A report on Libération in the site's native French reveals that police have detained former Ubisoft employees for questioning as part of an investigation to the allegations of sexual harassment at the developer/publisher that first surfaced over three years ago. That scandal resulted in apologies, promise of changes, and the removal and departure of staff, but the ramifications continue. Kotaku has details in English, including its own corroboration of the news. Here's a summary of what's going on:

The arrests were first reported by the French newspaper Libération, and have been corroborated by Kotaku’s own sources. As part of the detentions, the former executives will give testimony to law enforcement that could be used in an eventual criminal trial. The high-profile action being taken regarding allegations that first came to light in 2020 follows a multi-year investigation involving interviews with over 50 current and former employees, Libération reports.

Reviews of Assassin's Creed Mirage have started sneaking out. Here's a roundup of the new installment in the stealth/action series:

• Review- Assassin's Creed Mirage - Destructoid.
• Assassin’s Creed Mirage review: In with the old & out with the new - Dexerto.
• Assassin's Creed Mirage review: sneaking behind the times - Digital Trends.
• Assassin's Creed Mirage Benchmarks & PC Performance Analysis - DSOGaming.
• Assassin's Creed Mirage review - a fascinating new city and the embrace of a classic formula - Eurogamer.net.
• ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ Reviews Are In And Just Okay - Forbes.
• Assassin's Creed Mirage Review - Coming Home - Game Informer.
• Assassin's Creed Mirage Review - Back To Basics - GameSpot.
• Assassin's Creed Mirage review - GamesRadar+.
• Assassin's Creed Mirage Review – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, And A Leap Of Faith In The Wrong Direction Entirely - TheGamer.
• Assassin’s Creed Mirage PlayStation 5 Review - GameWatcher.

♪♫ Intermission ♫♪ Continue here to read the full story.

An X from  Cliff Bleszinski mongers a rumor about Gears of War, the third-person shooter series he helped bring to life during his time at Epic Games. The post has a Django Unchained meme saying: "You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention." He says this is in response to a rumor he's heard:

Heard a rumor today from my friend who wrote Gears 5 about the future of the franchise and, let's just say...

GOG.com announces a new freebie, revealing it is now giving away free copies of Heroine's Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok, a fantasy-themed RPG for Windows and Linux from Crystal Shard. If you're looking for an endorsement, dig this: "The game has been voted voted [sic] 69th All-Time Best Computer RPG by RpgCodex." Here's a trailer with a look the retro style of the 2014 release. Here's word:

Heroine's Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok is an adventure / RPG hybrid. Like in many adventure games, you have a world to save, and must use your wit, guile and inventory to puzzle your way through. Like in many roleplaying games, you can customize your character with various classes and skills, and must train yourself in combat to stand a chance against the fierce monsters in your way. Each class has her own solution to the numerous obstacles, where the warrior is the most straightforward to play, the sorceress focuses on smart solutions and finding the right spell for the situation, and the rogue cheats her way through life without getting caught.

Continue here to read the full story.

11 bit studios announces The Alters, a base-building survival/adventure that takes on the implications of Moon and Multiplicity, and what you would happen if you could create duplicate versions of yourself. The game's Steam Listing says it's "coming soon," and the first trailer is here with look at what you and you and you and you can expect from this. Here's a bit:

The Alters is a base-building survival game driven by life-defining choices and exploring the diverse paths one could take. The inhospitable planet where Jan crash-landed is turning toward a massive sun, causing radiation levels to soar; in this desperate race against time, Jan must harness local Rapidium crystals to create his many versions: the “Alters”.

Continue here to read the full story.

Wingeon Game Studios offers a first Gameplay Trailer for Drakantos an MMORPG coming "soon" to Windows on Steam as a free-to-play release. The clip shows off action combat and handcrafted pixel art graphics. The indie Brazilian developer also shares some details about its debut game:

Drakantos takes place in the fantasy world of Derid, brought vividly to life through voice-acted cutscenes and a gorgeous and nostalgic pixel art style. Adventurers can explore missions solo or with friends with a growing cast of more than 20 unique heroes. Players will journey through hundreds of handcrafted dungeons that appear over time, each presenting a new set of enemies, bosses, traps, objectives and even special events with unexpected twists, ensuring that every playthrough is unique. As players progress, they'll level up their heroes, discover rare items, and equip themselves with powerful gear.

