Tech Congressman calls for Zuckerberg to answer on China dealings Meta CEO faces scrutiny over alleged censorship tools and AI collaboration Published March 19, 2025 3:37pm EDT close Meta launches community notes for Facebook to replace fact-checking Founder and Hedgehog CEO John Matze joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss his optimism surrounding the community notes program, staying competitive globally with AI and the possibility of Oracle buying TikTok. Congressman Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is calling for Mark Zuckerberg to appear before the congressional oversight committee to address accusations about his efforts to create censorship tools for China.The demand comes in the wake of explosive allegations made in a new memoir by a former Meta employee. Here's whatKhanna told me this morning:"I think Mr. Zuckerberg needs to appear in front of my congressional oversight committee to answer questions about these allegations with China."STAY PROTECTED & INFORMED! GET SECURITY ALERTS & EXPERT TECH TIPS SIGN UP FOR KURTS THE CYBERGUY REPORT NOWHE CYBERGUY REPORT NOW Mark Zuckerberg and California Congressman Ro Khanna (Meta; House.gov)Shocking revelations from inside MetaSarah Wynn-Williams, a former director of global public policy at Facebook (now Meta), has penned a tell-all book titled "Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism." The memoir paints a damning picture of Meta's leadership, particularly focusing on Zuckerberg's alleged attempts to gain access to the Chinese market.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?"This is all pushed by an employee terminated eight years ago for poor performance. We do not operate our services in China today," a Meta spokesperson said. "It is no secret we were once interested in doing so as part of Facebooks effort to connect the world. This was widely reported beginning a decade ago. We ultimately opted not to go through with the ideas we'd explored, which Mark Zuckerberg announced in 2019." Sarah Wynn-Williams' new book (MacMillan)Zuckerberg's China strategy unveiledZuckerberg's China strategy, as revealed by Sarah Wynn-Williams, was far more extensive and controversial than previously known. According to her account, the Meta CEO went to extraordinary lengths to persuade the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to grant Meta permission to operate within China's borders. Zuckerberg's efforts reportedly included providing detailed briefings to CCP officials on cutting-edge technologies, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence.Furthermore, Meta allegedly collaborated directly with the CCP to develop custom-made censorship tools tailored to the party's specifications. Perhaps most alarmingly, Wynn-Williams claims that Zuckerberg attempted to conceal these cooperative efforts with the CCP from the U.S. Congress, raising serious questions about transparency and potential legal implications.Meta's response and past statementsMeta has refuted the claims, stating that they haven't seen the book and that the former employee was terminated in 2017. The company spokesperson referenced Zuckerberg's 2019 speech at Georgetown University, where he claimed that despite his efforts, they could never reach an agreement with China on the terms of operation. We reached out to Meta for a response to our article but did not hear back before our deadline. Here is some of what he said back then:"Its one of the reasons we dont operate Facebook, Instagram or our other services in China," Zuckerberg said. "I wanted our services in China because I believe in connecting the whole world and I thought we might help create a more open society. I worked hard to make this happen. But we could never come to agreement on what it would take for us to operate there, and they never let us in. And now we have more freedom to speak out and stand up for the values we believe in and fight for free expression around the world."GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE Meta logo (Meta)Broader implications for tech and politicsThe allegations raise serious questions about the relationship between big tech companies and authoritarian regimes. They also highlight the ongoing challenges faced by social media platforms in balancing global expansion with ethical considerations and national security concerns.Kurt's key takeawaysThe call for Zuckerberg to testify before Congress underscores the gravity of these allegations. If true, they could have far-reaching consequences for Meta, its leadership and the tech industry as a whole. As the story unfolds, it will be crucial to watch how lawmakers, regulators and the public respond to these revelations about one of the world's most influential companies.