Author

admin

GAIN Crashes 80% After Abnormal Mint and Dump

by admin September 25, 2025

Attacker’s actions
Griffin AI’s response

GAIN, the token of artificial intelligence (AI) agent builder Griffin AI, has plunged by a whopping 80% following “abnormal minting and dumping,” according to a recent alert posted by cybersecurity firm PeckShield.

The BNB Chain-based token was recently listed on several exchanges, including HTX, KuCoin, Gate.io. On top of that, the token made its debut on Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, on the cusp of the attack.

Attacker’s actions

The token was supposed to have a capped supply, but malicious actors managed to surpass this limit by suddenly minting a total of 5 million GAIN by exploiting a vulnerability in the project’s smart contract.

The attacker immediately ended up swapping 5 million GAIN for BNB, pocketing roughly $3 million. The massive sale resulted in an extremely severe price drop for the token in question.

The attacker then swapped the BNB for 720 ETH and sent the tokens to the Tornado Cash privacy mixer, which makes it extremely challenging to actually trace stolen funds.

Griffin AI’s response

Following the attack, Griffin AI requested that all exchanges pause trading, deposits, and withdrawals of the GAIN token. The move is meant to prevent the attacker from performing more transactions.

“We’re coordinating closely with exchanges and security partners,” he said.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

Vs Youtube Saros Gameplayrevealtrailerps5games 2’37” (1)

Game Updates

Here’s Sony’s Next Exclusive Sci-Fi Death Trap, Saros

by admin September 25, 2025

Sony opened its September State of Play with our first gameplay look at Saros, the next big PS5 game from Returnal makers Housemarque. It’s set to arrive on March 20, 2026 exclusively on PS5 and will be “enhanced” on PS5 Pro. Like Returnal, it’s a fast-paced third-person roguelike sci-fi shooter built around players dying over and over while getting stronger with permanent upgrades.

Here’s the new Saros gameplay trailer that just premiered during State of Play. The upcoming sci-fi game stars Rahul Kohli as Arjun Devraj and looks just as wild and frenetic as Returnal.

And here’s the game’s official description:

Arjun Devraj, a Soltari enforcer, fights to survive on the lost colony of Carcosa under an ominous eclipse. Shape-shifting biomes and hostile ruins set the stage for a fast-paced, cinematic action experience where every encounter demands precision and adaptability. Combat unfolds as a fluid dance of dodges, shields, and parries, paired with a high-tech arsenal built of human and alien weaponry. Master enemy patterns, evolve your strategy, and face off against spectacular bosses that push every skill to the edge. Death is not the end, with permanent upgrades, evolving equipment, and the “Second Chance” system that allows you to always come back stronger.

PlayStation 5 owners have been wondering what 2026’s exclusive release calendar will look like, and with Saros, it looks like Sony is starting the year off strong with what appears to be another exciting and likely tough-as-nails third-person roguelike shooter from a team that has been consistently knocking it out of the park for three decades. Will Saros match the success of Helldivers 2, the sci-fi shooter that kicked of Sony’s 2024? Probably not, but either way, I’m excited to get my hands on Saros in March of next year.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Raspberry Pi 500+ Review: RGB clicky keys and NVMe storage, but with a $200 price tag

by admin September 25, 2025

Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware

Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Raspberry Pi has been a bit quiet after a packed 2024, which saw multiple products and SKUs released on a weekly basis. The Raspberry Pi 500 was one of those products, and it received an Editor’s Choice award despite the omission of a PCIe-based storage. Yes, there was space, and yes, the silkscreen had the layout for it, but it was never added to the 500. This led to other Pi community members and me theorizing that a future model would feature PCIe-based storage. It turns out that we were correct, and here we have the Raspberry Pi 500+.

Straight off the mark, the price is $200 (approximately £180). The price of a low-spec laptop, essentially. For the price, we get the same System on Chip (SoC) as the Raspberry Pi 500 and Pi 5, but we also get 16GB of RAM and a 256GB NVMe SSD, not to mention a mechanical keyboard. If you want the Raspberry Pi 500+ as part of a getting started kit, then for $220 (£200) you can pick up the Raspberry Pi 500+ Desktop Kit which comes with a branded mouse, USB-C power supply, official HDMI cable and the Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide. For the review, I have just the Raspberry Pi 500+.

Raspberry Pi 500+ Technical Specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Raspberry Pi 500+

Raspberry Pi 500

SoC

BCM2712 SoC Arm Cortex-A76 64-bit CPU running at 2.4 GHz

Row 1 – Cell 0

800 MHz VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2

Display

2 x 4Kp60 micro HDMI display output with HDR support

RAM

16GB LPDDR4X-4267

8GB LPDDR4X SDRAM

Storage

256GB NVMe SSD pre-installed

Micro SD (SDR104 compatible)

GPIO

40 Pin Raspberry Pi HAT Compatible via breakout

USB

1 x USB 2

2 x USB 3

1 x USB 2

2 x USB 3

Networking

Gigabit Ethernet

Wi-Fi / Bluetooth

Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5 / BLE

Power Button

Soft power button on keyboard

Keyboard

84, 85, 88-key RGB mechanical keyboard with Gateron Blue KS-33 low-profile switches.

