba.com's B2B network of 50 million buyers in 200 countries to help businesses scale global exports.

The numbers suggest that Anthropic's Super Bowl commercials, combined with Anthropic's recent release of its new Opus 4.6 model, worked to drive attention to Claude's app and its key differentiator from ChatGPT.

Kingdom Come Deliverance receives next-generation console updates alongside a fresh PC patch Warhorse Studios has officially released its next-gen update for Kingdom Come: Deliverance. This update adds native Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 support, upgrading the game to 60 FPS with improved graphics. Visually, PS5/Xbox Series X/S players can expect “ultra-quality settings” and “improved […]

The post Warhorse Studios releases Kingdom Come: Deliverance next-gen and PC updates appeared first on OC3D.

Coding doesn't have to be boring; you can spice it up a little bit and work work like a Peon! Add PeonPing to your AI coding app, and you'll never be held back by a silent terminal again.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, the latest game in the Castlevania series was revealed as a 2026 game release currently in development as a collaborative project between Konami, Evil Empire, and Motion Twin—the latter two being behind The Rogue Prince of Persia and Dead Cells, respectively. Belmont's Curse is a 2D action-adventure game that follows Trevor Belmont's successor through 1499 Paris as she wields the classic holy whip for both combat and traversal through the looming castle and eerie Parisian streets. Based on the Steam Store page, Belmont's Curse will feature fast-paced combat, a variety of weapons and abilities to wield and develop, challenging environmental puzzles, and plenty of enemies to keep things fresh.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse will see the return of a number of classic Castlevania tropes and mechanics, like secret chambers, buried items, and challenging boss battles, but the game also switches things up with colorful twist on the series's gothic art style, seemingly blending some of the Dead Cells aesthetic with that of the famous vampire-killing franchise. Belmont's Curse doesn't have a fixed release date just yet, but it is slated to launch in 2026 for PC via Steam, the PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Series consoles via the Microsoft Store.

Coordinate or collapse in this new 1-4 player co-op shooter from Crowbar Collective and Team17! Join forces with your friends and fight through intense missions with evolving objectives and map layouts! Squad up and play Rogue Point, now with our 15% OFF Launch Discount running for two weeks!

What is Rogue Point?
From the creators of Black Mesa: Definitive Edition, Rogue Point is a 1-4 player co-operative first-person shooter where teamwork is everything! Fight through a dynamic campaign and master 20+ weapons and 40+ tactical items and attachments. Plan, adapt, and overcome. Your squad's survival depends on it.

Corsair published a low-key blog entry earlier this month (February 2), that described their recent updating of DRAM packaging that is "security and transparency"-focused. As depicted in a lone preview shot, the new container is plastic, but Corsair insists that this change—that ditches signature yellow cardboard boxes—will still retain "environmental responsibility." Interestingly, this move was implemented at the start of the year, so recent customers could be the first to receive revised retail packaging. The company's recycled plastic clamshell-style container, reminiscent of Kingston's present-day efforts, is adorned with a yellow sleeve. A familiar set of minimal text and branding is visible, but Corsair has not included product renders on the new design, at least not printed on front/top sections. The new design offers Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection. So far, the North American gaming hardware/accessory firm has implemented a shift from cardboard to plastic for the VENGEANCE DDR5 (non-RGB, RGB and RGB RS) product range, specifically in two module configurations.

The official blog states that the new packaging design: "allows customers to see the actual memory modules before opening the package. Making it easier to confirm the exact product and helping ensure genuine CORSAIR DRAM is being returned when applicable...To further improve protection, the packaging includes a tamper-evident belly label that tears when opened, making any attempt to reseal the package immediately visible. With the current value of DRAM kits, this added layer of security helps protect customers and retailers from return fraud involving non-genuine modules, or Light Enhancement Kits being passed off as real RAM." Additionally, Corsair's still-in-rotation paper box format is due to receive a small update—the company intends to reintroduce a security label system that aims to provide a higher level of protection. Given the current street value of four module kits, this is a wise decision.

In a rather unfortunate throwback to the early days of the Hall effect gaming keyboard boom, it seems as though the new Haptic Inductive Trigger System in the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike gaming mouse is resulting in players getting permanently banned from Apex Legends for cheating. This is according to a new post on X by Iaroslav Mamalat, who shared a screenshot of an Apex Legends ban report that claims the player used gameplay enhancements.

An email received by the same player reads: "We observed: Gameplay enhancement. This means using unauthorized methods to enhance in-game performance by removing gameplay constraints or improving in-game abilities (e.g. weapon, movement, or item enhancements)." This potentially refers to the use of rapid trigger technology in the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, but there are other reports in the replies to the X post that suggest it may simply have been a false ban, since similar has happened to other players who weren't using the new Logitech gaming mouse. Curiously, EA doesn't actually ordinarily ban rapid trigger keyboards in Apex Legends, but it isn't uncommon for game studios to ban SOCD, especially in competitive FPS games. Some theories online suggest that EA's anti-cheat may be using timing as a way to detect macro inputs, and that rapid trigger on the Superstrike may be resulting in click spamming that exceeds that timing threshold, resulting in a ban.

Micron announced its 9650 NVMe SSD has entered mass production, making it the first PCIe Gen 6 data center drive to reach this milestone. The series was first unveiled in July 2025, and it features Micron G9 TLC NAND, including Micron designed SSD controller ASIC, DRAM, and Micron produced and validated firmware. The Micron 9650 delivers up to 28 GB/s in sequential reads, double that of PCIe Gen 5 drives. The drive's sequential write speed reaches 14 GB/s, while its random read performance hits 5.5 million IOPS and its random write achieves 900,000 IOPS. These numbers show 100%, 40%, 67%, and 22% gains over Gen 5. At a 25-watt power state, the drive offers double the performance of PCIe Gen 5 options. It has a sequential read efficiency of 1,120 MB/s per watt (2× better than Gen 5), and its sequential write efficiency is 560 MB/s per watt (1.4 times better). The random read efficiency stands at 220 KIOPS per watt (1.7 times higher) and random write at 36 KIOPS per watt (1.2 times improved).

