Games
* Key Takeaways: * Steam experienced a partial outage beginning around 1 PM ET on Dec. 24, affecting the Store, Community and Web APIs. * Unofficial monitoring from SteamDB and DownDetector recorded thousands of reports; Valve did not immediately issue a public statement. * By about 4 PM ET services began to recover and
Games
• Key Takeaways: * A partial Steam outage began around 1PM ET on Dec. 24, affecting the Steam Store, Community and Web APIs. * SteamDB and Downdetector reported thousands of user reports; Valve did not publicly acknowledge the disruption. * Online features for Valve titles (Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike 2) were impacted;
Software
• Google is gradually rolling out a new option to change an @gmail.com address to a different @gmail.com username. • The old Gmail address becomes an alias; both old and new addresses receive email and can be used to sign in. • Accounts can change their Gmail username up to three
Games
* Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is available now on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, and My Nintendo marked the release with themed rewards. * New December offers include a Metroid Prime 4 holographic poster set (redeemable for 1,000 Platinum Points) and two sweepstakes: Mario & Yoshi and Metroid Prime Legacy.
Gadgets
* Key Takeaways: * Samsung is developing a new "Wide Fold" foldable with a 5.4-inch closed and 7.6-inch open display and a 4:3 aspect ratio. * The Wide Fold is expected to arrive in fall 2026, positioned to compete directly with Apple's iPhone Fold due in
AI
* Google is testing a new "Lecture" Audio Overview mode in NotebookLM that can produce roughly 30-minute, single-host lectures. * The mode appears alongside Deep Dive, Brief, Critique and Debate and pairs with a "Long" length option. * A language selector and a British English narration voice (expected 2026)
Games
* Walkabout Mini Golf, Arken Age, Meta Neural Band and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City top UploadVR’s 2025 awards. * VitruviusVR wins Best VR Developer for Arken Age; Arken Age is VR Game of the Year. * Meta Neural Band (with Meta Ray-Ban Display) takes Best New Hardware for practical sEMG
Gadgets
* Key takeaways: * Maingear and other prebuilt vendors are offering PCs without RAM as DDR5 prices spike. * AI-driven demand and tighter allocation have pushed DDR5 costs and created scarce inventory. * BYO (bring-your-own) RAM reduces upfront cost but requires customers to check compatibility and speeds. * Expect memory supply pressure to persist into
AI
• Key Takeaways: * A UX lead at a generative AI image startup says repeated image-generation sessions triggered a manic bipolar episode and psychosis. * She spent up to nine hours a day prompting early 2023-era image models, then became obsessed with AI depictions of herself. * The experience illustrates a potential digital-addiction pathway
Gadgets
* Key Takeaways: * Samsung’s 2026 Odyssey lineup includes the Odyssey 3D G90XH: a 32-inch 6K monitor with glasses-free 3D and eye-tracking. * The Odyssey G6 G60H claims a "world’s first" 1,040Hz refresh rate (HD), with 1440p running up to 600Hz; AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync supported. * Additional
Gadgets
* Key Takeaways: * A livestreamed durability test of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold showed hinge failure after roughly 144,984 folds. * Audible creaks were first reported at 61,212 and again at 120,157 folds before catastrophic hinge problems. * Samsung rates the TriFold for 200,000 folds in lab testing; real-world
Gadgets
* Key takeaways * Rumors from The Information say the iPhone Fold will have a 5.3‑inch outer (cover) display, smaller than the discontinued 5.4‑inch iPhone mini. * Apple appears to favor a roughly 4:3 inner panel, prioritizing the unfolded, tablet-like experience over a large cover screen. * A smaller
