This is quite a unique type of jam: PlayFusion's team, the developers behind the upcoming squad-based FPS ASCENDANT, is giving free access to their game assets, including 3D models, concept art, and more, to build something amazing or completely unhinged.ASCENDANT takes place in a gritty biopunk future shaped by '80s aesthetics and a deep narrative exploring humanity's relationship with technology and nature. With fast-paced squad combat, unpredictable objectives, and a unique spin on the capture-the-flag genre, the game challenges players to battle against both rival squads and mutant wildlife in pursuit of three biocores to survive.Centered around the theme "The Last Biocore," the ASCENDANT Jam invites you to compete across four unique categories, giving every kind of artist a chance to shine:Best Cinematic: Using the game assets, create an animation set in the world of ASCENDANT. Focus on quality, creativity, and a strong connection to the game's lore;Best Gameplay Video: Make a stream, edit, fan trailer, in-game machinima, etc. It just has to incorporate game footage in some way;Best New Take: Bring ASCENDANT to life in a new medium. Create a game of your own, write a story, draw a webcomic, do whatever, with bonus points for creativity;Best Filth (18+): Just full-on chaos. Shock the devs.ASCENDANTASCENDANTASCENDANTASCENDANTLike many jams, this one offers beginners a great chance to get noticed and build their portfolios, with the added bonus of winning real rewards. PlayFusion is giving away $50,000 in prizes, with each of the four categories awarding three grand prizes:1st place: $7,500 cash prize plus in-game feature and credit;2nd place: $2,500 cash prize;3rd place: $1,000 cash prize.From the four category winners, one Best in Show will be selected and flown to PlayFusion's studio in Cambridge, UK, along with a friend. You'll meet the team, get a behind-the-scenes look at the studio, and celebrate at their very own pub, The Side Quest.While the Best Filth first-place winner might not have their creation fully featured in-game (thanks to legal constraints), the developers will find a way to pay tribute to it. Not one of the 12 grand prize winners? PlayFusion is giving away over $3,000 in cash prizes for a variety of cool achievements, with more to come:Tier 1: $500 eachBest New Idea: Suggest a game feature so smart the devs wish it was theirs. If it's added, you'll get full credit;Best Newcomer: For newcomers showing great potential and heading in a thrilling direction.Tier 2: $250 eachBest Lore: For the submission that shows the deepest understanding of the game's lore;Best Comedy: For the funniest entry;Best Action: For the submission that kicks the most ass;Best BioPunk: For the submission that radiates GreenTech vibes;Best Twist: For the most surprising submission.Tier 3: $100 eachBest '80s Tribute: For the entry with the best throwback style, after all, it's an '80s-infused dystopia;Best Music: For the submission with the catchiest original song or soundtrack;Best Aesthetic: For the most beautiful, high-def, ultra-sexy creation;Best Totally Original: For the submission unlike anything else, no examples, just pure originality;Best Multi-Media: For the entry that spans multiple formats, like a comic with an embedded video or an animation paired with an original song.Tier 4: $50 eachBest Use of Gorlizard: For bringing the might and horror of this bioengineered beast to life;Best Use of Biocore: For the most creative use of those iconic orange, amber-filled jugs;Best Use of Assault Rifle: For the entry that best uses or innovates on this gun;Best Use of Ascendants: For the entry that gives human survivors a bold new look and a unique twist on their lives.Best Use of Environment: For the entry that thoughtfully uses buildings and foliage to create a believable, lived-in world.General rules for the ASCENDANT Jam allow participants to work in teams and submit multiple projects across different categories, though the same project cannot be entered in more than one category. Please tag submissions as "mature" if they contain gore or strong language; more explicit content should be entered in the Best Filth category. Hate speech and discriminatory content are strictly prohibited. Submissions behind a paywall will not be accepted, and copyrighted material from other sources must be avoided.You can submit your entries anytime between May 2, 2025, at 7:00 PM and July 1, 2025, at 7:00 AM.Visit the game's Steam page, find out all about the ASCENDANT Jam, and use this exciting opportunity to show off your style, network with talented artists, get your work featured, and win.