Epic Games has made some changes to Fortnite, removing the game’s item rarity system.

In a recent blog post shared on April 9, Epic announced that for version 29.20 it has made adjustments to how the ‘Fortnite Shop’ and ‘Locker’ works by removing the day one cosmetic color tiers and names for all skins.

Developer Mega Crit has announced Slay the Spire 2, a full sequel to its incredible roguelite deckbuilder which launched over half a decade ago.

The announcement of Slay the Spire 2 was accompanied by an absolutely gorgeous animated trailer that admittedly doesn’t reveal much about the sequel, aside from showing some returning playable characters gathering around the titular spire which I presume must be slain again. The one bit of solid information we can glean from the trailer is that the game is launching in Steam Early Access sometime in 2025.

SAP’s recent announcement of a corporate restructuring effort has sparked controversy, with the European Works Council accusing the German software company of using the program to cover up widespread layoffs.

Earlier in January, the company confirmed that it would be making changes affecting around 8,000 workers, or approximately 7% of its workforce, by means of “internal re-skilling measures” and voluntary leave programs.

With its M3 chip, Apple was the first company to put a consumer-grade 3nm chip in its devices, and according to a new report chips made with the improved 2nm manufacturing process could make their way into your iPhone as soon as next year, potentially bringing major performance improvements.

The information comes from a paywalled report at DigiTimes (via AppleInsider), which claims that chipmaker TSMC – which supplies Apple’s iPhones and Macs – is making good progress with its plans for a 2nm chip dubbed N2. Small-scale production will reportedly begin later this year, with mass production ramping up in 2025.

Apple is planning to launch the first iPhone equipped with a processor built on a 2nm process in 2025, according to a report. The Cupertino company will reportedly launch the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max with a next generation chipset from TSMC. The iPhone 15 Pro models were the first phones from Apple to be equipped with a 3nm A17 Pro chip, while the standard iPhone models still run on the 4nm A16 Bionic chipset that previously powered the Pro models launched in 2022.

According to a DigiTimes report (via Apple Insider) citing supply chain sources, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is preparing a new chip manufactured on its 2nm process for the iPhone 17 Pro models that are expected to launch in the second half of 2024. Apple is also expected to introduce Mac models with 2nm chips in the future, but the report does not specify a timeline for these processors.

With TSMC on track to produce the 2nm chips that will be built on its “N2” process technology, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are likely to be the first smartphones to feature the next generation chips, while the standard iPhone 17 models could be equipped with a previous generation chipset, a process Apple has followed since the iPhone 14, which featured the same chip as the iPhone 13 Pro.

While the Taiwanese chip firm will start production of 2nm chip designs next year, it is also working on a more advanced version of the “N2” process technology for even better 2nm chips that will be ready by 2026-end, according to the report. This suggests that the first iPhone models with chips built on the “N2P” process technology could be from the iPhone 19 series that could debut a year later in 2027.

TSMC is also working on its more advanced “A14” process technology, which will allow it to produce 1.4nm chipsets, according to the report. However, there’s currently no word on a timeline for production of chips on the advanced process technology, which means it could be years before an iPhone model is launched with a 1.4nm processor.

Instagram will test features that blur messages containing nudity to safeguard teens and prevent potential scammers from reaching them, its parent Meta said on Thursday as it tries to allay concerns over harmful content on its apps.

The tech giant is under mounting pressure in the United States and Europe over allegations that its apps were addictive and have fueled mental health issues among young people.

Meta said the protection feature for Instagram’s direct messages would use on-device machine learning to analyze whether an image sent through the service contains nudity.

The feature will be turned on by default for users under 18 and Meta will notify adults to encourage them to turn it on.

“Because the images are analyzed on the device itself, nudity protection will also work in end-to-end encrypted chats, where Meta won’t have access to these images – unless someone chooses to report them to us,” the company said.

Unlike Meta’s Messenger and WhatsApp apps, direct messages on Instagram are not encrypted but the company has said it plans to roll out encryption for the service.

Meta also said that it was developing technology to help identify accounts that might be potentially engaging in sextortion scams and that it was testing new pop-up messages for users who might have interacted with such accounts.

In January, the social media giant had said it would hide more content from teens on Facebook and Instagram, adding this would make it more difficult for them to come across sensitive content such as suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.

Attorneys general of 33 US states, including California and New York, sued the company in October, saying it repeatedly misled the public about the dangers of its platforms.

In Europe, the European Commission has sought information on how Meta protects children from illegal and harmful content.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

This year there could be a higher chance you’ll be able to find an iPhone color you like than usual, as reportedly the iPhone 16 Plus will be available in seven shades – up from just five colors for the iPhone 15 Plus.

This is according to a leak posted on Chinese site Weibo (via 9to5Mac), with the source claiming that the iPhone 16 Plus will be sold in pink, yellow, blue, green, black, white, and purple shades.

GitHub users are under attack once again, as researchers spot yet another creative malware campaign on the popular platform.

This campaign seeks to deliver clipper malware, and has a unique approach to increase visibility, while decreasing the chances of being flagged by antivirus programs.