Chiclet keyboard

Power

5V 5A via USB C

5V 4A via USB C

Dimensions

312 x 123 x 35.76mm

286 × 122 × 23 mm

Price

$200

$120 Desktop kit ($90 solo)

Design of the Raspberry Pi 500+

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The dominant aesthetic of the Raspberry Pi 500+ is the keyboard. It looks stunning, and the layout is similar to my daily driver, a Keychron K2. Under the keycaps, we have Gateron Blue KS-33 low-profile switches, and as a lover of clicky keys, they please me greatly. This is a keyboard that I could use as a daily driver. Perhaps Raspberry Pi will release the keyboard as a replacement for the official keyboard? Aside from the keyboard, the ports on the rear of the 500+ are identical to those on the 500.

The Pi 500+ and the 500 before it sport the same all-white color scheme, which is boring, but functional. It looks great on your desk, but I loved the Raspberry Pi 400’s “raspberry and white” aesthetic.

Image 1 of 6

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Raspberry Pi 500+ is larger than the Pi 500, both in length and height. The bottom part of the chassis is deeper, and the keyboard is longer. The height is most likely to accommodate space for the NVMe SSD, as the key switches are all located in the top section of the chassis. The length difference will be for the standard keycaps used. Yes, you can replace the keycaps if you wish. Using the included key puller, I pulled a few keys off to take a look underneath, then I threw some spare keys from my Keychron spares box on there to prove that they fit.

My pre-release unit has a quirk with the ENTER key, and Raspberry Pi assures me that this issue is not present in mass-produced units. Did I mention that the keys are RGB? Oh yes, a rainbow at your fingertips. Just press the FN and the light key to change the sequence. There are static colors (white and red), animated rainbow effects, reactive keys that shine blue or red, and an off option. The power button, a dedicated soft key introduced on the Raspberry Pi 5 and Pi 500 (the secondary function of F10 for the Pi 400), shines green when the Pi is on and red when in standby. To control the RGB LEDs, Raspberry Pi has released a config tool in the form of a Debian package, which handles all installation tasks for demos and the all-important udev rules.

The package is both a command-line tool and a Python module, which means that we can write our own code to control the LEDs. So I did, and made my usual “Disco” demo.

After a few bouts of trial and error, I managed my goal and I had something like a 1970s disco on my keyboard.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The keen-eyed amongst you will note that, because the Pi 500+ uses the same keyboard wedge design as its predecessors, there is no access to the CSI (Camera) / DSI (Display) connector. Looking at the PCB, there are no connections on the board. If you really need a camera, grab a USB webcam. For displays, there are two micro HDMI ports that support 4K60, so you are well catered to.

Tearing Down the Raspberry Pi 500+

Image 1 of 9

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

All of the previous Raspberry Pi 00 series machines have been easy to tear down, and the Pi 500+ is no exception. It has to be because we need access to the NVMe SSD. You may never upgrade the drive, but the 500+ introduces Phillips screws that secure the bottom chassis to the keyboard. The final retail kit that I received came with a spudger to leverage the plastic chassis apart. Starting at the opening just below the space bar, I slid the spudger around the seam and the clips popped open.

Initially, I could see two sections of the chassis. The bottom part contained the mainboard, which is covered by a large aluminum heatsink, with only a cutout for the NVMe SSD (note that my pre-release model has a smaller 2230 SSD than what will be included in the retail units). The other part is the custom keyboard plate, which is powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico’s RP2 (RP2040) and not the newer RP2350. There is no need for the newer board, after all, the RP2040 is merely acting as a USB interface.

Also present on the mainboard is a battery connector for a real-time clock, which can be purchased separately.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

On the left side of the mainboard is a large unpopulated area, the same as on the Pi 500. This would’ve been for a PoE circuit to power the Pi 500+ over an Ethernet connection, but, just like the Pi 500, it was likely cut as a trade off for cost/capability.

Image 1 of 2

Raspberry Pi 500(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Raspberry Pi 500+(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

At a glance, the Raspberry Pi 500+ and 500 look identical; in fact, the silkscreen version numbers are the same. The only key differences on the Pi 500+ are the NVMe and moving the keyboard connector from a larger flat flex cable (FFC) to a smaller one. The RP2 is not next to the keyboard connector; instead, it is located on the keyboard PCB, which leads me to believe that RP2 performs keyboard and RGB light control.