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday that revises and rolls back cybersecurity policies set in place by his Democratic predecessors, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. In a White House fact sheet, the administration claims that Biden’s Executive Order 14144 — signed days before the end of his presidency — was an attempt “to sneak problematic and distracting issues into cybersecurity policy.” Among other things, Biden’s order encouraged agencies to “consider accepting digital identity documents” when public benefit programs require ID. Trump struck that part of the order, with the White House now saying this approach risks “widespread abuse by enabling illegal immigrants to improperly access public benefits.” However, Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, told Politico that “the fixation on revoking digital ID mandates is prioritizing questionable immigration benefits over proven cybersecurity benefits.”  On AI, Trump removed Biden’s requirements around testing the use of AI to defend energy infrastructure, funding federal research programs around AI security, and directing the Pentagon to “use AI models for cyber security.” The White House describes its moves on AI as refocusing AI cybersecurity strategy “towards identifying and managing vulnerabilities, rather than censorship.” (Trump’s Silicon Valley allies have complained repeatedly about the threat of AI “censorship.”) Trump’s order also removed requirements that agencies start using quantum-resistant encryption “as soon as practicable.” And it removed requirements that federal contractors attest to the security of their software — the White House describes those requirements as “unproven and burdensome software accounting processes that prioritized compliance checklists over genuine security investments.” Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | July 15 REGISTER NOW Going back even further, Trump’s executive order repeals Obama’s policies around sanctions for cybersecurity attacks on the United States; those sanctions can now only be applied to “foreign malicious actors.” The White House says this will will prevent “misuse against domestic political opponents” and clarify that “sanctions do not apply to election-related activities.”

1047 Games cofounder Ian Proulx took the stage at Summer Game Fest on Friday to promote his new game Splitgate 2 by calling out the current state of online shooters. Eschewing the marketing speak of most of his peers at the glossy showcase, he said he wants Titanfall 3 to come out and called his new game’s surprise battle royale mode “fucking awesome” while wearing a “Make FPS Great Again” hat. Suggested ReadingThe Week In Games: A Star Wars Classic Returns & More New Releases Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingThe Week In Games: A Star Wars Classic Returns & More New Releases Share SubtitlesOffEnglishSplitgate 2 is a free-to-play arena-style shooter where players deploy portals to mess with physics and the fabric of reality to outwit their opponents. “I grew up playing Halo and I’m tired of playing the same Call of Duty every year and I wish we could have Titanfall 3,” Proulx said on stage alongside host Geoff Keighley. He added that the new battle roayle mode aims to combine the old-school arena shooter sensibility with a mechanic to portal to other worlds. Out today on console and PC after a beta last month, 1047 revealed that the new mode is going live alongside the rest of the game. The subtext of Proulx’s pitch channeling President Trump’s slogan was clear: while EA cancels games and Activision leans into predictable cash-grabs, the underdog team at 1047 is shaking things up with a game by gamers for gamers. Meanwhile, the riff on “Make America Great Again” took place shortly after a clash between Los Angeles residents and law enforcement over ICE raids in the city’s garment district only blocks from where Keighley’s Summer Game Fest Play Days industry event takes place this weekend. Trump has ordered the immigration agency to arrest a record number of people every day for deportation even as ICE detention centers are criticized for overcrowding and lack of food. The original Splitgate launched in early access in 2019 and spiked in popularity. The party didn’t last, however, and by 2022, the studio abandoned the game to work on a new project. Last year it revealed that new project was actually just Splitgate 2. .