The Micron 9650 supports both air-cooled and liquid-cooled configurations to handle higher performance densities in modern data centers. Micron conducted 18 months of interoperability testing across the PCIe Gen 6 ecosystem, including validation with high-port switches, retimers, and demonstrations at industry events. The drive is now being qualified by OEM and AI data center customers for deployment in AI training and inference workloads, particularly those requiring high-throughput data access for large language models and retrieval-augmented generation pipelines. The Micron 9650 is available in E1.S and E3.S form factors with E1.S available for liquid cooling.

"The REANIMAL experience is a clear reflection of who Tarsier is—a group of individuals with a shared sensibility that feel privileged to have been able to work together on a game like this," said Oliver Merlöv, Managing Director, Tarsier Studios. "We believe the more personal the art, the more attention poured into every detail, the more worthy a game is of player's time. We can't wait for them to play REANIMAL!" And since many of you have asked about friend's pass we will let you know as soon as possible!

The game has already received a strong and positive critical reception worldwide, earning generally favorable reviews across all platforms on Metacritic. Additionally, fans can check out the IGN REANIMAL store for some cool official REANIMAL merchandise! Check out the IGN REANIMAL store here.

Back in January, Congatec briefly outlined a "launch of five new modules featuring the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3" processor series. Over a month later, their "Panther Lake-H"-powered range has appeared online in COM-HPC and COM Express module forms. An introductory YouTube video, with a publication date of January 5, advertises a significant new generation leap for embedded computing and accelerated edge AI workloads. The best of these modules can deliver up to 180 TOPS of AI performance, presumably enabled by Team Blue's flagship Core Ultra X9 388H APU. The credit card-sized (55 x 84 mm/COM Express Type 10) MC1000 model can be configured with a maximum of 32 GB LPDDR5X (up to) 8533 MT/s "soldered down" system memory. A soldered LPDDR5X arrangement is detailed in the HPC/mPTL's spec sheet, up to 96 GB/8533 MT/s, on a SWaP-C optimized framework (95 x 70 mm/COM-HPC mini).

The ruggedized TC1000 and TC1000r models share the same overall dimensions (95 x 95 mm), that conforms to Congatec's COM Express compact format. The TC1000 board design sports dual SODIMM sockets, that can accept up to 64 GB DDR5/7200 MT/s memory modules, with total system capacity reaching 128 GB. The TC1000r's dram spec is described as: "96 GB LPCAMM2 memory based on LPDDR5x with up to 8533 MT/s" transfer rates. The largest "Panther Lake"-based option—HPC/cPTL (95 x 120 mm/COM-HPC Client Size A)—features an LPCAMM2 socket that accepts up to 96 GB of LPDDR5X memory, with max. transfer rates of 7466 MT/s. At the time of writing, Congatec's PR department has not issued a comprehensive PR piece. In the meantime, curious customers can peruse the manufacturer's detailed product pages, select various memory configs, and request quotes.

Valve has been on a roll, delivering handy UI changes and tweaks to the Steam experience in the name of a more cohesive user experience. The latest in the series of updates comes by way of a Steam client beta update that allows users to include their system specs when leaving a review. PC specs are already commonly mentioned in reviews where performance or optimization are a chief complaint, but the new Steam UI change would offer a standardized approach to leaving those specifications. Theoretically, it could also allow other Steam users with similar hardware to offer optimization tips in response to reviews with performance complaints, and it may help developers who don't collect user system information to optimize their games when performance problems become obvious.

In addition to the PC specs, the February 12 Steam Beta client update also includes the option to allow Steam to collect anonymized framerate data "without connection to your Steam account," but with hardware information included. Valve says it will use this data to "learn about compatibility and improve Steam," but the feature is still in beta and will focus on devices running SteamOS for the time being. This data could conceivably be used in the development of Proton and to optimize games and hardware for the upcoming Steam Machine and existing Steam Deck machines. Valve will also now allow Steam Deck users to optionally submit a reason for why they disagree with a Deck Verified rating when submitting such feedback.

Graphene is a two-dimensional lattice of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern, renowned for its exceptional electrical conductivity, thermal transport, and mechanical strength. Turbostratic graphene is a stacked variant in which the layers are rotated and misaligned, weakening interlayer coupling and making the material easier to process at scale.

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The journey takes Aurora's autonomous trucks roughly 15 hours, or about half the time a human operator could legally drive under federal hours-of-service rules. Existing regulations limit truck drivers to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window, require a 30-minute break after eight hours, and mandate a 10-hour rest...

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SEGA has just released its third-quarter financials for its current fiscal year, and while some of its numbers don't look as strong as the company may have hoped, like having to incur $200 million impairment by devaluing Rovio, the Angry Birds maker that it acquired back in 2023, its future outlook has a lot for players to look forward to. In the segment of its presentation regarding its initiatives for the next fiscal year, SEGA lists that it plans "to release four major new titles for mainstay IPs." The next fiscal year will take us all the way to March […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/sega-says-it-plans-to-have-four-major-new-titles-for-mainstay-ips-out-by-march-2027/

Although a little rough around the edges, the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance managed to carve out its niche with one of the most immersive medieval open-world role-playing games ever, making it easy for many fans of the genre to look past its technical shortcomings, especially on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. From today, however, even console players will be able to enjoy the first entry in the series by Warhorse Studios at its best, thanks to the previously rumored Next-Gen Update, now out on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Announced during today's Warhorse Studios Anniversary Celebration Stream, the Next-Gen […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/kingdom-come-deliverance-next-gen-update-60-fps-playstation-5-xbox-series-x/

The battery sizes in the latest iPhones are slowly increasing in capacity, with the eSIM version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max getting treated to the biggest cell at 5,088mAh. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to cross this ceiling, and for the longest time, it was assumed that Apple ran into space problems, preventing it from adding bigger batteries. However, that myth has been debunked thanks to the latest video, which shows an iPhone 11 Pro, which is almost seven years old, getting treated to a massive 12,000mAh battery swap. To remind you, the dated flagship shipped with a […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/iphone-11-pro-gets-12000mah-battery-swap-mod/

