Gadgets
• Samsung unveils a 32-inch Odyssey 3D (G90XH) — the world’s first 6K (6,144 x 3,456) glasses-free 3D monitor with eye tracking. • Odyssey G6 (G60H) introduces a record 1,040Hz refresh via Dual Mode (native QHD up to 600Hz) for competitive esports. • Odyssey G8 family expands with 6K, 5K
Games
* Metacritic’s year-end rankings crown Hades 2 as the highest-rated PC release of 2025 (Metascore 94). * The list spans AAA ports, ambitious indies and remasters — Blue Prince (92), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (91), and Hollow Knight: Silksong (90) among them. * Critics rewarded strong design, replayability, and bold storytelling across genres
Games
* Key Takeaways: * Obsidian’s Avowed is John Walker’s game of 2025 for its worldbuilding, companions, and lasting emotional impact. * Multiplayer extraction shooter Arc Raiders surprised Walker and earned second place despite initial reluctance to play online. * The year balanced big-budget standouts (Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza) with breakout indies
Software
• Threads now supports short, in-feed podcast episode previews that play directly in users’ feeds. • Meta is hosting live podcast events to encourage creators and listeners to build communities on Threads. • Threads aims to shift podcast conversations from fan-run Facebook Groups to host-led interactions on its app. • The move pits Threads
Software
* Familiar Face library cleaned up to improve person identification accuracy. * Animal detection now distinguishes cats and dogs at distance and better preserves colors. * Home Brief descriptions for people are more accurate when faces aren’t visible. * Longer videos get richer AI-generated summaries to capture important events. What’s included in
AI
* Familiar Face filtering now prioritizes clear, complete images to reduce false matches and improve detection accuracy. * Improved animal detection distinguishes dogs and cats at a distance and better identifies color in low‑light scenes. * Home Brief descriptions are more useful for unidentified people and longer videos now get richer AI-generated
Gadgets
* Portable projector and collapsible monitor in one: Arovia’s Splay folds into a 4×4-inch case and weighs about 2.5 pounds. * Strength in projector mode: ultra-short-throw pico projector claims 285 lumens and up to an 80-inch image; integrated fabric screen removes the "right room" problem. * Weakness as
Games
• Key Takeaways: * Game developers across studios named wildly different 2025 favourites, from chaotic co-op (Peak) to tightly written narrative experiments (Type Help). * The list highlights recurring trends: retro-arcade revivals (Parking Garage Rally Circuit), inventive storytelling (The Alters, The Roottrees are Dead) and polished roguelike design (Hades 2). * Several picks are
Space
Key Takeaways: * A NASA safety advisory panel says agency leaders should have declared an in‑flight mishap or high‑visibility close call after Boeing’s CST‑100 Starliner experienced thruster failures and helium leaks in June 2024. * Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams remained on the ISS for nine months;
Security
• Anna's Archive says it scraped roughly 86 million Spotify audio files — about 300 TB — and made metadata for ~256 million tracks available. • The group frames the collection as a "preservation archive" and claims the audio covers about 99.6% of Spotify listens. • Spotify says it identified
Chips
* Apple will source about 60%–70% of iPhone 17 LPDDR from Samsung, per industry reports. * LPDDR5X module prices jumped from roughly $30 to about $70 in 2025, tightening margins. * SK Hynix and Micron are redirecting capacity toward HBM for AI/data-center demand, reducing LPDDR supply. * Apple’s A19/A19 Pro
Games
* Key Takeaways: * Vince Zampella, co-creator of Call of Duty and founder of Respawn Entertainment, has died at 55. * Electronic Arts confirmed Zampella’s death on Dec. 23, 2025; local reports say a car crash on Angeles Crest Highway is involved. * The California Highway Patrol reported the vehicle left the roadway