Elodie Games announces Seekers of Skyveil will enter Early Access in March, kicking off this new entry in the MOBA, well, arena. This includes extraction-inspired gameplay and elements designed to appeal to action/RPG players: "Embark on a wild, thrilling adventure that expands the core game loop into a genre and setting that is more appealing to ARPG players. Claim your adventure as you collect magical gear, customize your weapons, and upgrade your base each match." This will be preceded by a 10-day playtest that will get underway on Friday. This will be the game's largest test to date, and players are encouraged to request access on Steam. Unfortunately this is restricted to North America, especially since there are exclusive rewards for testers. This post has the details and an Official Beta Trailer. The announcement has a funny bit reminding lapsed MOBA and extraction players that this is a chance to put that muscle memory to use:

Seekers of Skyveil is the next great adventure for MOBA and extraction players seeking the novelty, excitement, and challenge they once had in a new experience that still supports and rewards their genre skillset. Drawing inspiration from MOBAs, battle royales, and hero shooters, Seekers of Skyveil favors fast-paced action over the volatile, inconsistent combat pacing often found in other extraction games.

At the center of the action are our Seekers, heroes with unique aesthetics, playstyles, and personalities. Play as an edgy owl marksman, a joyful bunny-girl healer, an artistic ice mage, and more.

Continue here to read the full story.

Tactics of World War I is now available on Steam, putting you in the trenches of World War I to test your real-time tactical acumen (thanks IndieDB). Headless Horseman Games is offering a 15% launch discount but no launch trailer, so the recent Release Date Trailer will have to serve. Here's more on this chance to simulate the war to end all wars:

Tactics of World War I puts you in the role of a military leader on the Western Front. Lead your men through some of the fiercest battles in history. But only if you plan your attacks thoroughly, and react smartly and quickly to your enemies actions you will succeed.

The game features two single-player campaigns set on the Western Front. A German campaign about the invention of the famous "Sturmtruppen", an elite infantry unit founded to overcome the stalemate of trench warfare. And a British campaign dealing with the deployment of the very first tanks to the battlefield.

The campaigns extent over the entire conflict from 1914 to 1918, including decisive battles such as the Battle of Flirey or the Battle of Passchendaele.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Gentrified Doom remake trades chainsaw for cheese knife - Ars Technica.

• 'That's my ass again': A Marvel Rivals body model realises she's the inspiration behind the new hero Sue Storm after recognising her butt in the teaser trailer - PC Gamer.

• Save 91% on Ship Graveyard Simulator on Steam.
• Save 10% on Yaoling: Mythical Journey on Steam

• Tencent loses billions in market value after the U.S. accuses the video game giant of links to China’s military - Fortune/Yahoo!

• Marvel Rivals Hero Stats Reveal Pick and Win Rates in Quickplay and Competitive Modes - IGN.

• Ubisoft Responds to Damning Reports of Abuse by Assassin's Creed Shadows Studio - Wccfech.

• Nintendo-Sony's canceled SNES CD may soon become a reality - DSOGaming.

• Call of Duty x Squid Game 2: VIPs Bundle - Call of Duty: Warzone & Black Ops 6 (video).
• Fallout Season 2 Production Delayed Due To Massive California Fires - GameSpot.
• Final Fantasy 7 director would ‘love’ another movie based on the game - VGC.

Official patches.

• Marvel Rivals Version 20250110 Balance Post – Season 1 Begins.

• New year new testing features - Minecraft.

Official trailers.

• Dwarf Fortress Adventure Mode - Release Date Trailer - YouTube. January 23rd.

• AGDQ’s best moments happen when you least expect them - The Verge.

• Microsoft should be terrified of SteamOS - PCWorld. Thanks Max.

• Elon Musk claims Tesla is doing 'unsupervised self-driving trials' while playing video games - Electrek.

• EU “energetically” probing disinformation, right-wing bias on X, report says - Ars Technica.
• Threads and Instagram will recommend political content after all - Engadget.
• Tor Browser version 14.0.4. Thanks Console General and Ant.