[Update - February 13 - 10:54 AM] The long-rumored 2.5.D entry in the God of War series, God of War Sons of Sparta, has been officially announced during a State of Play presentation. However, it is not a multiplatform release. If there are still multiplatform plans, they will be rolled out in the future. Original story follows. [Original Story] The God of War series is one of the tentpole PlayStation franchises, and one that represents the brand's identity best. Moving from the character-action experiences of the first three entries in the series, the franchise starring Kratos has evolved into a […]

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

Among the many games announced during yesterday's PlayStation State of Play presentation were also plenty of remasters that will soon give players the opportunity to enjoy now classic games on modern consoles and PC. Although teased in the past few months, the announcement of the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2 was a welcome surprise, as are the undemanding PC system requirements revealed today. Revealed on the game's Steam Store page that went live shortly after Sony's presentation, the minimum and recommended requirements suggest that all players with a relatively modern CPU system should have no trouble enjoying the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/metal-gear-solid-master-collection-vol-2-pc-system-requirements/

Japan’s state-backed foundry Rapidus plans to begin production of 2nm-class semiconductors in the second half of its fiscal year 2027, with full-scale production expected in 2028.

PowerColor's Reaper AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB is currently selling at its $299 MSRP, a rare sight during these difficult times.

Wi-Fi 7 has been a mess of unfulfilled promises and fragmentation, and Wi-Fi 8 doesn’t seem like it will bring any further clarity

Check out all of the photos captured on the latest Pixel series phones in Taiwan for Lunar New Year.

A previously unknown threat actor tracked as UAT-9921 has been observed leveraging a new modular framework called VoidLink in its campaigns targeting the technology and financial services sectors, according to findings from Cisco Talos. "This threat actor seems to have been active since 2019, although they have not necessarily used VoidLink over the duration of their activity," researchers Nick

Best Buy is making life easier for me on my gaming laptop hunt, and one I've been eyeing for a while is at its lowest price.

All the ways to watch Wrexham vs Ipswich in the FA Cup 4rd Round at the Racecourse Ground on Friday night.

We're embarking on a whole new era for Formula One – and not just on track. Here's how to watch F1 on Apple TV in 2026.

Thanks to the RAM crisis, buying a new monitor is now one of the most affordable PC upgrades you can make – as these great deals prove.

Samsung has explained the clever QD-OLED Penta Tandem technology that means its 2026 OLEDs will be much brighter and last longer

Russia has completely blocked access to Telegram, WhatsApp, and YouTube. Citizens keep looking for ways around, but VPNs are also being targeted.

These are the Xbox controllers that I can personally recommend after my hands-on testing.

The God of War trilogy remake is coming, and jumping into the Sons of Sparta 2D action game to see Kratos' real beginning brings a new perspective to the series.

GoDaddy's Agent Name Service and the ANS Registry and the world's first agentic AI trust layer.

A new 'next gen' update for Kingdom Come: Deliverance has been released, adding new feature for modern consoles.

Remedy Entertainment has released the first full gameplay trailer for Control Resonant, showcasing a "paranatural" warped Manhattan, new abilities, and zones to explore.

The best romance dramas aren't releasing this Valentine's Day — my most-anticipated BBC iPlayer show of the year just got its first look, and it's outright disturbing.

Nintendo built a new, free Hello Mario app; we got a chance to try it and now can't wait to try it again.

The Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro smartwatch can now measure your blood sugar levels in a non-invasive way thanks to a new update.

Roku delivered an impressive Q4, posting net income of $80.5 million. The company also outlined plans for streaming bundles.

"Our matches convert to actual dates at about 10x the rate of Tinder," Weng told TechCrunch.

The Dutch phone giant Odido is the latest phone and internet company to be hacked in recent months, as governments and financially motivated hackers continue to steal highly confidential information about phone customers.

This news comes less than a week after Ring's Super Bowl commercial stoked controversy over the company's capacity for mass surveillance.

Steam beta allows gamers to add their hardware specifications to game reviews Valve has released a new Steam Client Beta that allows PC gamers to add their hardware specifications to game reviews. This update should increase the usefulness of user reviews, as gamers will be able to see whether reviewers use systems similar to theirs. […]

The post Steam allows gamers to add PC hardware specs to game reviews appeared first on OC3D.

Check out the latest Windows 11 Insider builds in 2026, including System Monitor, AI Narrator, camera updates, and WebP desktop backgrounds.

Laptop and Mini-PC maker Framework is sharing another update with the community about the company's cost base for acquiring DRAM, such as DDR5 memory. In its latest February update, the company notes that the cost for DDR5 memory in its systems is now priced at $12-16 per GB of capacity, depending on the kit size and total capacity. This means that for a 16 GB kit, customers are expected to pay anywhere between $192-256, and as much as about $400 for 32 GB of DDR5 memory in its Laptop 12/13/16 models. According to the company blog post, this represents an average price that Framework is charging depending on the kit, as there is different pricing for a single higher-capacity sticks or dual lower-capacity DIMMs going into the system.

In late December 2025, we reported that Framework's pricing was $10 per GB for 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB modules, and a bit higher for dual rank non-binary 48 GB modules. However, just two months later, the situation is now much worse, as we are seeing Framework's suppliers increasing memory costs anywhere from 20-60%, depending on the configuration.

Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality games, announced today the official launch schedule for its new open world RPG The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin. Players on PlayStation 5 and Steam will be granted to play earlier beginning March 16, 2026. The game's grand launch follows on March 23, expanding to mobile so more players can experience The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin across platforms.

This staged rollout reflects a platform-first approach designed to support stable service and an optimized play experience. Based on Closed Beta Test feedback, the game is applying upgrades to controls, combat pacing, and overall UI/UX, with a more polished version set to roll out across all platforms at the March 23 grand launch.

Euro-Q-Exa, the first EuroHPC Joint Undertaking quantum computer deployed in Germany, has been unveiled at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) in Garching, Munich. The deployment marks a significant step in Europe's effort to build long-term quantum capability as part of its sovereign digital infrastructure, alongside world-leading high-performance computing (HPC).