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIs it ever OK for tech companies to compromise on ethics and transparency in pursuit of global growth, especially when dealing with authoritarian governments? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/ContactFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/NewsletterAsk Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to coverAlert:Malware steals bank cards and passwords from millions of devicesFollow Kurt on his social channelsAnswers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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Amazon recently confirmed that itsBig Spring Sale event will return this spring. The seasonal event begins next week on Tuesday, March 25, but you can already shop savings on top tech, home, and more at other major retailers, like Best Buy, Walmart andTarget.While Amazon is perhaps most notorious for its member-exclusive Prime Day events, the e-commerce giant branched out to a larger consumer base in 2024 for the first annual Big Spring Sale, a multiple-day savings event open to everyone. As expected, other retailers jumped on board with competing sales events, offers, and discounts, making the month of March a shopper's paradise. I expect this year to be the same, especially following Walmart and Target's confirmation of their own sale events.Here are our favorite anti-Amazon Spring Sale deals that you can shop right now -- including on tech ranging from smartphones to TVs, to accessories and beyond. And don't worry; we'll update this frequently with the best offers I see for the rest of this month.Shop early Amazon Spring Sale deals Shop deals at Best BuyShop deals at WalmartOur favorite anti-Amazon Spring Sale 2025 deals: Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and moreApple Watch Series 10 (GPS 42mm): $329 (save $70 at Walmart): Apple's newest base model watch is finally seeing its lowest price. Save on the Watch Series 10, which expert Matthew Millersays is better than the Watch Ultrain certain areas. Plus, shop the GPS 46mm model on sale, too.Blink Mini 2 Indoor Cam: $20 (save $20 at Target): One of the best security cam deals is back. Save 50% on the Blink Mini 2 Indoor Cam, which oursmart home expert lovesfor its great connectivity, easy set-up and more.Chipolo One Point Bluetooth Tracker: $15 (save $13 at Best Buy): ZDNET's best-selling product of February is on sale. Expert Adrian Kingsley-Hughes says Chipolo's Android Bluetooth trackers are theperfect substitutes for AirTags, (plus, he says they're even better and cheaper).Apple 2024 Mac Mini Desktop Computer with M4 Chip: $529 (save $70 at B&H Photo): Apple products don't frequently see savings, especially on newer products. The 2024Mac Miniis a great pick for those who want the latest Apple tech without the high cost. For comparison, the M4 iMac and MacBook Pro deliver a similar experience, but prices for those devices start at over $1,000.Anker Nano Power Bank USB-C: $24 (save $6 at Walmart): This tiny power bank is perfect for the on-the-go, and right now, it's on sale. Expert Sabrina Ortizloves this battery boosterfor its compact form and foldable adapter. Thelightning model is on sale, too.SwitchBot Wallet Tracker Card: $19 (save $6 at SwitchBot): This ultra-thin wallet tracker is shaped like a credit card, is highly reliable and works seamlessly with the Apple Find My network. Right now it's on sale for 25% off, and expert Maria Diaz says itsas good as an AirTag.Apple AirTag 4-Pack: $70 (save $29 at Walmart): If you prefer Apple's native Bluetooth tracker,AirTagsare great for tracking keys, luggage, wallets, and more, and they're on sale for 29% off.Spring Sale Best Buy deals ZDNETInsignia 32-inch F20 TV: $75 (save $55): One of Best Buy's top-selling deals right now is this 32-inch budget TV pick, which is available for under $100 now. It's a smart Fire TV with great contrast and brightness and is perfect for a dorm, kids' room, and more.Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+: $170 (save $50): This 11-inch tablet comes with 64GB of storage and a full HD screen for crisp and clear viewing. The 128GB and 256GB models are also on sale.MacBook Air M2 13-inch: $749 (save $250): The older M2 MacBook Air is on sale for $250 off right now, and although it isn't the newest model, it's still a great pick.Save up to $170 on select Beats headphonesSave up to $100 on select Sony headphonesSpring Sale Walmart deals ZDNETApple AirPods Pro 2: $199 (save $50): Apple's AirPods Pro 2 consistently rank among the most premium earbuds on the market thanks to their H2 chip and pioneering features. Right now, you can save $50 off these earbuds and get them for $199 -- the best price we're seeing right now, but certainly not the lowest ever.Apple iPad 10th Gen: $269 (save $80): Apple's 2022 iPad 10th Gen 64GB is on sale in every color, and this iPad is editor-in-chief Jason Hiner's most recommended model.Samsung 75-inch The Frame TV: $1,929 (save $1,070): The Frame TV is a QLED 4K TV, with an anti-reflection matte display to limit glare day and night. Right now, save over $1,000 on the 2022 75-inch model.Apple Watch Series 10 GPS 42mm: $299 (save $100): Apple's base model watch is finally discounted for $100 off after selling for $50-$70 off the last several months. It's still not the lowest price we've ever seen, but it's a great 23% savings.Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner: $88 (save $36): This mini Bissell is great for tackling tricky stains from kids or pets, is easy-to-use, and is great to have on hand (I would know, I own one). Right now, it's under $100.Spring Sale Target deals ZDNETSave up to 35% on select speakers and headphonesSave up to 35% on all smart home devicesSave up to$100 on select Apple productsSave up to 30% on select TVs, soundbars, and streamingSave up to 50% on select HP, laptops, and moreSave up to 30% on select tablets, printers and moreSpring Sale Costco deals ZDNETAnker MagGo 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Cube Stand: $50 (save $30): This 3-in-1 MagSafe charging station is the perfect place to power up your smartphone, wireless earbuds, and an Apple Watch, and right now it's nearly 40% off.Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: $150 (save $30): Our expert says that the latest Bose QuietComfort Earbuds boast powerful noise cancellation, a 30-hour battery life, and bass-forward audio. Plus, they're on sale for $150 right now.Sonos Era 100 Smart Speaker (Set of 2): $375 (save $95): TheSonos Era 100is the smart speaker expert Maria Diaz recommends to most people, audiophile or not, and this Costco 2-piece deal is the best available yet. Amazon has the speaker discounted to $199, but this bundle offer saves you $23 more than buying elsewhere if you're in need of a set.MacBook Air M2 13-inch: $700 (save $250): One of the best prices we've seen so far for the older M2 MacBook Air model is at Costco right now.Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: $220 (save $80): Our audio expert tests earbuds for a living and says she can confidently say the Bose QuietComfort Ultra are the best noise-canceling earbuds on the market -- and they're $80 off now.More anti-Amazon Spring Sale deals Adam Breeden/ZDNETSonos Era 100 Smart Speaker: $199 (save $50 at Sonos): TheSonos Era 100is the smart speaker expert Maria Diaz recommends to most people, audiophile or not, and it's finally on sale for 20% off again.Save$50 on the Google Pixel Watch 2, plus other wearable deals at TargetSonos Beam Gen 2 Soundbar: $399 (save $100 at Sonos): Right now you can save 20% off our pick for thebest budget Sonos soundbar.FAQs When is Amazon's Spring Sale 2025?Amazon's Big Spring Sale returns Tuesday, March 25, and ends Monday, March 31.Are deals really better during Amazon sales?Deals on flagship Amazon products are typically the best during Amazon's own sales. These sales are also a great opportunity to scoop up decent savings across dozens of categories. Keep in mind that you'll be able to shop at plenty of other retailers during the same period as Amazon's sale as retailers look to compete.Will other retailers offer spring savings?Yes, other major retailers will likely offer their discounts via competing sales. Often, retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and more directly match (or sometimes outdo) Amazon's pricing during sale events. It's not unusual to see the same products on sale for the same price across many retailers. I expect many competing sale events to precede, overlap, or follow Amazon's spring sale.How did we choose these anti-Amazon Spring Sale deals?ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy -- devices and products we desire, need or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is on sale and how frequently it drops.We also reviewed customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we recommend. Our recommendations may also be based on our testing -- in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites withZDNET Recommends. Show more Amazon Spring Sale 2025

Lululemon is investing in biomaterial companies who can help them make their famous leggings from ... [+] bio-based nylonLululemonLululemon, credited with giving the fashion world athleisure, has always prided itself on the quality of its products, particularly its leggings, which inspired women to wear them outside of the gym. But when it comes to the companys sustainability goals, these very leggings have a problem. Most of them are derived from fossil-fuel materials such as polyester and nylon.In 2020, the company set out its impact agenda including a goal to use 75% preferred materials (defined as materials contributing to improved environmental and/or social impacts compared to conventional versions) by 2025 and reach 