AYANEO has paused its Kickstarter campaign for the Pocket Play smartphone as part of its "Service Improvement Plan" to address community complaints about unfulfilled orders and delays.
An 81-year-old grandmother from Arizona, Sue Jacquot, started a YouTube channel called GrammaCrackers to support her grandson Jack, who was diagnosed with sarcoma in 2024 and has undergone over 200 chemotherapy treatments. The channel has nearly 200,000 subscribers, with proceeds directed towards Jack's medical expenses. The family has raised over 0,000 through a GoFundMe campaign for Jack's treatment. Recently, Jack has been declared "cancer free" and is "feeling great."
Recent concerns have been raised about the Grok AI chatbot, associated with Elon Musk, due to reports of explicit and degrading content. A new strain of malware targeting Apple computers, linked to vulnerabilities in the Mac App Store, has been identified as part of the SimpleStealth campaign. Users are advised to download applications only from the official app store or reputable companies, as Grok is not considered reputable. Many antivirus programs have difficulty detecting this malware variant, making robust Mac antivirus software a wise investment. Apple's built-in security software, XProtect, provides some protection, but users should remain vigilant and enhance their cyber hygiene.
Sue Jacquot, an 81-year-old woman, started a YouTube channel called Gramma Crackers in 2024 to support her grandson Jack Self during his cancer treatment. The channel focuses on her gaming adventures in Minecraft and has attracted over 150,000 followers and 564,000 views on her first video. Each video includes a link to Jack's GoFundMe page, which raised significant funds for his treatment. The gaming community has shown overwhelming support, contributing to the campaign and providing encouragement. Sue's experience highlights the growing trend of elderly individuals engaging in gaming, as seen in other stories like a 92-year-old woman winning a Tekken 8 tournament in December 2025.
Goodman Games has released an extensive collection of Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) books through Humble Bundle, featuring notable adventures from the past decade. The DCC system offers a unique twist on Dungeons & Dragons rules and can be adapted to various retro dungeon crawling systems. The bundle is available for nine more days, ending on January 22.
The January 8 SteamOS beta update introduces a feature called ntsync, which provides kernel-level support for a driver that enhances Windows game performance on Linux systems, particularly for the Steam Deck. This update may improve performance for older titles in the Call of Duty franchise and other classic games. Testing on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare showed minor frame rate improvements when using the ntsync-enabled Proton-GE fork, stabilizing frame rates around 135-144 FPS compared to 130-140 FPS on the fsync build. Users have reported that issues like framerate drops and graphical glitches in Call of Duty Black Ops have been resolved with the new Proton-GE/ntsync combination. To utilize these improvements, users can opt into the SteamOS 3.7.20 beta branch and install the latest Proton-GE version via the Proton Up-Qt app.
The BioWare Anthem servers will shut down on January 12. Anthem was launched nearly seven years ago but never fully realized its potential. Despite initial excitement and captivating gameplay mechanics, the game suffered from a lack of mission variety, limited equipment options, and slow narrative pacing. BioWare announced in February 2020 that it would halt seasonal updates to focus on a "substantial reinvention," but a year later confirmed that Anthem was effectively dead. The game is remembered for its promise and the nostalgic experiences it offered to players.
The Souls-like genre saw a release of 371 titles in 2024, marking a 41% year-over-year growth, with 207 games tagged as Souls-like by October 2025. Best-selling titles include Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (41.3 million copies), Elden Ring (40.6 million), and Monster Hunter: World (35 million). AAA developers generated approximately 75% of Souls-like revenue on Steam by 2024. Souls-like games represent about 4-5% of all titles on Steam. The APAC region accounts for 80% of all Souls-like projects and 97% of total revenue as of 2025. Chinese players make up 47% of the audience for top Souls-like games on Steam, followed by the US at 23%. Most AAA titles in the genre are priced between .99 and .99.
Security researchers have identified a social engineering campaign that mimics the Windows Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) to deceive users into installing a remote access Trojan (RAT). The campaign, named PHALT#BLYX, begins with phishing emails that appear to be legitimate cancellation notices from travel websites, leading victims to a fake login page and an interactive CAPTCHA. This culminates in a full-screen imitation of the BSOD, prompting users to follow instructions that ultimately allow attackers to gain control of their computers.
The attackers use a “ClickFix” process that involves executing commands through native Windows tools like PowerShell and MSBuild, making detection more challenging. The malware delivered is an obfuscated version of DCRat, which provides attackers with remote control capabilities, keylogging, and the ability to download additional malware. The campaign primarily targets hotels and hospitality businesses in Europe, exploiting the urgency of front-desk staff to respond to apparent technical issues.
Indicators of a fake BSOD include the ability to interact with the screen, requests to execute commands via Windows tools, and the presence of CAPTCHA prompts. Organizations are advised to train employees, implement application control, enhance email and web defenses, and prepare for incident response to mitigate risks associated with such attacks.
Terra Invicta has officially launched on PC and is available on Game Pass. Developed by Pavonis Interactive and published by Hooded Horse, the game focuses on humanity's response to an impending alien invasion, featuring seven factions with distinct ideologies. The game includes political maneuvering, space colonization, and hard science fiction elements, emphasizing realistic mechanics in space combat and resource management. It is priced at £34.99 for standalone purchase and has received a "Very Positive" rating on Steam. Currently, there are no plans for an Xbox console version.