Installed, hosted, and operated at LRZ, Euro-Q-Exa is designed not merely to provide access to quantum computing, but to enable European researchers to build, operate, and scale quantum capabilities locally. By embedding the system within an established HPC environment, the system supports the development of hands-on expertise, operational know-how, and sustainable research capacity within Europe.

Prepare to unravel the mysteries of the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV: Marathon is hosting a Server Slam where players worldwide can jump into Marathon and earn rewards for launch. The Bungie team has shared more details about the upcoming open preview weekend, which will run from February 26 to March 2 on PlayStation 5 and other platforms. The weekend will feature an introduction to Marathon's gameplay, with additional maps, factions, contracts, and more to come at launch and during Season 1.

Marathon is the upcoming survival extraction FPS from Bungie, the studio behind Halo and Destiny. In Marathon, you'll scavenge the lost colony of Tau Ceti as a bio-cybernetic Runner. Play with your crew, as a solo Runner, or form uneasy alliances with proximity chat as you take on hostile security forces, rival Runners, and unpredictable environments. Complete contracts, craft new builds, and take on greater challenges—culminating with the derelict Marathon ship in orbit.

Online detectives continue to sift through various Team Blue repositories, in search of any hint of new "Big Battlemage" GPU developments. Late last month, the somewhat mysterious Arc Pro "B70 and B65" workstation cards were rumored as supplanting the "BMG-G31"-based Arc B770 16 GB consumer-grade/gaming model. Mid-way through this week (February 11), Intel released its "Graphics Driver 32.0.101.8314 WHQL (Q4.25) for Intel Arc Pro Series Graphics" generic driver. VideoCardz has pored over the latest update information, and found no utterances next-gen hardware; most notably the "B70." A compatibility list only reaches the upper levels of familiar Arc Pro B60 24 GB and Pro B50 16 GB desktop GPUs—both utilizing the "BMG-G21" GPU die.

The "leaked" Intel Arc Pro "B70 32 GB" model could arrive at retail within the first quarter of this year, so web detectives are anticipating an increase of pre-launch activities in February and March. Members of the Intel Arc subreddit were not discouraged by VideoCardz's slightly disappointing investigation of patch notes—one member, WizardlyBump17, suggested that interested parties check out "the binary for mentions of G31." They themselves had found an official yet accidental "B70 commit" within Team Blue's ai-containers 0.14.1 changelog. Days later, this promising "validation" information was scrubbed and replaced with a cleaned up description. Additionally, WizardlyBump17 observed the non-professional "B770" model being wiped from an official GitHub commit—appropriately, yesterday's modification was titled "Cleanup Unwanted BMG Codenames."

Crystal Dynamics is excited to reveal two new video game titles in the Legacy of Kain franchise! Debuted today at Sony's State of Play, Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered modernizes the iconic 2003 action-adventure game with new graphic upgrades, modernized controls, and extensive bonus content. Published by Crystal Dynamics and developed by Crystal Dynamics and PlayEveryWare, this definitive edition of the classic adventure launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on March 3, 2026, and is available to pre-order today. Customers who pre-order will receive Kain and Raziel character skins inspired by the "Shifter" game concept, the inspiration for the entire Soul Reaver saga. (If you know, you know).

Also announced today is Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, a fast-paced 2D action platformer published by Crystal Dynamics and developed by Bit Bot Media in association with FreakZone Games (A Bit Bot Company) that introduces a brand-new gameplay style to the franchise, and features original voice actors reprising their iconic roles: Simon Templeman as Kain, Michael Bell as Raziel, Anna Gunn as Ariel and Richard Doyle as Moebius, plus a soundtrack from hit recording artist Klayton (Celldweller), releasing for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on March 31, 2026.

Meet the all-new YUNZII B98 PRO, our latest 1800-style (96%) mechanical keyboard designed to elevate every desk setup. With a wide range of colorways to match different aesthetics, seamless tri-mode connectivity for ultimate convenience, and an irresistibly cute silicone cat knob that melts hearts at first glance—this keyboard is more than just a tool, it's a personality piece. The matching cat-themed LED logo adds a playful touch, while full QMK/VIA support unlocks deep customization possibilities. From productivity to gaming, from minimal office setups to cozy pastel battlestations—the B98 PRO is built to impress at every glance and every click.

Tri-Mode Connectivity & Powerful Battery
The B98 PRO supports Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4 GHz wireless, and USB-C wired connections, allowing seamless switching across up to 5 devices and multiple systems including Windows, Mac, and Android.

The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) and the Illinois Economic Development Corporation announced that Quantum Machines will establish a flagship hub at the Park. Quantum Machines, the leading provider of hybrid control solutions, will operate a state-of-the-art lab at the IQMP, for research and development on a hardware-control co-design approach to align quantum processors, classical infrastructure, and control software. While the Park is under development, Quantum Machines will be situated at the IQMP's On-Ramp facilities in Chicago. On-Ramp is supported by grant funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Illinois is building the future of quantum technology, and Quantum Machines' decision to establish a presence at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park is further proof that our state is the premier destination for next-generation innovation," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Quantum Machines is a global leader in quantum control technology, providing the critical systems that enable quantum computers to operate at scale. They will join a growing roster of companies that will be housed at the IQMP and strengthen Illinois' position as a global leader in this cutting-edge industry."

Lenovo seems to be returning to new-gen ThinkPad Detachable pastures this year, according to a major leak. Windows Latest has managed to acquire a set of promotional renders of the speculative "ThinkPad X13 Detachable Gen 1" model, finished in "Eclipse Black." As implied by the "X13" designation, early conjecture points to a 13-inch display surrounded by thinner bezels—clearly a size/design upgrade over Lenovo's second-gen ThinkPad X12 Detachable SKU. The latter has been surpassed—technologically—by various rival device ranges; namely Microsoft's Surface Pro 11 and 12 lines, in x86 and Arm flavors. When analyzing the watermarked ThinkPad X13 Detachable Gen 1 image set, web sleuths have focused on the presence of USB-C ports labelled with lighting bolt symbols. Thunderbolt 4 capabilities would imply that the unreleased device has some sort of modern Intel APU onboard.

