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Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced’s standard edition is “is the full, complete experience”, Ubisoft insist in response to Steam DLC furore
Ubisoft has publicly defended the standard edition of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced after some Steam users left negative reviews over the number of purchasable extras available at launch. Responding directly to the criticism, the publisher insisted that the base game is “the full, complete experience”, with every mission, island and story element included and…
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Indie developer says Steam did them a solid by fixing their unbootable game to beat the Next Fest deadline
An indie game developer has publicly praised Valve after Steam staff stepped in to fix a game that would not boot, allowing it to make the deadline for the platform’s Next Fest showcase. According to the developer, the store’s team intervened directly to get the unbootable build working rather than letting the submission miss the…
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Record industry proposes AI labeling system for streaming platforms
The RIAA and IFPI are leading a coalition of music industry bodies in a push to have AI-made tracks labelled across the world’s streaming services, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Friday (10 July). The group plans to work with platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music to attach two distinct tags,…
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Which MacBook to Buy (2026): My Honest Advice on Which to Buy
WIRED has updated its MacBook buying guide for 2026, and the headline development is that Apple sharply raised the price of every MacBook and iPad on 25 June, despite the models themselves being unchanged. This is notable because Apple rarely increases prices outside of a product refresh, and the rises come only months after the…
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Wally Funk, last of Mercury 13 and oldest woman in space, dies at 87
Wally Funk, the last surviving member of the Mercury 13 and the oldest woman ever to fly into space, has died peacefully at her home in Grapevine, Texas, at the age of 87. She first sought to become an astronaut in the early 1960s, when she and 12 other women pilots underwent the same physical…
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Microsoft cuts 136 of id Software’s 185 staff as Carmack voices regret
Microsoft has reportedly cut a large share of the workforce at id Software, the storied studio behind franchises such as Doom and Quake, eliminating 136 of its 185 staff. The scale of the reduction — roughly three-quarters of the team — marks a dramatic contraction for one of the most influential names in video game…
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“My ‘Microsoft will probably be a good steward of the brand’ statement isn’t aging well” – id Software co-founder John Carmack speaks out after devastating Xbox layoffs
John Carmack, co-founder of id Software — the studio behind Doom and Quake — has publicly responded to sweeping layoffs at his former company following a major restructuring at Microsoft’s Xbox division. New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced an initial 1,600 job losses, with a further 1,600 expected over the coming year, affecting numerous studios…
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Rocket Report: “Panic” over Transporter availability; Isar to launch from Canada
This edition of Ars Technica’s Rocket Report (Edition 9.02) rounds up recent developments across the global launch industry, with attention turning to Asia for the debuts of China’s reusable Long March 10B and India’s privately built Skyroot Vikram-1. The headline items include Germany’s Isar Aerospace striking a deal to launch from Canada and the retirement…
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DC’s 2-Part Sci-Fi Masterpiece Officially Gets an Update on What’s Next
The article reports that a third season of HBO’s DC series Peacemaker has not yet been confirmed, but star Jennifer Holland has offered fans an encouraging signal about the show’s future. Speaking to People Magazine, Holland — who plays Emilia Harcourt and whose real-life partner is DC Studios co-head James Gunn — said she “could…
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Polestar owners left ‘holding the bag’ after EV brand pulls out of the US
Polestar has announced it will stop selling its electric vehicles in the United States from the 2027 model year, leaving thousands of existing owners and dozens of dealers uncertain about servicing, software updates, warranties and resale values. The withdrawal follows the federal government’s refusal to authorise continued sales under a rule banning vehicles with connected-vehicle…