The change from a larger to smaller FFC between these versions means that while the mainboard has the same cut-outs and screw holes, you couldn’t transplant the Pi 500+ into a 500 chassis (and vice versa) without some FFC connector and RP2040 desoldering. Of course, the Internet will prove me wrong, and some enterprising maker will do this just for the heck of it. If so, hit me up!

Raspberry Pi 500+ Thermal and Power Performance

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Like its predecessors, the Pi 500+ has a huge aluminum heatsink to passively cool the ARM-powered SoC. This means we are almost guaranteed that the unit will run much cooler than the original Raspberry Pi 5. But we must still check. So I ran my usual test script, which records the resting temperature for one minute, then runs a stress test across all cores for five minutes before recording the resting temperature as the system calms down.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Pi 500+ runs a little warmer than the Pi 500, especially at idle, where it is almost 4C warmer. Under stress, the 500+ is only 1.7C warmer than the 500. The temperature difference can be attributed to the NVMe SSD, which will generate a little more heat inside the case.

CPU Temperature Comparison in Celsius

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Idle

Stress

Raspberry Pi 500 +

35.1

52.7

Raspberry Pi 500

31.2

Power consumption in Watts

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Idle

Stress

Raspberry Pi 500 +

2.29

6.35

Raspberry Pi 500

2.6

6.36

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Raspberry Pi 500+ uses a fraction less power than the Pi 500, which is interesting considering that it has an NVMe SSD inside. The reason for the lower power consumption is that the chip uses the D0 stepping, which removes “all the non-Raspberry Pi specific logic from the chip,” according to Raspberry Pi co-founder Eben Upton, while leaving it functionally identical to the previous chip.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The removal of non-Pi logic sees a 33% reduction in die space and was achieved by removing Ethernet and USB logic; instead, these functions are handled by the RP1 “Southbridge” instead. This is identical to the Raspberry Pi 5 2GB and 16GB models.

Can the Raspberry Pi 500+ be overclocked?

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Yes, but I could only manage 2.95GHz. I say “only” because for the Pi 500, I managed 3GHz! This time, the overclock took a little more work, requiring me to tweak the voltage delta to give the CPU a little more juice. But I got there.

CPU Overclocked to 2.95GHz Temperature Comparison in Celsius

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Idle

Stress

Raspberry Pi 500+ OC to 2.95GHz

38.9

The overclock saw the Raspberry Pi 500+ idle at 38.9C, and then under stress, this went up to 67C. This was still way under the thermal throttle trigger point of 82C. Power consumption at idle was still 2.64 Watts, and under stress, this jumped to 9.65W.

In fact, my log showed 0x50000, which refers to under-voltage, and this was using the official Raspberry Pi 27W power supply. If you plan to overclock, grab the official 45W power supply or source a compatible GaN charger.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Overclocked to 2.95GHz Power consumption in Watts

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Idle

Stress

Raspberry Pi 500+ OC to 2.95GHz

2.6394

9.65

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

I tested using the included 256GB NVMe SSD, which, according to lshw, is a Samsung PM991a PCIe Gen 3 NVMe SSD. Performance was to be expected; we get extra performance when compared to the official Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT on a Raspberry Pi 5.

Raspberry Pi 500+ NVMe Performance at PCIe Gen 3 in MB/s

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Read

Write

Raspberry Pi 500+

893

778.11

Raspberry Pi 5 via M.2 HAT

837

723.16

An additional 56MB/s when reading the contents of the SSD to /dev/null means that, in general use, we should see a slight performance improvement, but don’t expect high-performance NVMe. The same is true for write speeds. We get an extra 54.95 MB/s of throughput when writing data to the drive, as per the Raspberry Pi diagnostics tool. Again, not super speedy, but for an SBC (Single Board Computer), we will take every extra we can get.

For all of you eager to know how fast the Raspberry Pi 500+ boots, well, the results are a little disappointing because booting from NVMe took 22.62 seconds, but a Raspberry Pi 500, booting from an A2/SDR104 compatible micro SD card, took just 16.36 seconds. Both Pis are running the latest firmware and bootloader. I also set the Pi 500+ to boot from NVMe first. But the Pi 500’s micro SD card boot won this race!

The Pi 500+ also has a micro SD card slot, compatible with SDR104 and all previous classes of micro SD cards. In fact, it is the same unit as on the Raspberry Pi 500, but the key selling point of the Pi 500+ is NVMe storage. You could feasibly remove the NVMe SSD and replace it with an AI processing unit, booting the OS from micro SD instead. Obviously, without a dedicated camera interface, you will need to get creative and use a USB camera or video source, but it can be done.

