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Bungie announced Tuesday that it’s delaying Marathon, its new extraction shooter that had been set for a September 23rd release date. The studio isn’t providing a new release date just yet, though has promised to share it sometime this fall.

The studio outlined a few “immediate focus areas” for the game. It plans to make AI encounters “more challenging and engaging” and make combat “more tense and strategic.” It’s “doubling down on the Marathon Universe” by increasing “visual fidelity,” including “more narrative and environmental storytelling,” and will introduce a “darker tone that delivers on the themes of the original trilogy.” (Bungie may also be making these visual changes after an artist said the company lifted her artwork without permission.) And it plans to add “more social experiences,” including proximity chat and improving things for solo and duo players.

“We’re using this time to empower the team to create the intense, high-stakes experience that a title like Marathon is built around,” according to the post. “This means deepening the relationship between the developers and the game’s most important voices: our players.”

Bungie hosted tests for Marathon earlier this year, and reviews were generally mid. With this delay, we’ll see if Bungie can improve the game so that it doesn’t turn into another big live-service misstep for Sony.

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Microsoft is confirming today that it’s working on a next-gen Xbox console in partnership with AMD. Xbox president Sarah Bond made the announcement in a minute-long video posted to YouTube, promising to deliver “an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device.”

Bond says Microsoft is partnering with AMD for a “strategic multi-year partnership” that will include the pair co-engineering silicon “across a portfolio of devices — including our next-generation Xbox consoles in your living room and in your hands.” The pair will also work together to build the next generation of Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Microsoft is making it clearer than ever that its next-gen Xbox platform will be focused on multiple devices and not locked to its own store for games. “This is all about building a gaming platform that’s always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want — delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device,” says Bond. “That’s why we’re working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming.”

The confirmation comes just days after Microsoft announced a partnership with Asus to launch two Xbox Ally handheld devices later this year — complete with a new full-screen Xbox experience on Windows. This new Xbox experience runs on top of Windows, and means that the Xbox Ally devices can access other stores like Steam, and it appears that Microsoft is signaling the same for its next-gen Xbox console.

I wrote last week in my Notepad newsletter that I’m more convinced than ever that Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console will be powered by Windows and be part of a number of devices from third parties that Microsoft also considers Xbox consoles. Bond’s comments appear to suggest Windows is key to Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console plans, but one missing piece of the puzzle was backward compatibility for Xbox console games.

Bond says this next generation of Xbox includes “maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games.” So while the Xbox Ally devices won’t run Xbox console games that don’t have a PC counterpart later this year, next-gen Xbox consoles will.

Here’s Bond’s full statement on Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console plans:

At Xbox our vision is for you to play the games you want with the people you want, anywhere you want. That’s why we’re investing in our next-generation hardware lineup — across console, handheld, PC, cloud, and accessories. I’m thrilled to share we’ve established a strategic multi-year partnership with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices — including our next-generation Xbox consoles in your living room and in your hands. Together with AMD we’re advancing the state of art in gaming silicon to deliver the next generation of graphics innovation, to unlock a deeper level of visual quality and immersive gameplay and player experiences enhanced with the power of AI. All while maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games. This is all about building you a gaming platform that’s always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want — delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device. That’s why we’re working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming. The next-generation of Xbox is coming to life and this is just the beginning, we can’t wait to show you what’s next.

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LG’s C4 OLED TV is over half off.

It’s official: Amazon’s Prime Day event is just three weeks away, and it’s possible we’ll see a number of great TV deals during the four-day event. But if you’d rather not wait and see, LG’s C4 OLED TV has hit a new low price, starting at $699.99 ($800 off) for the 42-inch model at Amazon and Best Buy. Some larger configurations like the 77-inch model are on sale too, with the 77-inch model going for $1,799.99 ($1,899 off) at Amazon and Best Buy.

Given how similar the last-gen models are to the newer LG C5 OLED TVs, these are excellent deals. You’ll still enjoy the same stunning OLED picture quality as you would on the newer TVs, complete with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support for a cinematic experience. The last-gen models offer the same intuitive navigation too, with a wand-like Magic Remote plus built-in voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Plus, the C4 boasts a number of gamer-friendly features, including a fast 144Hz refresh rate, four HDMI 2.1 ports, and AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility.

