The Gadget Spot

-Repair your own Xbox Controller! https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-starts-selling-replacement-parts-for-xbox-gamepads-174023573.html -8bitdo breaking into keyboards: https://www.ign.com/articles/8bitdo-retro-mechanical-keyboard-wireless-mechanical-keyboard -Current Gen Consoles finally have sales -The Switch 2 Rumor mill is about to take off: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sources-nintendo-switch-2-targets-2024-with-next-gen-console/ -What do you do when you run into P3 while playing Fallout 76? You drop heals and stims of course: https://gamerant.com/xbox-fallout-76-gamer-phil-spencer-encounter/ -In the first half of August Gamepass is losing 4 games and adding 6 to its library.

-Like Energy Star but for security: https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/18/23798153/fcc-cyber-trust-mark-biden-security -3D VNAND Mobile CPUs: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amds-3d-v-cache-comes-to-laptops-ryzen-9-7945hx3d-cpu-listed -Ask Abe Linciln for Advice: https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-reportedly-planning-an-abe-lincoln-chatbot-as-part-of-a-public-ai-push-190922903.html -FTC swings for the fences. Faces down Amazon: https://news.slashdot.org/story/23/07/26/0041223/ftc-readies-lawsuit-that-could-break-up-amazon -RIP incandescent bulbs… mostly: https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/1/23816510/incandescent-light-bulb-2023-sale-ban-usa -Echo Buds Review from someone who isn’t Tony

-Pizza Controller for Xbox: https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/24/23805501/microsoft-xbox-pizza-scented-controller-tmnt-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles -More Acquisitions: https://www.ign.com/articles/tencent-buys-dying-light-developer-techland -Ubisoft almost really stepped in it: https://wccftech.com/ubisoft-accounts-pc-games-not-eligible-deletion/ -Simpsons Hit and Run fan remake: https://www.ign.com/articles/awesome-looking-the-simpsons-hit-and-run-fan-remake-is-complete-but-it-will-never-be-released -Shoutout to PC Gaming Wiki -Epic Games summer sale is live: https://www.polygon.com/deals/23800725/epic-games-stores-summer-sale-rewards-deals -Blizzard is beginning to thaw (HAR HAR HAR). Overwatch 2 coming to Steam: https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/blizzard/23982127/overwatch-2-coming-to-steam-on-august-10 -Ubisoft throws shade at its own unfinishable games. Star Wars Outlaws news: https://www.ign.com/articles/star-wars-outlaws-devs-promise-it-wont-be-a-300-hour-epic-unfinishable-rpg -AntStream? Never heard of it… but it’s available as a service now on your Xbox! https://kotaku.com/retro-games-arcade-xbox-x-s-antstream-mortal-kombat-1850669127 -“Intimacy Coordinators”? For a video game? ok. https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-used-intimacy-coordinators-for-sex-scenes-i-never-felt-yuck-in-a-recording-session-at-all-says-actor/ https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-looks-like-its-gonna-eat-starfields-lunch-when-it-comes-to-romances/

-That didn’t last long Chevy Bolt is back: https://www.engadget.com/gm-says-a-next-gen-chevy-bolt-is-on-the-way-144518735.html -DJI Air 3: https://www.engadget.com/dji-air-3-review-a-high-quality-zoom-adds-new-creative-options-130020261.html -New Sony Earbuds: https://www.whathifi.com/advice/sony-wf-1000xm5-release-date-rumours-potential-price-features-and-spec-leaks -New drug to slow Alzheimer’s progression: https://arstechnica.com/?p=1954453 -Yes, it can always get worse. Twitter is throwing away it’s valuable brand: https://www.engadget.com/elon-musk-is-rebranding-twitter-to-x-and-killing-the-bird-logo-165944573.html?src=rss -Fed launches instant payments service. No more waiting! https://news.slashdot.org/story/23/07/20/1445203/fed-launches-long-awaited-instant-payments-service-modernizing-system?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -Nissan is the next domino: https://arstechnica.com/?p=1955084 -Electric air taxis are coming! https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2023/07/19/electric-air-taxi-startup-completes-maiden-flight-at-70kph/ -Arc Browser now available for everyonehttps://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/07/25/1914242/the-arc-browser-is-now-available-for-all-ios-and-mac-users?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -De-extinction Science. Like Jurassic Park https://science.slashdot.org/story/23/07/09/2116236/real-world-jurassic-park-startup-argues-not-de-extincting-animals-would-be-even-scarier -Once more around the toilet bowl. Elon officially changes Twitter’s brand trademark… https://futurism.com/facebook-owns-trademark-x-social-media https://www.engadget.com/twitters-rebrand-to-x-could-worsen-its-legal-and-financial-problems-233914973.html

