When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Following data leak, Valve assures Steam users that its systems were not breached Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Neowin @LoneWolfSL · May 14, 2025 18:42 EDT Following reports about a possible data breach that has supposedly affected over 89 million accounts on the PC gaming store and social platform Steam, Valve has officially stepped in with a statement. According to the company, it has reviewed the leaked data and confirmed that Steam systems had not been breached, and that user data is safe. The report originally landed from X user MellowOnline1 on May 12, who pointed towards a LinkedIn post regarding a dark web sale, which reportedly offered data from 89 million Steam users. "You may have seen reports of leaks of older text messages that had previously been sent to Steam customers," said Valve today, May 14, in an official post regarding the breach. "We have examined the leak sample and have determined this was NOT a breach of Steam systems." "We’re still digging into the source of the leak, which is compounded by the fact that any SMS messages are unencrypted in transit, and routed through multiple providers on the way to your phone," it added. Valve says that passwords, phone numbers, payment information, and personal data are not a part of the leaked data, so users do not need to change their login details. It added the following regarding what it found in the leaked data and how its information is useless for actually taking over an account or targeting users: "The leak consisted of older text messages that included one-time codes that were only valid for 15-minute time frames and the phone numbers they were sent to. The leaked data did not associate the phone numbers with a Steam account, password information, payment information or other personal data. Old text messages cannot be used to breach the security of your Steam account, and whenever a code is used to change your Steam email or password using SMS, you will receive a confirmation via email and/or Steam secure messages. Nonetheless, Valve recommended Steam users opt for using the Steam Mobile Authenticator for added security. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed

Music-sharing platform SoundCloud is saying it “has never used artist content to train AI models,” and that it’s “making a formal commitment that any use of AI on SoundCloud will be based on consent, transparency, and artist control.” The update comes several days after artists reported that changes made last year to its terms of use could mean it reserved the right to use their music and other content to train generative AI tools.“The language in the Terms of Use was too broad and wasn’t clear enough. It created confusion, and that’s on us,” writes SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton.The terms that SoundCloud is currently using were updated in February last year with text including this passage:In the absence of a separate agreement that states otherwise, You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services.”But Seton says that “in the coming weeks,” that line will be replaced with this:We will not use Your Content to train generative AI models that aim to replicate or synthesize your voice, music, or likeness without your explicit consent, which must be affirmatively provided through an opt-in mechanism.Seton reiterates that SoundCloud has never used member content to train AI, including large language models, for music creation or to mimic or replace members’ work. And, echoing what a SoundCloud spokesperson told The Verge in an email over the weekend, Seton says if the company does use generative AI, it “may make this opportunity available to our human artists with their explicit consent, via an opt-in mechanism.”Ed Newton-Rex, the tech ethicist who first discovered the change, isn’t satisfied with the changes. In an X post, he says the tweaked language could still allow for “models trained on your work that might not directly replicate your style but that still compete with you in the market.” According to Rex, “If they actually want to address concerns, the change required is simple. It should just read “We will not use Your Content to train generative AI models without your explicit consent.” SoundCloud did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.See More:

OpenAI is moving to publish the results of its internal AI model safety evaluations more regularly in what the outfit is saying is an effort to increase transparency. On Wednesday, OpenAI launched the Safety evaluations hub, a web page showing how the company’s models score on various tests for harmful content generation, jailbreaks, and hallucinations. OpenAI says that it’ll use the hub to share metrics on an “ongoing basis” and that it intends to update the hub with “major model updates” going forward. “As the science of AI evaluation evolves, we aim to share our progress on developing more scalable ways to measure model capability and safety,” wrote OpenAI in a blog post. “By sharing a subset of our safety evaluation results here, we hope this will not only make it easier to understand the safety performance of OpenAI systems over time, but also support community efforts⁠ to increase transparency across the field.” OpenAI says that it may add additional evaluations to the hub over time. In recent