The game also brings a huge number of collectibles (exclusive icons, titles, skins, emotes, items and pets) as well as several other features such as housing, skill customization, a guild system, market, and more. In PvP, players can battle in competitive ranked modes and in-game tournaments. The stats are even to ensure that only your skill and strategy matter, preserving the competitive integrity apart from the main PvE content.

Continue here to read the full story.

Thief Simulator 2 is now available on Steam, offering Windows gamers the chance to resume a life of crime in this sequel from CookieDev and PlayWay. This is also coming to consoles next year. This carries a 10% launch discount and there is an additional discount for owners of the first game and another discount for owners of other PlayWay titles. A new trailer celebrates the news with a look at gameplay. Here's word:

Thief Simulator 2 uniquely combines stealth, simulation, and adventure in a world of thievery. This first-person perspective (FPP) game offers two gameplay modes: story and free mode. Players can anticipate a variety of challenges, ranging from common houses to highly secure facilities. The storyline of the new installment loosely connects to the mafia family known from the first game; however, the creators emphasize that familiarity with the first title is not a prerequisite to enjoying the criminal fun in the new entry.

Continue here to read the full story.

A new IO Interactive Website celebrates the 25th anniversary of the formation of the developer of the Hitman series, taking us back to the 1990s with a retrospective The festivities includes new content and special activities in Hitman: World of Assassination. Here's word:

Players are invited to join the celebrations and enjoy a long list of in-game events. Two Elusive Target Missions, Bad Boy and The Food Critic, will return to the game, available between October 13th and 23rdand October 20th and 30th respectively.

Hitman: World of Assassination will also offer new challenges and cool suits to its players throughout the month of October. Notably, The Mills Reverie Halloween Event will be back on October 26th. Starting on the same day, the Codename 47 challenge will allow fans to unlock a retro skin and suit for Agent 47. On October 27th, livestream fans will be able to unlock an exclusive Purple Streak Suit as a Twitch drop while watching their favourite content creators.

• Cancelled loot shooter Hyenas allegedly "Sega's biggest budget game ever", new report claims.

• Terminated Dragon Age developers sue BioWare over severance pay.
• Valve Hires Creator Behind Popular 'Half-Life- Alyx' Mod – Road to VR.

• Core Keeper - The Shimmering Frontier Patch Notes - 0.7.0.
• Hunt: Showdown -- Update 1.14.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• Lies of P just got a free DLSS 3 Frame Generation Mod.

Official trailers.

• Forza Motorsport - Official Launch Trailer.

• Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition arrives Oct 6 on PS5 — bringing the characters to life.
• Horizon- Forbidden West Complete Edition Is the First Two-Disc PS5 Game.

• The Google Pixel 8 is official.
• Google extends software support for Pixel phones to a full seven years.
• Android 14 is now available to download on Pixel devices.
• Laptop Makers Face Challenges Moving Production Out of China. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal announced for Switch, iOS, and Android.

• BBC gives up on Threads. Thanks Ant.
• The Best Hidden Brave Browser Features. Thanks Ant.
• Meta's AI stickers are here and already causing controversy.

Thanks Ant.

• AMD Radeon RX 7900M -RDNA 3- Enthusiast Mobility GPU Specs Leak- Navi 31 With 72 Compute Units, 16 GB VRAM.
• Taiwan Tech Companies Are Helping Huawei Build a Secret Network of Chip Plants (may require registration or subscription).
• OpenCore Legacy Patcher project brings macOS Sonoma support to 16-year-old Macs.
• Two years after launch Windows 11 adoption is still waaaay behind Windows 10.