-Probably shouldn’t be excited for this but I kind of am: https://www.ign.com/videos/invincible-guarding-the-globe-official-announcement-trailer -For Jarron to cry over: https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-has-17000-variations-on-its-ending-a-number-that-gives-me-a-headache-just-thinking-about-it/ -Black Panther game announced: https://www.polygon.com/23787530/marvel-black-panther-video-game-ea-cliffhanger-games-announcement -Documents leak for mid-90s Sega: https://games.slashdot.org/story/23/07/06/1334229/mid-1990s-sega-document-leak-shows-how-it-lost-the-second-console-war-to-sony?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -Preorders are live for Framework’s modular laptop: https://www.engadget.com/you-can-pre-order-frameworks-modular-gaming-laptop-16-today-183702718.html?src=rss -Sony agrees to 10 year CoD deal: https://arstechnica.com/?p=1954258 -PS Plus July Lineup. CoD: Black Ops Cold War; Alan Wake Remastered; Ending - Extinction is forever. Are these good? https://www.engadget.com/playstation-plus-free-july-games-include-cod-black-ops-cold-war-and-alan-wake-remastered-183056964.html -Goodbye Xbox Gold, you were a good friend. https://www.darkhorizons.com/game-pass-core-replacing-xbox-live-gold/

-Aspertame bad?: https://www.cnet.com/health/nutrition/aspartame-diet-sodas-and-cancer-risk-making-sense-of-the-new-who-classification/ -BT audio getting another upgrade: https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2023/06/qualcomm-s3-gen-2-sound-platform-portfolio-extended-to-deliver-b -VanMoof declared bankruptcy: https://slashdot.org/story/23/07/18/099236/vanmoof-the-most-funded-e-bike-company-in-the-world-declared-bankrupt?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -A competitor is making VanMoof’s software available for customers: https://arstechnica.com/?p=1954394 -Corsair is buying Drop: https://it.slashdot.org/story/23/07/17/168213/corsair-is-buying-mechanical-keyboard-maker-drop?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -Honor Magic V2 is the thinnest foldable smartphone: https://arstechnica.com/?p=1953631 -Threads usage drops by half: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/07/18/003225/threads-usage-drops-by-half-from-initial-surge?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -TikTok being banned from govt devices? Here’s a compelling argument for that, and maybe the US in general. https://yro.slashdot.org/story/23/07/11/225202/tiktok-executive-admits-australian-users-data-accessed-by-employees-in-china -Remember that book that James shilled so much he bought a random person a copy of it? American Kingpin? Here’s a related followup. https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/11/23791602/silk-road-variety-jones-prison -Threads says it isn’t trying to copy Twitter, but it kinda is… Threads Continues to Copy Twitter's Worst Elements With New Rate Limit Http://gizmodo.com/threads-introduces-new-rate-limits-just-like-twitter-1850650673 -AI in Politcal ADs. Is there a solution? https://gizmodo.com/ron-desantis-unleashes-ai-attack-ad-against-trump-1850650671