The epidermis (skin) is the body’s largest organ, so it would make sense that toxins found in fabrics that sit on the skin’s surface could be absorbed by the skin and make their way into the bloodstream. And polyester has been considered a particularly suspect fabric because it’s made from a chemical called polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic polymer used in various products.One study published in 1993 followed 24 dogs who were divided into two equal groups, one group wore cotton underpants and the other polyester. At the end of the study period, there was a significant decrease in sperm count and an increase in sperm abnormalities in the dogs who wore the polyester pants. But that said, this study is three decades old, done on dogs, and has had little additional research to show for it since.So, the jury is certainly still out as to whether fabrics decrease fertility, but there are some things that we do know. Chemicals Found in PolyesterAccording to Audrey Gaskins, an associate professor of environmental health at Emory University, most studies are focused on specific chemicals that might be found in fabrics rather than the fabrics themselves, and those chemicals are usually measured in blood or urine. But fabrics like polyester can contain a number of chemicals that might impact fertility. PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals found in thousands of products, and they’re difficult for the body to eliminate.“PFAS are commonly found in water-resistant clothing,” says Gaskins. However, drinking water is likely the most common avenue of exposure, as well as non-stick cookware, and many others.Research has shown that PFAS can reduce fertility in women by some 40 percent. According to NIH’s National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, high levels of PFAS found in the blood were linked to a reduced chance of pregnancy and live birth. Other research has shown that PFAS are linked to increased instances of endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), both of which reduce fertility.Poor Pregnancy OutcomesPolyester (when combined with spandex) may also contain bisphenol A (BPA), another chemical compound that has been shown to potentially impact fertility. A December 2022 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found a higher prevalence of PCOS in women with high amounts of BPA in their blood.Finally, polyester can contain phthalates, a chemical commonly used in things like sports bras and other pieces of clothing. These, too, have been shown to have a negative impact on fertility. A study published in the September 2021 issue of the journal Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that higher concentrations of the chemical have been associated with decreased rates of pregnancy, increased incidences of miscarriage, and other pregnancy complications.“We’ve found suggestive associations between higher concentrations of bisphenol and phthalate metabolites and worse markers of reproductive health like poor success with IVF,” says Gaskins. “What we don’t know is where the source of exposure is coming from.”Exposure to Fertility-Decreasing ChemicalsStill, the obvious implication if you’re trying to get pregnant is to try to decrease your exposure to any of these chemicals through any route possible, especially when you have control over exposure. If we know there are chemicals in these fabrics, decreasing use of them would be more achievable for many people compared to, say, changing your drinking water, says Gaskins.There’s definitely no downside to decreasing your exposure to these chemicals, and while clothing is likely not the largest means of exposure to things like PFAs, phthalates, and BPA, if you’re trying to get pregnant, they’re certainly a good place to start.This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. PFAS Exposure Linked to Reduced Fertility in Women Center for Environmental Health. What You Need to Know About BPA in ClothingJournal of Clinical Medicine. Bisphenol-A and Female Fertility: An Update of Existing Epidemiological StudiesBest Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Phthalates, ovarian function and fertility in adulthoodSara Novak is a science journalist based in South Carolina. In addition to writing for Discover, her work appears in Scientific American, Popular Science, New Scientist, Sierra Magazine, Astronomy Magazine, and many more. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia. She's also a candidate for a master’s degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins University (expected graduation 2023).

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy JrTasos Katopodis/Getty One of the top vaccine experts at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos, resigned on 4 June – a week after Robert F Kennedy Jr announced that covid-19 vaccines would no longer be recommended for most children and pregnancies. The announcement set off several days of confusion around who will have access to covid-19 vaccines in the US going forward. In practice, there hasn’t been a drastic change to access, though there will probably be new obstacles for parents hoping to vaccinate their children. Still, Kennedy’s announcement signals a troubling circumvention of public health norms. “My career in public health and vaccinology started with a deep-seated desire to help the most vulnerable members of our population, and that is not something I am able to continue doing in this role,” said Panagiotakopoulos in an email to colleagues obtained by Reuters. Panagiotakopoulos supported the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which has advised the CDC on vaccine recommendations since 1964. But last week, Kennedy – the country’s highest-ranking public health official – upended this decades-long precedent. “I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the covid vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant woman has been removed from the CDC recommended immunisation schedule,” he said in a video posted to the social media platform X on 27 May. Despite his directive, the CDC has, so far, only made minor changes to its guidance on covid-19 vaccines. Instead of recommending them for children outright, it now recommends vaccination “based on shared clinical decision-making”. In other words, parents should talk with a doctor before deciding. It isn’t clear how this will affect access to these vaccines in every scenario, but it could make it more difficult for children to get a shot at pharmacies. Get the most essential health and fitness news in your inbox every Saturday. Sign up to newsletter The CDC’s guidance on vaccination in pregnancy is also ambiguous. While its website still recommends a covid-19 shot during pregnancy, a note at the top says, “this page will be updated to align with the updated immunization schedule.” Kennedy’s announcement contradicts the stances of major public health organisations, too. Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) have come out opposing it. “The CDC and HHS encourage individuals to talk with their healthcare provider about any personal medical decision,” an HHS spokesperson told New Scientist. “Under the leadership of Secretary Kennedy, HHS is restoring the doctor-patient relationship.” However, Linda Eckert at the University of Washington in Seattle says the conflicting messages are confusing for people. “It opens up disinformation opportunities. It undermines confidence in vaccination in general,” she says. “I can’t imagine it won’t decrease immunisation rates overall.” Research has repeatedly shown covid-19 vaccination in adolescence and pregnancy is safe and effective. In fact, Martin Makary, the head of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), listed pregnancy as a risk factor for severe covid-19 a week before Kennedy’s announcement, further convoluting the government’s public health messaging. Kennedy’s announcement is in line with some other countries’ covid policies. For example, Australia and the UK don’t recommend covid-19 vaccines for children unless they are at risk of severe illness. They also don’t recommend covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy if someone is already vaccinated. Asma Khalil, a member of the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, says the UK’s decision was based on the reduced risk of the omicron variant, the cost-effectiveness of vaccination and high population immunity. However, these factors can vary across countries. The UK population also tends to have better access to healthcare than the US, says Eckert. “These decisions need to carefully consider the risks and benefits relative to the national population,” says Khalil. The HHS didn’t answer New Scientist’s questions about whether a similar analysis guided Kennedy’s decision-making. What is maybe most troubling, however, is the precedent Kennedy’s announcement sets. The ACIP – an independent group of public health experts – was expected to vote on proposed changes to covid-19 vaccine recommendations later this month. But Kennedy’s decision has bypassed this process. “This style of decision-making – by individuals versus going through experts who are carefully vetted for conflicts of interest, who carefully look at the data – this has never happened in our country,” says Eckert. “We’re in uncharted territory.” She worries the move could pave the way for Kennedy to chip away at other vaccine recommendations. “I know there are a lot of vaccines he has been actively against in his career,” she says. Kennedy has previously blamed vaccines for autism and falsely claimed that the polio vaccine caused more deaths than it averted. “What it speaks to is the fact that [Kennedy] does not see value in these vaccines and is going to do everything he can to try and devalue them in the minds of the public and make them harder to receive,” says Amesh Adalja at Johns Hopkins University. Topics:

Extra-sensory perception The nine-armed octopus and the oddities of the cephalopod nervous system A mix of autonomous and top-down control manage the octopus's limbs. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry – Jun 7, 2025 8:00 am | 19 Credit: Nikos Stavrinidis / 500px Credit: Nikos Stavrinidis / 500px Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more With their quick-change camouflage and high level of intelligence, it’s not surprising that the public and scientific experts alike are fascinated by octopuses. Their abilities to recognize faces, solve puzzles, and learn behaviors from other octopuses make these animals a captivating study. To perform these processes and others, like crawling or exploring, octopuses rely on their complex nervous system, one that has become a focus for neuroscientists. With about 500 million neurons—around the same number as dogs—octopuses’ nervous systems are the most complex of any invertebrate. But, unlike vertebrate organisms, the octopus’s nervous system is also decentralized, with around 350 million neurons, or 66 percent of it, located in its eight arms. “This means each arm is capable of independently processing sensory input, initiating movement, and even executing complex behaviors—without direct instructions from the brain,” explains Galit Pelled, a professor of Mechanical Engineering, Radiology, and Neuroscience at Michigan State University who studies octopus neuroscience. “In essence, the arms have their own ‘mini-brains.’” A decentralized nervous system is one factor that helps octopuses adapt to changes, such as injury or predation, as seen in the case of an Octopus vulgaris, or common octopus, that was observed with nine arms by researchers at the ECOBAR lab at the Institute of Marine Research in Spain between 2021 and 2022. By studying outliers like this cephalopod, researchers can gain insight into how the animal’s detailed scaffolding of nerves changes and regrows over time, uncovering more about how octopuses have evolved over millennia in our oceans. Brains, brains, and more brains Because each arm of an octopus contains its own bundle of neurons, the limbs can operate semi-independently