Author: alex

Indie Games Roundup: Steam Next Fest, DropShot, Final Sentence & Big October Launches Steam Next Fest is underway, bringing a flood of demos from small studios and solo developers. Highlights include Aerial_Knights new skydiving FPS DropShot and Final Sentence, a chaotic 100-player typing battle royale. There are also fresh releases, free updates, and several notable indie launches arriving later this month and in November. Next Fest remains one of the best ways to sample upcoming indie projects quickly. Many of the demos mentioned below are playable for a limited time via Steam Next Fest — check the event page to try them out. Explore Steam Next Fest Quick highlights DropShot (Aerial_Knight) — A stylish, fast-paced skydiving first-person shooter where players race to the ground while shooting opponents. Final Sentence —…

Aqara G100: Affordable Wi‑Fi Camera with Apple Home Compatibility Aqara's G100 is a recently released Wi‑Fi camera designed for both indoor and outdoor use. Early impressions highlight easy setup, good image quality, and native compatibility with Apple Home — all at a notably low price point. That combination is what prompted a closer look at the model. Key features reported about the G100 include: Wi‑Fi connectivity for flexible placement (no hub required for basic use). Suitable for indoor and outdoor installation with weather-resistant design. Simple setup and stable image quality for everyday monitoring. Apple Home (HomeKit) compatibility, making it attractive to iPhone and HomeKit users. Competitive, budget-friendly pricing. Setup and compatibility: Reviewers note the camera is easy to install and integrates with Apple Home, allowing users to add it directly…

Report: SpaceX Starshield Satellites May Be Transmitting on Unauthorized Frequencies New reporting indicates that SpaceX's Starshield satellites — a classified, government-facing variant of the Starlink network — may be transmitting on frequencies normally reserved for uplinks from Earth to satellites. Amateur tracker Scott Tilley observed signals that appear to come from Starshield hardware on those uplink bands, which would be inconsistent with international coordination rules. These frequency allocations are coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to prevent radio-frequency interference between satellites and ground stations. Using uplink frequencies for downlink transmissions could, in theory, cause nearby satellites to receive interference or miss commands from ground control, though no confirmed operational problems have been publicly reported so far. Who reported it: Amateur satellite tracker Scott Tilley, as covered by news outlets.…

Meta rolls out opt-in AI camera-roll suggestions in US & Canada Meta has begun offering a new Facebook feature in the United States and Canada that scans users' phone photo libraries (with permission) to surface AI-powered collages, recaps and simple edits. The tool is designed to help people find "hidden gems"—for example, creating a vacation collage or a graduation recap—by automatically suggesting shareable ideas based on time, location and themes. The feature is strictly opt-in. If you grant permission, Facebook will select media from your camera roll and upload it to Meta's cloud on an ongoing basis to generate suggestions. According to Meta, those suggestions are private to you until you choose to share them in Stories or Feed. How it works: After you opt in, Facebook scans your library…

Ring partners with Flock Safety to let law enforcement request doorbell footage — privacy concerns arise Amazon-owned Ring has announced a partnership with surveillance company Flock Safety that allows public safety agencies using Flock's Nova platform or FlockOS to submit requests for footage from Ring customers via Ring’s "Community Requests" program. The process is described as optional and anonymized: agencies must provide a specific location, timeframe, a unique investigation code, and details of the incident before requests are passed to relevant users. Ring says the request flow keeps user identities private and that camera owners choose whether to share footage. The move marks a pivot back toward working with law enforcement after several years of distancing, and comes amid other shifts at Ring — including founder Jamie Siminoff’s return to…

Meta Ray‑Ban Display review — Impressive display but bulky first‑gen tradeoffs Meta's new Ray‑Ban Display smart glasses promise a wearable step forward: a bright monocular display, a responsive Neural Band controller, and built‑in Meta AI features. After ten days of daily use, the core impression is mixed — exciting tech inside, but a lot of first‑generation compromises. Key facts at a glance: Price: $800 — positioned as a premium, early‑adopter product. Display: monocular right‑eye display with ~20° field of view; bright and clear but not immersive. Weight & comfort: frames are chunky (about 69g) and can press after several hours; available in black and a lighter "sand" color. Battery: Meta quotes ~6 hours; real‑world life depends heavily on usage — video calls and translation drain it much faster. The glasses…

US and Saudi Arabia derail landmark shipping carbon-tax — what it means Negotiations on a landmark global carbon-tax for shipping were effectively derailed after representatives from the US and Saudi Arabia backed a motion to adjourn talks for a year. The measure — which had been set to make shipping the first industry with internationally mandated emissions rules — will now require timelines and terms to be renegotiated. The plan, the product of nearly a decade of talks and support from more than 100 countries, would have forced ship owners to switch to cleaner fuels from 2028 or face fines. Industry groups welcomed the clarity the deal promised, but the adjournment leaves major questions about enforcement, investment timelines and emissions trajectories. Key points: The US reportedly pressured countries to vote…

TwitchCon: Targeted Enforcement, Dual-Format Streaming Beta, AI Auto-Clips & Monetization Push Twitch used its opening keynote at TwitchCon in San Diego to announce a string of changes aimed at streamers. The most notable policy shift moves the platform away from blanket bans toward targeted enforcement — meaning a chat violation may not automatically take away streaming privileges, and vice versa. That change could reduce broad penalties and focus action on specific behaviors. Technological updates and creator tools also featured heavily. Highlights include: Dual-format streaming (beta): A feature that lets creators stream in both vertical and horizontal orientations at once. Twitch began limited testing in August and is expanding the beta next week. Auto Clips (AI): An automated highlights tool that generates clips for streamers using AI to identify noteworthy moments.…

Blizzard Hearthstone & Warcraft Rumble Developers Unionize with CWA Developers working on Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble have formed a new union represented by the Communication Workers of America (CWA). The unit includes over 100 people — software engineers, designers, artists, quality assurance testers and producers — and joins a growing wave of unions across Blizzard. The move builds on organizing wins at Blizzard earlier this year: World of Warcraft staff formed the Warcraft Gamemakers Guild last year, and teams behind Diablo and Overwatch followed in 2025. According to CWA, roughly 1,900 Blizzard employees are now represented by the union. New unit size: 100+ developers across Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble Representation: Communication Workers of America (CWA) Context: Part of wider organizing at Blizzard and Microsoft-owned studios This new union arrives amid…

Mova Z60 Ultra Roller Complete — Top model impresses in early German tests The Mova Z60 Ultra Roller Complete is currently Mova's flagship cleaning robot. Mova only entered the German market this year and — judging by device design and components — appears closely linked to Dreame. Early reviews report that the Z60 performed very well in cleaning tests. Key takeaways from the review: Top-of-range model in Mova’s lineup with a dedicated roller cleaning system. Mova is a recent entrant in Germany and shares many design and engineering similarities with Dreame. Reviewers praised its cleaning performance — the device "wiped very well" in hands-on tests. While exact specifications and pricing vary by market, the Z60 Ultra Roller Complete seems aimed at users who want a powerful, rollersystem-focused cleaning robot. The…