Windows Latest's exclusive report envisions Lenovo's selection of a Core Ultra 3 "Panther Lake-H" mobile processor. Upon launch back in 2024, the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2's Core Ultra 100U "Meteor Lake" series processors were considered to be underpowered, even with the Core Ultra 7 164U (with vPro)-powered option. It is anticipated that the slightly larger successor will be introduced at next month's Mobile World Congress event, in Barcelona (MWC 2026, March 2 to 5). ThinkPad enthusiasts will be pleased to see the brand's familiar keyboard layout, a TrackPoint nub, physical right and left click buttons, and a circular fingerprint reader. So far, Lenovo's ThinkPad Detachable products have not sacrificed these major fan favorite features; normally reserved for traditional professional laptop/notebook designs.

Lightning is MSI's highest-end GPU series, with the Z suffix indicating the top-tier variant of the lineup, aimed at extreme overclockers and enthusiasts.

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There's a new game bundle on Steam that lets you pick up what are arguably two of the best RPGs in the last few years on one discount. Developers Sandfall Interactive and ATLUS have joined together to form a bundle including both Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Metaphor: ReFantazio. Both games are currently on sale separately, but you can grab them together in a bundle for 10% off their combined price, and it's a bundle that both sides are proud to be a part of. Metaphor: ReFantazio creative director and writer Katsura Hashino said that he was "very pleased" to […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/metaphorrefantazio-director-says-clair-obscur-expedition-33-is-truly-inspiring-and-conveys-a-deep-understanding-of-jrpgs/

Marathon is set to arrive on PC and PS5 on March 5, 2026, and just ahead of its arrival, Bungie is looking to stress-test its servers with a Server Slam Test that'll run from February 26 to March 2. The test was announced with a new gameplay trailer at yesterday's State of Play, after which game director Joe Ziegler showed off more of the game by streaming it with popular Twitch streamers TheBurntPeanut and Gingy. The new trailer was another showing of Marathon's narrative elements with a few more snippets of gameplay, before Ziegler began narrating and announcing the server […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/bungie-will-host-a-marathon-server-slam-test-just-ahead-of-launch-next-month/

One of the major barriers to the adoption of China's DRAM and NAND products was the inclusion of CXMT and YMTC in the Pentagon's Section 1260H list, but in a new update, they have now been moved out. YMTC & CXMT Can Now Participate In US DoW Contracts, But Business With OEMs Isn't Entirely Risk-Free [Update]: The Pentagon has withdrawn the document that suggested updates to Section 1260H, and we haven't seen any updates from the Department of War (DoW) on it yet. [Original]: Well, it appears the prospect of manufacturers sourcing Chinese memory and NAND products has become much […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/cxmt-ymtc-removed-from-pentagon-list-opening-door-for-chinese-dram-adoption/

Apple used a specific aluminum alloy within the iPhone 17 Pro Max to ensure the model's beefed-up heat dissipation capacity. However, that alloy is now leading to worrying cases of people's phones being dented even when secured by a case, negating the entire raison d'être for encasing your iPhone 17 Pro Max in the first place. Apple uses a 5080-series aluminum alloy for the iPhone 17 Pro Max and a 6000-series one for the base iPhone 17, leading to very different denting outcomes Erica Griffin recently posted images of her dented Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, clearly showing the frame […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-iphone-17-pro-max-uses-5080-series-aluminum-which-might-dent-even-within-a-case/

The U.S. and Taiwan finally signed a trade deal that saw the island get a lower 15% tariff on its goods compared to the previous 20%. In exchange for this, Taiwanese companies will invest $250 billion in the American tech industry, while Taipei will guarantee an additional $250 in loans, bringing the total invested amount to $500 billion.

Steam revealed in its Client Beta patch notes that it will let users show the specifications of their hardware when leaving reviews. This should help other players considering a title see if the feedback was affected by the reviewer's hardware, although Valve says that this feature remains optional.

Framework said that it's releasing a monthly update to monitor the memory chip situation and also announced that it will try to keep its RAM pricing as close as possible to the weighted average of its costs.

Hackers from Russian, China, India, North Korea, and elsewhere are using Google's Gemini AI to augment their attacks, Google says. From generating phishing lures, to translating text, coding, and vulnerability testing, Gemini is a core component of their hack attempts.

SEO is moving out of the marketing silo into organizational design. Visibility now depends on how information is structured, validated, and aligned across the business.

When information is fragmented or contradictory, visibility becomes unstable. The risk isn’t just ranking volatility – it’s losing control of how your brand is interpreted and cited.

For SEO leaders, the choice is unavoidable: remain a channel optimizer or shape the systems that govern how your organization is understood and cited. That shift isn’t happening in a vacuum. AI systems now interpret, reconcile, and assemble information at scale.

The visibility shift beyond rankings

The future of organic search will be shaped by LLMs alongside traditional algorithms. Optimizing for rankings alone is no longer enough. Brands must optimize for how they are interpreted, cited, and synthesized across AI systems.

Clicks may fluctuate and traffic patterns may shift, but the larger change is this: visibility is becoming an interpretation problem, not just a positioning problem. AI systems assemble answers from structured data, brand narratives, third-party mentions, and product signals. When those inputs conflict, inconsistency becomes the output.

In the AI era, collaboration can’t be informal or personality-driven. LLMs reflect the clarity, consistency, and structure of the information they ingest. When messaging, entity signals, or product data are fragmented, visibility fragments with them.

This is a leadership challenge. Visibility can’t be achieved in a silo. It requires redesigning the systems that govern how information is created, validated, and distributed across the organization. That’s how visibility becomes structural, not situational.

If visibility is structural, it needs a system.

Building the visibility supply chain

Collaboration shouldn’t depend on whether the SEO manager and PR manager get along. It must be built into the content supply chain.

To move from a marketing silo to an operational design, we must treat content like an industrial product that requires specific refinement before it’s released into the ecosystem.

This is where visibility gates come in: a series of nonnegotiable checkpoints that filter brand data for machine consumption.