That said, the LG C5 OLED does bring a few incremental upgrades worth noting. Its display is slightly brighter, which can be helpful in well-lit rooms, and it comes with a newer processor that may offer slightly faster performance. However, the C5 also starts at $1,295 ($103 off), making the C4 a better value for most users, as it delivers a high-end OLED experience at less than half the price.

Some more ways to save

The latest Motorola Razr Ultra flip phone with 512GB storage is available unlocked at Amazon starting at $1,169.99 ($130 off), its first cash discount to date. The phone is one of the best-looking on the market, courtesy of its unique wood back panel. The snappy phone also sports a  useful four-inch 1080p outer screen with a seven-inch inner display, along with long battery life and a decent dedicated AI button. Read our review.The slim Ring Battery Doorbellis $49.99 ($50 off) at Amazon, which is its best price to date. The 1080p camera builds upon the original model with improved color night vision and longer battery life. It also offers a taller 150-degree field-of-view, making it easier to spot packages and people on your porch. It doesn’t have a removable battery like its higher-resolution sibling, the Plus, but it’s a decent basic buzzer for the price.You can buy the Anker MagGo USB-C Adapteron sale for $11.99 ($13 off) at Amazon, as well as Anker with code WS7DV2Y2FE3N. That marks a new low price on the MagSafe-compatible device, which is a useful tool for creators on the go. Not only does it function as an SD and microSD card reader, but you can also power up your gadgets via its USB-C port, which supports up to 42.5W of power. Plus, if you’re using a compatible iPhone 15 or 16 and a high-speed memory card (at least 220MB/s write speed and 256GB capacity), it can even handle 4K ProRes video recording at 60fps.

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Choose your fighter.

In case you missed it, the Trump Organization announced yesterday that it plans to release a $499 Trump-branded, "built in the United States" phone later this year. A spokesperson for the Trump Organization doubled down on this claim to The Wall Street Journal, saying "manufacturing for the new phone will be in Alabama, California and Florida."

But unless the organization has somehow hidden an entire domestic mobile device supply chain right under our noses, this is virtually impossible. The T1 Phone, as it's called, lists some decent midrange specs like a 6.8-inch OLED 120Hz refresh rate screen. Offering it for $500 as soon as this fall? That would take a miracle. Case in point: a company called Purism makes a device called the Liberty Phone, which sources many of its parts from US companies and assembles it here. The cost? $2000, and you won't find something as luxurious as an OLED panel there.

More likely the T1 will be a white label device with most or all of its production handled by a Chinese ODM, or original design manufacturer. These dozen or so companies are responsible for as much as 44 percent of smartphone shipments globally, largely handling budget models while OEMs …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Get your boards out chat because Electronic Arts has announced that Skate early access will arrive at the end of the summer for PlayStation, Windows PC, Xbox, and mobile users.

Early access will be a part of Playtest Update 0.27, which is set to roll out on July 2. Players who want access to early skate sessions around San Vansterdam should sign up as a Skate Insider by June 27 (and no later than June 27). Participating in the early access will give skaters access to exclusive rewards like dope skateboards, swag, and stickers for in-game use.

Elsewhere in the update, skaters will be treated to new and improved updates for Skate, including a revamped San Vansterdam, which adds more pedestrians, traffic, cars, graffiti, and additions that make the world feel more alive. Improvements have also been implemented to the game’s UI, giving it that Skate feel with more personality through sound effects, snappy animations, and more.

EA also announced that server player limits have been extended to 150 skaters, adding more missions and challenges and a new neighborhood known as the Market Mile. The new update also incorporates “big changes” to the character customization process that bring more freedom and individuality to the skater’s overall appearances with new hairstyles, emotes, gestures, “and even more to come down the line.”

Skate 4, now known simply as Skate (or as EA styles it, skate.), was first announced way back in 2020. The latest entry in EA’s skateboarding franchise had gone through numerous challenges over the years, with the developers even announcing that they were rebuilding the Flick-It system that has become synonymous with the skating sims and adding “flumping.”

