We may earn a commission from links on this page.Sony's PlayStation VR 2 headset is getting a permanent price price drop this March, down to $400 from $550. That'll include the headset, the controllers, and a pair of wired earbudsbut is that a deal worth getting excited over?Well, for Sony, maybe. The price cut comes a year after Bloomberg reported that Sony had stopped making new PSVR 2 units and shifted efforts towards getting rid of excess stock. That points to lower-than-expected sales for the peripheral, and it's easy to see why.Sony's VR loyalists were surprised to hear when the headset came out, for instance, that it would not work with the existing library of games built for PSVR 1. That's because the PSVR 2 uses improved tracking technology and controllers compared to Sony's first crack at virtual reality, but still, the difference meant gamers had to rebuy their entire libraries, or just ditch games that hadn't been ported to the new headset altogether. This means PSVR 2 gamers have a slightly smaller selection of games than on other systems, with little assurance that their games will continue to work as hardware gets upgraded. Even Sony mascot Astro Bot has yet to come to the new system, with Astro Bot Rescue Mission still being stuck on the PSVR 1.That doesn't mean the headset is totally unworthy of the upgrade, though. It has a higher resolution than the PSVR 1, with a higher field-of-view, more precise controllers, and the addition of eye tracking. Having tried it myself, I was pretty happy with the experience, but I didn't see much to use it on with the PS5.Luckily, in the time sense its release, Sony has made the PSVR 2 available for PC, with the release of a $60 adapter. That just about fixes the library issue, assuming you have a VR-compatible PC, but it also opens the headset up to increased competition. Namely, while the PSVR 2 is well-priced compared to luxury PCVR headsets like the Valve Index (which can reach upwards of $930), it still has to compete with the likes of the Meta Quest 3 and 3S, which also work with PC.Compared to those other devices, whether this price drop is a good deal comes down to your priorities. It's still more expensive than the Quest 3S ($300), but it has higher-resolution displays and a built-in halo strap, something that I find more comfortable than the default Quest strap. On the other hand, it doesn't have a processor for standalone gaming and loses out on Meta exclusives like Batman: Arkham Shadow. The PSVR 2 is cheaper than the regular Quest 3 ($500), but you do get those same downsides plus slightly lower-resolution screens. However, the PSVR 2's screens are OLED, and again, it's pretty comfortable right out of the box (I've swapped the default Quest 3 strap for an aftermarket halo strap, which cost me $50).Personally, I'd prefer to see another $50 chopped off before I start recommending it, but it could work in the niche case where you don't care about standalone play and just want a comfortable PCVR headset that can occasionally also come to the living room to play the odd Sony exclusive, like Horizon Call of the Mountain. Bloomberg has also reported that Apple might soon adopt the PSVR 2's controllers for use with the Apple Vision Pro, so getting a set now could get you ahead of the game if you plan to upgrade later on.Note that the exact start date for the price drop might vary based on region, according to Sony's blog, so be sure to check your local retailer before purchasing.

I like watching Reels and TikToks about cleaning because in addition to getting some good tips, I find them relatable. Why, yes, Algorithm, I do often find myself in a position where friends are coming over but my home isn't exactly spotless. How did you know? One Instagram user has a suggestion for how to turn that exact situation into a cleaning win: Called the "GFD bin," it's gained some traction on the app as a quick decluttering method worth trying. What is a "GFD bin?"A "GFD bin" is a "guests for dinner" bin, according to its creator, Holly Blakey. The organizing and interior decorating guru shared this video last December explaining the idea: View this post on Instagram Essentially, before guests come over, you grab a big basket (or even a bag) and take it around the house, tossing anything out of place inside. Then, stash it somewhere, like a closet, committing to putting its contents away the next day. By doing this, you accomplish a few things at once: Obviously, you get your home ready for guests quickly, but you also set yourself up for cleaning success by segmenting the work into two parts. It might seem like a cop-out to just run around and hide all the dirty parts of your home, but it draws on two techniques I really stand by. The first is the idea of segmentation, like you employ when you follow the "magic basket" approach. The magic basket, for its part, involves going around your home every night and depositing out-of-place items into said basket, then putting everything away the next day. The goal here is to space out your labor so it never gets overwhelming. You wake up the next day feeling good about the work you did do the night before, put everything away, then get motivated by that effort, creating a looping cycle instead of one longer, dread-worthy task. The second approach the GFD bin calls on is the idea of rewarding yourself to create further cleaning motivation. You need breaks when you do anything productive or you'll get burned out eventually, but when you're doing a task that is especially unpleasant or tedious, like cleaning, you should also make sure those breaks are fun and enjoyable. In the same way I've recommended eating a favorite candy or watching a favorite show while cleaning, incorporating the arrival of friends as an enjoyable activity mid-cleaning can be motivating, too. Rather than getting down on yourself for letting a mess pile up and being in a rush before someone gets to your place, think of this as a built-in motivational scheme. There's no shame in hiding away the mess as long as you follow through on the commitment to putting it away the next day.