Raspberry Pi 500+ versus 500 boot times in seconds

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Time in Seconds

Raspberry Pi 500 + NVMe

22.62

Raspberry Pi 500 + Micro SD (SDR104 / A2)

26.55

Raspberry Pi 500 Micro SD (SDR104 / A2)

16.36

So, how well does the micro SD card perform on the Raspberry Pi 500+? Well, it came last in my tests at 26.55 seconds, and the culprit is the new bootloader splash screen, which, despite being set to boot from micro SD, hung around far too long. In the grand scheme of things, 26 seconds is no time at all, but we have to test!

Raspberry Pi 500+ versus 500 micro SD performance

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Read MB/s

Write MB/s

Raspberry Pi 500 +

92.6

31.9

Raspberry Pi 500

94.4

32.1

I also tested micro SD read and write using my usual tests. Reading the contents of the micro SD card to /dev/null using dd, and using the built-in Raspberry Pi diagnostics test for sequential write speeds. The results are close enough to call it even. So the earlier boot speed difference is clearly down to the bootloader screen.

GPIO access on the Raspberry Pi 500+

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Pi 500+ has the same GPIO as has been standard on all models of Raspberry Pi since the B+ back in 2014. But for the 00 series units, the GPIO is horizontal, and that means to use a HAT, or for a clearer view of the GPIO, you will need a right-angled breakout board. There are boards such as Pimoroni’s Flat HAT Hacker, which are cheap and easy to use. If you want to use the GPIO in a project, you will need a breakout. However, in truth, the 00 series of Raspberry Pi is not really for hardware hackers. If you want to build a project around a Pi, go for the “typical” Raspberry Pi form factor found in the Pi 4 / 5.

I did a test with my own Flat HAT Hacker board, and I can confirm that you can use the GPIO quite easily for basic electronics. If you want to use a HAT, then it may or may not work, as with the introduction of the Raspberry Pi 5, there were changes to how the GPIO is accessed. Now it is accessed via the RP1 “Southbridge” chip instead of the older means of directly accessing it via the CPU and some hacky (but ultimately working) code modules.

I then broke out a Pimoroni Explorer HAT Pro, the same board that I used to teach robotics with at Picademy. This still doesn’t work with the Raspberry Pi 5 series of boards, well, unless you go through multiple hoops and spend an afternoon trying to install it. This aspect of the Raspberry Pi experience still makes me sad, and I long for the days when I could just buy a HAT, drop it on my Pi, and start hacking.

Use Cases for the Raspberry Pi 500+

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Raspberry Pi 500+ is basically the same as the Pi 500 but with more RAM and NVMe storage, which is great, but it comes at a cost. Who would use the Pi 500+? I can see it being a viable home PC for those that don’t need an ultra-powerful PC, or as a child’s first PC. In business, it could be a viable thin client. For educational purposes, it would make a suitable classroom PC.

I was eager to compare the price of a similar Raspberry Pi 5 16GB, the new M.2 compact HAT and the same 256GB NVMe SSD, so I went over to Adafruit and priced it all up.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Adafruit)(Image credit: Adafruit)

Before shipping and taxes, the cost came to $229, and we still have a keyboard to purchase. Interestingly, a 256GB NVMe SSD is $20 more expensive than the 512GB version, so save $20, get double the storage and use that $20 to buy a keyboard!
So what does this prove? Well, it shows that in both cases, going the official Raspberry Pi route will cost largely the same, but with the Pi 500+ we have it all contained in a gorgeous looking keyboard. What we lose in function (camera and display access, awkward GPIO) we gain in the form of a singular unit with a great keyboard. But, the Raspberry Pi 500+, like the 500 and 400 before it, is not a platform for electronics / robotics tinkerers. For those enthusiasts, you will need the original form factor Raspberry Pi.

For those of us that grew up during the home computer boom of the 1970s and 1980s, of which I am one, the form factor is nostalgic, and I can see some enthusiasts building their own home computer emulation systems using the Pi 500+, but, they could also do that with the $90 Raspberry Pi 500, or even the older Raspberry Pi 400. A few years ago, I managed to build a competent Commodore Amiga 1200 using my Raspberry Pi 400.

Bottom Line

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

At $200, the Raspberry Pi 500+ is a considered purchase, which may lead some to consider buying a cheap laptop instead. You could argue that you get a computer and an electronics education platform in one package, but a cheap laptop or an Intel N100 / N150 mini PC and a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W will offer the same experience for a very similar price.

I really like the Pi 500+, the keyboard is great and it is the pinnacle of the Raspberry Pi 5 series, but the price is hard to swallow as the Raspberry Pi moves from being a cheap single board computer, into an Arm-based desktop computer.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Ohio Moves to Accept Crypto Payments for State Fees

by admin September 25, 2025

In brief

The Ohio State Board of Deposit unanimously approved a vendor on Wednesday to process cryptocurrency payments for state fees and services.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose said he’s “excited and ready to be the first to provide it to our customers.”
The decision follows a broader Ohio crypto legislation push, including proposed Bitcoin reserve and blockchain protection bills.

