Tag:

place

The next Samsung Unpacked event takes place on July 9

by admin June 24, 2025

It’s almost time for another one of Samsung’s Unpacked events. The third Unpacked to be held this year (following installments in January and May) will take place on July 9 at 10AM ET. It will emanate from Brooklyn, New York and stream on the Samsung Newsroom, the company’s website and its YouTube channel.

Samsung is promising a look at the “next evolution of Galaxy AI and the ever-expanding Galaxy ecosystem.” The company usually debuts its latest foldables in the summer, so we are expecting to see the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 here. As if there was any doubt that this Unpacked will focus on foldables, an image Samsung sent out along with event invitations (embedded below) makes that clear. It’s looking like the rumored Galaxy Z Fold Ultra is in store too, as a teaser video includes the phrase “Ultra Unfolds.” Way to be subtle, Samsung.

Samsung

A new Galaxy Watch also seems likely to make an appearance, while rumors have been flying around that this Unpacked may feature a Galaxy S25 FE, which is slated to arrive later this year. We may even get a glimpse of a Samsung tri-fold phone. Meanwhile, the Android XR headset that Samsung has been working on with Google is slated to arrive this year — this Unpacked seems like a good opportunity for the company to spill the beans on that.

If you’re already pretty sure that you’re going to switch to a new Samsung device, you don’t necessarily have to wait until July 9 to make a reservation for one of the upcoming models. In fact, if you make a reservation starting tonight on Samsung’s website, you can receive a $50 credit.

If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.

Source link

June 24, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Xbox Ally Is The Best And Worst Of Handhelds In One Place

by admin June 9, 2025

Microsoft’s new ROG Xbox Ally has a lot to prove in the market of handheld consoles. The Switch 2 was only days old when the company officially unveiled its competitor during the Xbox showcase. With PlayStation’s Portal mostly being a streaming device that offers a very specific, incredibly niche player benefit (despite it feeling very good in your hands), the Switch 2 and the Steam Deck still largely have the handheld market cornered. The Ally, meanwhile, is the endgame to the “Play Anywhere” tagline Xbox has been touting for years.

Nintendo Switch 2 Could Launch With Almost No Reviews

Microsoft putting a console-quality Xbox device in our hands would seem to literalize an idea that, until now, never felt like much more than a clever way to spin their bowing out of the console wars. Their tucking that white flag back into their pocket and pulling out a handheld competitor is an exciting prospect. I just wonder if it’s too little, too late.

I got to play with the device for a little bit, and yeah, if Microsoft can deliver, it will be one of the best handheld consoles on the market. But my mind did drift elsewhere when I held its heavy ass in my hands. Maybe it’s nostalgia playing tricks on me, but I can’t help but mourn how handheld gaming has morphed into an extension of the games and systems we play on our TVs and desktops.

None of this is inherently the Ally’s fault. Microsoft has benefited from watching the handheld console business thrive over the past decade. The Ally is hefty in your hands, rather than feeling like a toy as the original Switch did.

Admittedly, as a small man, it didn’t seem built for people of my size. My tiny hands had to reach to hit some of the buttons, and I could never quite figure out how best to hold the device to get the most leverage out of the whole controller. The weight of the thing didn’t help, as my wrists started to ache after just a few minutes of play. It’s a sturdy device, but it doesn’t feel like it’s built for everyone. I’m simply a little guy, but I imagine those problems might be even worse for folks with motor issues. I talked with some other people who have bigger hands, and they all said the Ally felt really good. So, while the console might have some really cool functionality and streamlining that makes it more appealing than the average handheld PC, it might not be the most inclusive machine, as it’s particularly uncomfortable for those of us who have trouble holding larger devices.

While your mileage may vary on holding it, one thing the Ally has over most other handheld gaming PCs is that Microsoft has streamlined its user experience to circumvent some of the hassles found with other devices. By linking your accounts across different launchers, the Ally lets you easily access your games across multiple services, such as pre-installed games, streaming through Game Pass, and others. Having everything in an easy-to-navigate HUD built for buttons and analog sticks makes the Ally one of the best choices to play PC and Xbox games on the go. Even if I can’t hold the device for extended periods, I can’t deny that Microsoft has built something that’s solved a lot of the problems people have with its competitors.

Shortly after my appointment, I held my Switch 2 and played a little bit of Cyberpunk 2077, and I think that device is probably better suited for people who have trouble holding bulkier handhelds like the Ally. I would love to see a model down the line that lets you disconnect the heavy controllers from the big screen, similar to the Switch’s tabletop mode. I think until Microsoft puts out something like that, I’ll have to stick with other devices.