• GAO tears into State Department's cybersecurity management. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Google just fixed the Pixel's biggest biometric security problem, but there's a catch.
• Linux tries to dump Windows' notoriously insecure RNDIS protocol.
• Your Cheap Android TV Streaming Box May Have a Dangerous Backdoor (may require registration or subscription).

• Counter-Strike 2 review: a big change to an unparalleled FPS, but it could be something special - Rock Paper Shotgun.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Laptop: HP Envy x360 15 Ryzen 7 7730U convertible review- First IMAX Enhanced laptop - NotebookCheck.net Reviews.
• Laptop: Surface Laptop Go 3 review- Microsoft’s basic PC grows up - Engadget.
• Laptop: Surface Laptop Studio 2 review- this could be so much more - The Verge.
• Microphone: AVerMedia Live Streamer Mic 350 Review - Great Hardware, Powerful Software - TechPowerUp.
• Monitor: ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM 240Hz QHD Gaming Monitor - TweakTown.

It's 10/4 in US notation, so here's a 10-4 good buddy, though June 6th International Convoy Day, perhaps to avoid arguments over the proper way to write dates. Here's some good news for fans like MrsBlue and myself, that 'Only Murders in the Building' is renewed for fourth season. The show has been a delightful surprise all along, and we greatly enjoyed Season 3. Though now that it's done, we're struck by the fact that it should have been (spoiler warning) Only Manslaughters (not) in the Building. But that's a quibble. It was tons of fun.

Only Round-ups in the Building
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

• The 50 Best TV Shows Of The 21st Century So Far, Ranked.

Stories

• New York loosens laws on Sunday morning alcohol sales with Bills playing in London. Need to loosen laws on heroin sales with the Giants playing anywhere. Thanks brother19.
• Japan startup develops 'Gundam'-like robot with $3 mln price tag. Thanks Slashdot.

Science

• It’s crunch time for companies building NASA’s commercial lunar landers.
• Important News: Scientists Think They've Finally Figured Out How Cats Purr.

Media

• Largest rotating puzzle cube mosaic image.  Replacing stone and glass with something that will REALLY last.

Follow-ups

• Arizona to End Water Leases to Saudi-Owned Alfalfa Farm. Thanks j.c.f.
• Lady Gaga doesn't have to pay $500,000 to woman charged in connection to stealing her dogs.

Harebrained Schemes and Paradox Interactive have launched The Lamplighters League, and this turn-based strategy game is now available for Windows on the Epic Games Store and Steam as well as for Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass. There's an article from NVIDIA discussing support for the PC edition, which includes DLSS 2 on GeForce graphics cards. The Release Trailer is here with a look at gameplay. Here's word on how this will take players back to the heyday of serials and pulp novels:

Sneak, steal, and shoot your way through a world of pulp adventure in The Lamplighters League! Globetrot across a variety of exciting locales around the world and outwit your enemies in strategic turn-based combat - and, if you play your cards right, you might just save the world.

Harebrained Schemes, the creators of The Shadowrun Trilogy and BATTLETECH, bring you an all-new world set in an alternate 1930s, where a tyrannical cult called the Banished Court stands on the cusp of world domination. For millennia, all that stood between this sinister cabal and their plans were a band of heroic scholars known as the Lamplighters League.

Continue here to read the full story.

High On Knife is now available on the for Windows on the Epic Games Store and for consoles, bringing a knife to the gunfighting of High On Life, the chatty first-person shooter from Squanch Games. This was made without the participation of Justin Roiland, who left the project following domestic abuse allegations. The DLC boasts new voice talent, but the official launch trailer does not feature any of it. Here's word:

High On Knife is essentially a big new bonus episode set after the events of High On Life’s campaign. Your bounty-hunting hero comes home from adventuring, only to find a missed-package slip for a delivery meant for your knife companion, Knifey. Knifey convinces you to head to his home planet to pick up this mysterious package, and then a bunch of stuff happens. Funny stuff. And spooky stuff!

High On Knife features (amazing!) all-new performances from a variety of well-known actors and comedians, including:

Continue here to read the full story.