• Trump unveils $20 billion plan to build more US data centers - TechRadar.
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Uses 30 Gbps GDDR7 Memory Dies From Multiple Partners Starting With Samsung - Wccftech.
• All the Top CPU and GPU News From CES 2025 - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• HDMI 2.2 officially revealed at CES 2025- here's what it means for TVs and gaming consoles - TechRadar.
• Even I was impressed by LG's gigantic transparent OLED chandelier of hopes and dreams, but I'm still not buying one - PC Gamer.
• RadioShack is back (kind of) at CES 2025 - TechCrunch.
• The Return of Alienware Area-51. Thanks Overbuilt. Here's a video.
• The State of Linux Gaming - Chris Titus. Thanks RedEye9.

• Your Next AI Wearable Will Listen to Everything All the Time - WIRED (may require registration or subscription). Going after that last tiny shred of privacy.

• Biden's Cyber Chief leaves successor long To-Do list • The Register.
• Here’s how hucksters are manipulating Google to promote shady Chrome extensions - Ars Technica. 18,000 keywords!
• Green Bay Packers' online store hacked to steal credit cards - Bleeping Computer. Encroachment - five yards! Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Beware, 80% of the most popular fitness apps are selling out your privacy - TechRadar.

• Washington AG sues T-Mobile over data breach that impacted more than 2M residents – GeekWire. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• OpenAI boss Sam Altman denies sexual abuse allegations made by sister - BBC.

Last Link of the Day: REACHER Season 3 - Official Trailer - Prime Video. Thanks RedEye9.

The Monster Hunter Wilds Website announces plans for open beta test 2 for Monster Hunter: Wilds. This will be for Windows, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 and will run from February 6-9 and February 13-16. The Open Beta Test 2 Announcement explains the news in Japanese, but there are English subtitles. Here's word:

Ahead of the game's full release on February 28, 2025, we held an open beta test in November 2024. In response to requests from players who were unable to participate the first time or simply wish to play again, we've decided to hold a second open beta test.

OBT 2 adds some new content to enjoy, as well as new bonuses for participating, which can be claimed in the full version.
We hope you consider participating.

Continue here to read the full story.

A post from Splash Damage on TwitterX shares the "difficult" news that development is cancelled on Transformers: Reactivate, a tie-in with the tie-in series that was planned for PC and consoles. Apologies for missing the game's initial announcement, despite it now being moot. Developer Splash Damage reveals that some staff are losing their jobs upon the news:

This decision did not come lightly, and it is a difficult time for the studio and our people. We want to take a moment to thank the team who worked on Transformers for their dedication and passion.

Hasbro was an incredible and supportive partner throughout, and we hope to work with them again. To the many fans, your excitement and support helped keep us going.

While not being able to see the game through to release is painful, having to say goodbye to friends and colleagues hurts even more. We're now focused on doing everything we can to support them through this tough period, just as we are committed to caring for those who will stay with us as we build a stronger Splash Damage for the future.

Continue here to read the full story.

Warden's Will is now available for Windows on Steam, offering a "time-freezing, mazerunning bullet heaven roguelite" shooter. This debut release from two-person developer ELYZIO carries a 20% launch discount for the next two weeks. The Launch Trailer takes an ironic look at the game's cel shaded style and fast-paced action. Here's more, invoking the multiverse and coining a new way to say floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee:

The multiverse is trapped in a relentless time loop, and only a Warden can break it. The Warden’s Will is not to just survive, the Warden’s Will is to dominate!

Brace for chaos. Unleash destruction. Dominate the corruption. Are you ready? Let’s prepare you for the challenge ahead.

Unique Wardens await, each with their own movement kits and devastating abilities. Fly and rain missiles. Hover and unleash deadly lasers. Dash and slash through enemies. Leap like a rabbit and land like a rhino.

Continue here to read the full story.

Sea Fantasy is now available on Steam, offering an action/RPG for Windows from METASLA that puts the usually sideline activity of fishing in the forefront. This features a "vast" pixel world, and you can cast your eyes on the game's "Final" Trailer for a look. This carries a 20% launch discount for the next week. Here's more on game's hook:

Save the world by fishing!
A new pixel open world action rpg!
This is the story of two young men who set out on an adventure to fish for the SeaAZ, the marine creatures of this world.

When you find a fish shadow, match the marker and throw the rod. Match the timing of the gauge to reduce the health of the SeaAZ and catch the SeaAZ! Don't forget to strip the materials from the SeaAZ you caught.

Continue here to read the full story.

• -80% Weird Worlds- Return to Infinite Space on GOG.com.
• Horror Promo is here! - GOG.com.*

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.

