While building a gaming PC can be a great way to save money, brands like HP and Lenovo offer budget-friendly prebuilt rigs that don't force you to choose between price and performance. Many budget gaming rigs still offer great components like RTX 30 or 40 series graphics cards, 13th-generation Intel Core processors, and high-capacity storage drives for large game files or entire Steam libraries. And while "cheap" is a relative term, especially with tariffs looming and throwing electronics prices in limbo, you can still find great gaming rigs for less than $1,500 if you keep a sharp eye out for discounts and sales.Also: The best gaming PCs you can buy: Expert testedWhat is the best cheap gaming PC right now?As an avid gamer myself, I rounded up the best gaming PC models on the market that won't cost you an arm and a leg, with my pick for the best cheap gaming PC overall going to the HP Omen 35L, thanks to its affordable price tag, Intel and AMD-based configurations, support for up to 64GB of RAM, and RTX 4070 Super graphics card. Read to see which other budget gaming PC models match your CPU, GPU, gaming, and budget preferences.  Sort by All The best cheap gaming PCs of 2025 Show less View now at HP HP has refreshed their gaming desktop lineup with a renewed version of the Omen 35L. This desktop is available in both Intel and AMD-based builds, letting you choose the best components for your budget and gaming needs. You can choose from budget-friendly, preconfigured builds or tweak components for a customized rig to tackle graphically intensive game titles and office productivity; though you should note that certain components like graphics cards and secondary storage drives will add a significant amount to the final price depending on what you choose.The Omen 35L supports up to 64GB of RAM and has enough space to expand your storage with additional SSDs or HDDs for downloading large digital games and backing up save files. You can also choose between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 support for ultra-fast wireless internet and more reliable connectivity for online matches. And Bluetooth 5.3 support allows you to connect wireless peripherals like headsets and gamepads to round out your setup.HP Omen 35L specs: CPU: Up to Intel Ultra Core 7/Intel Core i7 14th gen or AMD Ryzen 5 8500G | GPU: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super or AMD Radeon RX 7600 | RAM: Up to 64GB | Storage: Up to 2TB SSD and 2TB HDD Pros Both AMD and Intel configurations Supports up to 64GB of RAM Dual storage drive support Cons On the top end of "cheap" Configurations can get pricey depending on components HP has refreshed their gaming desktop lineup with a renewed version of the Omen 35L. This desktop is available in both Intel and AMD-based builds, letting you choose the best components for your budget and gaming needs. You can choose from budget-friendly, preconfigured builds or tweak components for a customized rig to tackle graphically intensive game titles and office productivity; though you should note that certain components like graphics cards and secondary storage drives will add a significant amount to the final price depending on what you choose.The Omen 35L supports up to 64GB of RAM and has enough space to expand your storage with additional SSDs or HDDs for downloading large digital games and backing up save files. You can also choose between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 support for ultra-fast wireless internet and more reliable connectivity for online matches. And Bluetooth 5.3 support allows you to connect wireless peripherals like headsets and gamepads to round out your setup.HP Omen 35L specs: CPU: Up to Intel Ultra Core 7/Intel Core i7 14th gen or AMD Ryzen 5 8500G | GPU: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super or AMD Radeon RX 7600 | RAM: Up to 64GB | Storage: Up to 2TB SSD and 2TB HDD Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less The CyberPowerPC Gamer Master is an excellent AMD-based gaming rig that's also easy on your wallet. You can buy one preconfigured for around $900 or customize your build on CyberPowerPC's website to get the best value for your budget. You can choose up to a Ryzen 5 8600G processor, either an RTX 4090 or RX 7900XT graphics card, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 10TB of storage across two SSDs -- though do note that more powerful configurations will quickly run up final costs. The mid-tower case features a clear window panel to show off the internal components and RGB lighting from case fans and LED strips. It comes packaged with a basic mouse and keyboard, so you can start setting up your PC and playing your favorite games right out of the box. The Gamer Master also uses 7.1CH audio for a more immersive gaming experience without a headset or expensive speaker system.CyberPowerPC Gamer Master specs: CPU: Up to Ryzen 5 8600G | GPU: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT | RAM: Up to 64GB | Storage: Up to 10TB  Pros Incredibly customizable Very affordable 7.1CH audio Keyboard and mouse included Cons Higher configurations get costly No Ryzen 7000 processor options The CyberPowerPC Gamer Master is an excellent AMD-based gaming rig that's also easy on your wallet. You can buy one preconfigured for around $900 or customize your build on CyberPowerPC's website to get the best value for your budget. You can choose up to a Ryzen 5 8600G processor, either an RTX 4090 or RX 7900XT graphics card, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 10TB of storage across two SSDs -- though do note that more powerful configurations will quickly run up final costs. The mid-tower case features a clear window panel to show off the internal components and RGB lighting from case fans and LED strips. It comes packaged with a basic mouse and keyboard, so you can start setting up your PC and playing your favorite games right out of the box. The Gamer Master also uses 7.1CH audio for a more immersive gaming experience without a headset or expensive speaker system.CyberPowerPC Gamer Master specs: CPU: Up to Ryzen 5 8600G | GPU: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT | RAM: Up to 64GB | Storage: Up to 10TB  Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less The MSI Codex R2 is a fairly affordable and reasonably powerful gaming PC that's built with Intel's 14th generation Raptor Lake i5 processor for better multitasking and power efficiency over previous iterations. It's also outfitted with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD for storage, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card. That's more than enough graphics processing power to handle just about any game in your library or on your wishlist with fairly high settings. With Wi-Fi 7 support, you'll get faster, more reliable wireless internet speeds, which are critical for online multiplayer games, as well as keeping your current library up-to-date with automatic updates and patch fixes. Bluetooth connectivity lets you set up wireless peripherals like keyboards, mice, and headsets for a cleaner, more organized space. The front of the tower gives you easy access to USB 3.0, USB-C, headset, and microphone ports for hot-swapping external storage and connecting peripherals for team chat and private gaming. The back of the tower features another USB-C port, 6 USB Type A inputs, Ethernet, PS/2, 3.5mm AUX, 3 DisplayPort inputs, and an HDMI output for connecting up to four monitors. MSI Codex R2 specs: CPU: Intel Core i5-14400F | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB SSD  Pros Supports up to 4 monitors Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth support Plenty of USB ports Cons Only 2 USB-C inputs No Thunderbolt support No i7 or i9 options The MSI Codex R2 is a fairly affordable and reasonably powerful gaming PC that's built with Intel's 14th generation Raptor Lake i5 processor for better multitasking and power efficiency over previous iterations. It's also outfitted with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD for storage, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card. That's more than enough graphics processing power to handle just about any game in your library or on your wishlist with fairly high settings. With Wi-Fi 7 support, you'll get faster, more reliable wireless internet speeds, which are critical for online multiplayer games, as well as keeping your current library up-to-date with automatic updates and patch fixes. Bluetooth connectivity lets you set up wireless peripherals like keyboards, mice, and headsets for a cleaner, more organized space. The front of the tower gives you easy access to USB 3.0, USB-C, headset, and microphone ports for hot-swapping external storage and connecting peripherals for team chat and private gaming. The back of the tower features another USB-C port, 6 USB Type A inputs, Ethernet, PS/2, 3.5mm AUX, 3 DisplayPort inputs, and an HDMI output for connecting up to four monitors. MSI Codex R2 specs: CPU: Intel Core i5-14400F | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB SSD  Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Acer If you have a younger child or teen who is interested in playing PC games, the Acer Nitro 50 is an excellent choice for a starter gaming PC. With a 14th generation Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, you'll get all the power and storage you need for playing popular games both on- and offline.The Acer Nitro 50 supports up to 32GB of RAM so you can drop in new memory sticks as your needs change, but there is only one SSD slot. So if you need more storage, you'll either have to swap out the drive entirely or I suggest picking up an external hard drive with a decent amount of storage for offloading large game files.Acer Nitro 50 specs: CPU: Intel Core i5-14400F | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB SSD  Pros Retails around $1100 RTX 4060 GPU 14th gen Intel Core i5 Upgradeable design Cons Limited storage expansion slots Limited USB ports If you have a younger child or teen who is interested in playing PC games, the Acer Nitro 50 is an excellent choice for a starter gaming PC. With a 14th generation Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, you'll get all the power and storage you need for playing popular games both on- and offline.The Acer Nitro 50 supports up to 32GB of RAM so you can drop in new memory sticks as your needs change, but there is only one SSD slot. So if you need more storage, you'll either have to swap out the drive entirely or I suggest picking up an external hard drive with a decent amount of storage for offloading large game files.Acer Nitro 50 specs: CPU: Intel Core i5-14400F | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB SSD  Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at HP HP has introduced their newest budget-friendly gaming rig, the Omen 16L. Unlike the Victus 15L, this tower is only available in Intel-based builds, but still offers a great balance between price and performance. It normally retails for around $1,000, but can often be found on sale for much less.Along with a 14th gen Intel Core i5 processor, you'll also get an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD for plenty of power and perfomance for playing popular games, and even graphics intensive titles. And if you ever need to expand your capabilities, the Omen 16L supports up to 32GB of RAM and features three M.2 SSD slots for adding more storage space for larger game titles and other important files and programs.HP Victus specs: CPU: 14th generation Intel Core i5 | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD  Pros Under $1000 Expandable RAM and storage 14th gen Intel Core i5 Cons Somewhat limited power supply HP has introduced their newest budget-friendly gaming rig, the Omen 16L. Unlike the Victus 15L, this tower is only available in Intel-based builds, but still offers a great balance between price and performance. It normally retails for around $1,000, but can often be found on sale for much less.Along with a 14th gen Intel Core i5 processor, you'll also get an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD for plenty of power and perfomance for playing popular games, and even graphics intensive titles. And if you ever need to expand your capabilities, the Omen 16L supports up to 32GB of RAM and features three M.2 SSD slots for adding more storage space for larger game titles and other important files and programs.HP Victus specs: CPU: 14th generation Intel Core i5 | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD  Read More Show Expert Take Show less What are the tariffs in the US?The recent US tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India aim to boost domestic manufacturing but are likely to drive up prices on consumer electronics. Products like smartphones, laptops, and TVs may become more expensive as companies rethink global supply chains and weigh the cost of shifting production.Laptops and PCs are also hit hard by the new US tariffs, with import duties potentially increasing prices by