Implementing visibility gates

Think of your content moving through a high-pressure pipe. At each joint, a gate filters out noise and ensures the output is pure:

• The technical gate (parsing)
  • The filter: Does the new product page template use valid schema.org markup (product, FAQ, review)?
  • The goal: Ensuring the raw material is structured so LLMs can ingest the data without friction.
• The brand signal gate (clustering)
  • The filter: Does the PR copy align with our core entities? Are we using terminology that helps LLMs cluster our brand correctly?
  • The goal: Removing linguistic drift that confuses an LLM’s understanding of who we are.
• The accessibility/readability gate (chunking)
  • The filter: Is the content structured for RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) systems?
  • The goal: Moving away from fluff and towards high-information-density prose that can be easily chunked and retrieved by an AI.
• The authority and de-duplication gate (governance)
  • The filter: Does this asset create “knowledge cannibalization” or internal noise?
  • The goal: Acting as a final sieve to remove conflicting information, ensuring the LLM sees only one single source of truth.
• The localization gate (verification)
  • The filter: Is the entity information consistent across global regions?
  • The goal: Ensuring cross-referenced data points align perfectly to build model trust.

If gates protect what enters the ecosystem, accountability ensures that behavior changes.

Embedding visibility into cross-functional OKRs

But alignment without visibility into results won’t sustain change.

The most sophisticated infrastructure will fail if it relies on the SEO team’s influence alone.

To move beyond polite collaboration, visibility must be codified into the organization’s performance DNA.

We need to shift from SEO-specific goals to shared visibility OKRs.

When a product owner is measured on the machine-readability of a new feature, or a PR lead is incentivised by entity citation growth, SEO requirements suddenly migrate from the bottom of the backlog to the top of the sprint.

What shared OKRs look like in an operational design:

• For product teams: “Achieve 100% schema validation and <100ms time-to-first-byte for all top-tier entity pages.”
• For PR and communications: “Increase ‘brand-as-a-source’ citations in LLM responses by 15% through high-authority, entity-aligned placements.”
• For content teams: “Ensure 90% of new assets meet the ‘high information density’ threshold for RAG retrieval.”

When stakeholders’ KPIs are tied to the brand’s digital footprint, visibility is no longer “the SEO team’s job.” Instead, it becomes a collective business imperative. 

This is where the magic happens: the organizational structure finally aligns with the way modern search engines actually work.

Measuring visibility across the organization

The gates ensure the quality of what we put into the digital ecosystem; the unified visibility dashboard measures what we get out. Breaking down silos starts with transparent data.

If the PR team can see which mentions drive AI citations and source links in AI Overviews, they’re more likely to shift toward high-authority, contextually relevant publications instead of chasing any media outlet.

We need to shift from reporting rankings to reporting entity health and Share of Model (SoM). This dashboard is the organization’s single source of truth, showing that when we pass the visibility gates correctly, our brand authority grows with humans and machines.

Systems and incentives matter, but they don’t operate on their own.

Dig deeper: Why most SEO failures are organizational, not technical

Hiring for AI-era visibility

Having the right infrastructure isn’t enough. We need a specific set of qualities in the workforce to drive this model. To navigate the visibility transformation, we need to move away from hiring generalists and start hiring for the two distinct pillars of an operational search strategy.

In my experience, this requires a strategic duo: the hacker and the convincer.

Feature	The hacker (technical architect)	The convincer (visibility advocate)
Core mission	Ensuring the brand is discoverable by machines.	Ensuring the brand is supported by humans.
Primary domain	RAG architecture, schema, vector databases, and LLM testing.	Cross-departmental OKRs, C-suite buy-in, and PR/brand alignment.
Success metric	Share of model (SoM) and information density.	Resource allocation and budget growth.
The gate focus	Technical, accessibility, and authority gates.	Brand signal and localization gates.

The hacker: The engine room

Deeply technical, driven, and a relentless early adopter. They don’t just “do SEO.” They reverse-engineer how Perplexity attributes trust and how Google’s knowledge vault weighs brand entities. 

They find the “how.” They aren’t just optimizing for a search bar, but are optimizing for agentic discovery, ensuring your brand is the path of least resistance for an LLM’s reasoning engine.

The convincer: The social butterfly of data

This is the visionary who brings people together and talks the language of business results. They act as the social glue, ensuring the hacker’s technical insights are actually implemented by the brand, tech, and PR teams. They translate schema validation into executive visibility, ensuring that the budget flows where it’s needed most.

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How AI visibility reshapes in-house and agency roles

As roles evolve, the brand-agency relationship shifts with them. If you’re an in-house SEO manager today, you’re likely evolving into a chief visibility officer, focusing on the “convincer” role of internal politics and resource allocation.

Historically, agencies were the training ground for talent, and brands hired them for execution. That dynamic may flip. In this new era, brands could become training grounds for junior specialists who need to understand a single entity deeply and manage its internal gates. 

Meanwhile, agencies may evolve into elite strategic partners staffed by seasoned visibility hackers who help brands navigate high-level visibility transformation that in-house teams are often too siloed or time-constrained to see.

Dig deeper: Why governance maturity is a competitive advantage for SEO

Leading the transition in the first 90 days

To prepare your team for the shift to SEO as an operational approach, take these steps:

• Set the vision: Do you want to be part of the change? Define what visibility-first looks like for your business.
• Take stock of talent: Do you have hackers and convincers? Audit your team not just for skills, but for mindset.
• Audit the gaps: Where does communication break down? Find friction points between SEO and PR, or SEO and product, and fix them quickly.
• Shift the KPIs: Move away from rankings and toward channel authority, impressions, sentiment share, and, most importantly, revenue and leads.
• Be radically transparent: Clarity is key. You’ll need new templates, job descriptions, and responsibilities. Data should be shared in real time. There’s no room for siloed thinking.

What the first 90 days should look like:

• Days 1-30 (Audit): Map your brand’s entity footprint. Where does your brand data live, and where is it conflicting?
• Days 31-60 (Infrastructure): Embed visibility gates into your CMS or project management tool, such as Jira or Asana.
• Days 61-90 (Incentives): Tie 10% of the PR and product teams’ bonuses to information integrity or AI citation growth.

The SEO leader as a systems architect

As we move further into the age of AI, the successful SEO leader will no longer be the person who simply moves a page from position four to position one. They’ll be the systems architect who builds the infrastructure that allows a brand to be seen, understood, and recommended by machines and humans alike.