• Ken Levine never expected Take-Two to shutter Irrational after Bioshock Infinite: 'The decision was made at a corporate level - PC Gamer.

• LAIKA’s Launch of Official Coraline Experience on Roblox Nears 18 Million Visits Since Thanksgiving Day Debut - Business Wire.
• Eight years after arriving on Steam, VRChat just hit a new peak concurrent player count - PC Gamer.

• The Flash Director's Shadow Of The Colossus Movie Isn't Totally Dead Just Yet - GameSpot. If The Flash didn't kill it, nothing will.
• MYTHIC QUEST- Season 4 Trailer - Apple TV+.

Official patches.

• Beff Jezos Simulator’s First Early Access Update is Here.

• PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Weekly Bans Notice (12/30~01/05).

• Coming Soon to Game Pass: Diablo, EA Sports UFC 5, and More - Xbox Wire.
• Games on Game Pass Lose Up to 80% of Expected Sales on Xbox - MP1st.

• Valve is changing the way it updates Deadlock 'to help improve our development process', so you can say goodbye to the regular biweekly posts - PC Gamer.

• League of Legends - Welcome to Noxus - Bite Marks (ft. TEYA) - 2025 Season 1 Cinematic.
• Magic Inn - Gameplay Trailer.
• Maze Mice - Teaser Trailer.
• Monster Hunter Wilds- 9 Minutes of Rompopolo Oilwell Basin Gameplay (4K) - IGN.
• Fortnite Karvinus Rooftop Rumble.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Ys X: Nordics - Accolades Trailer (Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, PC).

• The Belly Bumpers Preview is Now Available for Xbox Insiders! - Xbox Wire.
• (For Southeast Asia) New Midnight Black Collection of PS5 accessories launches next month – PlayStation.Blog.

• Samsung is rolling out a smartphone subscription next month - The Verge.
• Microsoft says handheld gaming PC should bring "the best of Xbox and Windows together" - Eurogamer.net.
• Google Pixel 4a's update kills its battery life on purpose - Engaget.

• Huge problems with axing fact-checkers, Meta oversight board says - BBC.
• Meta’s Fact-Checking Partners Say They Were ‘Blindsided’ by Decision to Axe Them - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Wireless is apparently the new copper - LightReading. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Mozilla Thunderbird Desktop Version 128.6.0esr. Thanks Frans.
• Here are some of the horrible things that you can now say on Instagram and Facebook - The Verge.

• TSMC Arizona allegedly now producing AMD's Ryzen 9000 and Apple's S9 processors: Report - Tom's Hardware.
• Dodgy Claims, Decent Value? - Our Thoughts on Nvidia RTX 5090, 5080, 5070 Ti, 5070 - Hardware Unboxed (video).
• The TRUTH About RTX 5000 Pricing. it surprised me - Vex (NSFW video).
• Corsair's new 'personalised RAM' gives you the option to pick the look and speed of memory you hide in the case anyway - PC Gamer.
• Jen-Hsun reckons Nvidia has driven the 'cost of computing down by 1,000,000 times' - PC Gamer. Remember when flagship GPUs cost $2,000,000,000,000?

• Nvidia RTX 50-series and dev kit show that rasterization is old news and we're now firmly in the era of AI rendering - PC Gamer.
• Unveiling NIM Microservices and AI Blueprints - NVIDIA Blog.
• Religious Leaders Experiment with A.I. in Sermons - The New York Times (free account required). Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• Don’t Count Out Human Writers in the Age of AI - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

• FCC chief urges auction to fund 'Rip and Replace' program • The Register.
• License Plate Readers Are Leaking Real-Time Video Feeds and Vehicle Data - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Update Chrome and Firefox now to patch these critical security flaws - ZDNET.
• How to protect yourself from phishing attacks in Chrome and Firefox - ZDNET.
• A Day in the Life of a Prolific Voice Phishing Crew – Krebs on Security.

• World's biggest game publisher Tencent threaten to sue US government for listing them as a Chinese military company - Rock Paper Shotgun. Their dad's a lawyer.
• MoviePass Exec Ted Farnsworth Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud - Variety.

• CPU/GPU/AIO/SSD Cooler: Gamdias AURA GL360 V2 Review - TechPowerUp.
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi Review - TechPowerUp.

