Games
* Key Takeaways * Carolyn Petit’s 2025 list prizes games that take creative risks over frictionless, mass-appeal design. * Shadow Labyrinth (Bandai Namco) tops the list for its strange, discovery-driven Metroidvania world. * Other highlights: Blippo+ and Despelote for narrative invention; Terminator 2D: No Fate and Absolum for mechanical excellence. Why these games
Games
* Key Takeaways: * Code Vein 2 (Jan 30) brings vampire action and an exploration motorcycle; Bandai Namco leads the sequel push. * Code Violet (Jan 10) is a Dino Crisis–inspired, PS5-only action-horror from TeamKill Media. * Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven (Jan 22) is the biggest paid expansion with new systems, dungeons,
Gadgets
* AI-powered EQ and ambient lighting land across LG’s new xboom speakers. * Stage 501 adds vocal removal, pitch control and 220W output for parties. * Blast, Mini and Rock prioritize battery life, portability and ruggedness. * All four models will be shown at CES and are due in 2026; pricing TBA. What
Research
* Social feeds in 2025 are increasingly monetized: sponsored posts, shoppable videos and AI-generated content dominate the experience. * Instagram, TikTok and YouTube prioritize engagement and commerce, leaving fewer genuine posts from real friends. * Alternatives like Reddit and Bluesky still retain pockets of real conversation, but long-term monetization threatens their character. * For
AI
* Apple leaders reportedly see large language models (LLMs) becoming commodities, which helps explain conservative AI spending. * Apple maintains an internal models team but appears to favor hardware, software, and services control over costly LLM development. * The company is exploring partnerships (reportedly with Google) to power Siri while keeping a measured
Chips
• Key takeaways • Global semiconductor shortages and constrained fab capacity risk pushing consumer electronics prices up to 20%. • Demand from automotive, AI and 5G devices is tightening supply for key nodes used in phones, laptops and TVs. • Firms are responding with long-term contracts, redesigns to older process nodes and accelerated fab
Software
* Key Takeaways: * ReactOS synced its MSVCRT implementation with Wine 10.0, marking a major step toward Windows NT6 (NT 6.0) compatibility. * The rebase reduced API test failures by about 29.6% (roughly 7,574 of 25,517 failures). * Work is tracked in ReactOS GitHub merge request #8204 and was
Gadgets
* Apple has reportedly cut production of the Vision Pro headset after weak consumer demand. * Market intelligence shows Vision Pro marketing fell more than 95% last year, and IDC estimates roughly 45,000 units sold in the last quarter. * High price, limited apps and comfort issues are cited as key barriers;
AI
* Key Takeaways: * Adam Mosseri says AI content is becoming ubiquitous and may soon outnumber real photography on Instagram. * He argues platforms should focus on fingerprinting authentic media (cryptographic signing at capture) rather than chasing increasingly convincing fakes. * Mosseri warns watermarking and detection will weaken as generative AI improves, and urges
Gadgets
• Key Takeaways: * Samsung’s first trifold, the Galaxy Z TriFold, starts at roughly $2,500. * The device has two folds and two internal screens, available first in South Korea and coming to the US. * Reviewers say it’s pricier than other foldables and shows usability and polish problems. What the
AR/VR
* Apple has scaled back production and reduced marketing for its Vision Pro headset after weaker-than-expected early demand. * The mixed‑reality device, introduced at WWDC and priced at $3,499, faces a narrow early market because of cost and use‑case limitations. * The move signals a short‑term course correction but
Startups
* Space Forge has activated a microwave-sized ‘factory’ in low Earth orbit and run its furnace to about 1,000°C, producing glowing plasma images beamed back to mission control in Cardiff. * The company says in-space conditions can yield semiconductors up to 4,000× purer than Earth-made equivalents, improving electronics from