months, OpenAI has raised the ire of some ethicists for reportedly rushing the safety testing of certain flagship models and failing to release technical reports for others. The company’s CEO, Sam Altman, also stands accused of misleading OpenAI executives about model safety reviews prior to his brief ouster in November 2023. Late last month, OpenAI was forced to roll back an update to the default model powering ChatGPT, GPT-4o, after users began reporting that it responded in an overly validating and agreeable way. X became flooded with screenshots of ChatGPT applauding all sorts of problematic, dangerous decisions and ideas. OpenAI said that it would implement several fixes and changes to prevent future such incidents, including introducing an opt-in “alpha phase” for some models that would allow certain ChatGPT users to test the models and give feedback before launch. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW

Bryan from Tech Yes City tested Ryzen 7000/9000 processors on a few motherboards, revealing a difference in how ASRock motherboards supply SoC voltage in contrast to others. YouTuber Tech Yes City Demonstrates the Difference Between Motherboards from ASRock and Other Vendors; Analysis Indicates Both CPUs and ASRock Boards Cause Physical Damage If you are aware of the reports of dead Ryzen 9000 CPUs, particularly the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, nothing conclusive has been found regarding the issues that are causing these deaths. Perhaps this is one of the first investigations that shed some light on the issue and might help users understand what is actually causing CPU deaths. A few days ago, a popular tech YouTuber, Tech Yes City, reported his first dead Ryzen 9 9950X CPU on an ASRock X870 Steel Legend motherboard. This isn't the first time we have seen a Ryzen 9000 CPU dying on an ASRock motherboard, but there are actually nearly 200 such reports, most of them on Reddit. Bryan tried to find out what actually causes this, more on the ASRock motherboards than on boards from other vendors, and as per his investigation, there is a difference in how the ASRock motherboards handle the SoC voltage request from the CPU. SoC voltage is basically what the SoC section of the CPU needs for operation, and in most cases, it is static. It may fluctuate occasionally, but in the case of ASRock motherboards such as the ASRock X870E Taichi Lite with Ryzen 9800X3D installed, the SoC voltage kept fluctuating all the time. Even though the fluctuation isn't that significant, the upper limit is somewhat higher than what is considered the maximum limit. We can see that the SoC voltage in both cases (Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 9800X3D installed) exceeds 1.250V and comes close to 1.270V. This is higher than what motherboards from other vendors could supply to the SoC of the CPU, and remains mostly near 1.20V, except for the ASUS X870E Crosshair Hero, which has by default added another 50 mV to add more stability. Nonetheless, it doesn't budge and remains constant all the time while the ASRock motherboard keeps fluctuating, which may result in permanent CPU damage, as we have seen before. Nonetheless, it should be kept in mind that it is the CPU that "dictates" how much SoC voltage is needed, and the deaths appear to be the result of how both CPU and motherboard handle the SoC request. Surely, this needs even deeper investigation as it isn't necessarily the only cause of CPU damage. Till then, ASRock might need to fix this through a BIOS update, but in case you want to mitigate the risk yourself, you will have to "enable" the Uncore Voltage from the BIOS. Deal of the Day

News Blades of Fire Demo Goes Live on May 15th The demo lets players experience the initial hours of MercurySteam's next title, with progress transferring when it launches on May 22nd. Posted By Ravi Sinha | On 15th, May. 2025 After promising to release a demo “soon” for Blades of Fire, MercurySteam has confirmed that it will be available on May 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. According to the developer on BlueSky, it includes the first few hours of the hack-and-slash action RPG. Your progress will also transfer to the game when it launches next week, which means this is based on the final product. Blades of Fire is available on March 22nd for consoles and PC and focuses on Aran de Lira as he embarks on a quest to defeat Queen Nerea. The latter ascended the throne after her father’s passing and has been on a reign of terror, cursing the kingdom’s steel into stone. Wielding a mystic Forge hammer, Aran can create his own weapons to fight back. The blacksmithing portion is more than just a crafting exercise. It’s a full-fledged system that deeply influences combat and tactics. Head here for more details and check out our feature on the tile. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More DOOM: The Dark Ages Publisher:Bethesda Softworks Developer:id Software Platforms:Xbox Series X, PS5, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Blades of Fire Demo Goes Live on May 15th The demo lets players experience the initial hours of MercurySteam's next title, with progress transferring wh... Sand Land, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy, and More Coming to PS Plus Extra/Premium Other titles include Soul Hackers 2, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Humankind, Five Nights at Freddy's: Help... EA Motive is Hiring a Level Designer to Create “Major Single-Player Levels” For Iron Man The job listing also reaffirms that Iron Man is being developed using Unreal Engine 5, asking for the applican... Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition is Out Now for $69.99 It includes the base games, Kombat Pack 1, Khaos Reigns, all Kameo Fighters, Shang Tsung, the Premier skins, a... Helldivers 2 is Seemingly Getting a Major Update on May 20 The update, reportedly dubbed Heart of Democracy, revolves around Super Earth being in danger and Helldivers h... Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link Cancelled, Square Enix “Hard at Work” on Kingdom Hearts 4 "It would be difficult for us to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over a long period," the... View More

Three compounds in peppers appear to lessen their perceived spiciness. Credit: Deposit Photos / David Kadlec Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Hot peppers aren’t for everyone, but that’s where the Scoville scale comes in handy. The scale is named after American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville, who developed the pepper spiciness test in 1912. To determine a rating, an exact amount of dried pepper is dissolved in alcohol to extract its capsaicinoids, the group of compounds responsible for all that heat. This solution is then diluted with sugar water and assessed by a trained panel of specialists. To get a sense of the spectrum, bell peppers rank around a 0 on Scoville Heat Units (SHUs), while notorious hybrids like the Carolina reaper measure as much as 2,500,000 SHUs. But even the Carolina reaper pales in comparison to Pepper X, the Guinness World Record holder for hottest hot pepper, ranking in at a bear spray-like 2,693,000 SHUs. As you may have already worried, even a trained human taste tester can offer subjective assessments, making the Scoville scale more of an approximation than a science. Sometimes a highly rated pepper feels like a dud, or what should be a moderate jalapeno results in gulping down multiple glasses of milk. But even modern methodologies based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can rate peppers in ways that confound a sweating hot sauce enthusiast. If the capsaicinoids—particularly capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin—are tallied accurately, then why the varying perceived heat levels? That’s what a team of researchers recently set out to determine. Their conclusions, published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, identifies a trio of separate compounds that can essentially function as an “anti-spice” weapon. And the ramifications go far beyond the palette. To get to the bottom of the spice mystery, experts at The Ohio State University collected powdered samples from 10 pepper varieties including serrano, Scotch bonnet, and Chile de árbol. They then measured each fruit’s capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin levels using a process known as liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. A trained group of taste testers next tried each pepper powder after mixing them into tomato juice. Don’t worry—no volunteers were harmed during the experiment. Instead, the concoctions featured just enough of each respective powder to bring the heat up to 800 SHU. That’s around the spice of a Cuban pepper, but less than a poblano. While each sample contained the same levels of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, participants reported a significantly wide range of perceived heat across the 10 peppers. Their hot takes (sorry) implied more than just the capsaicinoids were at play. Researchers then ran multiple more chemical composition analyses including nuclear magnetic resonance imaging to ultimately pinpoint another five naturally occurring compounds suspected of influencing each pepper’s perceived spice level. The team next asked another group of taste testers to judge whether those compounds altered capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin pungency, either on their own or in combination with one another. Scientists ultimately determined that while three of those compounds—capsianoside I, roseoside, and gingerglycolipid A—reduced intensity, they didn’t do so in combination with one another. Notably, none of them also offered a discernible flavor when mixed into water. According to study corresponding author Devin Peterson, these newly identified compounds can serve as key additives to fine-tune everyday cuisine. “These advancements could enable the customization of desirable spicy flavor profiles or lead to the creation of a household ingredient designed to tone down excessive heat in dishes—the anti-spice,” Peterson said in an accompanying statement. The possibilities extend far beyond the kitchen. Aside from food customization, pharmaceutical designers may soon turn to capsianoside I, roseoside, and gingerglycolipid A while creating new medications and treatments. Peterson suggests “significant medical potential” could come by leveraging these compounds’ ability to reduce perceived discomfort into novel non-opioid analgesic agents for managing pain In the meantime, the new study serves as a good reminder to always take Scoville levels with a grain of salt—not that sodium would help ease unintended pepper pains, of course.