Publisher tinyBuild and developer Casey Donnellan Games announce Kill It With Fire 2 will include multiplayer support. This will include co-op support, as well as PvP to escalate your war on spiders to include other players. The chance to experience this is upon us, as the game's Steam Listing offers signups to beta test the game PvP Spider Hunt mode. The Multiplayer Reveal Trailer accompanies the news, showing the chaos this brings. Here's more:

Grab your Trackers and Hairspray, we are thrilled to confirm that Kill It With Fire 2 will feature multiplayer for the first time ever in human (and arachnid) history! As well as
four-player co-op multiplayer for the entire campaign, Kill it With Fire 2 also features the highly tactical, often hilarious, competitive PVP - Spiders versus Exterminators!

Our PVP Spider Hunt mode is playable NOW by clicking the playtest button on the Steam page!

Our co-operative mode supports up to FOUR spider-slaying exterminators as you play through the entire campaign from start to finish.

Continue here to read the full story.

Steam now features a playable Windows demo for Cyber Combat, a fast-paced first-person shooter featuring an off-hand grappling hook for a swinging good time. The game features neon vector-style graphic for a Tron vibe, as seen in this Demo Trailer. Here's word:

Featuring a distinct Tron-style visual aesthetic for the world and unique movement mechanics, the game also draws inspiration from other shooters in the genre such as Doom and Ghostrunner, as well as real life sports for both the movement and combat mechanics. Swing around neon arenas like a deadly spider, pouncing on your enemies with a powerful array of unique weapons, and jumping back to evade their counter-attacks and prepare your next strike.

Your grappling hook and momentum will be your best allies to fly around the arena, running on the walls in search of openings to flank your enemies. Take advantage of your surroundings and terrain to evade your enemies and use your weapons unique skills to your advantage: wreak havoc pushing enemies to crash them on each other, hurting or killing them and creating chaos in the battlefield, or use them as bouncing points with your grappling hook to navigate to remote areas – with physics-based collisions that can create chain reactions, your skills can help you cause pure mayhem!

Continue here to read the full story.

Nicalis announces the launch of Ira, a "unique character-based shooter with roguelike elements" that's now available for Windows on the Epic Games Store, GOG.com,* and Steam. The Launch Trailer is here with a look at the game's anime-inspired bullet hell gameplay. Here's the deal:

Developed by Korean studio ABShot with Nicalis, Ira is a unique character-based shooter with roguelike elements, including procedurally generated levels, random item drops and randomly stocked shops. Players are sent back to the starting point when their health runs out, and all weapons, items and gold are lost. But you do get to keep the fragments of the powerful Ira crystal that you collected, and you can use them to activate permanent upgrades for the Apostles who accompany you. You also unlock more Apostles with different abilities as you progress.

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item. Continue here to read the full story.

• Save 30% on Mail Time on Steam.
• NIS Publisher Sale on Steam.
• Tell Me a Story Festival on Steam.
• Save 50% on Eastward on Steam.

• Epic says it's 'looking into' it after pigeon dating sim maker says she's not received royalties in 2 years.
• Dang shuts down.

• Petition to add more pronoun options to Stardew Valley surpasses 1000 signatures.

• Gaming statue maker Gaming Heads will offer refunds following Sony pulling their PlayStation license.

Official patches.

• Destiny 2 Update 7.2.0.6.
• Quake II - Update 1 Release Notes.

• PowerWash Simulator VR - Release Date Reveal Trailer.
• Fly the PS VR2-powered skies of Project Wingman- Frontline 59, out today.

• Cyberpunk 2077 ‘New Person, Same Old Mistakes’ Quest Is Bugged.
• How to fix the screen glitch effect bug in Cyberpunk 2077.

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage – Accessibility Spotlight.

Official trailer.

• The Division 2: Year 5 Season 2 - Puppeteers Launch Trailer.

• Pistol Shrimp and the importance of owning what you make - GamesIndustry.biz.
• Assassin's Creed Mirage - Official Basim and Roshan Interview & Gameplay - IGN (video).