up to 35%. Many major brands still rely on Chinese and Vietnamese factories for assembly, meaning consumers could soon pay significantly more for everything from budget Chromebooks to high-end gaming rigs. These tariffs may accelerate efforts to move production to regions like Mexico or India, but shoppers can expect higher costs and fewer discounts in the short term.Overall, consumers should brace for higher prices and potential shifts in product availability within the home entertainment market.Right now, it looks like some tech may be exempt from the issued tariffs, but since it's always changing and developing, we are keeping an eye on it and will update you on the latest.Also: Tariff exemptions for electronics offer a break for tech - but not for longLatest news on budget gaming PCsHP has introduced their newest budget gaming rig, the Omen 16L, which is only available with Intel-based builds.What is the best cheap gaming PC? My pick for the best cheap gaming PC is the HP Omen 35L. While technically the flagship model for HP's line of Omen gaming desktops, base configurations have a somewhat budget-friendly price point and can often be found on sale with decent discounts. The Omen 35L can be built with either Intel or AMD-based configurations (and AMD builds run a bit cheaper for even more savings) and feature dual SSD and HDD storage support, Nvidia RTX 4000 series or AMD Radeon RX 7000 series graphics cards, and support for up to 64GB of RAM. Cheap gaming PCPriceCPUGPUHP Omen 35L$1,250Up to 14th Gen Intel Core i5, Intel Core Ultra 7, or AMD Ryzen 5 8500GNvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super or AMD Radeon RX 7600CyberPowerPC Gamer Master$650Up to AMD Ryzen 9 5900XUp to RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7900 XTMSI Codex R2$850Intel Core i5-1440FNvidia GeForce RTX 4060Acer Nitro 50$1,000Intel Core i5-14400FNvidia GeForce RTX 4060HP Omen 16L$85014th gen Intel Core i5Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050*MSRP at time of writing. Please note that actual prices may vary depending on retailer as well as available deals and promotions. Show more Which cheap gaming PC is right for you? Once you've finalized your budget, you'll want to choose a gaming PC that has enough storage space for a small library of your favorite games as well as plenty of RAM for smooth gameplay.You'll also want to make sure that the included GPU is powerful enough to handle most popular games, and that the power supply can keep up with your needs as you swap out components or add things like secondary storage drives or more RAM sticks.Choose this cheap gaming PC...If you need...HP Omen 35LA well-rounded and budget-friendly gaming PC. It's available in both Intel and AMD configurations and starts at around $1,250 for the base AMD configuration.CyberPowerPC Gamer MasterA budget AMD-based gaming PC. You can configure this gaming PC with up to a Ryzen 9 5900X processor and your choice of RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7900 XT GPU.MSI Codex R2An affordable Intel-based gaming PC. With a 14th generation Intel Core i5 CPU, RTX 4060 GPU, and 16GB of RAM, you'll have plenty of processing power for your favorite games.Acer Nitro 50An entry-level gaming PC for kids and teens. This Intel-based desktop gives you 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for plenty of power and storage for popular games like Fortnite.HP Omen 16LAn ultra budget-friendly gaming PC. If your budget is so tight it squeaks, the HP Victus can be yours for about $850 if you catch it on sale or around $1,000 at regular retail price. Show more Factors to consider when choosing the best cheap gaming PCs: If you're in the market for a budget gaming PC, there are several factors to consider besides a lower price tag. That includes the following: CPU: You'll want a CPU released within the last five years to ensure your PC can play just about anything in your library.GPU: If you're working with a tight budget, opt for an older GPU like an RTX 16 series or Radeon RX 5000 series. You'll still be able to play almost anything while saving a bit of money.Connectivity: Make sure that the gaming PC you want has enough USB, HDMI, and DisplayPort inputs to support all of your displays, peripherals, and storage devices.Upgrade options: As preferences change, you may want to upgrade your gaming PC, which can also cost you. We included options with components that make for a swift, budget-friendly upgrade. Show more How did we choose these budget gaming PCs? While researching each budget-friendly gaming PC option on this list, I and other ZDNET experts kept these criteria in mind:Brand integrity: While it's tempting to spring for one of those ultra-cheap desktops or laptops from a brand you've never heard of, you'll end up spending more in the long run to replace low-quality components or the entire computer. Unknown and smaller brands may also not have the greatest customer service experience for returns, exchanges, and refunds.Multi-purpose: Not everyone has the luxury of being able to maintain separate PCs for gaming and work. Each PC on this list has been ensured to be compatible with most Windows and/or Linux-based programs for work and school.Tower size: It's important to note what type of tower your gaming PC is housed in, as some components, like motherboards and GPUs, have to be specifically sized for micro-ATX cases. Mid-size towers are some of the most popular options and can house all but the very largest of graphics cards. Full-size towers won't have any issue housing any components, but the trade-off is that your PC will be fairly large (at least 2 feet tall). Show more Is it better to buy or build a gaming PC? While you can find some affordable prebuilt gaming PCs, you can also save yourself a bit more cash by building your own PC. By building your own, you can take advantage of sales and deals on components in order to get the best parts for the cheapest prices. The trade-off is taking the time to put everything together yourself, so you'll have to decide if you're comfortable enough building your own PC, and whether or not you have the time and energy to do so. Show more Is a laptop cheaper than a gaming PC? Unfortunately, a laptop designed for gaming is going to cost more than a PC tower. Laptops use the same powerful processors and graphics cards as towers (which contribute to the cost) and pack in premium features that have a higher production cost, like OLED and 4K touchscreens. These "extras" are reflected in the final price. While