If you hear revelry from the engine room at the BlueTower, that's because we're celebrating Frans' birthday. I've said it before, but it cannot be overstated that this site would have disappeared from the internet ages ago were it not for Frans' tireless efforts at keeping things running smoothly. This is largely a thankless task, so I hope you will join by expressing some appreciation in wishing him well on the occasion. Happy birthday Frans, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Obituary: Ex-MLB Pitcher Brian Matusz Dead At 37 - TMZ.

Celebratory Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Stories

• Armie Hammer to Star in Uwe Boll's New Film 'The Dark Knight' - Variety. Will get to chew scenery instead of people.
• Elevator outages tormenting American buildings - Axios. Maintenance is so mundane. Thanks Slashdot.

Science

• This coffee machine brews espresso using water condensed from the air in your home - TechRadar. As clean and as fresh as your home.
• 'Loneliness' Proteins in Your Blood Could Be Putting Your Health at Risk - ScienceAlert.

Media

• Gout - The Disease of Kings. Thanks RedEye9.
• Life needs more cheering sections. Thanks VideoSift.

The Funnies

• Savage Chickens.

Valve announces SteamOS will power Lenovo Legion Go S (8", 1) - Powered by SteamOS, making the upcoming handheld the first official licensee for the Linux-based gaming OS. The headline is "SteamOS expands beyond Steam Deck," so this is not being called a third-party Steam Deck, but with a sexy name like "Lenovo Legion Go S (8", 1) - Powered by SteamOS," what else do you need? A straight Windows edition of the handheld is due this month for $729.99 USD, while the SteamOS version is expected in May starting at $499.99 alongside less expensive configurations for Windows. Here are details from Lenovo:

Available also is the world’s first officially licensed handheld powered by SteamOS—the Lenovo Legion Go S (8”, 1) – Powered by SteamOS. This new handheld combines the powerhouse features of the Lenovo Legion Go S (8”, 1) with the flexibility and console-like experience of SteamOS, Valve’s operating system that is optimized for gaming. Featuring cloud saves that mean a seamless transition between PC gaming and handheld, Remote Play that streams games to the device from a PC, full Steam Store and Steam Library access, the Lenovo Legion Go S (8”, 1) Powered by SteamOS is a big step forward in freedom of choice for gamers who are looking for an OS that is optimized for handheld gaming.

Continue here to read the full story.

Steam now features the launch of Chocolate Factory Simulator, offering a golden ticket to this steampunk confectionary game for Windows from Games Incubator and PlayWay. This features a 15% launch discount as long as you indulge your sweet tooth over the next two weeks. The Official Release Trailer takes a look, and here's more on this variation on a world of pure imagination:

In Chocolate Factory Simulator you will enter a world where steam technology meets confectionery art. With your faithful assistant automaton named Nougat you will create delicious sweets that will delight even the most demanding customers.

From colorful pralines to exquisite chocolate sculptures - each creation will become a masterpiece of taste and design. Don't forget about the right packaging - it's the key to the hearts (and palates) of customers from all over the world!

Continue here to read the full story.

• Save 50% on Prince of Persia The Lost Crown on Steam.
• Save 30% on Endzone 2 on Steam.
• Save 40% on Supernatural on Steam.
• Save 75% on Deceive Inc. on Steam.
• Indie Games Promo is now live! - GOG.com.*
• January Humble Choice - Humble Bundle.*

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.

• Rocksteady ended its tumultuous 2024 by laying off staff - Game Developer.
• Report: Ex-Annapurna Interactive staff taking charge Take-Two's Private Division label - Game Developer.

Official trailers.

• Destiny 2: Revenant - Act III Trailer.
• Dune: Awakening - 4K NVIDIA DLSS 4 Comparison - Captured on GeForce RTX 5090.
• RailGods of Hysterra - Hunt and Sacrifice.

• Here Are The Nominees For The 14th Annual New York Game Awards!

• Star Wars: The Old Republic - Galactic Seasons Objectives: January 7 - February 17.

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows – Parkour System Overview.

• The Zenbook A14 is Asus’ MacBook Air - The Verge.

Thanks Frans.

• Meta Follows Elon Musk’s Lead, Moves Staffers to Billionaire-Friendly Texas - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Meta Now Lets Users Say Gay and Trans People Have ‘Mental Illness’ - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• My Problem With Sponsorblock & the people who use it - Louis Rossmann (NSFW). Caffeinated Louis. Thanks RedEye9.
• Mozilla Firefox 134.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 128.6.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 115.19.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.