• The ‘Dota 2’ International 12 Prize Pool Is Historically Low.

• Additional Tickets for BlizzCon 2023 Now on Sale.
• 5 years after it closed for good, Gearbox confirms that the hero shooter Gigantic is coming back for a 'limited time throwback event.'

• Being the Best of the Worst: Tips and Strategies for The Lamplighters League.

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage – Building An Authentic Baghdad.

• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Delta (2310.230928-1038).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Beta (2310.230928-1038).

• Joyful Chaos Wherever You Go! Warcraft Rumble Launches at BlizzCon on November 3.

• NordVPN review: A bit too overhyped for the price - Engadget. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Spotify is giving paid subscribers 15 hours of audiobook listening per month.
• More layoffs reported at Twitch just ahead of TwitchCon Vegas.

• Intel plans to IPO programmable chip unit within three years.
• Windows 11's Latest Cumulative Update Breaks AMD Adrenalin Control Panel.
• Asus Shares Specs for Long-Awaited 540 Hz ROG Swift Pro PG248QP.
• These are the five things you should do after building your PC. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Windows 11's RGB control features are finally available to the public.
• Fake External M.2 NVMe SSD Has MicroSD Cards Inside. Thanks Max.
• Researchers Tested AI Watermarks—and Broke All of Them (may require registration or subscription).
• PowerToys 0.74.1 Patch fixes issues with FancyZones, SVG Preview, Quick Accent, and more.

• US v Sam Bankman-Fried trial begins ... as imploded crypto biz boss sues his insurer.

Last Link of the Day: Sketch Comedy Show From Monty Python Stars Before Fame Lost For 54 Years Later Is Miraculously Found. Thanks Dark Horizons via Ant.

Activision offers the first Multiplayer Trailer from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, kicking off a big week for the upcoming first-person shooter sequel. The Call of Duty Next presentation gets underway on Thursday followed by the Call of Duty Endowment Bowl IV, and the PlayStation multiplayer beta begins on Friday. Also, there are bonuses to be had for those able to stomach chain pizza pizza:

Little Caesars®, a Proud Partner of Call Of Duty® NEXT and Modern Warfare® III. Order from Little Caesars® in November and receive Dual 2XP and bonus in-game rewards, including an Operator Skin with your second qualifying purchase.

The writer's strike is ended, but reality TV isn't going anywhere, and Survivor - Castaway Island is now available for Windows on the Epic Games Store and Steam to celebrate that, well, reality. This is also available for PlayStation and Switch, with Xbox editions to follow. The announcement also covers a GOG.com version, but it's not there at this time. So strip down, snack on some bugs, and check out the Launch Trailer and the details:

In Survivor: Castaway Island, be prepared to experience the ultimate test of survival! As you navigate the treacherous landscape, you'll need to rely on your survival instinct and strategy to remain in the competition. Every decision you make will be crucial to your fate. Are you cunning, strategic, and ruthless enough to outwit, outplay and outlast your opponents?

During your adventure, look for resources and form alliances with other castaways to survive, but remember that trust is hard to come by in the game of Survivor. Choose your allies wisely and don’t get blindsided. In team or individual challenges, push yourself to the limit to avoid being voted off the island.

Continue here to read the full story.

Aeternum Game Studios announces November 9th as the release date for Virtuoso, new boss rush DLC for Aeterna Noctis, the Metroidvania action/platformer featuring 2D hand-drawn graphics. The PC edition will come to both the Epic Games Store and Steam, depending on where you own the original game. There is a hedge in the announcement, which calls this an "estimated" release date, despite being barely a month away. A new trailer is here with a look, and here are some details:

Just over a month until players can step into the shoes of the King of Darkness to face the ruthless bosses of Aeterna Noctis and their much more lethal versions. According to the video and images shared by the studio, “Virtuoso” is a boss rush that will allow players to repeat the fights against the wide and varied catalogue of final bosses in the base game as many times as they want, adding new modes of combat, difficulty and attack patterns, exclusive challenges and what seems like a new, unreleased final boss.