Beyond form factor, most of these handheld consoles do the same things, it’s just a matter of which one feels better in your hands. I think that was one of my bigger takeaways playing the Ally: It’s nice that all of the Big Three are sticking their toes in the handheld market, but now that Nintendo has merged its console and handheld divisions into one device with the Switch, it does feel like we lost the charm and design philosophies of old handhelds.

Now that the components that house console-level power are small enough to fit into a handheld, we’ve lost any real need for a divide between games made for those devices and games made for consoles. Even mobile devices are offering console-comparable experiences, and the days of developers creating games for less-powerful hardware, specifically meant to be played on a device that fits in your pocket, feel like a long-gone memory.

A lot of indie developers are still carrying the torch, and you’ll find games evocative of the Game Boy and DS eras called “retro throwbacks.” Some of the more niche games that you would have found on a Vita in 2014, like The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, end up on Steam and Switch, but the era of a dedicated handheld doing things that feel built for those devices is over. I always dreamt of being able to play console games in the back of my parents’ car as a kid. But I don’t think I realized what we might lose in achieving that dream.

Source link

June 9, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

XRP Price Could Reach $27 As The Cards Fall Into Place

by admin June 6, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Crypto analyst ChartNerd has predicted that the XRP price could reach double digits in this market cycle. The analyst earlier alluded to the Fibonacci levels in previous cycles as the reason why the altcoin can record such a parabolic surge in this market cycle.

XRP Price Eyes Rally To $27 In This Cycle

In an X post, ChartNerd declared that an XRP price rally to between $8 and $27 is still loading. He made this statement while alluding to a previous analysis, in which he noted that the altcoin met both of its 1.272 and 1.1618 Fibonacci levels. The analyst then remarked that this cycle’s Fib 1.272 and 1.618 levels are $8.40 and $27.

Source: ChartNerd on X

Crypto analyst Egrag Crypto has also predicted that the XRP price can rally to as high as $27 in this market cycle. The analyst had previously highlighted several reasons why the altcoin can reach this target, including alluding to the 2017 market cycle when XRP recorded a legendary gain of around 63,000%. The analyst is confident that the altcoin can replicate this run.

Related Reading: XRP Price Enters Accumulation Phase – Why $2.08 Must Hold Or Risk A Crash

Meanwhile, in one of his most recent analyses, Egrag Crypto stated that the signal points to a target of $10, $18, and $27 for the XRP price. His accompanying chart showed that the altcoin can reach this target in the second half of this year. Meanwhile, the analyst also recently highlighted a bullish candle formation, which showed that XRP can at least reach $22.

Crypto analyst Dark Defender predicted that the XRP price is about to witness an upcoming surge to $23. He noted that the altcoin is forming another Wave Structure in the weekly timeframe, creating the potential rally to this target. The analyst added that this new wave structure aligns with the previous targets and historical pattern in November 2024.

What To Expect In The Short Term

In an X post, Dark Defender provided insights into what to expect from the XRP price action in the short term. The analyst stated that, on the weekly chart, XRP is moving towards the primary resistance level at around $2.40. The support level to watch on this move is $2.2222, while $5.85 is the target as the altcoin eyes a rally to the upside.

Commenting on the short-term move for the XRP price, Egrag Crypto stated that XRP has to close above $2.30, $2.35, $2.36, $2.45, and $2.65 to have a bullish breakout. The analyst claimed that $2.65 is the ‘Go-Go’ signal as the altcoin eyes a rally to a new all-time high (ATH).

At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.12, down almost 3% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

XRP trading at $2.14 on the 1D chart | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

Source link

June 6, 2025 0 comments

Vice Undercover - a retro computer interface for solving a crime

Product Reviews

This narrative thriller takes place in a fictional ’80s OS, and the devs obsessed over keeping just the right amount of old school jank: ‘We did retain the dial-up modem’

by admin May 29, 2025

Few games commit to building an alternate reality like Vice Undercover. Much of the game is played on the fictitious Amigo OS, an amalgam of Windows 3.1 and early Apple operating systems with a dozen built-in applications, a boxy media player, and even a persistent Clippy pastiche with all sorts of eager advice for you. But this isn’t a starry-eyed trip down memory lane—it’s a “narco-thriller” where you poke around in drug cartel communications, careful not to get caught.

“Paranoia is one of the core emotions we were going for. That fear of being caught, the moral ambiguity of what you’re doing, and sort of questioning what is right and wrong when you’re combating something like this,” said Cos Lazouras, co-CEO of indie dev Ancient Machine, in an interview with PC Gamer. “That kind of thing is part and parcel with the core of the gameplay.”