This transition is messy. It requires challenging old thought patterns and communicating transparently and directly to secure buy-in. But by redesigning the structures that create silos, we don’t just “do SEO.” We build a resilient organization that is visible by default, regardless of what the next algorithm or LLM brings.

The future of search isn’t just about keywords. It’s about how your organization’s information flows through the digital ecosystem. It’s time to stop optimizing pages and start optimizing organizations.

Dig deeper: AI governance in SEO: Balancing automation and oversight

For a long time, PPC performance conversations inside agencies have centered on bidding – manual versus automated, Target CPA versus Maximize Conversions, incrementality debates, budget pacing and efficiency thresholds.

But in 2026, that focus is increasingly misplaced. Across Google Ads, Meta Ads, and other major platforms, bidding has largely been solved by automation. 

What’s now holding performance back in most accounts isn’t how bids are set, but the quality, volume, and diversity of creative being fed into those systems. Recent platform updates, particularly Meta’s Andromeda system, make this shift impossible to ignore.

Bidding has been commoditized by automation

Most advertisers today are using broadly similar bidding frameworks.

Google Smart Bidding uses real-time signals across device, location, behavior, and intent that humans can’t practically manage at scale. Meta’s delivery system works in much the same way, optimizing toward predicted outcomes rather than static audience definitions.

In practice, this means most advertisers are now competing with broadly the same optimization engines.

Google has been clear that Smart Bidding evaluates millions of contextual signals per auction to optimize toward conversion outcomes. Meta has likewise stated that its ad system prioritizes predicted action rates and ad quality over manual bid manipulation.

The implication is simple. If most advertisers are using the same optimization engines, bidding is no longer a sustainable competitive advantage. It’s table stakes.

What differentiates performance now is what you give those algorithms to work with – and the most influential input is creative.

Andromeda makes creative a delivery gate

Meta’s Andromeda update is the clearest evidence yet that creative is no longer just a performance lever. It’s now a delivery prerequisite. This matters because it changes what gets shown, not just what performs best once shown.

Meta published a technical deep dive explaining Andromeda, its next-generation ads retrieval and ranking system, which fundamentally changes how ads are selected.

Instead of evaluating every eligible ad equally, Meta now filters and ranks ads earlier in the process using AI models trained heavily on creative signals, improving ad quality by more than 8% while increasing retrieval efficiency.

What this means in practice is critical for marketers. Ads that don’t generate strong engagement signals may never meaningfully enter the auction, regardless of targeting, budget, or bid strategy.

If your creative doesn’t perform, the platform doesn’t just charge you more. It limits your reach altogether.

Dig deeper: Inside Meta’s AI-driven advertising system: How Andromeda and GEM work together

Creative is now the primary optimization input on Meta

Meta has repeatedly stated that creative quality is one of the strongest drivers of auction outcomes.

In its own advertiser guidance, Meta highlights creative as a core factor in delivery efficiency and cost control. Independent analysis has reached the same conclusion.

A widely cited Meta partnered study showed that campaigns using a higher volume of creative variants saw a 34% reduction in cost per acquisition, despite lower impression volume.

The reason is straightforward. More creative gives the system more signals. More signals improve matching. Better matching improves outcomes.

Andromeda accelerates this effect by learning faster and filtering harder. This is why many advertisers are experiencing plateaus even with stable bidding and budgets. Their creative inputs are not keeping pace with the system’s learning requirements.

Google Ads is quietly making the same shift

While Google has not branded its changes as dramatically as Meta, the direction is the same. Performance Max, Demand Gen, Responsive Search Ads, and YouTube Shorts all rely heavily on creative assets to unlock inventory.

Google has explicitly stated that asset quality and diversity influence campaign performance. Accounts with limited creative assets consistently underperform those with strong asset coverage, even when bidding strategies and budgets are otherwise identical.

Google has reinforced this by introducing creative-focused tools such as Asset Studio and Performance Max experiments that allow advertisers to test creative variants directly. As with Meta, the algorithm can only optimize what it is given.

Strong creative expands reach and efficiency. Weak creative constrains both.

Dig deeper: A quiet Google Ads setting could change your creative

The plateau problem agencies keep hitting

Many agencies are seeing the same pattern across accounts. Performance improves after structural fixes or bidding changes. Then it flattens.

Scaling spend leads to diminishing returns. The instinct is often to revisit bids or efficiency targets. But in most cases, the real constraint is creative fatigue.

Audiences have seen the same hooks, visuals, and messages too many times. Engagement drops. Estimated action rates fall. Delivery becomes more expensive.

This isn’t a platform issue. It’s a creative cadence issue. Creative testing is the missing optimization lever in mature accounts.

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The agency bottleneck: Creative production

Most agencies are structurally set up to optimize bids, budgets, and structure faster than they can produce new creative.

Creative takes time. It requires strategy, copy, design, video, approvals, and iteration. Many retainers still treat creative as a one-off or an add-on rather than a core performance input. The result is predictable. Accounts are technically sound but creatively starved.

If your account has had the same core ads running for three months or more, performance is almost certainly being limited by creative volume, not optimization skill.

High-performing accounts today look messy on the surface with dozens of ads, multiple hooks, frequent refreshes, and constant testing. That isn’t inefficiency. That’s how modern PPC works.

Creative testing is a process, not a campaign

One of the biggest mistakes agencies make is treating creative testing as episodic. Launch new ads. Wait four weeks. Review results. Declare winners and losers. That approach is too slow for how fast platforms learn and audiences fatigue.

High-performing teams treat creative like a product roadmap. There’s always something new in development. Always something learning. Always something being retired.

Effective creative testing focuses on one variable at a time: hook, opening line, visual style, offer framing, social proof, or call to action.

It’s not about finding “the best ad.” It’s about building a library of messages the algorithm can deploy to the right people at the right time.

Dig deeper: Your ads are dying: How to spot and stop creative fatigue before it tanks performance

What agencies should do differently

Once you accept that creative is the constraint, the operational implications are unavoidable. If creative is the main constraint, agency processes need to change.