Continue here to read the full story.

A playable demo for Rubber Royale is now available for Windows on Steam as a sample of a Rubber Bandits spinoff. This is an upcoming entry in the platformer sub-trend of the battle royale trend. It involves all the ragdoll physics and wackiness we've come to expect from such a game, as seen in the Demo Trailer. Here's more:

Experience wacky and chaotic gameplay featuring loveable wobbly idiots in a high-speed knock-out setting. Rubber Royale is easy to pick up and learn. Just jump in, customize your character, and battle strangers or friends in a variety of different game modes with the last man standing being the victor in this crazy royale fiesta of a game.

Continue here to read the full story.

• CoD insider claims Modern Warfare 3 has “horrible” shooting mechanics from MW2.
• Even The PS5 Studio Behind The Last Of Us Is Cutting Costs.

• Obsidian's Josh Sawyer jokes that he's waiting for a call from Microsoft to make 'Pillars of Eternity 3. But I don't want it to be a joke.

• Puny Human shutting down after client refused to send payments.

• American Road truckers show 'skill above their experience level' says real-life truck company. Thanks Max.
• Scientists use Age of Empires computer game to simulate ant warfare. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• London Video Game Orchestra returns with Games That Byte.

Official patches.

• Baldur's Gate 3 - Hotfix #8 Now Live.
• FINAL FANTASY XIV- Endwalker - Patch 6.5 Growing Light.
• Gas Station Simulator - Employee Update Hotfix #3 is live!⚒️.
• War Thunder - Update 2.29.0.77.
• World of Warcraft Hotfixes- October 2, 2023.

• Xbox Game Pass will add several games, including Forza Motorsport, and ditch six titles.
• Elon Musk streams Diablo 4 as part of his latest doomed quest to turn X into a Twitch killer.

• Meta Quest+ prices, free games, and how to subscribe.

• RoboCop: Rogue City - Pre-Order Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• "Brutal Quake 2" quick gameplay test. Thanks DSOGaming.

• Overwatch2 Season 7: Rise of Darkness launches Oct 10.

• Anima - Song From the Abyss by Anima Project — Kickstarter. "An Action RPG with a deep storyline and a dynamic combat. Explore a rich world and uncover the secrets behind a lost civilization." Funded and in its final days. Here's a trailer.

• Seagate Delivers Speed and Performance to PlayStation Gamers with the Officially Licensed Seagate Game Drive PS5 NVMe SSD.
• Batman: Arkham Trilogy for Nintendo Switch will now launch on December 1, 2023.
• This Week's Xbox Sales and Specials, Including the Action Adventure Sale and Open World Sale.
• Shine From the Shadows With the Gold Shadow Special Edition Controller.

• Chromebook Plus is Google’s new certification for premium Chromebooks. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• The iPhone 15 Pro has a weird USB-C charging problem. Thanks Max.
• Atom Mobile Gaming Controller For IOS- Cobalt Blue - Turtle Beach.
• Jetson raises $15M from Will.i.am and others for personal electric flying vehicle. Folds into a suitcase or no sale.
• People with Hidden Safety Phones Should Turn Them Off During Oct. 4 Emergency Alert System Test.

• Could you be addicted to the internet? New study sets the scale. Can you be addicted to drawing conclusions based on 800 questionnaires? Thanks Max.
• Ad-free Facebook, Instagram access planned for $14 per month in Europe.
• TikTok testing out advert-free monthly subscription.
• Your Internet Browser Does Not Belong to You (may require registration or subscription). Just like all your base.
• Valve cofounder spins up Hatch no-code web creation platform.
• Gmail is making it easier to avoid spam and unsubscribe from emails.