100% by 2030.In its most recent sustainability report from 2023, published in September 2024, it had achieved 57% preferred materials in its mix including 61% of its polyester, which accounts for 33% of total fibers, coming from recycled sources and 46% of its cotton, which accounts for 19% of its fiber mix, being responsibly sourced. However, nylon, which makes up 31% of fibers used by Lululemon, is trailing behind. Just 6% of nylon used by the brand is from recycled sources and 0% came from renewable sources, another category the brand is exploring as a preferred material.Facing a lack of commercially viable, low-impact nylon options, the brand has been investing in solutions providers. Nylon is one of the key areas because we see not much investment is going into finding solves on nylon. So, we want to take that leadership role here on nylon, Yogi Dandapure, VP of raw material innovation at Lululemon told me in an interview.The brand shared exclusively with me that today it is announcing an expanded partnership with California-based biotechnology company ZymoChem to scale bio-based adipic acid, one of the key chemical building blocks of nylon which is traditionally petroleum based. It is hoped this could become a viable renewable option for the nylon 66 the brand uses in some of its most iconic products such as the Align and Wunder Train leggings.Lululemon invested an undisclosed amount in ZymoChem last year as part of a $21 million series A funding round alongside other investors including Toyota Ventures. The next stage of the partnership will allow ZymoChem to tap into Lululemons existing supply chain, experiment with product development and create a roadmap for how it could be introduced into product lines in the long term. There is currently no time frame on when this innovation may appear in stores but Patty Stapp SVP, global raw materials at Lululemon told me this is part of the overall pathway to hit our targets, referring to its impact agenda goals. Lululemon did not disclose the financial terms of the new partnership.Lululemon has announced a multi-year collaboration with ZymoChem to help scale bio-based nylonBrian DeSimone 2025Harshal Chokhawala, co-founder & CEO of ZymoChem, told me in an interview: Nylon and the adipic acid is used at more than 3 million metric tons a year. It goes into textiles, it goes into engineering plastics, it goes into military systems. And so, were really hoping that our technology has widespread applications, starting with the textile space with Lululemon.Andapure says that a more sustainable replacement for conventional nylon has been difficult to find because it has more niche uses in the world when compared to materials such as polyester: Nylon is a smaller fiber, and when it comes to polyester, we can have a recycled polyester using PET bottles to begin with, and it significantly reduces your carbon footprint. But for nylon, there are no commodity items like that.Chokhawala says a key differentiator in ZymoChems technology is its potential to scale: Weve spent a decade developing a carbon-conserving biotechnology that's based on fermentation, but the unique point of this technology is the ability to enable cost competitiveness with fossil-based manufacturing at scale.From a performance perspective, Andapure says replacing the petroleum monomer with ZymoChems bio-based monomer, creates a material with the same properties, so theres no compromise on quality.While the bio-based Nylon will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and come from a renewable source, it is not biodegradable and Lululemon is looking to address end-of-life for the material through its existing partnership with Australia-based Samsara Eco.In February 2024, the partnership announced the worlds first enzymatically recycled nylon 66 product created from Lululemon nylon products mixed with other non-textile materials to create high quality recycled nylon. In a press release, Lululemon stated that most recycled nylons came from post-industrial waste and end results that matched Lululemons quality requirements were limited. The apparel brands vision is to scale its partnerships with ZymoChem and Samsara Eco to create a closed loop process for creating nylon 66 products.In 2023, Lululemon launched a pilot collection of bio-based nylon 6 shirts with another biotechnology company, Geno. Stapp says there will be new developments from this partnership soon: Were looking at their scale up plans, and we're working with them closely and our merchandising partners to understand how to phase that into our line over time, she said.While the athleisure brand has no specific goals to end its reliance on fossil fuel-based materials, its betting heavily on bio-based innovation as the solution that delivers a lower-impact future that doesnt compromise the customer experience of its products.

Jensen's WorldTom CoughlinJensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, gave one of this announcement-filled presentations at the 2025 GTC in San Jose. Among announcements on GPU roadmaps, low power photonics networking, compact liquid cooled GPU systems, new robotics initiatives and the wide variety of CUDA libraries available to users, he also gave some interesting insights on digital storage and memory requirements for next generation GPUs and changes in AI storage platforms.There is also a Nvidia driven effort underway, Storage-Next that aims to improve memory integration to GPUs versus CPUs. Several storage and memory companies were also at the GTC and we also discuss announcements from Micron, Phison, Vast Data and Vdura.Jensen presented details on the announcement of the Blackwell GPU series, the follow on the Grace Hopper products, but he also talked about a couple of generations in the second half of 2026 and in 2027 that will be called the Vera Rubin GPU system. Vera Florence Cooper Rubin was an American astronomer who did pioneering research on galaxy rotation rates. I believe that he also indicated that the GPU generation after Vera Rubin would be named after physicist Richard Feynman.The later 2027 Vera Rubin system, the Rubin Ultra NVL576 would have HBM4e data rates of 4.5PB/s with 365TB of fast memory and 1.5PBs NVLink7 connectivity as shown below.Late 2027 Nvidia Rubin Ultra NVL576 PlatformTom CoughlinThe Rubin system package will also be considerably larger than prior generation Blackwell packages, as shown by comparing the size of components in the two packages below. Nvidia is taking 2D chiplet technologies to new levels with these GPUs.Comparison of size of Nvidia Blackwell and Rubin PackagesTom CoughlinJensen, towards the end of his 2+ hour talk, announced a new class of storage infrastructure using AI to enhance data access, see image below. This Nvidia AI data platform is a reference design that digital storage partners will implement that uses AI query agents to generate insights from data in near real time using Nvidia AI enterprise software, including Nvidia NIM microservices for the companys Nemotron models and its AI-Q Blueprint for building AI query agents.AI Storage Platform with semantic accessTom CoughlinAmong the companies implementing versions of this reference design are DDN, Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, NetApp, Nutanix, Pure Storage, VAST Data and WEKA.Storage providers can implement these agents using Nvidia Blackwell GPUs, Bluefield DPUs, Spectrum-X networking and Dynamo open-source inference library. Using this collection of technologies, they can access large-scale data quickly and process various data types, including structured, semi-structured and unstructured data from multiple sources, including text, PDF, images and video.There is also work going on, driven by Nvidia, for a new storage architecture for GPU computing near memory for disaggregated, data-protected, managed block storage. This would use next generation NVMe with the intention of achieving high IOPs/$, better power efficiency for fine-grained accesses by supporting direct access to storage from GPUs. This effort seeks to achieve 512B IOPs/GPU in Gen6, optimized for power and tail latency. Tail latency is the slowest response time in a system latency distribution, often measured as the outliers above 95% or higher of the distribution. Tail latency can have a significant impact on overall system performance.GPU-initiated storage versus CPU-initiated storage is said to deliver better TCO with higher IOPS, smaller space with fewer devices needed to reach IOPS goals and lower power consumption with better utilization from reduced impact from tail latencies.In addition to Nvidia announcements and activities, some storage and memory companies made announcement around the GTC. Micron announced SOCAMM, Small Outline Compression Attached Memory Module, developed in collaboration with Nvidia, a modular high-capacity LPDDR5X DRAM technology for use with the Nvidia GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Superchip. Micron also said that their HBM3E products were being used in several Nvidia platforms.SOCAMMs are said to provide over 2.5 times higher bandwidth at the same capacity when compared to RDIMMs, allowing faster access to larger training datasets and more complex models, as well as increasing throughput for inference workloads.Phison announced an array of expanded capabilities on aiDAPTIV+, a more affordable AI training and inference solution for on-premise infrastructure. aiDAPTIV+ is being integrated into AI laptop PCs as well as on edge computing devices running the Nvidia Jetson platform.Vast Data announced new features to its Vast Data Platform enabling enhancements to its Vast InsightEngine including vector search and retrieval, serverless triggers and functions and fine-grained access control and AI-ready security.VDURA launched its V5000 all-flash appliance offering a parallel file system architecture that it says is engineered for AI. It combines client-side erasure coding, remote direct memory access, RDMA, acceleration and flash-memory to scale with growing GPU clusters.GPU memory and storage requirements are growing. New semantic storage with AI query agents and storage-next project improves data access. Micron, Phison, Vast Data and VDURA make AI storage and memory announcements at the 2025 GTC.

The big picture: At the AI PC summit in Beijing, AMD claimed that its board partners have shipped more than 200,000 of its Radeon RX 9070 and Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics cards since their launch earlier this month. The company added that it has almost exhausted its entire global supply and sold out its inventory. At the AI PC summit in Beijing, AMD claimed that its board partners have shipped more than 200,000 of its Radeon RX 9070 and Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics cards since their launch earlier this month. The company added that it has almost exhausted its entire global supply and sold out its inventory.Demand for AMD's latest GPUs has outpaced supply thanks to strong reviews, leaving major retailers struggling to keep stock. Most units have already sold out, and the few remaining are priced well above MSRP. The inflated prices have led to rampant scalping and accusations of price-gouging.AMD's Frank Azor assured consumers that both GPUs would be available at MSRP, but that has yet to materialize. However, supply could improve soon. AMD board partner Yeston, whose cards are currently exclusive to China, claims availability will stabilize after April. The company expects AMD to ramp up supply by May, offering relief for gamers struggling to find the cards at reasonable prices.AMD Vice President of Product Marketing David McAfee described demand for the new GPUs as "unprecedented" and said the company has had a "pretty amazing couple of weeks." While he acknowledged that most models are sold out at major retailers, he emphasized that restocking remains AMD's "priority number one."At launch, AMD had promised "wide availability" for its latest cards at MSRP, but a quick search at leading retailers like Newegg, Amazon, and Best Buy tells a different story. When we checked, only one RX 9070 XT was available on Newegg at the $599 MSRP, while the rest were priced way higher, going up to $859 for an overclocked model. Amazon's and Best Buy's prices and availability weren't any better. // Related StoriesIn related news, AMD claims that as many as 500 million devices worldwide use Radeon graphics cards. This figure includes laptops, handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, gaming consoles like the Xbox X|S and PS5, and even Tesla cars like the Model S and Model X, which use embedded RDNA 2 GPUs to power their infotainment systems.

In a nutshell: Many game developers and publishers have increasingly focused on the PC market, recognizing its growing importance. A recent market analysis highlights the expanding potential of "computer games," offering valuable insights into the PC userbase and their preferences. This data paints a clearer picture of the evolving gaming landscape and the shifting priorities of the industry. PC Gamer reports that recent market research from analysis firm Newzoo shows that the PC gaming sector remains stronger than ever, surpassing consoles in popularity. During an upcoming GDC keynote, Newzoo Consulting Director Ben Porter will highlight that the PC gaming base has topped 907 million players. Interestingly, about 92 percent are more drawn to older titles from a few years ago.According to PC Gamer's advance copy of the report, there were an estimated 873.5 million PC players in 2023. This count grew to 907.5 million in 2024. Meanwhile, the console players are around 653 million, showing that the master race still deserves its title.Newzoo extrapolated these figures from an in-depth survey of 73,000 players, coupled with player-hours data from over 10,000 games. As mentioned, most PC gamers are "heavily skewed towards older, live service games" (92 percent). Titles six years or older amounted to 67 percent of player hours in 2024, while two- to five-year-old games comprised another 25 percent. Only eight percent of players spent time on games released within the last two years. Popular older PC titles include:Counter-Strike: Global Offensive/Counter-Strike 2 (7.1%)League of Legends (6.4%)Roblox (6.2%)Dota 2 (5.8%)Fortnite (5.4%).Given the highly diverse PC gaming base, the report's findings are unsurprising. Many of the most anticipated releases are also the most demanding, requiring modern (and expensive) hardware. At the same time, many users continue to rely on older systems with less capable components.The report also highlights the popularity of live service, free-to-play games, which typically attract a broad audience with a focus on generating revenue through microtransactions or subscriptions. Despite the growing number of challenges within the live-service model, many game publishers prioritize these always-on projects for their ongoing financial potential. // Related StoriesNewzoo will present its findings at GDC on Thursday, offering additional insights into player engagement, revenue models, and spending habits in 2025. The session is aimed at senior executives and game industry strategists but will likely provide valuable data for gamers and PC enthusiasts as well.

A portless iPhone may no longer be outside the realm of possibility for Apple. The European Union has confirmed that the Silicon Valley giant can create portless iPhones without USB-C.We reported over the weekend that Apple wanted to make the iPhone 17 Air the first portless phone, but shelved the idea because of regulations in the EU, per a report from Bloomberg. One of those regulations was the Common Charger Directive, an environmental law that forced Apple to switch from the Lightning port to USB-C to reduce the amount of electronic waste from Lightning cables. Now, according to 9to5Mac, European Commission press officer Federica Miccoli said a portless iPhone would also comply with the directive.Recommended VideosSince such radio equipment cannot be recharged via wired charging, it does not need to incorporate the harmonized (wired) charging solution, Miccoli said.Please enable Javascript to view this contentBy that definition, it would be legal for Apple to sell an iPhone that could only be charged through wireless charging or MagSafe in the European market. The iPhone 17 Air may not be the first phone to not carry a charging port, despite its slim design, but any other iPhone that comes after could be.In 2023, the iPhone 15 was released as the first iPhone to carry the USB-C port, ditching the Lightning port and the Lightning cable altogether. The switch was made not only to comply with the EUs Common Charger Directive to create an iPhone with a USB-C port by the next year, but also to make the USB-C port a universal standard for every smartphone on the market. It also alleviated the headache of Android users asking people if they could borrow their chargers to power up their dying phones not knowing if that charger has a Lightning cable or a USB-C cable. Embracing a future of USB-C compatible iPhones did not come easy for Apple, though.Editors Recommendations

European markets are seeing dips in prices of the Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs as the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar has become stronger. This has allowed Nvidia to slash the prices of some of its current graphics cards by approximately five percent.According to Videocardz, Nvidia has updated the pricing for its Germany sector webpage, changing the price of the RTX 5090 to 2,230 from its launch price of 2,330. The RTX 5080 has dropped from 1,170 to 1,120. The RTX 5070 has dropped from 650 to 620. Notably, the RTX 5070 Ti maintains its 880 pricing, likely because it is the only graphics card to be released without a Founders Edition variant.NvidiaMarkets outside of Europe are also seeing shifts in the exchange rate, with the RTX 5090 sold in the U.K. seeing price drops from its 1,940 launch price to 1,890, due to the struggling dollar, the Verge noted.Recommended VideosThe value of the U.S. dollar has been shaky since late January but has dropped to stabilize at approximately 4%, Videocardz added.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Meanwhile, the exchange rate does not take into account the already inflated prices of many GPUs sold through third-party retailers. Prior reports noted retailers were pricing models, including the RTX 5070 Ti, the RTX 5080, and the RTX 5090 well beyond Nvidias suggested MSRP for the products, with pundits comparing the pricing to scalpers.Sources told the publication that consumers have not been encouraged to purchase graphics card despite the price drop, which is strictly because of the exchange rate and not due to demand.At the same time,Nvidia continues to struggle with supply issues with RTX 50-series. While the brand has stated its aim to regulate supplies in the coming weeks and months it has also claimed to have had more preliminary success selling the current series than the previous RTX 40-series. Pundits have been skeptical about this claim because Nvidia had four 50-series graphics cards available in five weeks, while it only had one 40-series GPU launched in the same time frame in fall 2022.Editors Recommendations

A retrospective at New Yorks Film Forum honors the French director, who brought wit and imagination to his movies even as he moved from country to country, from silent to sound, and from black-and-white to color.