Playtests for the game first began in 2022 and have been ongoing since then, with devs collecting data and feedback from skaters involved. All of that feedback has finally led us here. While Skate doesn’t have a concrete release date, players can look forward to possibly getting their hands on a version of the game in the early access period coming soon.

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Were it not for Neil Gaiman getting caught up in a sexual misconduct scandal, Netflix’s live-action adaptation of The Sandman comics could have run for much longer given how much source material there is to be pulled from. But you can see in the new trailer for the show’s second and final season that the streamer is going to try to fit in as many of Dream’s remaining stories as it possibly can.

Though the dead aren’t meant to be able to escape hell, there is nothing Dream (Tom Sturridge) won’t do to free his beloved Nada (Deborah Oyelade) from eternal damnation in The Sandman‘s new trailer. Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) would like nothing more than to make good on their promise to one day murder Dream — an action that would plunge the mortal and magical realms into chaos. But with so much on the line, it seems like all of Dreams’s Endless siblings — Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), Destiny (Adrian Lester), Destruction (Barry Sloane), Despair (Donna Preston), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), and Delirium (Esmé Creed-Miles) — are going to be willing to help him do the impossible.

As Gizmodo notes, the trailer’s shots make it clear that the new season is going to tackle a number of classic The Sandman comics stories including “Tales in the Sand,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and “The Song of Orpheus” over the course of its 12 episodes. That’s probably going to make the season feel pretty dense, but Netflix has (smartly, to be honest) decided to release the episodes in a few batches. Volume 1 debuts with six episodes on July 3rd, Volume 2 drops July 24th, and The Sandman‘s final episode premieres on July 31st.

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 10: In an aerial view, Waymo cars are seen parked at a Waymo facility on June 10, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Waymo is continuing its slow and steady approach to the robotaxi business by gradually expanding its service area in the key cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The company said that starting June 17th, it would begin accepting passengers further south along the San Francisco Peninsula in cities like Brisbane, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, and Burlingame. In Silicon Valley, riders in Palo Alto and Menlo Park will now be able to hail of the Waymo’s driverless vehicles.

And in Los Angeles, Waymo is launching June 18th in neighborhoods like Playa del Rey, Ladera Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, and the entirety of Sunset Boulevard. The company briefly shut down its service in Los Angeles earlier this month after anti-ICE protesters set several robotaxis on fire.

Waymo said that it was growing its borders in both cities by 80 square miles, bringing its total coverage area in California to 250 square miles. The company recently reported reaching the milestone of 10 million paid rides, and is now serving 250,000 rides each week in all four of its markets: SF, LA, Austin, and Phoenix. For those keeping track, Waymo got rid of the waitlist and went public in San Francisco in June 2024 and Los Angeles in November 2024.

Waymo operates its ridehail service in California exclusively through its app, Waymo One. In Austin and soon Atlanta, the company has opted to partner with Uber by making its vehicles only available through that company’s app.

The service map expansion comes as the company is getting ready to more than double the size of its vehicle fleet. The Alphabet company said it currently has 1,500 Jaguar I-Pace SUVs operating across its four main markets, and it plans on adding 2,000 more vehicles into 2026, for a total fleet size of 3,500.

But Waymo is still moving slowly when it comes to highway driving and airport access — two crucial domains if the company wants to outmaneuver Uber and Lyft in the future. Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli said the company was still testing its vehicles with employees on the highways in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and is in active talks with both cities’ airports about potential future service. Waymo has been conducting airport trips at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport since late 2022, but it has yet to bring its driverless vehicles to either SFO or LAX.

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Max — soon to be called HBO Max again — is rolling out an update that automatically plays video previews when you hover over shows and movies. The video previews are launching to users in the US now, but Max is still working on an “AI-assisted” tool to pick the clips that go in them.

In the “coming weeks,” Max says its AI tool will automatically identify “standout” scenes from its shows and movies, which its team will then use to choose the clips featured in video previews. “This AI-driven technology will enable us to identify Drop-in Moments for the vast catalog of content on Max and significantly reduce the manual time needed to curate previews,” Avi Saxena, Warner Bros. Discovery’s chief technology officer, said in the press release.