there are some great budget gaming laptops, don't expect them to be much cheaper than a traditional PC tower. Show more What is a good budget for a gaming PC? Even before the chip shortages, you couldn't find that many prebuilt gaming PCs under $1,000. Now, with GPUs harder and harder to come by, a prebuilt PC is about the only way to get your hands on one, even older ones like the GTX 1660 Super; and they definitely come with a cost. You can still get a decent build for around $1,000, or even less if you put in the work to find them, but you may want to build out your budget to around $1,200 to account for rising component costs. Show more How much RAM do I need for gaming? How much RAM you need depends on what you're looking to get out of your gaming experience. You can get a lot of games with just 8GB of RAM, and 16GB is just about perfect for handling even the most technically demanding titles and programs. You can find configurations with 32GB or even up to 128GB of RAM, but not only does this considerably increase the cost of the build, it's also overkill. Higher RAM configurations are best used by creative professionals rendering 3D art and animation, and for gaming, you start to see diminishing returns after 32GB.  Show more Do I need a dedicated GPU to play PC games? Yes. Many new CPU chips have some sort of integrated graphics processing unit. Still, it's best used for casual home use, like streaming Netflix or looking at your aunt's vacation photo album on Facebook. To launch the most popular game titles, you need a dedicated GPU, but it doesn't have to be a fancy, expensive one. You can use an older card like a GTX 1650 or Radeon RX 5500 and still get a lot of mileage out of your build. Show more How do I best choose a gaming PC for my child/teen? Whether you're looking to get a computer strictly for school work or a rig that can handle gaming and class projects, it's important to know what your child wants out of their PC and what will work with your budget and house rules. ZDNET's Jason Cipriani wrote up a handy guide for how to choose a computer for your child if you want a more in-depth explanation. Show more How much power does a cheap gaming PC use? A more budget-friendly gaming PC will not use high-end parts, which means the components will be less powerful or power-hungry. If you want to spend less than $1500 on a new gaming PC, you can expect it to have a power supply between 500 and 750 watts. This size PSU is plenty for most entry-level and mid-range gaming PCs, but if you're planning on dropping in more powerful components (like graphics cards) down the line, you'll also want to upgrade your power supply to help prevent electrical issues or damage to delicate components. Show more What's the best cheap gaming PC for Fortnite? Fortnite has some pretty forgiving baseline PC spec requirements for running the game, needing just 2GB of VRAM, 16GB of RAM, and featuring support older, DirectX 11-supported GPUs as well as 7th gen Intel and 3rd gen AMD Ryzen processors. With this in mind, you can scope out some truly cheap gaming rigs if you're willing to work with older hardware. And older hardware is a great way to go if you're looking for a starter gaming PC for younger kids and teens. Show more Latest updatesZDNET replaced the HP Victus 15L with the HP Omen 16L as our pick for one of the best budget gaming PCs you can buy.ZNDET replaced the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 with the Acer Nitro 50, as the Tower 5 has been discontinued.ZDNET replaced the HP Omen 40L with the HP Omen 35L, as the Omen 40L has been discontinued.More cheap gaming PCs to consider Further ZDNET Tech Coverage Smartphones Smartwatches Tablets Laptops TVs Other Tech Resources ZDNET Recommends

May 15, 2025Ravie LakshmananAI Training / Data Protection Austrian privacy non-profit noyb (none of your business) has sent Meta's Irish headquarters a cease-and-desist letter, threatening the company with a class action lawsuit if it proceeds with its plans to train users' data for training its artificial intelligence (AI) models without an explicit opt-in. The move comes weeks after the social media behemoth announced its plans to train its AI models using public data shared by adults across Facebook and Instagram in the European Union (E.U.) starting May 27, 2025, after it paused the efforts in June 2024 following concerns raised by Irish data protection authorities. "Instead of asking consumers for opt-in consent, Meta relies on an alleged 'legitimate interest' to just suck up all user data," noyb said in a statement. "Meta may face massive legal risks – just because it relies on an 'opt-out' instead of an 'opt-in' system for AI training." The advocacy group further noted that Meta AI is not compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the region, and that, besides claiming that it has a "legitimate interest" in taking user data for AI training, the company is also limiting the right to opt-out before the training has started. Noyb also pointed out that even if 10% of Meta's users expressly agree to hand over the data for this purpose, it would amount to enough data points for the company to learn E.U. languages. It's worth pointing out that Meta previously claimed that it needed to collect this information to capture the diverse languages, geography, and cultural references of the region. "Meta starts a huge fight just to have an opt-out system instead of an opt-in system," noyb's Max Schrems said. "Instead, they rely on an alleged 'legitimate interest' to just take the data and run with it. This is neither legal nor necessary." "Meta's absurd claims that stealing everyone's personal data is necessary for AI training is laughable. Other AI providers do not use social network data – and generate even better models than Meta." The privacy group also accused the company of moving ahead with its plans by putting the onus on users and pointed out that national data protection authorities have largely stayed silent on the legality of AI training without consent. "It therefore seems that Meta simply moved ahead anyways – taking another huge legal risk in the E.U. and trampling over users' rights," noyb added. In a statement shared with Reuters, Meta has rejected noyb's arguments, stating they are wrong on the facts and the law, and that it has provided E.U. users with a "clear" option to object to their data being processed for AI training. This is not the first time Meta's reliance on GDPR's "legitimate interest" to collect data without explicit opt-in consent has come under scrutiny. In August 2023, the company agreed to change the legal basis from "legitimate interest" to a consent-based approach to process user data for serving targeted ads for people in the region. The disclosure comes as the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled the Transparency and Consent Framework, used by Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and other companies to obtain consent for data processing for personalized advertising purposes, is illegal across Europe, citing violation of several principles of GDPR laws. Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE    