Video game preservation scored a win today with EA's decision to make four Command & Conquer games open source. The company has released the source code for Command & Conquer, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Command & Conquer: Renegade and Command & Conquer: Generals through a GPL license. All four projects are available to the public on Github.In addition, EA is adding Steam Workshop support to more contemporary entries in the real-time strategy franchise, including a modding support pack with assets from the series titles on the SAGE engine, such as Command & Conquer Red Alert 3. This game genre has fallen out of vogue in recent years. But the C&C series still has a lot of fans, so a fresh boost of modder interest could bring new players to the franchise. (Plus, never forget that Red Alert 3 also contains the single best line delivery in all of video game history.)EA released meticulous remasters of the first two installments of Command & Conquer in 2020, which included the release of those games' source code. In December, the company made several of its patents for accessibility open source as well.It's also encouraging to see EA taking a positive action around a beloved franchise, especially when its recent efforts to remaster The Sims and The Sims 2 was riddled with technical issues at launch that required heavy-duty patches to fix.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/ea-releases-source-code-for-four-command--conquer-games-223425774.html?src=rss

Forza Horizon 5 is officially coming to the PS5 on April 29. We knew the racing sim was going multiplatform, and now we have a legit date when players will be able to race around a digital replica of Mexico.This version does have cross-play support, which has already been a boon for Xbox and PC players. Additionally, the PS5 build allows gamers to purchase all of the same car packs, including the Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure expansions. Theres a new and free content update for PS5, Xbox and PC players called Horizon Realms that features a set of in-game achievements based on the games dynamic and evolving world, which arrives on April 25.Horizon 5 comes to PS5 in three flavors. The base game costs $60; the Deluxe Edition, which comes with the game's car pass, costs $80; and the Premium Edition, which comes with all of the game's DLC, costs $100. If you pre-order the Premium Edition you also get early access to the game on April 25, though does it count as early access when the game's been out for over four years on Xbox and PC? That's for you and your wallet to decide. All editions are digital only theForza HorizonX account confirmed there are currently no plans for a physical release.Developer Playground Games has also run down the various graphics modes available on PlayStation 5. Regular PS5 consoles will have access to a 60 fps performance mode and a 30 fps quality mode. PS5 Pro owners will have the same options, but with "increased fidelity" in the performance mode and ray-traced car reflections in races and free roam. There is no word currently on resolution targets for either console, or how they shape up versus Xbox Series X/S.For the uninitiated, Forza Horizon 5 is a fantastic open-world racing game that we absolutely loved upon its initial release in 2021. The graphics are top notch, with a gorgeous design aesthetic, and the open world is fun to just race around in. The game is so approachable that we said you don't need to be into cars to love it.This is just the latest former Xbox exclusive to bridge the console divide. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle debuted as an Xbox exclusive in December, but is also coming to the PS5 soon. Other former exclusives that have been allowed to roam free include Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment and Grounded.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/forza-horizon-5-careens-onto-ps5-on-april-29-222606043.html?src=rss

AI teaching tool Tutor Me debuts.

A Google Chrome beta user has uncovered a split-screen feature, which will be rolled out for all users soon.

The company has begun cutting from units in order to invest more in AI.

The House committee is concerned that foreign laws around online content "have limited Americans' access to lawful speech" in the U.S.

