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Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney argues banning Twitter over its ability to AI-generate pornographic images of minors is just 'gatekeepers' attempting to 'censor all of their political opponents'
AppWizard
January 12, 2026

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney argues banning Twitter over its ability to AI-generate pornographic images of minors is just ‘gatekeepers’ attempting to ‘censor all of their political opponents’

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has criticized a US initiative to ban the social media platform X and its generative AI tool, Grok, following reports of Grok generating inappropriate images, including those of minors. Sweeney emphasized the importance of open platforms and opposed political demands for censorship, labeling it as crony capitalism. Reports indicated that Grok produced troubling content, including altered images of influencers in compromising situations. In response to the controversy, X has placed Grok's image generation feature behind a paywall. Sweeney's stance on free speech contrasts with censorship practices on his own platforms, such as the Epic Games Store's ban on the art game Horses due to pressure from conservative groups. He acknowledged the dangers of AI, noting that major AIs have instances of misuse.
Rainbow Six Siege X seemingly compromised again as players hit with brain rot-inspired 67-day 'bans'
AppWizard
January 5, 2026

Rainbow Six Siege X seemingly compromised again as players hit with brain rot-inspired 67-day ‘bans’

Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege X has experienced multiple security breaches, leading to the game being taken offline, a server rollback, and a temporary marketplace shutdown. Following a significant hack that flooded players with in-game currency, a subsequent incident involved players receiving false notifications of in-game bans for harassment, with absurd durations like 67 days. Players also encountered modified messages mimicking standard reporting notifications. The official server status page indicates ongoing authentication and matchmaking outages, with connectivity marked as 'degraded.' Ubisoft has not yet provided a detailed response to these hacking attempts.
Android Central's Best of 2025 Awards: The best phones, smartwatches, tablets, apps, and more
AppWizard
December 29, 2025

Android Central’s Best of 2025 Awards: The best phones, smartwatches, tablets, apps, and more

The OnePlus 15 was named Best Android Phone, featuring a fast chip, three-day battery life, and a 165Hz display. The Google Pixel 10 Pro won Best Camera with its Gemini-powered photo system. The Nothing's CMF Phone 2 Pro was recognized as the best budget option. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 was awarded Best Foldable Device, while the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 was named Best Flip Phone. Samsung was recognized as the most improved brand. The Google Pixel Watch 4 won Best Smartwatch, and the Oura Ring 4 was the top smart ring. The Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 was the best smart glasses, with the Oakley Meta Vanguard for athletes and the Xreal One Pro as Best XR Glasses. Marvel's Deadpool VR won Best Single-Player VR, and Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked was Best Multiplayer VR Game. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 was the Best Chromebook, and the OnePlus Pad 3 was the best tablet. The Amazon Kindle Scribe was awarded Best E-Reader. Spotify was named Best Music Streaming Service, and Netflix was Best Video Streaming Service. The Gemini app won Best Android App, and Pokémon TCG Pocket was Best Android Game. Spigen was recognized as Best Phone Case Manufacturer, Anker was the top charging brand, Sony WH-1000XM6 won Best Wireless Headphones, and Apple AirPods Pro 3 were the best earbuds.
Rainbow Six Siege X servers are back online after a hack completely shut down the game — Ubisoft rolling back free ultra-rare skins and billions of credits
AppWizard
December 29, 2025

Rainbow Six Siege X servers are back online after a hack completely shut down the game — Ubisoft rolling back free ultra-rare skins and billions of credits

Rainbow Six Siege servers and primary services have resumed operations after a hacking incident that led to a complete shutdown of the game. Players may experience a wait queue as services come back online. Those who accessed the game after December 27th at 19:49 UTC might temporarily lose access to their accounts due to measures taken to address the unintended distribution of in-game rewards during the hack. Players who did not log in between December 27th at 10:49 UTC and December 29th should see no changes to their inventory. Ubisoft is conducting an ongoing investigation into the breach, which is expected to continue for two weeks, and the Rainbow Six Siege marketplace will remain closed until further notice. The hacking incident allowed attackers to access the game's backend systems, enabling them to ban and unban players and distribute unlimited in-game credits and exclusive skins. Some players reported receiving up to two billion R6 credits and rare skins typically reserved for developers.
The year of Minecraft: How Jack Black's block-tastic video game adaptation started the most chaotic cinema trend of 2025
AppWizard
December 29, 2025