The streaming service will also include an option to turn off the audio or video in the autoplaying content, similar to Netflix.

Max updated its interface in January to move the options from its top menu bar to the left side of the screen — basically the opposite of what Netflix is doing in its upcoming homepage redesign. Max will have another big change sometime this summer, as that’s when the switch back to HBO Max will be official.

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Last September, all eyes were on Senate Bill 1047 as it made its way to California Governor Gavin Newsom's desk - and died there as he vetoed the buzzy piece of legislation.

SB 1047 would have required makers of all large AI models, particularly those that cost $100 million or more to train, to test them for specific dangers. AI industry whistleblowers weren't happy about the veto, and most large tech companies were. But the story didn't end there. Newsom, who had felt the legislation was too stringent and one-size-fits-all, tasked a group of leading AI researchers to help propose an alternative plan - one that would support the development and the governance of generative AI in California, along with guardrails for its risks.

On Tuesday, that report was published.

The authors of the 52-page "California Report on Frontier Policy" said that AI capabilities - including models' chain-of-thought "reasoning" abilities - have "rapidly improved" since Newsom's decision to veto SB 1047. Using historical case studies, empirical research, modeling, and simulations, they suggested a new framework that would require more transparency and independent scrutiny of AI models. Their report i …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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The Philips Hue Play Wall Washer lights are available in black or white finish and can be purchased in a two-pack that can be synced. | Image: Signify

Signify has officially announced its new Philips Hue Play Wall Washer light, which was previously leaked by Amazon UK earlier this month. The company has also launched its new Philips Hue AI assistant in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, with a broader global release expected by the end of August.

Available now in Europe, the US, and Canada in a black or white finish, the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is $219.99 for a single unit or $384.99 for a two-pack, which is slightly cheaper than the $270 for a single unit suggested in the leak. That’s still quite a bit more expensive than the $89.99 Philips Hue Light Bar that offers similar functionality, but the new Wall Washer is over twice as bright, projecting up to 1,035 lumens of white or colored light.

Featuring an aluminum matte finish, the Wall Washer uses LEDs angled upwards to cast a wider dispersion of light and its intensity, brightness, and position can be adjusted using an “intuitive 3D drag-and-drop feature in the Hue app,” so it shines exactly where you need it. It also works with the Hue HDMI Sync box and Sync apps so the light responds and complements what you’re watching or listening to, and is compatible with voice assistants, including Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Assistant.

First announced earlier this year, Philips Hue’s new generative AI assistant creates new lighting scenes, or recommends existing ones, based on prompts that are either spoken or typed into the Hue app, like “Give me a scene for a spooky Halloween party.” The assistant can also be used to adjust the brightness and color settings of Hue lights, while additional features like creating automations and schedules, and “in-app support via a chatbot,” are coming “later this year,” according to Hue.

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Sciel is the girl boss of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. While on your journey to tear down the paintress and leave a better world for those who come after, you’ll come across many different hairstyles and outfits for you to express what it means to be dealing in death. Luckily, the cards are in your favor, as Sciel’s outfits have the range to soothe your inner fashionista.

As you play, you’ll want to be on the lookout for opportunities to find outfits and hairstyles to dress up your party members with, whether they are in a chest, locked behind a super boss, or at the top of the most grueling platforming challenge.

In this Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 guide, we offer a list of all Sciel outfits and hairstyles and how to unlock them.

All Sciel outfits in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

There are 13 outfits you can unlock for Sciel. We’ve only unlocked eight so far; however, we can confirm through community sources how to unlock the other five. Included above are screenshots of the Sciel outfits we’ve unlocked, and below an asterisk (*) will indicate those we’ve yet to unlock.