from the central brain, enabling faster responses since signals don’t always need to travel back and forth between the brain and the arms. In fact, Pelled and her team recently discovered that “neural signals recorded in the octopus arm can predict movement type within 100 milliseconds of stimulation, without central brain involvement.” She notes that “that level of localized autonomy is unprecedented in vertebrate systems.” Though each limb moves on its own, the movements of the octopus’s body are smooth and conducted with a coordinated elegance that allows the animal to exhibit some of the broadest range of behaviors, adapting on the fly to changes in its surroundings. “That means the octopus can react quickly to its environment, especially when exploring, hunting, or defending itself,” Pelled says. “For example, one arm can grab food while another is feeling around a rock, without needing permission from the brain. This setup also makes the octopus more resilient. If one arm is injured, the others still work just fine. And because so much decision-making happens at the arms, the central brain is freed up to focus on the bigger picture—like navigating or learning new tasks.” As if each limb weren’t already buzzing with neural activity, things get even more intricate when researchers zoom in further—to the nerves within each individual sucker, a ring of muscular tissue, which octopuses use to sense and taste their surroundings. “There is a sucker ganglion, or nerve center, located in the stalk of every sucker. For some species of octopuses, that’s over a thousand ganglia,” says Cassady Olson, a graduate student at the University of Chicago who works with Cliff Ragsdale, a leading expert in octopus neuroscience. Given that each sucker has its own nerve centers—connected by a long axial nerve cord running down the limb—and each arm has hundreds of suckers, things get complicated very quickly, as researchers have historically struggled to study this peripheral nervous system, as it’s called, within the octopus’s body. “The large size of the brain makes it both really exciting to study and really challenging,” says Z. Yan Wang, an assistant professor of biology and psychology at the University of Washington. “Many of the tools available for neuroscience have to be adjusted or customized specifically for octopuses and other cephalopods because of their unique body plans.” While each limb acts independently, signals are transmitted back to the octopus’s central nervous system. The octopus’ brain sits between its eyes at the front of its mantle, or head, couched between its two optic lobes, large bean-shaped neural organs that help octopuses see the world around them. These optic lobes are just two of the over 30 lobes experts study within the animal’s centralized brain, as each lobe helps the octopus process its environment. This elaborate neural architecture is critical given the octopus’s dual role in the ecosystem as both predator and prey. Without natural defenses like a hard shell, octopuses have evolved a highly adaptable nervous system that allows them to rapidly process information and adjust as needed, helping their chances of survival. Some similarities remain While the octopus’s decentralized nervous system makes it a unique evolutionary example, it does have some structures similar to or analogous to the human nervous system. “The octopus has a central brain mass located between its eyes, and an axial nerve cord running down each arm (similar to a spinal cord),” says Wang. “The octopus has many sensory systems that we are familiar with, such as vision, touch (somatosensation), chemosensation, and gravity sensing.” Neuroscientists have homed in on these similarities to understand how these structures may have evolved across the different branches in the tree of life. As the most recent common ancestor for humans and octopuses lived around 750 million years ago, experts believe that many similarities, from similar camera-like eyes to maps of neural activities, evolved separately in a process known as convergent evolution. While these similarities shed light on evolution's independent paths, they also offer valuable insights for fields like soft robotics and regenerative medicine. Occasionally, unique individuals—like an octopus with an unexpected number of limbs—can provide even deeper clues into how this remarkable nervous system functions and adapts. Nine arms, no problem In 2021, researchers from the Institute of Marine Research in Spain used an underwater camera to follow a male Octopus vulgaris, or common octopus. On its left side, three arms were intact, while the others were reduced to uneven, stumpy lengths, sharply bitten off at varying points. Although the researchers didn’t witness the injury itself, they observed that the front right arm—known as R1—was regenerating unusually, splitting into two separate limbs and giving the octopus a total of nine arms. “In this individual, we believe this condition was a result of abnormal regeneration [a genetic mutation] after an encounter with a predator,” explains Sam Soule, one of the researchers and the first author on the corresponding paper recently published in Animals. The researchers named the octopus Salvador due to its bifurcated arm coiling up on itself like the two upturned ends of Salvador Dali’s moustache. For two years, the team studied the cephalopod’s behavior and found that it used its bifurcated arm less when doing “riskier” movements such as exploring or grabbing food, which would force the animal to stretch its arm out and expose it to further injury. “One of the conclusions of our research is that the octopus likely retains a long-term memory of the original injury, as it tends to use the bifurcated arms for less risky tasks compared to the others,” elaborates Jorge Hernández Urcera, a lead author of the study. “This idea of lasting memory brought to mind Dalí’s famous painting The Persistence of Memory, which ultimately became the title of the paper we published on monitoring this particular octopus.” While the octopus acted more protective of its extra limb, its nervous system had adapted to using the extra appendage, as the octopus was observed, after some time recovering from its injuries, using its ninth arm for probing its environment. “That nine-armed octopus is a perfect example of just how adaptable these animals are,” Pelled adds. “Most animals would struggle with an unusual body part, but not the octopus. In this case, the octopus had a bifurcated (split) arm and still used it effectively, just like any other arm. That tells us the nervous system didn’t treat it as a mistake—it figured out how to make it work.” Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the science communicator at JILA (a joint physics research institute between the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado Boulder) and a freelance science journalist. Her main writing focuses are quantum physics, quantum technology, deep technology, social media, and the diversity of people in these fields, particularly women and people from minority ethnic and racial groups. Follow her on LinkedIn or visit her website. 19 Comments

Something to look forward to: This year's Summer Game Fest presentation ended with a reveal trailer for Resident Evil Requiem, which Capcom confirmed is the ninth mainline title in the long-running survival horror game series. Details on the upcoming title are scant, but it is set to launch on PC and current-generation consoles in a few months. Capcom has not yet revealed gameplay details for Resident Evil Requiem, as the initial trailer focuses on the story, characters, and locations. The game's scenario appears to draw heavily from the franchise's history, likely to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Resident Evil's 1996 release. Much of the trailer highlights the ruins of Raccoon City, suggesting that players will revisit the setting of the series' first three entries. Brief shots clearly show the decayed remains of the city's police station – where much of Resident Evil 2 and 3 took place – with layouts that appear nearly identical to those in the 2019 and 2020 remakes. Another shot depicts the city's deserted landscape, featuring a crater at its center left by the missile that destroyed the town following the events of RE3. Additionally, the game's protagonist is FBI agent Grace Ashcroft, the daughter of one of the main characters from Resident Evil Outbreak, an online multiplayer spin-off released for the PlayStation 2 in 2003. The game's website mentions technological advancements, suggesting it will showcase the next evolution of Capcom's RE Engine. This graphics engine debuted in 2017 with Resident Evil 7, which was known for its impressive level of realism and surprisingly fast performance. However, more recent titles using the engine, such as Dragon's Dogma II and the enormously successful Monster Hunter Wilds, are far more demanding, in part due to their massive open-world environments. Capcom's shift toward open-world games has led some to speculate that the next Resident Evil title might adopt a similar gameplay structure, representing a stark contrast to the franchise's traditional preference for isolated locations. A ruined city would provide a fitting backdrop for such a radical change, but it's difficult to say what Capcom has planned. // Related Stories Other games revealed this week include Atomic Heart II, Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, Dying Light: The Beast, Lego Voyagers, Killer Inn, Felt That Boxing, Nioh 3, 007 First Light, Lumines Arise, Marvel Tōkon, Thief VR, Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection, and more. More new titles are expected to debut this weekend during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 on Sunday, June 8, at 1 pm ET. Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27 on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles.

Published June 7, 2025 10:00am EDT close Tennessee DMV experiencing long lines ahead of REAL ID deadline May 7 is the deadline to get a REAL ID, and some DMVs are facing large crowds and major backup. FOX's Asher Reed spoke with FOX 35 Orlando from outside a DMV in Antioch, Tennessee, with more on the issue. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! If you've received a text message claiming to be from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and threatening you with fines or penalties unless you pay up, you're not alone. A new wave of scam texts is sweeping across the country, targeting drivers in states like Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Vermont, Texas, North Carolina and even Washington, D.C.These messages look official and urgent, warning you about supposed unpaid tickets or tolls and demanding immediate payment. But don't be fooled, as these texts are sophisticated scams designed to steal your personal information or money. The scammers are getting better at making their messages look real, so it can be tricky to spot the fraud. But with a few simple tips, you can learn how to recognize these scams and protect yourself before you click or respond. DMV scam text. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)How the DMV scam text message worksThese scam messages vary slightly depending on the state you're in, but they’re generally structured in the same way. The text threatens consequences, such as credit score damage, revoked driving privileges, suspended vehicle registration or increased toll fees, if you do not pay the bill you have supposedly incurred. To make the message appear legit, the scammers often include a date for penalties to begin, a fake administrative code and a link that appears to be an official DMV website.FBI WARNS OF SCAM TARGETING VICTIMS WITH FAKE HOSPITALS AND POLICEPro tip: If you're instructed to copy the link into your browser rather than clicking it directly, it's a scam. A person receiving a scam text message on their phone. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Why DMV text scams are so convincingThe scam relies on two key elements to be effective: fear and a sense of urgency. These are two powerful psychological motivators that can send you into a panic since your driving privileges are at risk, or you're facing financial consequences. The aim is to get you to act hastily without pausing to verify the source. The messages also mimic legitimate government communications by including familiar terms, official-sounding codes and web addresses that appear authentic. Here is an example of what the text might look like: DMV scam text. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)States known to have issued warnings about DMV scam texts (as of June 2025):ConnecticutPennsylvaniaGeorgiaFloridaNew YorkCaliforniaIllinoisNew JerseyVirginiaColoradoVermontTexasNorth CarolinaWashington, D.C.Reports are surfacing across the U.S., and the list of affected states is likely to continue growing as more residents come forward.How to spot and avoid DMV text message scamsIf you receive a suspicious text message claiming to be from your state's DMV and demanding payment or personal information, follow these steps to protect yourself:1. Be skeptical of any message creating urgency or panic: Scammers rely on fear and urgency to trick you into acting without thinking. If a message pressures you to act immediately, that's a major red flag.2. Check for obvious red flags: Look for signs like strange sender addresses, awkward language, misspellings or links that don't match your state's official DMV website.3. Do not click any links or reply, and use strong antivirus software: Legitimate DMVs will not ask for payments, personal details or sensitive information via unsolicited text messages. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.4. Verify directly with your DMV: If you're concerned the message might be real, contact your state's DMV using the official website or a trusted phone number. Never use the contact information provided in the suspicious text.5. Consider a Personal Data Removal Service: Your personal information is widely available online, which can make you a bigger target for these types of scams, therefore you might look into a personal data removal service. These services work by submitting opt-out requests to data brokers that collect and sell your information, helping to reduce your digital footprint and making it harder for scammers to find your contact details. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREWhile no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap — and neither is your privacy.  These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet.  By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.6. Delete the message immediately and block the sender: Removing the text helps prevent accidental clicks and reduces the risk of falling for the scam later. Also, be sure to block phone numbers and texts that send spam or scam messages, reducing future risk.7. Register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry: While this won't stop all scams, it can help reduce unwanted communications.8. Don't provide any personal or financial information: Never share your Social Security number, driver's license number, banking information, or passwords in response to an unsolicited text.9. If you clicked the link or gave out information, act quickly: If you accidentally entered personal or financial information, contact your bank, credit card provider or local law enforcement right away to minimize potential damage.10. Keep your phone's security features updated: Ensure your device's operating system and security software are current to help block known scam numbers and malicious links.11. Report the scam: Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) to alert your mobile provider and help block similar messages in the future. Mark the message as junk or spam within your messaging app, if possible. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.Kurt’s key takeawaysScam texts pretending to be from the DMV are getting more convincing, but you don't have to be their next victim. Staying skeptical of urgent messages, double-checking anything that seems off and never clicking suspicious links can go a long way in protecting your personal information. Remember, the real DMV will never pressure you for payment or sensitive details over text. By staying alert, you can help prevent these scams and keep your personal information and money secure.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPShould tech companies and telecom providers be doing more to protect you from scam texts, or does the responsibility ultimately fall on you to keep your digital life safe? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/ContactFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/NewsletterAsk Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers 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 Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

WWDC 2025, Apple’s annual developers conference, starts at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. Monday. Last year’s event was notable for its focus on AI, and this year, there is considerable pressure on the company to build on its promises, and to change the narrative after months of largely negative headlines. As in previous years, the company will focus on software updates and new technologies, including the next version of iOS, which is rumored to have the most significant design changes since the introduction of iOS 7. But iOS 19 (or 26, if other rumors about the new naming system are true) isn’t the only thing the company will announce at WWDC 2025. Here’s how you can watch the keynote livestream. iOS is getting the most dramatic design change in over a decade When Apple introduced a major overhaul to iOS back in 2013 with the launch of iOS 7, it felt jarring for many users with the shift from the prior skeuomorphic design with gradients and real-world textures to the more colorful, but flat, design style that reflected Apple’s then chief design officer Jony Ive’s taste for minimalism. Now, new reports suggest that an upcoming redesign could provoke a similar level of reaction. Reports suggest the new design may have elements referencing visionOS, the software powering Apple’s spatial computing headset, the Apple Vision Pro. If true, that means the new OS could feature a transparent interface and more circular app icons that break away from the traditional square format today. This visual redesign could be implemented across all of Apple’s ecosystem (including even CarPlay), according to Bloomberg, providing a more seamless experience for consumers moving between their different devices. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | July 15 REGISTER NOW iOS will change its naming system According to Bloomberg, Apple will announce a change in the naming system for iOS at this year’s WWDC. Instead of announcing the next version of iOS as iOS 19, Apple’s operating systems will shift to being named by year. That means we could be set to see the launch of iOS 26 instead, alongside the OSes for other products, including adOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. Apple may keep the AI news light this year While it might be challenging to top the news related to Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, the company is expected to share a few updates on the AI front. The company has seemingly been caught flat-footed in the AI race, making announcements about AI capabilities that had yet to ship, leading even some Apple pundits to accuse the company of touting vaporware. While Apple has launched several AI tools like Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools, Photos Clean Up, and more, its promise of an improved Siri, personalized to the end user and able to take action across your apps, has been delayed. Meanwhile, Apple has turned to outside companies like OpenAI to give its iPhone a boost in terms of its AI capabilities. At WWDC, it may announce support for other AI chatbots, as well. With Jony Ive now working with Sam Altman on an AI hardware device, Apple is under pressure to catch up on AI progress. Image Credits:Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto / Getty Images In addition, reports suggest that Apple’s Health app could soon incorporate AI technology, which could include a health chatbot and generative AI insights that provide personalized health-related suggestions based on user data. Additionally, other apps, such as Messages, may receive enhancements with AI capabilities, including a translation feature and polls that offer AI-generated suggestions, per 9to5Mac. Apple will likely make the most of a number of smaller OS updates that involve AI, given its underwhelming progress. Reports suggest that these updates could include AI-powered battery management features and an AI-powered Shortcuts app, for instance. iPhone users may get a dedicated gaming app Bloomberg confirmed a 9to5Mac report that said Apple is developing a dedicated gaming app that will replace the aging Game Center app. The app could include access to Apple Arcade’s subscription-based game store, plus other gaming features like leaderboards, recommendations, and ways to challenge your friends. It could also integrate with iMessage or FaceTime for remote gaming. Image Credits:Gabby Jones/Bloomberg / Getty Images Updates to Mac, Watch, TV, and more Along with the new design, reports suggest that Apple’s other operating systems will get some polish, too. For instance, macOS may also see the new gaming app and benefit from the new AirPods features. It’s also expected to be named macOS Tahoe, in keeping with Apple’s naming convention that references California landmarks. Apple TV may get a visual overhaul, but also changes to its user interface, the new gaming app, and other features. AirPods to get new features In addition to Messages getting a translation feature, Bloomberg reported that Apple could also bring a live-translate language feature to its AirPods wireless Bluetooth earbuds, allowing real-time translation during conversations. The iPhone will translate spoken words from another language for the user and will also translate the user’s response back into that language. A new report from 9to5Mac also suggests that AirPods may get new head gestures to complement today’s ability to either nod or shake your head to respond to incoming calls or messages. Plus, AirPods may get features to auto-pause music after you fall asleep, a way to trigger the camera via Camera Control with a touch, a studio-quality mic mode, and an improved pairing experience in shared AirPods. Image Credits:Darrell Etherington Apple Pencil upgrade According to reports, the Apple Pencil is also receiving a new update, one that will benefit users who wish to write in Arabic script. In an effort to cater to customers in UAE, Saudi Arabia, and India, Apple is reportedly launching a new virtual calligraphy feature in iPadOS 19. The company may also introduce a bi-directional keyboard so users can switch between Arabic and English on iPhones and iPads. No hardware announcements? There haven’t been any rumors regarding new devices, because no hardware is ready for release yet, according to Bloomberg. Although it’s always possible that the company will surprise us with a new Mac Pro announcement, most reports are saying this is highly unlikely at this point. Some reports indicate that Apple may also announce support for a new input device for its Vision Pro: spatial controllers. The devices would be motion-aware and designed with interaction in a 3D environment in mind, 9to5Mac says. In addition, Vision Pro could get eye-scrolling support, enabling users to scroll through documents on both native and third-party apps. Bloomberg had reported in November that Apple was expected to announce a smart home tablet in March 2025, featuring a 6-inch touchscreen and voice-activated controls. The device was said to include support for Home Control, Siri, and video calls, but has yet to launch. Following the discovery of a filing for “HomeOS” by PMC’s Parker Ortolani, speculation has arisen that Apple may unveil the software for the device at WWDC.