It’s the time of year when the NFL schedule for the coming season gets revealed, and one team, the Baltimore Ravens, has gone all-out making a Severance parody video as part of their schedule announcement. NFL’s Baltimore Ravens show deep Severance knowledge in parody Severance may be on a hiatus as work continues on season 3, but the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens have just made a parody worthy of the Apple TV+ show’s high production values. The nearly 7-minute video showcases the team’s deep knowledge of all things Severance, with references to: goats watermelon busts face balloons MDR and a lot more There’s an impressive amount of detail and throwbacks that will delight any Severance fan, whether you care about the NFL or not. You can watch the video below. Apple did a great job marketing Severance season 2 before its debut earlier this year. Ahead of season 3’s arrival, considering the show’s massive success, maybe the company can get more partners in on the fun like the NFL. Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, and Shrinking. Best iPhone accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Photo Credit: SpaceX SpaceX fires Starship upper stage in 60-sec test ahead of next flight Highlights Starship fires 6 Raptors in 60-sec static test Third static fire for Ship as SpaceX readies ninth Starship flight Flight 9 launch expected in coming weeks, no set date yet Advertisement SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft has fired up in another test as the company prepares for its ninth flight. Starship conducted a full-duration static fire of its upper stage at the Starbase facility in South Texas on May 12th. The 171-foot-tall (52-metre) vehicle fired all six of its mighty Raptor engines for the full-duration burn, which took about 60 seconds. This marked the third such static fire for this specific ship, which is now undergoing final checks. SpaceX shared video and images of the trial in a post on X the following day.Starship Nears Ninth Launch as SpaceX Advances Toward Mars-Ready ReusabilityAs per a Space.com report, the static fire is one of the last key milestones before the vehicle's upcoming launch, though no date has yet been announced. The booster assigned to Flight 9 has already conducted a static fire test, sparking talk it may only be weeks from flight. Fully stacked, Starship stands 403.5 feet, making it the most powerful rocket system ever assembled. Its super-heavy booster and ship upper stage are intended for full reuse, a requirement for voyages to the moon, Mars, and beyond.Starship has completed eight test flights to date, two of them in 2025. Though the missions themselves blasted off without a hitch, the ship's upper stage flubbed both times shortly after arriving in space. During those flights, Super Heavy managed to fly back to Starbase and land with the aid of its giant launch tower's "chopstick" arms in a dramatic manoeuvre that was one of a kind for SpaceX's rocket-catching system. But both times the ship exploded less than 10 minutes after launch, a failure that has raised concerns about the stability of that upper stage.SpaceX Starship, the Mars colonisation spacecraft, has now completed more than one full static fire test run, and it is expected to be a fully reusable spacecraft after the next test flight. Until then, space watchers will have to keep waiting for progress at Starbase. The ninth launch of this giant vehicle is probably not too far off if SpaceX continues to evolve and test at the pace they are going.   For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: SpaceX, Starlink, Starship, static fire, Raptor engine, test flight, rocket launch, Starbase, Elon Musk, Mars mission, spaceflight Gadgets 360 Staff The resident bot. If you email me, a human will respond. More Related Stories

Apple’s long-brewing next generation of CarPlay is finally here. CarPlay Ultra officially launched this morning. And while anyone not driving an Aston Martin may be disappointed, Apple’s announcement actually brought good news for all CarPlay users. The future of CarPlay isn’t what Apple thought Three years ago, Apple laid out its plans for the next generation of CarPlay. It’s been a long wait, but today the newly branded ‘CarPlay Ultra’ is here—first on Aston Martin vehicles, and later other automakers. Unless you’re in the market for an ultra-premium new car (or already own one), today’s announcement may seem irrelevant to you. But the details of Apple’s announcement reveal it’s actually good news for all CarPlay users. When Apple originally presented its vision for CarPlay’s future, it felt very much like a ‘CarPlay 2.0.’ In other words, next-gen CarPlay was the future, which meant the existing CarPlay would become the past. Today’s announcement, however, makes very clear that Apple’s not taking that approach. CarPlay Ultra isn’t ‘CarPlay 2,’ and that’s good news for the rest of us For anyone worried about CarPlay’s future now that something new has arrived, Apple has reassurance for you. In its press release announcing CarPlay Ultra’s launch, Apple included a key sentence near the end: CarPlay Ultra joins CarPlay, which is beloved by drivers around the world and has fundamentally changed the way people interact with their vehicles, providing a safer, smarter way to use iPhone in the car. ”CarPlay Ultra joins CarPlay”—the word choice is important, as is Apple’s naming choice. CarPlay Ultra is not a replacement for CarPlay. Apple isn’t eventually going to phase out CarPlay as more and more automakers support its new system. Through its branding, and press release, Apple makes very clear that CarPlay Ultra is not ‘CarPlay 2.’ It’s not a replacement, but rather an alternative. Current CarPlay will continue getting better, alongside Ultra Now that CarPlay Ultra has officially shipped, I’m optimistic Apple will continue investing in the current CarPlay system—perhaps more than it has in a while. We’ve seen signs of this happening already, with new features added to CarPlay in recent iOS updates. Perhaps some of CarPlay Ultra’s features will eventually trickle down to standard CarPlay too. Likely not any time soon, since Apple still needs ways to differentiate the system. But a version of widgets coming to standard CarPlay seems likely eventually. In short: CarPlay Ultra is good news because Apple no longer sees it as the future of all CarPlay offerings. Rather, it’s a new, premium option that “joins” the existing CarPlay. And hopefully before long, all CarPlay users will start to benefit. Best CarPlay accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Movella has released Xsens Animate 2025, the latest version of its motion-capture software designed for use with the Xsens range of inertial mocap systems.The release updates the software’s motion engine, introducing separate male and female anatomy models, and reworks its user interface. Users of Movella’s Xsens Awinda hardware get an experimental new Auto Sensor Mapping feature to cut down set-up time for recording sessions. Processes motion-capture data from Xsens inertial systems, for use in games and VFX Xsens Animate processes and exports raw motion-capture data generated by Movella’s inertial capture hardware: the Xsens Awinda and Xsens Awinda Starter systems, where the sensors are attached to an actor’s body with straps, and its Xsens Link mocap suit.The software is aimed at entertainment work – game development, animation and visual effects – and comes in three editions: Animate Export, Animate Live and Animate Pro. Animate Export is intended for offline recording, processing the motion of a single actor and exporting it in FBX or BVH format to DCC applications and game engines. Animate Live streams the motion of up to two actors to compatible applications, which include Blender, Maya, MotionBuilder, Unity and Unreal Engine, in real time. Animate Pro combines the feature sets of both Export and Live, plus further advanced features, and supports recording of up to four actors simultaneously. The software used to be known as MVN Animate, but was rebranded last year, Xsens being the name of its original developer, acquired by Movella, then known as mCube, in 2017. Xsens Animate 2025: separate male and female anatomy models, and a reworked UI Xsens Animate 2025 reworks the software’s motion engine, supplementing the legacy unisex profile with new male and female profiles.The latter use body proportions more typical for male and female subjects – primarily hip and shoulder widths, and placement of the center of mass. In addition, the curvature of the spine is now tracked more accurately. Both changes are intended to recreate the motion of an actor or stunt performer more accurately, reducing the time needed to clean up the raw data. The software’s user interface has also been reworked, simplifying navigation, making it possible to access key tools more quickly, and introducing a new dark UI mode. Users of Awinda systems get an experimental Auto Sensor Mapping feature which detects the sensors and attributes them to the correct parts of the body automatically. Price and system requirements Xsens Animate is compatible with Windows 11 only. The software is rental-only, and priced on enquiry on Movella’s website.For reference, when we last wrote about Movella systems in late 2023, Animate Pro subscriptions cost $10,990/year, Animate Plus subscriptions – the equivalent of Animate Live – cost $3,290/year, and MVN Record – the equivalent of Animate Export – was free. We’ve contacted Movella to see if we can get current prices, and will update if we hear back. Read an overview of the new features in Xsens Animate 2025 on Movella’s website Read a full list of new features in Xsens Animate 2025 in the online release notes Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

Photo Credit: Lava Lava Shark 4G (pictured) carries a 50-megapixel primary rear camera Highlights Lava Shark 5G could come in blue and gold colour options The handset may get a Unisoc T765 SoC The Lava Shark 5G is expected to ship with Android 15 Advertisement Lava Shark 5G is set to launch in India soon. The company has officially teased key features of the handset alongside announcing its launch date. The price range of the phone has been revealed as well. Key details about the upcoming smartphone had leaked recently. It is expected to have a similar design language to the existing Lava Shark 4G, which introduced in the country in March. The 4G variant gets a Unisoc T606 SoC, a 5,000mAh battery with 18W wired charging support, and a 50-megapixel primary rear camera.Lava Shark 5G India Launch: All We KnowThe Lava Shark 5G will launch in India on May 23, the company said in a press release. It is claimed to have an AnTuTu score of over 4,00,000. The phone will support LPDDR4X RAM and will be priced in the country under Rs. 10,000.Lava added that the upcoming Shark 5G handset will be equipped with a 13-megapixel AI-backed main rear camera sensor. It will have an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance. An earlier leak suggested that the Lava Shark 5G will come with a dual rear camera unit. It will likely be offered in blue and gold colour options. The round LED flash unit placed in the camera island has a circular design around it.A Geekbench listing of the Lava Shark 5G suggests that it will likely be powered by a Unisoc T765 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. It is expected to support 64GB of onboard storage and run on Android 15 out-of-the-box. The Lava Shark 4G variant is priced in India at Rs. 6,999 for the 4GB + 64GB option. The smartphone carries a 6.7-inch HD+ display with a 120Hz, a 50-megapixel main rear camera sensor, and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter. It is powered by a Unisoc T606 SoC and a 5,000mAh battery with 18W wired charging support. The smartphone arrives with an IP54 dust and splash-resistant rating. KEY SPECSNEWSDisplay 6.70-inchFront Camera 8-megapixelRear Camera 50-megapixelRAM 4GBStorage 64GBBattery Capacity 5000mAhOS Android 14Resolution 720x1612 pixels For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Sucharita Ganguly Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More