Here’s how you unlock the following Sciel outfits in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Expedition — Available from the beginning of the game.Sirene — Purchased from Pearo the Merchant near the entrance to Sirene’s Dress.Skirt — Purchased from Carnovi the Merchant to the west of Monoco’s Station.Swimsuit I — Unlocked after reaching Relationship Level 6 with Sciel.Civilian — Unlocked by choosing to fight as Maelle at the end of the game.Clea* — After defeating Clea in the Flying Manor, the Young Boy offers this outfit if you select Sciel to receive his gift.Swimsuit II* — You must defeat the strongest opponent at the gestral beach. Requires Esquie to be able to swim.Sakapatate — Purchased from Alexcyclo the Merchant, near the theatre stage in Gestral Village.Baguette — Beat the Mime in Esquie’s Nest.Danseuse — Purchased from Verogo the Merchant in Frozen Hearts.Pure — Correctly answer the Grandis Fashionist poem with Sciel in Monaco Station. The correct answers for Sciel’s poems are as follows: **It meets the sea’s embrace, where sorrow turns to air.****And death the final chapter, where we shed our tears.****Its light will softly fade, where weary skies lie.**Flowers — Included with the Deluxe Edition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.Gommage Outfit — Included with the Deluxe Edition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

All Sciel hairstyles in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

There are 18 hairstyles you can unlock for Sciel. Similar to her outfits, we are missing a few; however, through the community, we have confirmed how to unlock the remaining hairstyles. We’ve included screenshots of the Sciel haircuts we’ve unlocked so far, and added an asterisk (*) below to indicate those not pictured.

Here’s how you unlock the following Sciel hairstyles in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33:

Artist — Purchased from Blabary, the merchant on the continent next to Gestral Village.Baguette — Beat the Mime in Esquie’s Nest.Bald* — Beat the Mime in Sunless Cliffs as Sciel.Braid — Beat the Mime in Old Lumiere.Clea* — Unlocked after completing Stage 7, Trial 3 in Endless Tower.Double Braid — Purchased from Sodasso, the merchant next to the Visages on the world map.French Bob — Purchased from Percha the Merchant to the south of Monoco’s Station.Gestral — Received from Sastro once you find 3 Lost Gestrals.Messy Bun White* — Unlocked after completing Stage 6, Trial 3 in Endless Tower.Plunging Bob — Purchased from Percha the Merchant to the south of Monoco’s Station.Ponytail — Purchased from Jerijeri the Merchant in Stone Wave Cliffs.Rebellious — Purchased from Rederi the Merchant to the south of Sirene on the world map.Sciel — Available from the beginning of the game.Short Curly — Purchased from Appla the Merchant on the beach next to the Gestral Village.Short — Purchase from Papasso the Merchant on the beach next to Monoco’s Station.Vintage* — Purchase from Colaro the Merchant on the beach near Stone Wave Cliffs.Voluminous* — Found on the world map northwest of Old Lumiere near 2 Mimes.Flowers Haircut* — Included with the Deluxe Edition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

For more Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 guides, here’s our recommendation for the best Sciel build and how to get all endings.

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Satechi’s new SSD enclosure can be used as a standalone external drive or be paired with Apple’s Mac Mini M4. | Image: Satechi

Satechi has announced a new SSD enclosure with an aluminum design that matches the black and silver finish and dimensions of Apple’s Mac Mini M4, but thinner so it can perch atop the tiny desktop computer or be used as a matching stand. But since it connects using an included braided USB-C cable, the enclosure is compatible with any device that supports external storage drives.

The USB4 Slim NVMe SSD Enclosure looks familiar to Satechi’s Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub that launched last January for $99.99, but is $20 more expensive at $119.99, available now through its online store. Both can be used to expand the storage of the Mac Mini M4 using an SSD, but while the Stand & Hub accessory offers slightly more functionality with extra USB ports and an SD card reader, Satechi’s new enclosure offers much faster transfer speeds.

The enclosure is compatible with all but the largest NVMe SSD sizes — 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 — and supports capacities ranging from 1TB to 8TB. Satechi’s Stand & Hub offers transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps, but the USB4 Slim NVMe SSD Enclosure pushes that to 40Gbps, assuming the device you’re connecting to also supports USB4. If it doesn’t, the enclosure is backwards compatible, and you’ll just see slower transfer speeds.

You can insert an SSD by removing the bottom of the enclosure after giving it a short twist, which also reveals a storage compartment for the short included USB-C cable. Its minimalist design also integrates a thermal pad and cooling vents to “maintain peak performance without thermal throttling.”

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