• ORNL launches Center for AI Security Research to study AI’s impacts on society, security. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 "Storm Peak" CPUs Unveil on 19th October- Up To 96 Zen 4 Cores For Workstation.
• TeamGroup launches T-Force Xtreem DDR5 memory up to 8200 MT/s.
• Nvidia might have forgotten the venerable GTX 1060 but AMD's new Frame Generation tech proves there's life in the old GPU yet.
• You can already hack Ray Reconstruction into Cyberpunk 2077 without the path tracing limitation, but Nvidia promises to open it up officially soon.
• SteelSeries enters the gaming microphone market with Alias.
• ‘Impossible’ Millimeter Wave Sensor Has Wide Potential. Thanks Max.
• paint.net 5.0.10 is now available. Thanks Ant.

Thanks DSLReports and Ant.

• Don’t Let Zombie Zoom Links Drag You Down.
• Motel One discloses data breach following ransomware attack.
• Tom Hanks dental ad is fake and AI-generated, actor says.

• Propaganda In War Video Games: A Legal Minefield For Developers.
• US issues first ever fine for space junk to Dish Network.

• Disgaea 7- Vows of the Virtueless - Christ Centered Gamer.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Laptop: HP AMD Omen 16 Review (2023)- A Powerful Gaming Laptop - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Laptop: HP Omen 16 (2023) review - PCGamesN.
• Laptop: Samsung T9 4TB External SSD Review - Capacious, Powerful and Rugged - TweakTown.
• Microphone: SteelSeries Alias Review- Sounds Expensive - Tom's Hardware.
• Microphone: SteelSeries Alias Pro Review- A Newbie-Friendly XLR Microphone and Interface - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Misc: Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C dock review- great value, but BYO power supply - PCWorld.
• Monitor: Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Review - PCMag.
• Mouse: Logitech Pro X Superlight 2 gaming mouse review - PC Gamer.
• NAS/Enclosure: TerraMaster T6-423 review- Six-bay NAS on a budget - Android Police.
• RAM: G.Skill TridentZ DDR5 7200 CL36 2x24 GB - Guru3D.
• SSD: Samsung T9 Portable SSD Review- A 20 Gbps PSSD for Prosumer Workloads - AnandTech.

• Cyberpunk 2077 Players Are Getting a Kick Out of Update 2.0's Haunted Police Car…

First off, thank you to RogueSix for a forum post about problems with the Astro A50 base station, as it helped me identify the Astro MixAmp Pro TR from my Astro A40 headset as the source of my own USB glitches. I bought a new A40 because I liked my previous one, and the new one came with a fancy MixAmp dealie to switch between PC and Xbox. Want to see a lot of Google results? Search for Astro A40 Xbox One problems. Sure enough, this never worked as intended on my console, but at least I was able to workaround by plugging it into a controller, so I just used the USB in my PC. But once this USB issue was identified as a possible source of my issues, I went back to trying to get it working properly on my Xbox so it could talk to the PC without the USB. This refused to work, so in desperation I turned to tech support. After running through their extensive troubleshooting routine of making sure the firmware was updated and trying an alternate USB port, I asked for a refund. This process seems to be going smoothly, so Astro/Logitech gets high marks for that part of this at least. Anyway, the good news is that removing the MixAmp did indeed clear up the USB/audio resets I was experiencing, and in the past week or so, I've experienced exactly two glitches: A single CTD from Cyberpunk 2077 and another from Portal RTX. I'm going to call that a win.

Fixed-up Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Stories

• Rising Addiction to Milk Tea Linked to Depression in Adolescents. "Almost half of those surveyed said they had at least one cup of milk tea a week." Oh dear! Thanks Max.
• Chase ends in Corona after suspect rams police cars, runs across 91 Freeway lanes. That's one wide freeway!

Science

• Trio win Nobel physics prize for lighting up secrets of the atom.
• A ‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse is coming soon. Here’s what you should know.

Media
Thanks VideoSift.

• The Tragedy Of The World's Tallest Waterslide- The History of Schlitterbahn.
• A little Savage 🤭 #bikergirl #stunt #motorcycle #bike #moto.
• Tornado Damage in Coastal Town.

Creature Features

• HONK. Thanks VideoSift.

The Funnies

• Savage Chickens - Never.