As I mentioned recently, SmartGym has become one of my favorite apps. Anyone who uses it as a workout companion can easily see why it was named Apple Watch App of the Year in 2023, chosen as a finalist for the Apple Design Awards, and recently featured by Apple as one of the best apps optimized for iOS 18. Now, the app just got even better, with its biggest update yet. More personalization Tracking your performance and streaks is one of the best ways to stay motivated. SmartGym now offers custom goals, complete with history, targets, achievements, and detailed infographics to help you visualize progress over time. And speaking of personalization, one of the app’s most unique features, the Smart Trainer, uses AI to generate personalized routines based on your goals and available equipment. In this update, the Smart Trainer UI has been completely redesigned. Users can now group routines together, customize them more easily, and tweak individual settings with less friction. Heart rate tracking You may remember that recently, Beats released the Powerbeats Pro 2 with built-in heart rate monitoring. Now, SmartGym supports the feature, and uses it to better calculate calorie consumption during the exercise. Even more helpful: it now displays live heart rate zones during workouts, an especially useful addition for HIIT sessions or cardio training. Better UX for mid-session use One of SmartGym’s greatest strengths is its UX for mid-training interactions. It does its best to get out of the way and quickly deliver the exact information, exercise editing tools, or stats you may need. Now, it allows you to quickly find an alternate exercise for any given workout, which is great for those busy days at the gym when that chest fly machine is really on demand. The app now also features a “listen” option that reads out loud the description of its vast database of nearly 700 exercises, which will surely be very useful for when you are not familiar with a new workout routine. To top it off, the app just crossed out one of my biggest wishes for it, which is to display a persistent rest timer right on the interface. Syncing and integration Much, if not all, of these new features will now work in sync or integrate between multiple devices. From displaying custom goals as an Apple Watch complication to syncing of exercise changes between the iPhone and the iPad, this SmartGym update really packs many actually useful features for both gym rats and casual home fitness fans alike. SmartGym is free to download on the App Store, and offers a wide variety of subscription options. But the developer Matt Abras was nice enough to send five promo codes for SmartGym’s Annual Plan. If this app is for you, act fast! 9XA7P9YREA3F 364MPJRE4LKJ E7H67W6LKHWR 4Y36HW43KR6J RW7JPLERM34M Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Watch a Giant Snail Lay an Egg From a Pore in Its Neck in First-Ever Footage Captured in New Zealand Conservation rangers took a video of an endangered, captive snail laying a large egg, revealing insight into the creature’s reproductive process Rangers witnessed a captive Powelliphanta augusta snail lay an egg from its neck, and they managed to catch it on video for the first time ever. New Zealand Department of Conservation A small, white orb emerges from the body of a slimy creature in footage shared by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC). Though this scene might not look like much, it’s an extremely rare moment that scientists just captured on video for the first time: a mysterious Powelliphanta augusta snail laying an egg from a pore in its neck. The snail is one of New Zealand’s most threatened invertebrates, named for its natural habitat along the Mount Augustus ridgeline in the country’s West Coast. But now, that site has almost entirely been destroyed by mining activity. To protect the snails, the DOC brought a number of them into captivity in 2006, and experts have been tending to the population ever since, keeping them in chilled containers that mimic the creature’s preferred environment. “It’s remarkable that in all the time we’ve spent caring for the snails, this is the first time we’ve seen one lay an egg,” DOC ranger Lisa Flanagan, who took the video, says in a statement. “We caught the action when we were weighing the snail. We turned it over to be weighed and saw the egg just starting to emerge from the snail.” Scientists knew very little about Powelliphanta snails before they began caring for the captive population. “This moment gives us a glimpse into the fascinating reproductive lives of these threatened snails,” according to a DOC Facebook post. Powelliphanta augusta snail laying an egg Watch on Powelliphanta are some of the largest snails in the world. They’re carnivorous, dwell on land and feast on worms and slugs. Like many other snails, they’re hermaphrodites, meaning individuals have both male and female genitalia. Powelliphanta snails thrive in moist habitats and are thus mostly found in New Zealand’s high-altitude forests and wetter western regions, where they occasionally emerge from leaf piles at night to mate and search for food. Many snails lay eggs, though some—like the marine species Littorina saxatilis—birth live baby snails, as reported by Live Science’s Pandora Dewan. The P. augusta snail, meanwhile, has a genital pore—akin to the vagina in mammals—just below its head. While this might seem like an unusual position, it allows the snail to poke out its head for mating and laying eggs, while the rest of its soft, vulnerable body remains protected by the shell. “It extends its penis out of this pore and into its mate’s pore, and its mate does the same, simultaneously exchanging sperm,” DOC senior science advisor Kath Walker explains in the statement. Though, as hermaphrodite “carnivores, which have to live at relatively low density, being able to occasionally self-fertilize must help with survival of the species.” What probably doesn’t help, however, is that P. augusta snails don’t reach sexual maturity until they’re 8 years old. While some of the snails in the DOC’s care are between 25 and 35 years old, they only lay about five eggs per year, which can take more than a year to hatch. That’s in stark contrast with non-native, invasive garden snails in New Zealand, which live short lives but lay thousands of eggs annually, according to the statement. When P. augusta’s habitat began to be threatened by mining in the early 2000s, the DOC relocated about 4,000 of them to other areas and took another 2,000 into captivity, per the Associated Press’ Charlotte Graham-McLay. It’s been a bumpy ride, however—the snails returned to the spotlight in 2011, when a faulty fridge accidentally froze 800 of them to death. “Keeping our wildlife in fridges is obviously not how New Zealanders would like to care for native animals found nowhere else in the world,” Nicola Toki, a conservationist who is now CEO of the New Zealand nonprofit Forest & Bird, told the BBC at the time. “It’s a sad fact that this has been the best option for them.” Nevertheless, the captive program has both saved the species from extinction and allowed scientists to learn more about the mysterious snail, per the DOC’s Facebook post. As reported by the Associated Press, the captive population had risen to 1,900 snails and almost 2,200 eggs by March of this year. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/240206_Cavalry2_particles.mp4 Originally posted on 6 February 2024. Scroll down for news of the Cavalry 2.4 update. Scene Group has begun the next big series of releases for Cavalry, its motion design software. Cavalry 2.0 adds animatable scene cameras, making it possible to create 2.5D effects, plus an experimental new particle system, and increases scene playback speed around 200%. A next-gen 2D motion graphics tool inspired by 3D software Originally released in 2020, Cavalry is a procedural animation app “combining the power and flexibility of 3D with the ease of use of 2D”.Although currently a pure 2D animation tool, it supports workflows that will be familiar to 3D animators, including keyframing, curve editing, deformation, rigging, scattering and instancing. Scene Group’s background is also in 3D motion graphics: the firm is a spin-off from Mainframe North, which developed MASH, Maya’s motion graphics toolset. Once created, images may be exported in a range of file formats, including as JPEG, PNG or SVG sequences, as animated PNGs, as WEBM or QuickTime movies, or in Lottie format. https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/240206_Cavalry2_cameras.mp4 Add a Camera to a scene to create 2.5D animations Major changes in Cavalry 2.0 include support for Cameras, making it possible to create 2.5D effects like the one above.Users can create Freeform or Look At cameras, with the option to offset the position of the camera and look-at target to create secondary motion, and to set view distance limits for layers. Experimental new particle system creates 2D particle effects Cavalry 2.0 also introduces an experimental new particle system, for creating particle effects.It’s still a tech preview, but it already includes a range of standard basic features, including settings for particle shape, and a range of emitter types and modifiers. Particles can be emitted from points, shapes, paths or Distributions; and it is possible to direct particle motion with paths, goals, forces or turbulence. Other new features and performance improvements Other new features in Cavalry 2.0 include a new Auto-Animate behavior for animating Shapes with fewer keyframes, and support for tapered strokes along Shapes.Workflow improvements include the option to set up overrides for Pre-Comps, making it easier to create variants for a composition. Users can also now group Layers into simplified custom containers called Components, controlling which Attributes are exposed in the UI. Performance improvements include boosts of 10-600% in playback speed: the improvement is greater in complex scenes, but Scene Group says that the average is around 200%. Cavalry also now supports background rendering, making it possible to continue to work while a scene is rendering. https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/240524_Cavalry21_tw.mp4 Updated 23 May 2024: Scene Group has released Cavalry 2.1. The update focuses on the audio tools, adding support for multi-track audio playback, and the option to export audio from Cavalry. Audio projects can be exported as AAC files, or in MP4, QuickTime or WebM files. It is also possible to import audio files in more formats, now including AAC, MP3 and CAF. Updated 11 November 2024: Scene Group has released Cavalry 2.2. The biggest change in the update is support for OpenType fonts in the Text Shape, with the option to control OpenType features like ligatures and superscript procedurally. It is also possible to create color gradients along Strokes, and to add multiple Strokes to paths. Other changes include the option to fill closed paths with Stitches, new Sweep and Shape Falloff patterns, a new Quick Mask mode, and proportional easing when scaling keyframes. Users of the paid Pro edition also get a new Knot behavior, which automatically adds gaps to paths where they self-intersect, and a new Stroke Duplicator feature. Released 11 December 2025: Scene Group has released Cavalry 2.3. Workflow improvements include the option to save presets for Layers, Compositions and Render Queue Items, and to ‘seed‘ random values for Attributes. Users of the Pro edition get the option to open multiple viewports, and to convert images or shape layers to contours, and to convert contours within shapes to sub-meshes. Updated 15 May 2025: Scene Group has released Cavalry 2.4. It’s a sizeable update, adding the option to write custom image-manipulation filters in SkSL, and save them as third-party plugins. SkSL, the shading language used by open-source 2D graphics library Skia, is a variant of GLSL, so code from sites like Shadertoy should work with “minor modifications”. The update also adds a new SLA shader for creating a range of animatable noise types. Text styling and .xslx import Other changes include new styling options in the Text Shape, making it possible to apply apply effects like underline, strikethrough and superscript to text.It is also now possible to import Excel .xslx files. Pro edition: use 2D meshes to deform images and shaders Users of the paid Pro edition also get the option to create 2D meshes to deform images or shaders by placing control vertices.When creating 2.5D animation, it is now possible to use a Camera Guide – a representation of the region of the scene visible to the camera – to drive its animation. For managing complex projects, a new Dependency Graph window provides an editable schematic view of a composition, replacing the old Flow Graph. Price and system requirements Cavalry 2.4 is available for Windows 10+ and macOS 12.0+. The full software is available rental-only, with Pro subscriptions costing £192/year (around $255/year). The free edition caps renders at full HD resolution, and lacks the advanced features in this table. Read a full list of new features in Cavalry in the online release notes Read an overview of original Cavalry 2.0 update on Scene Group’s blog Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.