In Vice, which takes place in 1980s Miami, you play as an undercover cop with an hour a day to access a cartel-run computer. It looks to be informed by synthwave and neo-noir as much as it is by actual history, and Lazouras said that’s no mistake; there are plenty of treats for web historians and true crime buffs alike.

You may like

“The idea of, ‘what would have happened if Pablo Escobar and other cartels like that in the ’80s had access to the sort of technology we take for granted?’ What does that world look like,” he said. “We did a lot of research about the drug wars of the ’80s, and Miami was the central focus of cocaine distribution into the country … we have every criminal organization in this game, sometimes peripherally, but we’ve got everything from the yakuza, triads, Indonesian mob, the Italian mafia, the police as a big part of the corruption, government agencies.”

As a narrative game, the closest analog to fiddling around in Amigo OS is probably something like Her Story or the recently acclaimed Roottrees are Dead. It’s a nonlinear web of discoveries lying in wait, scattered about databases full of disparate information. If you’re the sort who’s always wished you could puff a stogie and illustrate a series of connections on a bulletin board using tacks and yarn, that’s how I imagined myself while checking out its demo on Steam.

You might notice that the Amigo isn’t quite as frustrating to navigate as it could be given its inspirations. According to Ancient Machine’s other co-CEO, Albert Ramon Puig, figuring out the right amount of friction was a tightrope walk unto itself.

“We discovered trying to simulate a desktop is crazy and it’s not fun. We decided to reinvent all the mechanics and incorporate things that are modern, like the alt-tab … You have chats, a lot of missions, a lot of applications, a big database. [The game is about] how to organize and investigate more than complicated mechanics.”

VICE Undercover – Story Trailer | PC Gaming Show 2024 – YouTube

Watch On

Puig and Lazouras discovered in early playtests that players were flabbergasted when they realized how slow-going an era-appropriate OS would have been when frictionless alt-tabbing between a gazillion windows wasn’t always a given. To keep the focus on the story, they decided to hold back most of the jank—with a little leftover, as a treat.

“We did retain the dial-up modem, though,” said Lazouras. “So when you lose the internet, you do have to go in and re-dial up and reconnect … when you have five people giving you missions and contracts because you’re working for both the police and the cartel, and then these external characters start introducing themselves, then that desktop management becomes a key component.”

Old school cool aside, Vice Undercover is a game about living on the razor’s edge—something the team at Ancient Machine had no qualms with themselves working on their passion project. Lazouras said: “The policy that we set right from the start is no control from anybody else. We make this game, and it has to be like this.”

The team had a distributor lined up at one point, but working within the needs of that partnership “meant cutting [Vice Undercover] back way too much.” To make the game they wanted, the team had to take a chance. Lazouras said that only stoked his passion, looking back now on having written 500 character backstories for Vice Undercover’s labyrinthine plot. Coming from a background in AAA development, Lazouras was excited by the challenge of “having a really pared down solution to the core of a game” purely focused on the concept rather than the production values of “big, overblown games.”

“It’s a lot more fun working on something that’s just pure risk, especially when you put your own mortgage up on the line, because we’re self-funding it,” he said. Despite the complicated road behind, Lazouras is “super proud” of the game that’s slated to come out later this year.

“We really want you to feel like you’re an undercover cop buried under this storyline. I think we’ve achieved that. I think that’s the crowning glory of where we’re at with the game.”

Vice Undercover doesn’t have a release date locked in yet, but expect it on Steam sometime this summer.

Source link

May 29, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

‘Majority of gamers are still playing at 1080p’: AMD chief claims there’s still a place for 8GB GPUs, and he’s got a point

by admin May 25, 2025

Frank Azor, AMD’s Chief Architect of Gaming Solutions and Gaming Marketing, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) last week in response to a gaming account questioning why AMD is still offering GPUs with 8GB of VRAM in 2025.

“Majority of gamers are still playing at 1080p and have no use for more than 8GB of memory,” Azor wrote. “Most played games [worldwide] are mostly esports games. We wouldn’t build it if there wasn’t a market for it. If 8GB isn’t right for you then there’s 16GB. Same GPU, no compromise, just memory options.”

Majority of gamers are still playing at 1080p and have no use for more than 8GB of memory. Most played games WW are mostly esports games. We wouldn’t build it if there wasn’t a market for it. If 8GB isn’t right for you then there’s 16GB. Same GPU, no compromise, just memory…May 22, 2025

There’s data to support Azor’s claims—according to the Steam Hardware Survey, over half of gamers (55.27%) are playing on 1080p monitors. The survey data also suggests plenty of people are holding out for more budget GPUs: One of the top five GPUs among Steam users in 2025 is still somehow the GTX 1650, which only has 4GB of VRAM. The number one GPU as of April is the RTX 4060 laptop version with 8GB of VRAM.