OpenAI released a new base model on Thursday called GPT-4.5, which the company said is its best and smartest model for chat yet. Its not a reasoning model like OpenAIs o1 and o3 models, but it can be used to train other models to be reasoning models. Notably, GPT-4.5 was trained using 10 times the computing power (scores of GPUs in data centers) than its predecessor, GPT-4o.The result is a model whose outputs feel more natural and human, OpenAI said in its press release, and demonstrate a better general understanding of the world. Its writing and programming skills are better, and it hallucinates less. It also displays a higher level of emotional intelligence about the user and what theyre trying to do. For example, when prompted with Im going through a tough time after failing a test, the model responded:Aw, Im really sorry to hear that. Failing a test can feel pretty tough and discouraging, but remember, its just one momentnot a reflection of who you are or your capabilities.OpenAI cofounder and former researcher Andrej Karpathy, who got early access to the model, posted on X that the improvements are subtle but meaningful. Everything is a little bit better and its awesome, but also not exactly in ways that are trivial to point to, Karpathy continued; also, the model appears to have improved by 20% in everything it does rather than improving by several times over in certain domains or skills.OpenAI said GPT-4.5s performance proves that supersizing models, training data, and computing power can still produce significant performance gains.However, adebatehas been raging over this assertion on X.Karpathy saw evidence of this in his tests: [I]t is incredibly interesting and exciting as another qualitative measurement of a certain slope of capability that comes for free from just pretraining a bigger model. Of course, free is stretching it: Training costs for a model as big as GPT-4.5 could approach $1 billion.OpenAI is releasing GPT-4.5 as a research preview to ChatGPT Pro users and to developers who pay to access OpenAI models through an API. It will become available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users next week, the company says.

The Republican-controlled Congress has voted to repeal a federal fee on oil and gas producers whorelease high levels of methane, undoing a major piece of former President Joe Bidens climate policy aimed at controlling the planet-warming super pollutant. The fee, which had not gone into effect, was expected to bring in billions of dollars.The Senate on Thursday voted along party lines 52-47 to repeal the fee, following a similar House vote on Wednesday. The measure now goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.Methane is a much stronger global warming gas than carbon dioxide, especially in the short term, and is to blame for about one-third of the worlds warming so far. Oil and gas producers are among the biggest U.S. methane emitters and controlling it is critical to address climate change.Most major oil and gas companies do not release enough methane to trigger the fee, which is $900 per ton, an amount that would increase to $1,500 by 2026. The measure was part of the2022 Inflation Reduction Act, but the Environmental Protection Agency didnt formally set rules until late last year.That timing made it vulnerable to the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to pass a resolution to undo rules that are finalized toward the end of a presidents term. If those resolutions pass and the president signs them, the rule is terminated and agencies cant issue a similar one again.Its a sorry testament to the influence of Big Oil on Capitol Hill that one of the top priorities of Congress is a blatant handout to the worst actors in the fossil fuel industry, said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizens energy program.The American Petroleum Institute, the largest lobbying group for the oil and gas industry, applauded the move, calling the fee a duplicative, punitive tax on American energy production that stifles innovation.Thanks to industry action, methane emissions continue to decline as production increases, and we support building on this progress through smart and effective regulation, said Amanda Eversole, the executive vice president and chief advocacy officer at API.Globally, methane concentrations in the atmosphere have been steadily climbing.Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, who chairs the Senates Environment and Public Works committee, spoke in favor of repeal on the Senate floor.We should be expanding natural gas production, not restricting it. Instead, the natural gas tax will constrain American natural gas production, leading to increased energy prices and providing a boost to the production of natural gas in Russia, she said.Repeal of the methane fee is the latest of several pro-oil and gas moves Republicans have taken since the start of Trumps term. On his first day, he declared a national energy emergency, calling for more oil and gas production, and fewer environmental reviews. Democrats failed to overturn that declaration yesterday. Trump has also lifted a pause on new applications for liquified natural gas export terminals, removed the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, and moved to open up more areas of public lands and waters for oil and gas drilling.The fee on methane releases was aimed at pushing companies to adopt better practices to curb emissions and make their operations more efficient. Technology exists to prevent leaks and to fix them. The EPA had said the fee was expected to reduce 1.2 million metric tons of methane emissions by 2035thats about the same as removing 8 million cars from the road for a year.The Biden administration had also implemented methane regulations on existing oil and gas wells, after addressing methane escaping from new wells. The EPA at the time meant for the fee to complement that rule and focus on the worst polluters.About half of all methane emissions from wells are from just 6% that are smaller producers, according to a recent study.Michael Phillis and Matthew Daly, Associated Press