The Ohio State Board of Deposit unanimously approved a vendor to process crypto payments, including Bitcoin, for state fees and services in its latest bid to integrate crypto into public finance.

“With hundreds of thousands of transactions going through my office each year, I want to commend the board for taking bold action to position us at the forefront of the emerging digital economy,” Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose tweeted on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s approval caps months of work that began in April, when LaRose and Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague pushed the board to authorize crypto payments.

The proposal passed unanimously in May, but needed final vendor approval, the last piece that fell into place on Wednesday.

“There’s a reason why we now rank among the top five states in the nation to do business,” LaRose said in a statement. “It’s because we’re not afraid to embrace the tools, trends, and technologies that incentivize job creators to come here.”

The Secretary of State said his office processes hundreds of thousands of transactions annually and has heard “growing demand for a cryptocurrency payment option.”

“I’m excited and ready to be the first to provide it to our customers,” he added.

“It’s happening. Government payments in Ohio today. Everything onchain tomorrow. Thank you, ser,” Coinbase CLO, Paul Grewal, tweeted in response to the announcement

The crypto payments are part of Ohio’s broader push into digital assets.

In June, the House advanced the Ohio Blockchain Basics Act, which bans local governments from restricting digital asset use and exempts crypto transactions under $200 from capital gains taxes.

Dennis Porter, CEO of the Satoshi Action Fund, previously told Decrypt that the legislation is “a clear signal” that lawmakers are “encouraging innovation in the Buckeye State.”

LaRose also backs House Bill 18, which would create an Ohio Strategic Crypto Reserve funded by portions of state investment earnings.

In a May testimony, he cited President Donald Trump’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, established in January to make America the “crypto capital of the planet.”

So far, 47 states have introduced Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) bills, with about 26 states carrying active proposals still under consideration, according to the Bitcoin Laws tracker.

Arizona, Texas, and New Hampshire are among the few to advance measures furthest, while most remain stuck in committee.

Meanwhile, Michigan’s stalled Bitcoin reserve legislation gained momentum this week, with House Bill 4087 advancing to the Government Operations Committee after seven months of inaction.

Daily Debrief Newsletter

Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Solana (SOL) Tumbling to $200 and Not Stopping: Price Scenario

by admin September 25, 2025

Solana gets blocked
Risks of losing $200

With its price dropping sharply from recent highs and currently trading just above $210, Solana has entered a decisive correction phase. Selling pressure increased as a result of the token’s sharp decline signals, with $200 emerging as the next crucial test. The market is bracing for further losses because of the speed of this decline, which increases the likelihood that $200 will not hold for long.

Solana gets blocked

Technically, the final immediate support is the 50-day EMA at $206 on the market. The decline may pick up speed toward the 100-day EMA around $193 if Solana does not stabilize here. This level is a more robust support level if bears maintain control because it corresponds with a wider retracement zone. If SOL makes a clear break below $193, it could be subject to a lengthy correction, with a potential decline to the $180 region.

SOL/USDT Chart by TradingView

Market sentiment is mixed, as seen by the volume profile. Despite dominating previous sessions, selling activity has not yet reached levels of capitulation. Volumes instead imply a steady distribution, which implies that bears retain control without resorting to excessive force. This sets up a situation in which additional selling might gradually weaken support levels, instead of causing a single spectacular collapse.

Risks of losing $200

Weakening conditions are also confirmed by momentum indicators. After dropping from early September’s overbought levels, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is now closer to neutral, indicating waning bullish strength and potential for further decline.

Simply put, Solana’s price action indicates that there is a significant risk to the $200 mark. Bearish conditions that aim for the 100 EMA at $193 are very likely if the token closes below its 50 EMA. To turn the tide back in their favor, bulls must reclaim $221, the most recent breakdown point. The prevailing outlook was bearish until that time. In the absence of a robust recovery from the current levels, Solana’s rally seems to have stalled, and the path of least resistance is still lower.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Qualcomm’s new flagship mobile platform is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

by admin September 25, 2025

Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which the company claims is the “world’s faster mobile system-on-a-chip.” It was designed for flagship devices for manufacturers and smartphone brands that don’t make their own mobile platforms, with the first devices equipped with the SoC launching in the coming days. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is powered by the company’s third-generation Oryon CPU, which Qualcomm says “improves performance by 20 percent and CPU power efficiency by 35 percent.” Overall, the company is claiming that the platform has a 16 percent lower power draw, making it more efficient and enabling longer “sustained performance.”