-Chinese Smuggler with NVMEs: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/smuggler-caught-with-420-m2-ssds-strapped-to-his-stomachhttps://www.tomshardware.com/news/smuggler-caught-with-420-m2-ssds-strapped-to-his-stomach -Chinese startup says its batteries charge super fast and have no degradation in the cold: https://www.engadget.com/chinese-startup-says-its-new-ev-battery-doesnt-lose-range-in-the-cold-164149959.html?src=rss -Mercedes is the next domino: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/07/07/2113252/mercedes-benz-is-the-first-german-automaker-to-adopt-teslas-ev-charging-standard?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -Toyota claims technological breakthrough with solid-state batteries: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/23/07/05/2345213/toyota-claims-solid-state-battery-has-745-mile-range-10-minute-charging-time?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -Social Media Privacy, how does Threads stack up? https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/07/how-threads-privacy-policy-compares-to-twitters-and-its-rivals/ -Threads hits 100M users in 5 Days: https://gizmodo.com/threads-instagram-100-million-zuckerberg-musk-1850621471 -Hottest day ever: https://www.vox.com/climate/2023/7/5/23784587/hottest-day-heat-wave-recorded-temperature-climate-change

-MS beats Sony! Er, I mean the FTC: https://www.engadget.com/microsofts-activision-acquisition-moves-ahead-as-judge-rejects-ftc-injunction-request-152845890.htmlhttps://www.engadget.com/microsofts-activision-acquisition-moves-ahead-as-judge-rejects-ftc-injunction-request-152845890.html -The UK’s CMA starts to flip flop on the MS + Activision deal: https://www.engadget.com/microsofts-activision-acquisition-moves-ahead-as-judge-rejects-ftc-injunction-request-152845890.html -All the old games are lost: https://kotaku.com/classic-games-history-foundation-preservation-yakuza-1850623857 -Console Countdown (James's Game)

-Stop requiring online connection on offline play: https://www.engadget.com/diablo-iv-and-other-blizzard-games-are-down-due-to-a-ddos-attack-164231957.html -Whelp, here we go again with google: https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/26/youtube-reportedly-experimenting-with-online-games/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAuL6W2c43tZePKNdWeYHg0Wo9wcK8aJSrb1EkUMhwf4GI5mYDt2ARPqhdMUP6KizqyON-VOay6FeedZGbEU-ek6L6FKixrogDjQ4G6H5smIZxWJ-8GjEx3OLRG4IuuH0lW1aiNBq69cOduJBAXrm6yTMvT5iJS7v0ESvFZJZoE6 -Gollum drags Dev into volcano with him: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gollum-studios-next-lotr-game-canceled-dev-no-longer-making-games-at-all/1100-6515620/ -Apple game porting toolkit is somehow better and worse than expected: https://youtu.be/jTsc_UvlT3E -PlayStation secrets because of a sharpie: https://games.slashdot.org/story/23/06/29/035227/sonys-confidential-playstation-secrets-just-spilled-because-of-a-sharpie?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -Here’s the next clever anti-cheat method for CoD. Hallucinations. https://www.engadget.com/call-of-duty-is-using-clones-of-real-players-to-mess-with-cheaters-204515183.html -Only Up? Twitch streamers seem to love this game. https://www.polygon.com/23774440/only-up-twitch-tiktok-twitter-climbing-game-influencers-social-media-explainer

-Musk is really murdering twitter: https://www.ign.com/articles/elon-musk-announces-daily-twitter-limitations-as-thousands-report-problems-seeing-tweets -Does Taurine slow the aging process? https://science.slashdot.org/story/23/06/08/2222201/common-energy-drink-ingredient-taurine-may-slow-aging-process?utm_source=rss0.9mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed -Humane’s Ai Pin is coming this year: https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/30/23779654/humane-ai-pin-name-launch-date -Meta’s Threads is announced: https://www.engadget.com/metas-threads-app-is-here-to-challenge-twitter-230039730.html?src=rss -New price tag for retrieving martian samples. https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/06/the-mars-sample-return-mission-is-starting-to-give-nasa-sticker-shock/ -Alef Automotive flying car with FAA special clearance. Delivery in 2025 taking pre-orders now. https://news.slashdot.org/story/23/07/03/1926244/flying-car-prototype-gets-airworthiness-certified-by-faa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QaTwebs5nY -What is Bluesky? Will this be the next Twitter? https://blueskyweb.xyz/blog/5-5-2023-federation-architecture https://blueskyweb.xyz/faq