Tag Archives: author_name|Anna Washenko

Indie game Neverway will launch this October, just in time for spooky season

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Indie game studio Coldblood announced today that its debut project Neverway has been given a release window of October 2026. Billed as "nightmarish life-sim RPG," this is going right to the top of my spooky season game queue. It has a cozy-sounding premise, with protagonist Fiona starting a new life on an island, but things take a surreal turn when she becomes the immortal herald for a dead god. She'll be building relationships and making friends one minute and coping with psychological horrors the next. 

This game has been on our radar since it was introduced at last year's Triple-I Initiative event. The new trailer once more shows off the work of both pixel artist Pedro Medeiros, who also worked on Celeste and Towerfall, and composer Disasterpeace, whose past game credits include Fez and Hyper Light Drifter. The prologue is available to play for free starting today on Steam, and Neverway will launch both on that PC platform as well as on the Nintendo Switch.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/indie-game-neverway-will-launch-this-october-just-in-time-for-spooky-season-170000669.html?src=rss

You’ll have one more chance to buy Samsung’s pricey Galaxy Z TriFold this Friday

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If you missed your chance to pay Samsung $2,900 for a phone earlier this year, we have great news for you. Android Police reported that what may be the final shipment of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold will be arriving in the US on April 10. The unique foldable was discontinued a mere three months after it first went on sale, and it seems like Samsung is clearing out whatever inventory it has left. So if you have a spare $3,000 that you're just desperate to get rid of, bookmark the TriFold's page where Samsung has a countdown ticking away. 

All jokes aside, our hands-on time with the TriFold at CES 2026 revealed a pretty snazzy device that managed to strike a decent balance between size and heft. But perhaps unsurprisingly for a phone with such an intricate design and high price tag, the company didn't appear to have any intention to make the TriFold widely available. Samsung may have sold out each batch of the smartphone that went to retail, but the device didn't offer much in the way of profit, according to reports in South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/youll-have-one-more-chance-to-buy-samsungs-pricey-galaxy-z-trifold-this-friday-225222969.html?src=rss

Elon Musk wants any damages from his OpenAI lawsuit given to the AI company’s nonprofit arm

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Elon Musk is still taking OpenAI to court over its transition to a for-profit company, but today he amended the complaint so that he won't personally get any of the $150 billion in damages he's pushing for. The Wall Street Journal reported that if Musk wins in his upcoming trial, he wants any damages should be awarded to the OpenAI nonprofit branch. He's also seeking OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's removal from the nonprofit's board of directors if his suit succeeds.

Musk launched a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2024, claiming that the business had become a "closed-source de facto subsidiary" of Microsoft when it dropped its nonprofit designation. He claims that, as a co-chair of the OpenAI founding group, the change to a for-profit operation defrauded him as a donor. As a result, he's now claiming that he, or apparently the remaining nonprofit side of OpenAI, deserve a portion of the company's current valuation. 

Considering the reputation Musk, Altman and their various business endeavors have for creating spicy PR situations, it seems likely that the exchanges between the two camps will get more heated as the trial date approaches.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/elon-musk-wants-any-damages-from-his-openai-lawsuit-given-to-the-ai-companys-nonprofit-arm-223337225.html?src=rss

Anthropic launches Project Glasswing, an effort to prevent AI cyberattacks with AI

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We see a lot of doom and gloom about the potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence, particularly centered on how it could create new problems in cybersecurity. Anthropic has announced a new initiative called Project Glasswing to help address those concerns by working "to secure the world’s most critical software" against AI-powered attacks. The endeavor includes Amazon Web Services, Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Google, JPMorganChase, the Linux Foundation, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Palo Alto Networks as partners. 

Participants will use Claude Mythos Preview, an unreleased, general-purpose model from Anthropic, to enhance their own security projects. Anthropic claims that this model has found thousands of exploitable vulnerabilities, "including some in every major operating system and web browser." The company said it wants to begin using its tools defensively to prevent malicious use of AI that could cause severe consequences for economies and security. 

Anthropic has become one of the notable AI companies raising concerns about ethics in the field. Earlier this year, the business refused to remove guardrails on its services for use by the Pentagon, which prompted the Department of Defense to sanction Anthropic with a "supply chain risk" designation in retaliation. Launching Project Glasswing could be a helpful start toward improved cybersecurity in the AI era, but some damage has already been done. Its own Claude was reportedly used by a hacker against multiple government agencies in Mexico in February.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-launches-project-glasswing-an-effort-to-prevent-ai-cyberattacks-with-ai-214939773.html?src=rss

UK Meta employee reportedly downloaded 30,000 private photos from Facebook users

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A former Meta employee in the UK is under investigation after allegations that he illicitly downloaded about 30,000 private photos from Facebook. According to The Guardian, the accused developed a software program to evade Facebook's internal security systems and access users' private images. Meta uncovered the breach more than a year ago and referred the case to law enforcement, where it is now being investigated by the London Metropolitan police's cybercrime unit.

"After discovering improper access by an employee over a year ago, we immediately terminated the individual, notified users, referred the matter to law enforcement and enhanced our security measures," a representative from Meta told the publication. "We are co-operating with the ongoing investigation."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/uk-meta-employee-reportedly-downloaded-30000-private-photos-from-facebook-users-181058081.html?src=rss

The League of Legends KeSPA cup will air globally on Disney+

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Disney has inked a deal with the Korea Esports Association that will bring several gaming tournaments to its streaming platform. Disney+ will be the global live streaming home for Esports Champions Asia Jinju 2026, the 2026 League of Legends KeSPA CUP and some preliminary events ahead of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026. This agreement expands KeSPA's arrangement with Disney, which only streamed its esports events to viewers in Asia last year. 