• Nvidia's Blackwell flagship GPU uses liquid metal instead of thermal paste to reign in the 575W TGP - Tom's Hardware.
• The 5070 is NOT as fast as the 4090...marketing BS explained - JayzTwoCents (video). Thanks The Flying Penguin.

• Razer Project Ava- would you pay an AI to help you get good at games? - The Verge.
• Why World Foundation Models Will Be Key to Advancing Physical AI - NVIDIA.
• How AI Query Engines Unlock Enterprise Data - NVIDIA Blog.

• Buying a smart home device- Look for this new cybersecurity seal - here's why - ZDNET.

• US sues six of the biggest landlords over “algorithmic pricing schemes” - Ars Technica.

Last Link of the Day: Turtle sex: Dog spooked by grunts coming from doggie door (video) - Boing Boing.

Obituary: Peter Yarrow, of Folk Legends Peter, Paul & Mary, Dies at 86 - Variety.

After months of anticipation and rumors, NVIDIA officially announces the GeForce RTX 50 series, saying it will live up to expectations and be "the most advanced consumer GPU for gamers, creators, and developers" powered by "the fastest GeForce RTX GPU to date." The first cards debut on January 30th alongside new DLSS 4 that promises up to an 8x performance improvement over DLSS 3. The flagship RTX 5090 (USD$1,999.00 MSRP) will feature 92 billion transistors capable of over 3,352 trillion (3.3 quadrillion) AI operations per second (TOPS), and is said to over double the performance of a 4090 GPU, while the $999.00 GeForce RTX 5080 promises 1,801 AI TOPS. In February the $749.00 RTX 5070 Ti (1,406 AI TOPS) and $549.00 5070 (988 AI TOPS) will arrive, and RTX 50-powered laptops should follow in March, promising power savings along with improved performance. These are powered by new Blackwell architecture, which NVIDIA calls "the engine of AI" and "the most significant computer graphics innovation since we introduced programmable shading 25 years ago." Here's the overview:

NVIDIA today unveiled the most advanced consumer GPUs for gamers, creators and developers — the GeForce RTX™ 50 Series Desktop and Laptop GPUs.

Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, fifth-generation Tensor Cores and fourth-generation RT Cores, the GeForce RTX 50 Series delivers breakthroughs in AI-driven rendering, including neural shaders, digital human technologies, geometry and lighting.

Continue here to read the full story.

NVIDIA announces the expansion of its GeForce NOW cloud gaming service, improving support on Steam Deck, Apple Vision Pro, and Meta Quest 3 and 3S and Pico mixed-reality devices. This comes along with the launch of a new GeForce NOW datacenter in India to enhance coverage. Here is a video and here are details on native Steam Deck support, which includes an Ultimate Membership tier:

The Steam Deck’s portability paired with GeForce NOW opens up new possibilities for high-fidelity gaming everywhere. The native GeForce NOW app will offer up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second with high dynamic range on Valve’s innovative Steam Deck handheld when connected to a TV, streaming from GeForce RTX-powered gaming rigs in the cloud.

Last year, GeForce NOW rolled out a beta installation method that was eagerly welcomed by the gaming community. Later this year, members will be able to download the native GeForce NOW app and install it on Steam Deck.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Bethesda Veteran Says Players Are "Fatigued" By Seemingly Endless Games - GameSpot. Post-Starfield clarity.

• Another PlatinumGames director has confirmed they’ve left - VGC.

• Horizon Zero Dawn and Helldivers 2 movies announced - GamesIndustry.biz.
• The Last Of Us Season 2 - April 2025 - Max (video).
• George Romero's Resident Evil - Official Trailer.
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends anime by Aniplex announced - Gematsu. Thanks Max.

• Pirates VR: Jolly Roger on Steam. Will set sail (and sale) in one week.

Official trailers.

• Tails of Iron 2 - Magic & Monsters Trailer - Out 28th Jan on PC, PlayStation, Xbox & Nintendo Switch.
• The Thing: Remastered Accolades Trailer - Nightdive Studios. Thanks Ant.

• Activision spent almost $1.8 billion developing three Call of Duty titles - Game Developer.

• New Midnight Black Collection of PS5 accessories launches next month – PlayStation.Blog. Shades of black.

