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Speaking of Matt Damon, there's a new survival game out this week on Steam where you're stranded on Mars and have to grow potatoes to survive
AppWizard
July 29, 2026

Speaking of Matt Damon, there’s a new survival game out this week on Steam where you’re stranded on Mars and have to grow potatoes to survive

Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey is boosting Matt Damon's career. The game Sol One, developed by yeetgench, is inspired by themes of survival similar to those in Damon's role in The Martian. In Sol One, players navigate a Martian landscape, scavenging resources and cultivating food, particularly potatoes, to survive. Unlike the film, the game's protagonist must rely on their ingenuity to escape without waiting for rescue. Players will mine materials like iron, copper, and uranium to build a rocket to return to Earth. The game includes automation features, allowing players to use rovers for resource gathering. Sol One aims for a grounded, science-driven survival experience, featuring realistic weather patterns and dynamic challenges. Early access for the game launches on Steam on July 30.
2 Star Ocean games go DRM-free on GOG as the storefront promises it's working on embracing the Linux faithful
AppWizard
July 28, 2026

2 Star Ocean games go DRM-free on GOG as the storefront promises it’s working on embracing the Linux faithful

Select titles from the Star Ocean series, specifically Star Ocean: The Divine Force and Star Ocean: The Second Story R, are now available on GOG, marking their premiere on the platform. Both games have been included in the GOG Preservation Program to ensure compatibility with modern operating systems. GOG is also working on making the GOG Galaxy launcher compatible with Linux systems, acknowledging the growing number of gamers migrating from Windows to Linux.
Marvel Tōkon's developer has apologised to PC players for the beta's performance issues, with only a week until launch
AppWizard
July 28, 2026

Marvel Tōkon’s developer has apologised to PC players for the beta’s performance issues, with only a week until launch

The beta for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls lasted three days and faced significant challenges, including PlayStation Network outages on launch day and performance issues for PC players, such as severe stuttering and poor optimization. Some players reported a seamless experience, while others criticized the PC port as one of the worst in recent times. Arc System Works acknowledged the issues and is investigating solutions, promising updates and providing troubleshooting options. Speculation about the causes of performance problems included background processes from anti-cheat and PlayStation services. Despite these issues, the beta reached a peak of 33,233 concurrent players on Steam, surpassing previous records set by Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8. The official release is scheduled for August 6, leaving developers with just over a week to address the feedback and performance issues.
What Prevents Zero-Day Exploits? A Practical Guide to Stopping Unknown Threats
Tech Optimizer
July 27, 2026

What Prevents Zero-Day Exploits? A Practical Guide to Stopping Unknown Threats

Zero-day exploits are attacks that take advantage of previously unknown software vulnerabilities before a vendor can issue a patch. These exploits pose significant challenges because organizations cannot address vulnerabilities they are unaware of, and traditional security measures may not effectively identify them. Zero-day vulnerabilities are distinct from zero-day exploits; the former refers to the software flaw itself, while the latter is the method used by attackers to exploit that flaw. Zero-day exploits are particularly dangerous because they give attackers a temporary advantage, allowing them to compromise systems before defenders can respond. These exploits are commonly used in advanced attacks, including ransomware campaigns and espionage. The lifecycle of a zero-day exploit typically involves discovering a vulnerability, weaponizing it, delivering the exploit, executing malicious code, and achieving the attacker's objectives. Traditional antivirus solutions may not consistently prevent zero-day exploits, as they primarily focus on known threats. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platforms provide visibility and detection but do not inherently prevent exploitation. Effective prevention strategies emphasize stopping the exploitation techniques themselves, rather than solely relying on detection. Memory-based attack prevention is a key approach, as all exploits must execute within memory. This method disrupts exploitation techniques and can protect against unknown vulnerabilities. Best practices for preventing zero-day exploits include reducing the attack surface, enforcing least privilege, maintaining aggressive patch management, strengthening identity security, deploying prevention-based endpoint protection, and maintaining a layered security strategy.
Hackers are hiding malware behind AI agents that antivirus cannot see
Tech Optimizer
July 27, 2026

Hackers are hiding malware behind AI agents that antivirus cannot see

Sergey Lozhkin, head of Kaspersky’s global research and analysis team for the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, reported an increase in malware injection attacks targeting AI agents, particularly from outside an organization’s network. He noted that traditional signature-based analysis is becoming ineffective as AI skills operate in the cloud, connecting to external resources. Dmitry Galov, leading Kaspersky’s research for Russia and the CIS, emphasized the importance of behavioral analysis and sandboxing AI applications to combat these threats. Lozhkin warned that the rapid growth of skills and plugins requires organizations to adopt innovative security measures, as old models are no longer sufficient.
This week in PC games: a battle royale detective game, a broken Y2K metaverse, a laptop tycoon sim, and a new Company of Heroes RTS
AppWizard
July 27, 2026

This week in PC games: a battle royale detective game, a broken Y2K metaverse, a laptop tycoon sim, and a new Company of Heroes RTS

- Endacopia: A point-and-click horror game inspired by 90s edutainment software. - Broken Reality 2000: A first-person puzzle-platforming adventure set in a Y2K-themed metaverse. - Plum Road Tea Dream: A semi-autobiographical journey of a queer POC developer through seven distinct graphical worlds. - Moon Crashers: A game where players gather resources to build an escape rocket after crash-landing on the moon. - Forsaken Realms: Vahrin's Call: A third-person fantasy adventure set in a beleaguered city. - Kinny and the Cosmic Cauldron: A roguelike deckbuilder where players create soups for eldritch clientele. - Dissolution of the Silent Union: A narrative with gloomy anime aesthetics and themes of decay. - Orbital Hell: A hallucinatory score-attacker game battling geometric boglins. - Désorienté: A narrative-driven experience set in a violent world with intestines as currency. - CipherMind: A battle royale detective game for eight players in a concrete labyrinth. - Lunarium: An action-RPG featuring a knight and a floating sorceress. - Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand: A strategic spin-off involving tactical gameplay against waves of enemies. - Joy Malignant: A dice-based RPG set in a city filled with despair. - Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?!: A humorous isekai game featuring a truck driver. - Outfield: An exploration of agricultural growth and its implications. - Olga: A cozy adventure game without combat. - Legacy of Sail: A nostalgic real-time naval tactics game. - Culdcept The First: A modern adaptation of a board/card game fusion. - Mistfall Hunter: A PvPvE extraction RPG. - Turnip Mountain: A 2D climbing simulator in a whimsical world. - Signy & Mino: Against All Gods: A side-scrolling RPG featuring a girl and her dog. - Devil's Hand: A card game where players form poker hands on a grid. - Parkside: Decayed Soul Manipulation: A sim shooter set in a dystopian California. - Cloud Sculptor: A 3D puzzle-platformer where players create sculptures for ghosts.
Microsoft moves to end pirated Windows activations
Winsage
July 27, 2026

Microsoft moves to end pirated Windows activations

Microsoft is introducing the KMS Hardware Secured system to enhance Windows licensing security by making unauthorized activation methods more difficult. This system will use TPM-based attestation to authenticate the server managing activation requests, ensuring only legitimate devices are recognized. Readiness notifications for Windows Server 2025 will begin in August 2026, allowing administrators to prepare for the transition to TPM-based attestation, which is expected to become a requirement for KMS activation in a future Windows Server release. This initiative targets corporate clients using Windows volume licensing to complicate unauthorized activation. Additionally, Microsoft plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 4,800 positions, or nearly 2.1% of its global staff, as part of a corporate transformation strategy.
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