Microsoft is laying off up to 3 percent of its global workforce, reports Bloomberg. With Microsoft having around 228,000 employees at the end of June 2024 (the latest reported number), that’d mean around 6,000 to 6,800 people being let go, according to CNBC. This confirms the rumors from last month. The layoffs are to take place in different regions across different employee levels and teams. “We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a company spokesperson told CNBC. Microsoft plans to cut 1,985 jobs at its Redmond headquarters alone, 1,510 of which will be in the office. One aim is to reduce layers of management, the spokesperson said. Unlike the previous job reduction from January 2025 that hit “low performers,” these layoffs are not performance-related. It’s currently unknown whether the Xbox games division will also be affected by the layoffs, but Microsoft has repeatedly cut jobs in the Xbox division in recent years. These job cuts don’t fit with the latest business figures. At the end of April, Microsoft reported a net profit of $25.8 billion for the quarter, which exceeded expectations, and also issued a positive forecast.

May 14, 20254 min readRemember VIPER, NASA’s Off-Again, On-Again Lunar Rover? It’s Still in LimboNASA’s nearly complete yet canceled lunar rover VIPER isn’t going to get carried to the moon by a private space exploration company—but it’s also not quite dead yetBy Stephanie Pappas edited by Jeanna BrynerNASA's VIPER, or the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, can be seen in this artist's impression. Geopix/Alamy Stock PhotoThe only consistent thing about NASA’s VIPER lunar rover is that the road to the moon has been a rocky one. And now the space agency has nixed its attempt to find a commercial partner to launch VIPER moonward, leaving the nearly complete little space vehicle in a continued state of limbo.VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover) was intended to launch this year to explore the lunar south pole in search of buried ice and other chemical compounds. But NASA canceled it in July 2024 after delays led to cost overruns. This is the second time NASA has nixed a lunar rover mission in recent years, says Philip Metzger, a planetary physicist at the University of Central Florida (UCF). In 2018 NASA axed the Resource Prospector rover, which would have done similar exploration.In January NASA raised hopes that VIPER might somehow still see space when it put out a call for proposals for private aerospace companies to launch and operate the rover. On May 7, however, NASA canceled that call for proposals.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.The agency says it is exploring new strategies for VIPER in the future.“We look forward to accomplishing future volatiles science with VIPER as we continue NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration efforts,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, in a recent statement.Why can’t VIPER get off the ground? The rover’s budget problems started with supply chain disruptions during the COVID pandemic, says Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at the Planetary Society. It was also slated to launch on a platform built by aerospace company Astrobotic, which failed its first landing of a scaled-down version of that platformThe mission was unusually far along when NASA pulled the plug: the rover was fully assembled and was in the final stages of testing for a launch. By that point, NASA had sunk nearly $800 million into its construction and the contract with Astrobotic.It’s not clear why NASA has been unable to find a private partner to launch the rover, but such a company would have assumed the costs of the mission and agreed to share the data freely with the space agency. That made for a tough business case for private companies, SpaceNews reported earlier this month.What kind of science was VIPER supposed to do?The 2.5-meter-tall rover was designed to search for resources such as water ice, carbon dioxide and helium in the lunar subsurface. The goal, says Clive Neal, a lunar expert at the University of Notre Dame, is to find resources that humans could use to establish a permanent research base on the moon. The data on where such volatiles might be and whether they’re accessible and extractable are crucial for the Artemis program’s plans for long-term human presence on the moon.The rover carries four instruments: a neutron spectrometer to detect water as deep as a meter below the surface, a near-infrared spectrometer to determine the makeup of samples, a mass spectrometer to analyze gases in the environment at touchdown and a drill called TRIDENT (The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains). The drill is one of VIPER’s blockbuster features, designed to pull samples from up to a meter deep.The cancelation of VIPER, after 2018’s loss of Resource Prospector, is short-sighted, given NASA’s goals, Neal says. “Is NASA actually serious about getting humans back to the moon?” he says. “Are they actually serious about enacting our current space policy? Have they actually read it?”VIPER could also answer basic science questions about the origin of the water on the moon, says UCF’s Metzger. It may have been part of the lunar core from the moment of its formation, or the water could have arrived with planetary dust or large impactors over time, among other possibilities. “Understanding those processes is crucial for understanding our solar system,” Metzger says. The answers could reveal more about how common water-rich bodies are in the galaxy and how many planets or moons might host life.What’s next for VIPER?That’s the big question. Until NASA releases more details on potential future partnership structures, the project remains in a state of suspended animation.“I don’t know what to make of it because there is so little information,” Dreier says.It’s possible NASA could reopen negotiations with Astrobotic, the company that was originally going to launch the rover, Neal says. Or, Metzger suggests, the agency might be seeking international partners that could take on some of the operational costs.There are no other U.S. missions on the horizon with the drilling capabilities of VIPER. If the rover doesn’t find a way to the moon, Neal says, two other lunar explorers from China could pick up the banner of volatiles science: Chang’e 7 and 8.As uncertain as things are looking for VIPER, though, it’s an optimistic sign that NASA hasn’t dropped the rover outright, Dreier says, given that the White House has proposed a 50 percent cut to NASA’s science programs and a more than 20 percent cut to the agency overall in 2026. “If it’s not openly identified as being canceled,” Dreier says, “you are winning as a NASA science mission right now.”