Creative should be planned alongside media, not after it. Retainers should include ongoing creative production, not just optimization time. Testing frameworks should be explicit and documented.

At a minimum, agencies should be asking:

• How often are we refreshing creative by platform?
• Are we testing new hooks or just new designs?
• Do we have enough volume for the algorithm to learn?
• Are we feeding performance insights back into creative strategy?

The best agencies now operate closer to content studios than optimization factories. That’s where the value is.

Creative is the performance lever

Bidding, tracking, and structure still matter. But in 2026, those are table stakes.

If your PPC performance is stuck, the answer is rarely another bidding tweak. It’s almost always better creative. More of it. Faster iteration. Smarter testing.

The platforms have told us this. The data supports it. The accounts prove it.

Creative is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s the performance lever. The agencies that recognize that will be the ones that continue to grow.

Dig deeper: Cross-platform, not copy-paste: Smarter Meta, TikTok, and Pinterest ad creative

Insta360 has officially unveiled its first pocket gimbal camera, and the CEO is making it clear this isn't just a DJI Osmo Pocket rip-off.

WP Engine just updated its legal claim against Automattic, but CEO Matt Mullenweg isn't concerned.

AI-driven false positives drain SOC capacity while attackers exploit noise and outdated security architectures.

Looking for something to stream this Valentine's weekend? TechRadar has got you covered.

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

Looking for Quordle clues? We can help. Plus get the answers to Quordle today and past solutions.

I've searched through the Best Buy Presidents' Day sale and rounded up 50 of the best deals this weekend on TVs, appliances, laptops, and more top-rated tech.

AI Recommendation Poisoning is real and already out there, Microsoft warns.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' second-to-last chapter will air very soon – here's when it'll drop where you live.

We're over halfway through Under Salt Marsh now episode 4 is streaming on Sky TV, and one character is set on 'taking her power back'.

How serious is Microsoft about repairing the damaged reputation of Windows 11? Serious enough to bring back moving the taskbar.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round has been revealed and it's coming out later this year.

Capcom has shared a fourth trailer for Resident Evil Requiem, and it may have confirmed the appearance of a fan favorite character.

Star Wars Galactic Racer looks like the most unhinged game the franchise has ever seen, and I'm thrilled it'll feature one of Episode 1's weirdest little guys.

IBM still uses AI like every other company, but it's planning to hire more junior workers to plug the gaps that AI leaves open.

Cohere surpassed $240 million in annual recurring revenue in 2025, highlighting strong enterprise AI demand as the Canadian startup positions itself for a potential IPO amid intensifying competition from OpenAI and Anthropic.

The feature, internally known as “Name Tag,” would allow smart glasses wearers to identify people and get information about them via Meta's AI assistant.

Two years ago, a controversial dating app was launched and quickly shuttered: for people with good-to-excellent credit. Now, the founder is relaunching it, open to anyone.

Google's Search Relations team discussed whether you still need a website in 2026, and outlined when social, apps, or the web make sense.

The post Google’s Search Relations Team Debates If You Still Need A Website appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

Corsair takes action to combat “return fraud” amid DRAM pricing surge Corsair has confirmed that it is making changes to its memory packaging, replacing the cardboard boxes of its DDR5 Vengeance memory kits to increase security and combat “return fraud”. With DRAM pricing skyrocketing over the past quarter, it has become more profitable for fraudsters […]

The post Corsair combats return fraud with new DDR5 memory packaging appeared first on OC3D.

Lenovo's IdeaCentre Mini x is a compact PC with some impressive specs, including a Snapdragon SoC and 32GB of RAM. We loved it enough to give it a Best Award, and we know you'll love this massive 34% discount available for a limited time.

A developer has successfully ported a playable version of Minecraft to the Sega Saturn. While currently limited in features, the homebrew project allows players to place and destroy blocks.

Microsoft’s lawyers had to consult Happy Days reps, including The Fonz, to secure Weezer’s Buddy Holly video for the Windows 95 CD.

Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ: RMBS), a premier chip and silicon IP provider making data faster and safer, today announced the appointment of Victor Peng to its Board of Directors, effective Thursday, February 12, 2026.

Mr. Peng is an accomplished executive with more than 40 years of leadership experience at top semiconductor companies. Most recently, Mr. Peng served as president of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), leading AMD's embedded and data center GPU businesses, AI software, and the research and advanced development group. Prior to AMD, Mr. Peng served 14 years at Xilinx, holding senior level positions including president and chief executive officer, board member, chief operating officer, executive vice president, and general manager of products. Mr. Peng currently serves on the Boards of KLA Corporation and Microchip Technology Inc.

We are excited to share that a demo of Planet of Lana II is live now! Return to Novo and play as Lana and Mui in this curated preview of their upcoming journey. This demo features atmospheric glimpses across five different points in the game, offering a deep dive into the expanded gameplay and breathtaking world-building, with just a whisper of the story yet to unfold.

Embark on an unforgettable cinematic puzzle journey with Lana and her loyal companion Mui. Whether you're a returning hero or a new adventurer, step into a world where a new, ancient mystery emerges from Novo's hidden depths. But as they scour these depths, a new threat will put their unbreakable bond to the ultimate test, guiding Lana to confront her destiny amidst encroaching shadows. Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a cinematic puzzle adventure framed by an epic sci-fi saga that stretches across centuries and galaxies. You do not need to have played the first Planet of Lana to enjoy the demo, but the original game is available if you would like to discover where their story began.

A Lenovo product manager on Chinese social media held up what is possibly the highest capacity and highest speed LPCAMM2 module. An LPCAMM2 is a SOCAMM2 module that uses LPDDR5 or LPDDR5X DRAM. It is replaceable, unlike traditional LPDDR implementations that see the DRAM chips hardwired to the notebook's mainboard. Pictured here, is a new Samsung LPCAMM2 that offers 96 GB of density with a speed of LPDDR5X-9600. This speed is natively supported by Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" mobile processors, or at least the Core Ultra X7 and X9 brand extensions. It not for the acute DRAM supply crisis, the mid-2020s were expected to see a rise in PC mainstream memory densities.