The new platform promises “lightning-fast” app launches and app switching for better multitasking. Qualcomm’s AI Engine allows on-device AI processing, as well, made possible by the company’s upgraded Hexagon NPU that’s apparently 37 percent than its predecessor. “With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, you are at the center of your mobile experience,” said Chris Patrick, the SVP and generation manager for mobile at Qualcomm. “It enables personalized AI agents to see what you see, hear what you hear and think with you in real time.”

In addition, Qualcomm says the new SoC is the first mobile platform to enable recording in Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, giving creators the ability to film on their phones for professional-level productions. Several smartphone brands have already committed to using the new platform for their flagship devices, including Samsung, OnePlus, OPPO, Honor, iQOO, Nubia, POCO, realme, REDMI, RedMagic, ROG, Sony, vivo, Xiaomi and ZTE.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

South Korean Internet Giant Naver to Buy Crypto Exchange Upbit: Report

by admin September 25, 2025

South Korean crypto exchange Upbit is about to be acquired by internet giant Naver, according to a report.

The deal would bring Upbit’s parent Dunamu under the umbrella of Naver Financial, making Dunamu a full subsidiary of Naver’s financial arm, the report said.

Upbit is one of the largest crypto exchanges in the crypto friendly country, while Naver operates multiple internet based services in South Korea, including Naver Pay.

The deal is likely to be a stock swap deal with Naver Financial issuing new shares in the crypto exchange for Dunamu’s current shares, the report added.

Shares of Naver jumped over 7% to korean won 246,000 ($175) after reports of the Upbit acquisition came out.

Reports of the deal come in the wake up of the South Korean government pushing to establish a framework for won-pegged stablecoins in the country.

Naver and Dunamu were not immediately available for comment.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective Has Clothbound Cover With Metallic Art

by admin September 25, 2025

Ahead of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s release this December, fans of the iconic Nintendo series can revisit the original Prime Trilogy in written form. On October 28, an official Metroid Prime Trilogy retrospective will be published by Piggyback, the strategy guide publisher best known for its excellent Legend of Zelda guidebooks. Preorders for Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective are available now at Amazon for $46.49 (was $50).

With Amazon’s preorder price guarantee, you’ll automatically get any price cuts offered between the time you order and launch.

$46.49 (was $50) | Releases October 28

The book’s full title is Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective: The Official Art and Making of Metroid Prime 1-3.

The 212-page clothbound hardcover with a stitched binding and etched metallic foil cover art featuring Samus Aran wearing the Varia Suit. Piggyback is using high-quality, sheet-fed art paper to showcase the concept art and sketches from the development of the original Metroid Prime (2002), Prime 2: Echoes (2004), Prime 3: Corruption (2007), and Metroid Prime Remastered (2023).

Along with the artwork, the book contains commentary from Retro Studios developers. The foreword was written by Metroid Prime series producer Kensuke Tanabe, and each of the four sections are introduced by a developer from Retro Studios.

Preorder Metroid Prime 4: Beyond + Amiibo

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches December 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch. The Switch 2 version is available to preorder at Amazon, Walmart, and other major retailers for $70. The original Switch version is up for preorder for $60. If you want to upgrade to Switch 2 to play Metroid Prime 4 in 4K resolution, Amazon finally has Nintendo’s new console in stock. The upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A Bundle has sold out a couple of times, but the Mario Kart World Switch 2 Bundle is available for $499.

Nintendo is also releasing three new Amiibo for Metroid Prime 4. Two different Samus Amiibo figures launch November 6, while Sylux releases December 4. Amazon is sold out of two of the Amiibo, while Walmart is sold out of the one Amiibo Amazon has in stock. You can also still get the Metroid Dread Amiibo 2-Pack featuring Samus and E.M.M.I. for $28.73 at Amazon.

More Metroid Games

Metroid Prime Remastered

If you haven’t played Metroid Prime Remastered, we’d highly recommend checking it out ahead of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. It’s one of the very best games for Nintendo Switch and will serve as a good primer (sorry) for Beyond. For classic side-scrolling Metroid, check out Metroid Dread for Switch and Metroid: Samus Returns on 3DS. The latter is a great remake of Metroid II that flew a bit under the radar because it launched in 2017 after the Switch hit the market. Dread and Samus Returns were developed by MercurySteam.

Nintendo Switch Online members can play the first five Metroid games on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. Metroid, Metroid II, and Super Metroid are available with the Switch Online Individual membership ($20/year). To get the Game Boy Advance games–Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission–you need the Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership ($50/year).

And if you want to play all of these Metroid games with a controller themed around the franchise, PowerA recently launched an officially licensed wireless controller featuring Samus Aran and a galactic background. You can also grab a pair of wired Metroid-themed earbuds packaged in a drawstring bag with Metroid artwork.