• Goodyear’s smart tires can sense rain and ice for improved emergency braking - The Verge.
• Europe Wanted to Lead the World on EVs. Its Carmakers Can’t Keep Up - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Segway is finally launching e-bikes at CES 2025 - Engadget. Logical step after revolutionizing urban mall cop travel.

Thanks Ant.

• Taiwan investigating Chinese vessel over damage to undersea cable - Taiwan - The Guardian. Thanks Max.
• Meta is ending its fact-checking program in favor of a 'community notes' system similar to X - MSNBC. Facts are so 20th century.
• Dana White, U.F.C. Head, Joins Meta’s Board - The New York Times (free account required).
• Mozilla Thunderbird Desktop Version 128.6.0esr Release Notes.
• SeaMonkey 2.53.20 is out.

• NVIDIA Reflex 2 With New Frame Warp Technology Reduces Latency In Games By Up To 75% - GeForce News - NVIDIA.
• NVIDIA DLSS Now Accelerating Performance In EVE Frontier & Panicore - GeForce News - NVIDIA.
• LG's new UltraFine monitor is the world's first 6K display with Thunderbolt 5 connectivity - Neowin.
• Razer Redefines Gaming at CES 2025 With Groundbreaking Innovations and Futuristic Technologies. "Groundbreaking" is in the eye of the promoter.
• Project Arielle is a new Razer gaming chair that can heat or cool you - PCGamesN. See?
• Anker’s ‘AI party speaker’ can automatically remove vocals for karaoke nights - Engadget.
• Alienware finally ditches proprietary parts with the new Area-51 desktop - The Verge.
• windirstat version 2.2.0. Thanks Reddit via Ant.

• NVIDIA Redefines Game AI With ACE Autonomous Game Characters - GeForce News.
• Nvidia’s $3,000 ‘Personal AI Supercomputer’ Will Let You Ditch the Data Center - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Project G-Assist- An AI Assistant For GeForce RTX AI PCs, Comes To NVIDIA App In February - GeForce News.
• OpenAI's o3 model for ChatGPT leaves computer science students anxious - Axios.
• NVIDIA Media2 Transforms Content Creation, Streaming and Audience Experiences With AI - NVIDIA Blog.
• Nvidia’s ‘Cosmos’ AI Helps Humanoid Robots Navigate the World - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Apple will update iOS notification summaries after BBC headline mistake - Ars Technica.
• Apple steps up expansion of its News platform - Financial Times. More headline mistakes inbound.

• Vulnerability Summary for the Week of December 30, 2024 - CISA. Thanks Ant.
• 5 browser extension rules to live by to keep your system safe in 2025 - ZDNET.
• Widely used DNA sequencer still doesn’t enforce Secure Boot - Ars Technica.

• Ahead of SCOTUS Hearing, Study Finds TikTok Is Likely Vehicle for Chinese Propaganda - Gizmodo. Thanks Reddit.

• Graphics Card: Intel Arc B580 review- Late arriving, still welcome - Rock Paper Shotgun.
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi Review - TechPowerUp.
• Printer: Creality Ender-3 V3 3D Printer - Nikk Tech.

Extremely Loud Music Is One Hell Of A Way To Remove The Snow From Your Car - Digg. Just when you thought you've seen everything. Okay boomer (see what I did there?), just let the haters complain about your subwoofer now! Though it's too bad the vehicle wasn't a Chevy Avalanche. Anyway, it's pretty wintry here in the northeast, so I guess you do what you can.

Oh yeah, don't forget to join our ESPN Pigskin Bracket Challenge Group if you want to compete for bragging rights. Feel free to share the link.

Booming Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Stories

• Unemployed Office Workers Are Having a Harder Time Finding New Jobs - WSJ/MSN.
• Brazil eliminated daylight saving time. It’s having second thoughts - WSJ/MSN.
• Medical debt soon will be banned on credit reports under Biden administration rule - CNN Business.

Science

• How astronomers used gravitational lensing to discover 44 new stars in distant galaxy - ABC News.
• Storm-Surfing Bats Seen Using The Weather to Cover Astonishing Distances - ScienceAlert.

Media

• Fresno shoe store owner makes break-in 'pointless' with simple trick.

Creature Features

• L'il pup sasses big dog — until even bigger doggo steps in to set things straight (video) - Boing Boing.

Follow-up

• Correcting Genetic Spelling Errors With Next-Generation Crispr - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).