Halo Studios Reportedly Developing Live-Service Multiplayer Halo and a Combat Evolved Remake New reports claim Halo Studios (the studio formerly known as 343 Industries) is working on a live-service, long-term updating multiplayer Halo title that would follow a continuous content cadence similar to games like Fortnite — though the leak emphasizes it won’t be a battle royale. The studio is also reportedly developing a remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved. Halo: Infinite launched nearly four years ago, and while its multiplayer has seen notable updates, the game struggled with delivering the originally planned long-term roadmap. Sources say a planned 10-year update strategy was scrapped amid leadership changes and a shift to Unreal Engine, leaving some longtime fans skeptical of future live-service plans. What’s reported: A live-service multiplayer Halo with…

Engadget review roundup: Pixel 10 Pro Fold and other notable new devices Techtober delivered a flood of new gadgets, and Engadget’s reviews team has been busy testing them all. The latest roundup covers Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4, Pixel Buds 2a, the Meta Ray-Ban Display, ASUS’s ROG Xbox Ally X, Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones (2nd gen), and the Razer Blade 18 (2025). The headline: Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold addresses a long-standing issue for foldables by adding real dust and water resistance, a major step forward for durability. Reviewers praise the improvement, but the $1,799 price remains a significant barrier for many buyers. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold — Now with proper dust & water resistance, making foldables more practical. Price: $1,799. Pixel Watch 4 & Pixel Buds…

New Releases: Near Flesh by Katherine Dunn & 30 Days of Night: Falling Sun This week’s reading list highlights two recent releases: Near Flesh, a posthumous collection of short stories by the late Katherine Dunn, and 30 Days of Night: Falling Sun, a revival entry in the popular horror series. Both titles offer readers fresh takes in literary fiction and horror. Why these matter: Katherine Dunn is best known for Geek Love, and a collected release like Near Flesh provides new access to her shorter work and stylistic range. Meanwhile, the 30 Days of Night franchise continues to find new life with Falling Sun, tapping into the appetite for atmospheric, serialized horror. Near Flesh — A short-story collection from the late Katherine Dunn showcasing her darkly inventive prose and character-driven…

NVIDIA unveils first Blackwell wafer made in the U.S. at TSMC Phoenix NVIDIA has announced the first Blackwell wafer assembled in the United States at TSMC’s Phoenix semiconductor facility. The wafer is the base material for NVIDIA’s next-generation Blackwell AI chips — a platform the company says will deliver significantly improved performance and efficiency over its predecessor. Blackwell was introduced last year with industry partners including Amazon, Google and OpenAI lining up to adopt the architecture. NVIDIA claims the platform translates to dramatically lower cost and energy use — the company has stated figures as large as ~25x improvements compared to the previous generation— and the move to U.S. wafer production is aimed at reducing exposure to tariffs and geopolitical supply risks. At a celebration event, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang…

8BitDo Launches NES40 Collection to Celebrate NES’s 40th Anniversary To mark 40 years since the Nintendo Entertainment System arrived in the US, 8BitDo has unveiled a nostalgic NES40 product line inspired by the classic console. The collection mixes modern features with retro styling and includes a limited Ultimate 2 controller bundle, a compact speaker, and a premium aluminum keyboard — all available for pre-order. Key highlights: Ultimate 2 Controller (NES40) — $80, ships Nov 18. Includes a transparent NES Retro Receiver for compatibility with the original NES, four custom joystick caps, and a R.O.B. keychain. Retains Ultimate 2 features like TMR joysticks, Hall Effect triggers with mode switching, and wide customization. Compatible with Switch, Switch 2, Windows, and classic NES via the receiver. Retro Cube 2 Speaker — $50, ships…

Amazon to Help Build Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Campus in Washington to Power AI and Cloud Services Amazon has announced plans to develop the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility in Richland, Washington, working with Energy Northwest and X-energy to build small modular reactors (SMRs) to meet the company's large energy needs for AI and cloud computing. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the decade, with operations targeted in the 2030s. SMRs are smaller, modular nuclear reactors designed to be built in units and scaled up. Amazon will support four SMRs in the project's first phase, providing an initial 320 megawatts (MW) of capacity, and the site may expand to 12 units for substantially greater output. Partners include Energy Northwest (Washington state's utilities agency) and SMR developer X-energy. Location:…

Lawsuits Challenge Texas' App Store Age-Verification Law Texas' newly enacted App Store Accountability Act, which requires age verification before downloading apps or making in-app purchases and forces parental consent for underage users, is already facing legal challenges. The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and a student group called Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) have filed separate lawsuits claiming the law violates the First Amendment and places undue burdens on developers. The law is scheduled to take effect on New Year's Day. Plaintiffs argue the statute restricts access to lawful content, compels speech by requiring developers to "age-rate" apps for different audiences, and raises privacy concerns by necessitating identity verification (potentially including government IDs). CCIA, whose members include major tech companies, asserts the law "prevents users from seeing" lawful…

US Judge Bars NSO from Targeting WhatsApp, Narrows Damages in Meta Suit US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton has cut damages awarded to Meta from $167 million to $4 million in its 2019 suit against the Israeli spyware firm NSO Group, but issued a permanent injunction preventing NSO from targeting WhatsApp. The ruling follows allegations that NSO used its Pegasus spyware to spy on journalists, activists and others by exploiting WhatsApp vulnerabilities. Hamilton reduced monetary damages citing proportionality rules, yet concluded an injunction was necessary to prevent future violations given the “undetectable nature” of the defendants' technology. She also ordered NSO to delete and destroy computer code related to Meta's platforms as part of the injunction. Meta alleged Pegasus could infect devices via malicious WhatsApp messages or even missed calls. The…

Google officially retires Privacy Sandbox — what this means for cookies and ads Google has announced it is sunsetting the Privacy Sandbox initiative, saying remaining Sandbox technologies had "low levels of adoption." The company will continue work on privacy across Chrome, Android and the web, but will retire the Privacy Sandbox branding and associated tech. Launched in 2019, Privacy Sandbox aimed to replace third-party cookies with privacy-preserving APIs to enable personalized advertising without sharing identifying user data. Over the years the initiative faced repeated delays, regulatory scrutiny from the UK Competition and Markets Authority and the US Department of Justice, and ultimately low uptake from the ecosystem. Why it’s ending: Google cited low adoption of Sandbox technologies and ongoing challenges including regulatory concerns. Where cookies stand: Google previously delayed and…

ESR launches MagSafe car mount with Qi2.2 (up to 25W) Accessory maker ESR has released a new MagSafe-compatible car mount with inductive charging, now supporting the Qi2.2 standard and offering up to 25 watts of wireless power for compatible recent iPhone models. The company is also offering a limited discount — use code YS9QNRAT to save €12. This model aims at users of current iPhones that can take advantage of higher wireless charging speeds. As with most wireless car chargers, actual performance depends on your phone model, case thickness, ambient temperature and whether the device supports the higher Qi2.2 charging profile. Charging standard: Qi2.2 (enables higher wireless power delivery) Max output: Up to 25W for compatible phones Discount: Code YS9QNRAT reduces price by €12 If you want to check availability…