More Nintendo Guide & Art Books

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom / Breath of the Wild Official Strategy Guides

Amazon has deals on the hardcover editions of Piggyback’s other recent Nintendo books. We’ve included a list of those below. And if you’re looking for more official Nintendo art and lore books, you should check out Dark Horse’s series of Zelda and Super Mario books.

Piggyback’s Zelda Guides:

Nintendo Art & Lore Books:

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

The Stars of ‘Gachiakuta’ Say the Anime Is More Than Just Its Fights

by admin September 25, 2025

Gachiakuta is a new shonen anime series that expands the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” into a full-blown revenge saga. Animated by Studio Bones, known for its work on My Hero Academia, its story follows Rudo, a boy cast into the Pit, a literal abyss at the edge of an apartheid world, after being falsely accused and exiled from the floating city of Spherite.

From there, the thrust of the show sees Rudo join up with a group of superpowered misfits known as the Cleaners, who wield treasured items with personal meaning as weapons as he claws his way back to the surface world to exact his vengeance.

As the anime wraps its first cour and gears up for the second half of its 24-episode season, io9 spoke with voice actors Bryson Baugus (Rudo) and Christopher Wehkamp (Enjin) about stepping into the booth to portray a fresh take on the classic shonen mentor-student dynamic, and what it means to bring these characters to life in a series that turns trash TV into something trancendent.

This interview has been edited for brevity.

Isaiah Colbert, io9: Fans are already calling Gachiakuta the next big thing in shonen. What do you think gives it that special spark that sets it apart from classic and contemporary action anime that came before it?

Bryson Baugus: Very much the art style of [Gachiakuta] is key—the first thing that you notice about it. Nothing out there right now looks quite like Gachiakuta does. The character designs are so unique, the fashion is there, [and] the graffiti art is wonderful. With the anime, the music is crazy good. All you really need to do to get people to check something out is to have that eye catch. And once they get in there, they see these characters interacting with each other. They see the relationships that are building, the world’s mysteries, and it really hooks the viewers.

What makes this stand out as opposed to a handful of other shonen that I’ve seen in the past is that it really likes to take its time in establishing these characters, their relationships, and this world-building, as opposed to jumping from fight to fight to fight to fight.

Christopher Wehkamp: I agree with all of that. The only thing I would add to it is just that once you get past that eye catch and you start checking [Gachiakuta] out, the power system in this story is really interesting. It gives you something to think about yourself, and it gives you something to kind of ponder on—the way that the power system seems to really indicate the backstories and the key moments of these characters.

Even just seeing a new character and then seeing what their “jinki” is gets your mind going on “What does that mean for them? Where did that come from?” and “How does that tie into what I’m seeing with this character?” That’s a really cool recurring theme. Once you get in the door, there’s a lot to dig into here. It does have good fights too—every shonen needs to have good fights—but like Bryson said, there’s a lot more to it there.

io9: We talked about Gachiakuta’s world being unique. I ascertained it being like a chaotic blend of Mad Max‘s grit with a graffiti punk Borderlands flair to it. Plus, there’s some trash kaiju monsters thrown into the mix. Do you have any voice acting rituals or mental prep you use to tap into that energy before stepping into the booth?

Baugus: I just generally try to stay hydrated. Rudo has a bit of a raspy kind of grittiness to his voice that I don’t typically do in a lot of other characters, so I try to make sure that I’ve got some warm tea, and then I just go into it. I just jump into the deep end as soon as I’m there to record.

Wehkamp: I developed a ritual back in 2018 or so. I had a particularly busy season where I was voicing something like seven different characters in seven different shows. Not all of them were big characters, but they were all kind of starting to blend together in my mind. I would go into the studio and depending on what I had that day, I started associating different characters with different musical genres or artists. And so I would make a little playlist and I would listen to songs on my way in.

Now, anytime I have a recurring character, whether it’s an anime, video game, or whatever it happens to be, I’ll associate some kind of music with it. If I get to drive into the studio to do it, I will just put that on, and that helps to get me in the mindset that I’ve associated with the character. That way, when I’m walking into the both, I’m already there. I’m in the zone for that wolrld for that character. It doesn’t always work when I’m recording from home. I have to sit in the booth and turn on Spotify for a little bit that’ll get me there too. I don’t do this all the time, but it helps with characters that I know I’m gonna be coming back to as I associate it with music in my mind.

io9: What’s a song that you play to get into the mood for Enjin?

Wehkamp: I have what I call a roots rock playlist, and so it’s not necessarily any one band. I like the fact that when I put in a playlist versus a band, it’s gonna throw songs at me that I’ve maybe never heard from artist I’ve never heard. In a way, that actually creates the association in my mind even better. It’s less about the band and the actual song; it’s more about the vibe. I couldn’t even tell you one off the top of my head right now, honestly, I just put on a playlist. It’s a lot like five-string bass, blues progressions, really deep-throated, dirty rock, so that really seems to be the vibe for me. I really like your Mad Max comparison, too! I’m a huge Mad Max fan, and that’s a great comparison.

io9: Shonen heroes often feel like they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders as they venture off into an adventure. Rudo’s, however, is one steeped in a Greek tragedy vengeance tale. How did you approach voicing a character constantly balancing between rage, grief, and hope?