The year of Minecraft: How Jack Black’s block-tastic video game adaptation started the most chaotic cinema trend of 2025

A Minecraft Movie was released on April 4, 2025, featuring Jack Black as Steve and other characters navigating the Minecraft world. The film generated significant fan engagement, with audiences cheering and celebrating during screenings, leading to some theaters requiring law enforcement to maintain order. A UK cinema banned children to curb disturbances. The film's success is attributed to Minecraft's large player base, with 1.4 million active players daily and over 50 million annual logins. The landscape of video game adaptations has improved, with successful examples like HBO's The Last of Us and Prime Video's Fallout. A sequel to A Minecraft Movie is scheduled for release on July 23, 2027, alongside other adaptations like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and a Street Fighter reboot.
TikTok is being sold to US investors: Here's what it means for Android users
AppWizard
December 21, 2025

TikTok is being sold to US investors: Here’s what it means for Android users

TikTok has signed a deal to establish a joint venture primarily controlled by American investors, set to close on January 22, 2026. U.S. investors will gain full control over TikTok's algorithm and decision-making processes. The joint venture will involve partial ownership transfer to firms including Oracle Corporation, Silver Lake, and MGX. The agreement follows an Executive Order by President Trump on September 25, 2025, mandating that the U.S. joint venture be majority owned by American investors and governed by a majority-American board of directors. The deal aims to address concerns about the influence of TikTok's algorithm on public opinion and will ensure U.S. user data is stored in a secure cloud environment managed by Oracle. There are uncertainties regarding potential Chinese government intervention and compliance with congressional stipulations.
Anonymous messaging app NGL was acquired by 'earnphone' startup Mode Mobile
AppWizard
December 20, 2025

Anonymous messaging app NGL was acquired by ‘earnphone’ startup Mode Mobile

NGL was acquired by Mode Mobile, a company that monetizes user engagement through advertisements. NGL gained popularity in late 2021 but faced controversy for fostering bullying and employing questionable growth hacking strategies, including sending automated misleading messages. The FTC banned NGL's availability to minors after a two-year investigation and fined the app million for deceptive practices. Following the acquisition, the remaining three employees of NGL will join Mode Mobile. Mode Mobile has developed the “EarnPhone,” which allows users to earn money through everyday activities but relies heavily on advertising revenue. The specific terms of the acquisition are undisclosed.
Riot Games found a motherboard security flaw that helps PC cheaters
AppWizard
December 19, 2025

Riot Games found a motherboard security flaw that helps PC cheaters

Riot Games has identified a significant security vulnerability in recent motherboards that could be exploited by cheaters, allowing cheats to operate undetected and undermining competitive gaming integrity. Major motherboard manufacturers, including Asrock, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI, have released BIOS updates to mitigate this issue. If unaddressed, the vulnerability would have rendered existing direct memory access (DMA) detection and prevention technologies ineffective. The vulnerability involves DMA hardware devices connecting via PCIe slots, which could bypass input-output memory management unit (IOMMU) protections. Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat software may soon require players to update their BIOS to continue playing Valorant, and other anti-cheat systems are likely to implement similar checks.
There's more to Horses than the Steam ban: The controversial horror game is a great example of how games can effectively borrow from film, and how they can also stumble
AppWizard
December 17, 2025

There’s more to Horses than the Steam ban: The controversial horror game is a great example of how games can effectively borrow from film, and how they can also stumble

Steam rejected Santa Ragione's new art horror game, Horses, due to its unsettling content, which led to controversy and a lack of clarity from Valve regarding the ban. The game is visually striking and thematically cohesive, exploring routine through the character Anselmo's daily chores on a farm, but it struggles to engage players meaningfully. Valve's guidelines prohibit content designed to "shock or disgust," and while Horses achieves its goal of provoking thought and discomfort, it ultimately fails to fully realize its potential as an interactive experience. The game's pacing and linear progression in the latter half undermine its narrative impact, as it does not allow players time to reflect on the unsettling themes presented. The controversy has sparked discussions about the gaming industry's approach to controversial topics.
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