Esports Champions Asia is the first event on the calendar, occurring April 24-26 with professional teams from across the continent squaring up in tournaments for games including Street Fighter 6, The King of Fighters XV, TEKKEN 8 and the eFootball series. Disney+ will also be an official streamer for the PUBG Mobile and Eternal Return competitions during that weekend. 

It could be helpful for western esports fans to have a single location for watching the major events happening in Asia. However, many tournaments are currently free to watch on Twitch or YouTube, so now needing a Disney+ subscription to catch some of these international competitions might feel onerous. Esports might run the risk of turning into the fragmented set of rights deals that plagues traditional sports leagues, where a game could be on one of a half dozen different paid services each night. It's also likely going to mean co-streamers take a hit to their viewership, since Disney seems unlikely to offer the same sort of broadcast access that has made the practice popular on Twitch.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-league-of-legends-kespa-cup-will-air-globally-on-disney-224455083.html?src=rss

Apple will again appeal to the Supreme Court in battle with Epic Games

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The legal battle between Epic Games and Apple is escalating once again. For a second time, the warring factions are going straight to the top of the judicial system. Apple is asking for the Supreme Court to review when and how it can charge commissions on mobile purchases made via third-party payment systems. The business has requested a motion to stay on a lower court ruling regarding the fees Apple charges to software developers using those external financial systems rather than the App Store. 

The last time Apple petitioned for an appeal at the top of the judicial branch, it was about a lower court requiring it to allow developers to use third-party payment options. The Supreme Court declined to hear that case. It's possible that the tech company will once again be denied, although this effort regards specifically limits on commission rates rather than the basic premise of allowing in-app payments to be processed outside the App Store. 

Epic Games has been pushing both Apple and Google on the subject of their app store commission fees for years. Recently, the gaming company did appear to reach an accord with Google that saw the company's popular game Fortnite globally return to the Google Play Store in March. That ruling reportedly requires Epic's notoriously opinionated CEO to keep quiet on the subject of Google's app store fees until 2032. Epic Games recently made substantial job cuts, laying off more than 1,000 workers last month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-will-again-appeal-to-the-supreme-court-in-battle-with-epic-games-193551758.html?src=rss

Apple will again appeal to the Supreme Court in battle with Epic Games

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The legal battle between Epic Games and Apple is escalating once again. For a second time, the warring factions are going straight to the top of the judicial system. Apple is asking for the Supreme Court to review when and how it can charge commissions on mobile purchases made via third-party payment systems. The business has requested a motion to stay on a lower court ruling regarding the fees Apple charges to software developers using those external financial systems rather than the App Store. 

The last time Apple petitioned for an appeal at the top of the judicial branch, it was about a lower court requiring it to allow developers to use third-party payment options. The Supreme Court declined to hear that case. It's possible that the tech company will once again be denied, although this effort regards specifically limits on commission rates rather than the basic premise of allowing in-app payments to be processed outside the App Store. 

Epic Games has been pushing both Apple and Google on the subject of their app store commission fees for years. Recently, the gaming company did appear to reach an accord with Google that saw the company's popular game Fortnite globally return to the Google Play Store in March. That ruling reportedly requires Epic's notoriously opinionated CEO to keep quiet on the subject of Google's app store fees until 2032. Epic Games recently made substantial job cuts, laying off more than 1,000 workers last month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-will-again-appeal-to-the-supreme-court-in-battle-with-epic-games-193551758.html?src=rss

VR game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City launches on April 30

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Everyone's four favorite anthropomorphic turtles are returning to the world of video games. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City will be released on April 30 for the Meta Quest, Steam VR and Pico. It is made by VR game company Cortopia Studios and will retail for $25. Empire City is a first-person action game that you’ll be able to play solo or co-op with up to four people. And yes, that means all four of the turtles are playable.

We've seen a lot of the quartet flexing their fighting form in games over the years, but this is their first time appearing in a standalone VR title. In addition to the shelled heroes, the first part of the new game's trailer highlights other familiar figures from the series, such as Karai of the Foot Clan and ripped rhino Rocksteady. And of course April is there providing pizza and intel.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/vr-game-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-empire-city-launches-on-april-30-210451025.html?src=rss

Dinosaur Polo Club has released a new co-op game and it’s free

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Two pieces of good gaming news today. First: Dinosaur Polo Club has shadow dropped a brand new game today. Second, it's available for free on both PC and Mac from Itch.io. The project is called Read the F*cking Manual, or RTFM, and it is a co-op game based on working in tech support.

Dinosaur Polo Club is known for previous games Mini Metro and Mini Motorways. Both are stellar examples of simple, elegant game design, and a small group within the company took this game jam concept from passion project to a fully fledged release. 

Per the description, "Players must work together — or not — in this atmospheric game of trust and communication." The premise is that one player, the Troubleshooter, has the manual for the console, while the other player, the Terminal Operator, has to describe what's on their screen, which stays out of the Troubleshooter's sight. The workplace setting seems particularly apropos, because this is the sort of team-building activity you might do on the job that could be really fun or downright torturous depending on how much you like your colleagues. And the whole experience seems to dance around the horror genre, because there seem to be different endings depending on how much each person stretches the truth about what's really happening.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dinosaur-polo-club-has-released-a-new-co-op-game-and-its-free-214638400.html?src=rss