Games
* Key takeaways: * Nintendo launches Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition on Jan 15 with enhanced resolution and new controls. * New multiplayer: up to 12 players online (Switch 2 Edition), 8 via local wireless; CameraPlay shows reactions for up to 4 players. * Free update for existing New Horizons owners
Chips
* Exynos 2700 (codename "Ulysses") reportedly uses Samsung's SF2P 2nm GAA process for ~12% performance and ~25% energy gains. * ARM C2 cores (C2‑Ultra/C2‑Pro) expected, with a prime core clock near 4.20GHz and an IPC uplift of ~35%. * New FOWLP-SbS packaging introduces a unified
TV
* Key Takeaways: * YouTube TV is rolling out a redesigned Live Guide to Android and iOS, matching the TV app’s 2023 layout. * The new view increases information density: channel icons on the left, swipe for upcoming shows, and a red “Jump to live” button. * Long-pressing a program opens a floating
Research
* Key takeaways: * Embodied robots can model core features of the human ‘minimal self’: body ownership, agency and self/other distinction. * Disembodied generative AIs (LLMs) may mimic self-talk but lack sensorimotor grounding needed for true selfhood. * Robotic experiments (motor babbling, mirror tests, rubber-hand variants) validate neuroscience theories of body representation and
Software
• Linux Mint 22.3 “Zena” is available now with Cinnamon 6.6, Xfce 4.18 and MATE 1.26. • Based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and shipping with Linux kernel 6.14 for improved hardware support. • New System Information and System Administration tools, Timeshift snapshot pause, and XApp Symbolic Icons
Gadgets
Key Takeaways: * Samsung and Netflix are offering an exclusive Stranger Things theme and five wallpapers for Galaxy phones via the Galaxy Store. * The pack is free for users who download or launch the Netflix app and is available Jan. 12–Feb. 22, 2026 in 186 countries. * The theme reflects Season
Gadgets
* Key Takeaways: * Leaks point to Samsung using the ISOCELL HP6 sensor on the Galaxy S27 Ultra, possibly in early 2027. * Reports describe the change as evolutionary: refined image processing and low-light gains rather than a radical hardware overhaul. * Expect improvements in dynamic range, autofocus and noise reduction driven by sensor
Gadgets
• Dell debuts its largest UltraSharp: a 51.5" Thunderbolt 4 monitor aimed at professionals. • Lenovo shows a tall 16:18 ThinkCentre X AIO Aura Edition tailored for creators and data work. • OLED panel makers return to RGB-stripe and V-stripe layouts to reduce text fringing. • Samsung expands glasses-free 3D to
AI
* Deep neural networks such as PredNet can be fooled by motion illusions, supporting predictive-coding explanations of perception. * Key differences remain: AI models often lack attention mechanisms and perceive scenes differently from humans. * Quantum-inspired networks can reproduce bistable switches (Necker cube, Rubin vase) with human-like timing. * These AI experiments offer a
Chips
• Key Takeaways: * A Galaxy S26 running Samsung’s Exynos 2600 has appeared on Geekbench, marking the chipset’s first public benchmark on a retail device. * The listing and related tests show GPU performance close to the Snapdragon-powered S26, suggesting parity across platforms. * US models will still use the overclocked Snapdragon
Gadgets
* Micro RGB panels can hit 100% of the BT.2020 HDR color standard, improving color fidelity over quantum-dot sets. * Samsung’s first Micro RGB TV reached full BT.2020 but cost nearly $30,000 for a 115-inch model. * Micro RGB uses individual red, green and blue backlights, avoiding the filters
AI
* Key Takeaways: * Linus Torvalds published AudioNoise, a GPLv2-licensed open-source project for random digital audio effects. * Parts of the project — notably a Python audio visualizer — were produced using "vibe coding" with Google Antigravity. * AudioNoise grew out of Torvalds' holiday hobby work on guitar pedals and is hosted at