With last year’s release of iOS 18, AirPods Pro got even better. Apple added new gestures, improvements to gaming support, and more. Head below for a recap of each of these features and details on how to use each of them. Available on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 With iOS 18, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 users can interact with Siri and incoming notifications by nodding their heads up or down. Accept a call or reply to notifications and messages: Nod your head up and down. Decline a call or dismiss notifications and messages: Shake your head side to side. To use head gestures to interact with Siri, you’ll also need to make sure Announce Calls and Announce Notifications are enabled. Open the Settings app and choose “Notifications” and make sure the “Announce Notifications” setting is turned on. Once the “Announce Notifications” setting is enabled, here’s how to manage Head Gestures: With your AirPods connected to your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap your AirPods at the top. Scroll down and tap “Head Gestures” Toggle on the feature and choose with gesture is linked to “Accept, Reply” and “Decline, Dismiss.” Voice Isolation Available on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 Voice Isolation is a new feature available for AirPods users that helps ensure the caller’s voice is heard in loud or windy environments. Powered by machine learning and the H2 chip inside, Apple says that this feature isolates and enhances voice quality while removing significant background noise for the listener. Note that Voice Isolation has been a feature on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac for several years. This year, however, it’s supported directly on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4. Here’s how to enable Voice Isolation on your AirPods: While on a call, swipe down from the top of your screen to access Control Center Tap the “Controls” button at the top of the interface Tap on “Voice Isolation” Gaming improvements Available on AirPods 3, AirPods 4, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max iOS 18 also brings Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking to gaming for the first time. To ensure this feature works for you, open the Settings app, navigate to your AirPods settings, and scroll down to “Personalized Spatial Audio.” If you haven’t previously set up this feature, you’ll be guided through a process that includes a Face ID-style scan of your ears to personalize the Spatial Audio experience. This feature applies to things like music and videos, and is now applicable to gaming thanks to iOS 18. Apple also says that iOS 18 brings support for improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48kHz audio, for chatting with teammates while gaming with AirPods Pro 2. Latency for AirPods Pro 2 users has also been upgraded. Custom Adaptive Audio Available on AirPods Pro and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation iOS 18 brings more granularity to the Adaptive Audio feature on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4. For those unfamiliar, adaptive mode “blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode together to control the level of noise you hear in your headphones based on the changing noise conditions in your environment.” With iOS 18, you can now customize Adaptive Audio to better fit your needs and “allow more or less noise.” With your AirPods connected to your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap your AirPods at the top. Scroll down and tap “Adaptive Audio” Move the slider left to allow for “Less Noise” when using Adaptive Audio or to the right to allow for “More Noise.” Hearing Health Last year, Apple supercharged AirPods Pro 2 with new hearing health features. Now, you take a hearing test with your AirPods Pro to find out if you have hearing loss. You can then use AirPods Pro as a hearing aid if you have mild to moderate hearing loss.  Apple explains: With the incredible audio quality of AirPods Pro, the user’s personalized hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across their devices without needing to adjust any settings. This first-of-its-kind software-based Hearing Aid feature brings users the ability to fine-tune their experience at any time, making access to hearing assistance easier than ever at an approachable price point Learn more:  Best AirPods Pro 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