Baugus: I try to think about where he sits at his core. I feel like he does have that anger to him, and I feel like he definitely has those moments where he lets it overtake him, for sure. But at his core, he’s still just a very misunderstood kid who’s trying to find his people out there. He’s been rejected his whole life. He’s had Regto as a father figure, [but] that’s about all he’s had. He had Chiwa when he was up in the Sphere as a good friend that he grew up with, but when things happen and he no longer has Chiwa around anymore, he’s on the ground looking to recapture a lot of those relationships—trying to find that family he never really had.

And so, I come at him from a vulnerability as opposed to lashing out in anger at everything. He has those moments, but I feel like his default state is a little bit more introspective. He’s thinking to himself about what’s going on, and he’s taking in what’s happening around him. I think he’s learning from everyone around him how to handle certain situations that he’s never encountered before, or how to better handle situations than he used to.

io9: Enjin joins a long line of shonen anime mentor-type characters. If you could describe Enjin’s philosophy in a few words—something he’d pass on to Rudo as sage advice—what would it be?

Wehkamp: I think right away he’s drawn to what he perceives as Rudo’s potential. I could think maybe there’s something in there beyond, “He would be a great fit for the Cleaners,” or “He could sure kill a lot of trash beasts.” There seems to be more that he recognizes as valuable in that. For me, I think he’s going to end up being the reason why Rudo is able to acclimate and find a place for himself on the Ground. Where that goes from there, obviously, we don’t know, but I’m so interested in finding out.

I do think that the Cleaners, as an organization, seem to be really hyper-focused on hunting down trash beasts. But there’s so much more to being a giver than just using these things to kill beasts. Potentially, there could be a whole lot more to do in this world for these guys.
There’s still so little we know and so I’m very excited to see how this all comes to fruition. Within these first 11 episodes, [Bones has] given us so many little tantalizing clues about where it could be headed, so I can’t wait to find out.

io9: If you lived in the world of Gachiakuta and had a giver power, what personal item of yours would be your vital instrument, and what ability would it give you?

Baugus: I have a little old copy of a Game Boy Advance game for Mega Man Battle Network 2 that the label has been completely peeled off after years of being through hell and back. I put a little Sharpie with the name on it and everything. I’d probably treasure that, and that would turn into something like a like a catch-all game card that lets me say, “I want to play this right now,” and it becomes that game. I think that’d be cool.

Wehkamp: I was a drummer in bands all the way through my 20s, so that was a a big part of my life before I ever started doing VO work. I still have my drumsticks that I started cutting my teeth on back when I was 14 or 15 years old. They’re beat up, destroyed. But I would love to be able to pull those out anywhere I am, and a ghostly drum set will appear, and I could start jamming anywhere. And also it’s full volume to me, but nobody else can hear it, so I don’t have to bother anybody at the sandwich shop. I think that would confuse a lot of people around me to see that, but I would love it; that’d be great.

New episodes of Gachiakuta air every Sunday on Crunchyroll.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

We finally got our first look at Battlefield 6’s campaign, and it looks like a return to form for EA and DICE

by admin September 25, 2025

A new Battlefield 6 trailer has been shown off during today’s Sony State of Play. The trailer focuses heavily on the campaign aspect of the game, which has been kept under wraps up to this point.

We’ve heard plenty about the game’s multiplayer, such as that you cannot block PS players from crossplay if you’re on XBox or PlayStation and that it won’t have tons of silly cosmetics ruining the vibe.

Take a look at the campaign trailer below.

Our first look at Battlefield 6’s campaign.Watch on YouTube

“Campaign returns on a global scale,” reads a blurb. “Step into Dagger 13, an elite squad of Marine Raiders, determined to stop Pax Armata in Battlefield 6’s single-player campaign. Storm the beaches of Gibraltar, take to the streets of Brooklyn for intense gunfights, perform a HALO jump into enemy territory, destruction, scale, and tight squad play shape every choice. Only in Battlefield.”

There’s a lot of real-world stuff in here, but will EA and DICE choose to make any commentary about the military-indusltrial complex and the nature of war in 2025, as we’re experiencing a genocide in Gaza and there’s an on-going war in Ukraine? We’ll see, but I am not too hopeful.

Battlefield 6, which is set to launch on 10th October, managed to break EA records with its spree of open betas recently. The game is even on track to outperform the rest of the series, according to analysts.

Battlefield 6 will be out on 10th October across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, but don’t expect a Switch 2 version any time soon.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments