A new price drop at Amazon on Apple's upgraded M3 MacBook Air delivers the lowest price in 30 days.Grab the lowest price in 30 days on this MacBook Air.Pick up the upgraded M3 13-inch MacBook Air configuration for just $1,099 at Amazon this CES 2025 week and enjoy a $200 discount off MSRP. At press time, the Space Gray colorway is the only finish option eligible for the steep price drop and units are in stock and ready to ship with delivery as early as tomorrow for Prime members.Get 512GB Air for $1,099 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Instead of telling you what song was playing just now in the elevator, Apple's Shazam is once more looking into the future at who it calculates will be your next favorite.Shazam announces its 50 artists to watch in 2025Shazam does know its stuff in November 2024, it was announced that it had been used more than 100 billion times since it was launched in 2002. True, that figure must include all the times you get "No song found," but it's still impressive.It's also a bit like alchemy. All of those millions of songs, recognized within just a few bars. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

India's Ministry of Electronics and IT has proposed giving component makers billions in aid in an effort to boost local manufacturing of devices like the iPhone.Tim Cook in a previous visit to India image credit: AppleIndia is once more hoping to incentivize smartphone manufacturers to continue to expand into the region. This time the plan includes 230 billion rupees, or about $2.7 billion, in new subsidies to offset production costs.In addition to the subsidies, the ministry has also suggested that India reduce tariffs on certain electronic components, ultimately bringing down production costs, a source told Bloomberg. If approved, the details will likely be announced in the government's upcoming budget in February. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Microsoft seems to be gearing up to launch its next console in 2026. According to The Ghost of Hope known for their leaks about Call of Duty games the company is getting ready to launch the new Xbox next year. The leak refers to the release window as an open secret in the industry.According to The Ghost of Hope, Microsofts next console is dubbed Xbox Prime. It is worth noting that whether this is the consumer-facing name of the console or an internal development name is unknown. The leak also indicates that Microsoft is eyeing 2026s Call of Duty release to be a launch title for the console.As is the case with all leaks, these details should be taken with a grain of salt, since Microsoft is yet to make an official announcement.Im haring that the next Xbox console is still coming in 2026 and will be called Xbox Prime, said The Ghost of Hope, warning people to take this information with a grain of salt. Still unclear if its a code name or the actual name. Ive heard Infinity Wards next COD is still being considered a day one release for this.These leaks would also imply that the 2026 Call of Duty might end up being released exclusively on Xbox, skipping a PlayStation release down the line.I know people dont believe it but Xbox next console being in 2026 is pretty much an open secret within the industry, Ghost of Hope continues. Seems early but I think it makes sense with where Xbox is headed.Take this with a huge grain of salt:Im hearing that the next Xbox console is still coming in 2026 and will be called Xbox Prime. Still unclear if its a code name or the actual name. Ive heard Infinity Wards next COD is still being considered a day one release for this. https://t.co/JKGMsKU9br Hope (@TheGhostOfHope) January 6, 2025I know people dont believe it but Xbox next console being in 2026 is pretty much an open secret within the industry. Seems early but I think it makes sense with where Xbox is headed. Hope (@TheGhostOfHope) January 6, 2025

Ken Levine has been on the down-low for over a decade but returns to the directors chair with Ghost Story Games Judas later this year. While the shooter may appear akin to the BioShock series, Levine told GamesIndustry.biz that it aims to be much more hopefully reflective of players agency.Interestingly, Levine considers BioShock to be more of a corridor from a development standpoint. BioShock, if you look at it from a development standpoint and this may be a bit alienating to some readers but its basically a corridor.A very, very long corridor with a bunch of trigger points that make story elements happen. Judas is made very, very differently and that makes it much more hopefully reflective of players agency, but also much, much harder to make.Judas will seemingly differ by observing players and commenting on their actions at points. Even just characters observing a long range of player action and commenting on it. Hey, you saw this, and you did that, and then you did this, and that was interesting because that caused that were doing that kinda stuff right now.Naturally, its a huge amount of work when considering all the potential decisions. Theres also having to write in-character responses for different characters to those actions in a way that feels organic.Judas is in development for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Set in a spaceship, the story focuses on the titular protagonists attempt to escape. Of course, circumstances can change depending on your actions, especially when attempting to work alongside other crew members. Head here for more details.Though it doesnt have a release date, parent company Take-Two Interactive said its expected to launch by March 2025. Stay tuned for updates.

Team-based competitive shooters are in danger of being totally overdone. It is becoming increasingly challenging to stand out in what is an ultra-competitive domain, just look at the fate of Concord. Thus, tapping into a niche is more critical than ever.PIONER is anMMORPG FPS coming from studio GFAGames is chucking nearly every possible mechanic and system into its experience. Big lungful of air now: theres an alternate reality open world filled with Stalker and Fallout-esque anomaly; dense lore that is richly imbued in classic sci-fi; theres a story campaign; therell be both PvE missions and PvP arenas; minigames in the shape of casinos and fishing; an extraction shooter mode; factions with unique personalities; extensive weapon customisation; survival mechanics; crafting; clan-based social interaction; raids, the list feels like it should go on.We know what youre thinking: how can a game combine all these features into one unified experience? Can it possibly be good at everything? Or is there a danger Pioner will be defined as a jack of all trades master of none?To alleviate any concerns, its worth pointing out that GFAGames have been working on Pioner since its inception in 2021, so thats plenty of time for the team of 70 to get all the games ducks in a row. Furthermore, the game has probably has the finances secured too, so the budget will most certainly be there to ensure Pioner is as polished as possible come its eventual release. And finally, if you pay attention to its gameplay reveals you might notice a handful of careful design considerations thatll assist players in dividing their workload to avoid tending to numerous different game modes simultaneously.The games open world is an isolated Soviet-era island, a 50 square kilometre patch of irradiated wasteland known as Tartarus populated by wild animals, mutants, and cosmic anomalies. This setting, whilst not exactly the Chornobyl exclusion zone, is how Pioner gets its comparisons with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. although it must be pointed out that this is not a rip-off as some may infer. No, both GSC Game Worlds vision of The Zone in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and GFAGames radiation-heavy island draw inspiration from the same source: the Strugatsky brothers philosophical sci-fi novella Roadside Picnic and, by extension, Andrei Tarkovskys 1979 movie adaption. For reference, Roadside Picnic can be argued at this point to have spawned a whole genre off the back of its phantasmagorical phenomena, with VR game Into The Radius and 2024s Pacific Drive showing clear influence alongside movies such as Alex Garlands Annihilation and Amazon Prime series Tales from the Loop.This island though, its divided up into sectors whereby specific activities can be undertaken. In the developers words, the right-hand side of the island (so presumably, the east) is the territory youll find the harshest PvPvE zones and clan wars. This area, dubbed the Empty Lands, is where youll find the fiercest firefights against human opponents alongside the islands most ferocious creatures, but here is also where the most valuable loot is found. This territory is devoid of quests and, in the developers words, is much less forgiving than the islands other regions. Straight away, were seeing a risk versus reward in venturing into these most hostile of zones. The games Escape from Tarkov style extraction mode is found within the Shadowlands, a derelict wasteland nestled inside the right-hand read: the eastern side of the island too. Gameplay here comprises gathering resources alongside your clansmen before taking strategic choke points and production facilities by force, then attempting to reach a safe zone via a multitude of possible paths.GFAGames points out that there are no guides on the right-hand side of the island, meaning fast travel is impossible. However, guides will, ahem, guide you in other sectors of the island, where extraction shooter zones are eschewed in favour of raids and world bosses more akin to well-established MMO FPS titles like Destiny 2.If theres familiarity in the games activities, GFAGames are banking on the fantastical phenomenon cloaking the island to inject some unfamiliarity. No matter how often Roadside Picnics inspiration crops up in media, video games interactive nature oftentimes provides the most effective adaptations. These worlds made hostile by unfathomable forces are unwaveringly intoxicating, but video games excel over other forms of media in how this phenomenon can be interacted with and how it influences gameplay.Within Pioners island, bundles of energy known as artefacts are dotted throughout although these are stated as extremely rare, the implication being their value is sky-high. Furthermore, GFAGames advises that activation of these artefacts by the wrong hands can lead to disastrous consequences. Whilst they havent given us a precise explanation as to what these disastrous consequences entail, we are shown glimpses of anomaly-enhanced weaponry a rifle modified with bullets that can melt whatever lands in its sight and sickly green landmines which elevate out of the marshy ground before detonating. Of course, the wrong hands could lead us towards believing therell be an antagonistic force operating on the island, an army hellbent on gathering up all the powerful artefacts for themselves. GFAGames are being tight-lipped on Pioners narrative arc, but we do see a couple of cultish looking dudes stepping through a dark forest as a sinister narrator speaks of breaking free from shackles whilst the power of the tides destroys you.What this means, we dont know for sure, but it seems a safe bet that the reason behind all this inter-island conflict will be something to do with the power these artefacts bestow. The islands factions are at war, vying for possession of cosmic forces they probably dont fully understand. And speaking of factions, Tartarus is stated presently to be divided between four although details on two are all thats been shared up to now. Therere the local islanders dubbed the Source Conglomerate and a paramilitary unit operating under the moniker Brigade. What little detail we do know in Pioners story is that players will be tasked by faction leaders to complete missions, with players choosing with whom they wish to align. Completing tasks builds relationships, fosters loyalty, and yields bonuses. Alongside resources gathered, a healthy wad of cash will be integral to crafting upgrades for the games host of weapons. Anomaly scanners likely another item integral to survival can be upgraded or, as hinted in Pioners gameplay reveal, be bought outright.Survival mechanics round out the brutal experience, although were not seeing full Fallout style base building at present. These mechanics are likely going to include the need for rest, recouperation, and nourishment. Whilst weapon designs are suitably weathered to reflect the irradiated landscape they inhibit, were not seeing misfires or wayward aiming akin to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series or Far Cry 2. Thats a detail which would certainly foster a deeper immersiveness in the islands conflict although GFAGames might have already decided surviving this hostile climate is tough enough without weapons skewing awry. All equipment is rated by accuracy, rarity, and damage though, so you never know.At face value Pioner doesnt seem to have a lot of originality, but the gunplay looks great, the environments are well considered, and its lore intriguing. Should all the survivalist mechanics meld well with the plethora of game modes then Pioner looks like an online competitive shooter that has a solid chance of establishing itself for a long time.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Imperial Geyser is one of the many hydrothermal features that draw visitors to Yellowstone National Park. NPS / Diane RenkinEach year, Yellowstone National Park attracts millions of visitors who are eager to see its explosive geysers, steaming hot springs and burbling mud pots. These famous natural landmarks result from the parks unique geology: It sits atop an active supervolcano, which has produced three large, explosive eruptions in the last 2.1 million years.The most recent eruption at Yellowstone took place roughly 70,000 years ago, when thick lava burbled up to the surface and flowed across the landscape. The last major explosion occurred around 631,000 years ago, creating a massive crater known as the Yellowstone Caldera.Many curious onlookers have wondered whetherand whenYellowstone might next erupt. Now, scientists are using new techniques to help answer these questions.A new analysis published last week in the journal Nature suggests Yellowstone is unlikely to experience another big eruptionat least, not anytime soonbecause the magma lurking beneath its surface is split across a web of distinct chambers.Due to the large total amount of magma present, Yellowstone will remain volcanically active. But nowhere in Yellowstone do we have regions that are capable of eruption, says study lead author Ninfa Bennington, a seismologist at the U.S. Geological Surveys Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, to the Washington Posts Sarah Raza. It has a lot of magma, but the magma is not connected enough.Past research has suggested a broad layer of magma exists beneath Yellowstone, but the new findings contradict that idea. There are these segregated regions where magma is stored across Yellowstone, instead of having one sort of large reservoir, Bennington adds to Fox Weathers Angeli Gabriel. Magnetotellurics helped researchers create a precise map of magma chambers beneath Yellowstone. Bennington et al. / Nature, 2024Other studies have relied primarily upon seismic waves, which help map underground structures. Because seismic waves travel at different speeds through varying types of materials, scientists can use them to see whats beneath Earths surfacesuch as a layer of solid rock or a chamber full of piping hot magma.For this study, however, researchers used a technique called magnetotellurics. This method also allows researchers to see beneath the surface, but it uses Earths natural electromagnetic fields instead of seismic waves. Since magma is a good conductor of electricity, this technique is highly sensitive to mapping the molten rock, making it useful for understanding whats happening underground at a volcanically active place.Using magnetotellurics, scientists were able to produce a detailed picture of the magma beneath Yellowstone, which then allowed them to make predictions about possible future eruptions.Their new map shows large, deep reservoirs of basaltic magma, which flows easily and is responsible for much of Earths volcanic activity. These chambers are connected to shallower underground pools of rhyolitic magma, which is thicker and requires more pressure to erupt, but tends to produce more explosive eruptions. The entire magma complex links into Yellowstones hydrothermal system, which is akin to underground plumbing near the surface.Though basaltic eruptions are more common worldwide, the Yellowstone Caldera was formed by a rhyolitic eruption that launched magma with the same consistency as asphalt into the air, as Michael Manga, an Earth and planetary scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the research, tells the Washington Post.The biggest reservoir of rhyolitic magma found by the team is located in the northeastern area of Yellowstone. Below it, basaltic magma is migrating up from the lower crust, providing heat to the thick, explosive magma above.Based on this mapping, the team predicts a shift in volcanic activity: If a rhyolitic eruption does occur at Yellowstone in the future, its center would most likely be in the northeast region of the park. This represents a change from the last 160,000 years, when most volcanic activity occurred elsewhere in the area, they write in the paper.The western part of the Yellowstone Caldera is waning, Bennington tells USA Todays Elizabeth Weise.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Earth's Crust, Earth's Mantle, Geology, National Parks, New Research, Volcanoes, Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park

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