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Stalker sequel Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will release in December, according to distributor Plaion.

Whilst not formally confirmed by developer GSC Game World, the website for Plaion - the company formerly known as Koch Media - has listed the highly-anticipated shooter sequel as releasing on December 1, 2023.

So far, so what, right? Fair enough – it's hardly concrete evidence. But when you factor in that other games on Plaion's sites without a release date have been given placeholder dates for December 31, 2023, rather than December 1, some fans hope that December 1 is the real deal.

Of course, without formal word from GSC all we can do is take this rumor with a hefty bucket of salt, but for now, it's keeping the hope alive for fans who had hoped to be stalking by the end of the year. Watch this space, I guess – Gamescom is coming our way soon, so (hopefully) we may find out more then. 

The devs of the upcoming first-person apocalyptic shooter, Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, GSC Game World recently revealed that Russian hackers leaked test builds and other stolen material into the public domain.

After being hacked for "almost a year and a half", GSC Game World stated on Twitter that Russian hackers have been able to "access and compromise some of [its] leaked information intended for internal testing".

GSC Game World appealed to fans not to "look at or share and leaked materials from the game" in case it "ruin[ed] your experience of exploring the Zone by yourself".

The team revealed that the hackers had taken advantage of a vulnerability, and whilst frustrating, it at least meant GSC could identify where the issue was and address it before its release… be that December or otherwise.

15 years after it was first released, Stalker is having a moment – find out why right here…

Stalker 2 remains one of the most anticipated upcoming games of 2023 and could yet be one of the best FPS games of the year.

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Naturally Boost Your Eye Health With These 10 Tricks - CNET

These simple daily habits can make a big difference to your eye health.

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It's Hot This Summer. But Don't Think About Sleeping Naked - CNET

Going to bed nude this summer might not be as cool as you think. Here are four reasons you should reconsider sleeping naked.

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A new way to experience Hamilton is coming to Roblox.

No, that's not a typo. Or even a fever dream. Hamilton Simulator – yes, really – drops players in the world of Revolutionary War-era New York, bringing the various locations of the musical to life to be explored.

Expect interactive puzzles and history-themed activities, all set to the music of Hamilton, of course. You can check it out in the wonderful teaser below:

In Hamilton Simulator, you'll recruit a squad from your favorite Hamilton characters and take your shot as you traverse 10 worlds, all of which should be very familiar to fans of the musical. 

"You’ll dispatch foes through rap battles, using each character's unique style to put together the perfect harmony for every battle," developer Super League teases. "Featuring music from the Tony award-winning musical, Hamilton on Roblox provides a fun adventure for new and old fans alike."

A brand new way to experience Hamilton. Check out the Hamilton Simulator, now on @Roblox!! #HamWeek pic.twitter.com/sInCphsIdOAugust 10, 2023

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“A once-in-a-generation cultural touchstone, Hamilton has expanded horizons and entertained legions of global fans, and now will be introduced to the massive global audience in the immersive world on Roblox,” said Matt Edelman, president and CCO for Super League. 

“We are grateful to the creators for allowing us to bring the music and majesty of Hamilton to an engaged and passionate community on such a powerful platform.”

Earlier this week, Gameforge and 01Studio revealed exclusively to TRG that they are teaming up to bring a new accessible sandbox game creation platform to players and developers: Cubio. 

As Elie reported for us at the time, much like the larger sandbox platform Roblox, 01Studio seeks to make Cubio's services as accessible as possible. 

This new "intuitive creator mode" will have a blueprint system based on the Unity engine, so new developers don't need to have any prior experience with coding, opening the doors for budding developers and providing experienced devs a place to realize new ideas and test creations, too.

If you’re looking for a new game to get stuck into, look no further than our list of the best open world games.

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Titan Quest 2 has just been announced by THQ Nordic and sees the series get a sequel nearly 20 years after the first game. The game has been revealed as part of the THQ Nordic 2023 Showcase today (August 11).

It's a real 'rising from the dead moment' for Titan Quest, and the sequel looks to channel all that made the first installment excellent and upgrade it with all the bells and whistles of a new-gen game.

The cinematic trailer reveals that the game looks to be cut from the same (albeit upgraded now) cloth as the cinematics used in the first game and sets the scene with a tale focused around Sparta and the Fates. The trailer (and game, presumably,) is all about "Fate, who is involved in influencing it, how it can be changed, and what it means for those characters in Greek mythology", according to a THQ Nordic representative. You can check out the full cinematic trailer below.

THQ Nordic and the game's representative also shared a bunch of information on Titan Quest 2 information - though no in-game action was shown - revealing some key details and features.

In short, it's been confirmed that, like the first game, Titan Quest 2 will be a top-down action RPG that will feature more meaningful and tactical combat. THQ Nordic doesn't want it to just be a "clickfest", and it will keep the first game's stand out character creation method of combining two distinct masteries to create a specific class, full of its own combinations, branches, and skills and abilities. The flipside of this is that enemies too will also be able to combine their skills to provide stern tests in combat.

THQ Nordic is promising "meaningful loot" that's satisfying and not just about comparing stats. Every item serves a function, while there'll also be a plethora of weapons for each character class to experiment with in order to find the perfect weapon. Weapons can be upgraded with crafting and by finding the right resources, too - with even the most basic ones having the potential to be made legendary.

While the game is returning to familiar territory in the Ancient Greek setting and mythological backdrop, THQ Nordic promises a handcrafted world that's filled with beauty, expansive vistas and landscapes, secret areas, and an emphasis on verticality too, while a day/night cycle takes the setting's atmosphere to a new level.

The game will be playable solo or online with friends, enabling you to blend even more masteries and skills. 

There's no release date or window yet with Titan Quest 2 being in the early stages of development, but THQ Nordic stated that we'll hear and see "more over the next few months, with gameplay to come". 

Titan Quest 2 will release on PC (you can wishlist it right now), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Will it find space on our list of the best RPGs? We'll have to see. 

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Google is reportedly working on a new smartphone feature allowing users to connect multiple Android devices to a single Google Account.

The tech, known as “Link Your Devices”, was initially spotted by notable industry insider Nail Sadykov who posted his findings on his Google News channel on Telegram. According to an image provided by another insider Mishaal Rahman, the tool will be housed in the Settings menu – more specifically the “Devices & Sharing” section. No one knows the full extent of what Link Your Devices will do at launch, but we know it can do Call Switching. As the name suggests, the tool will let you “switch between devices for calls”. So you can begin a phone call on one Android device, put it down, then pick up another and continue your conservation there. 

You may soon be able to "link your [Android] devices" signed into the same Google account together. This will enable "call switching", which lets you switch between devices for calls, as well as "Internet sharing"!H/T @Nail_Sadykov pic.twitter.com/WCunYNE9GQAugust 10, 2023

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Speculation

Well, that’s the idea. Right now, it’s all just guesswork. Rahman himself believes Link Your Devices could be using the Telecom Jetpack library, a “cross-device SDK (software development kit)” first previewed during Google I/O 2023.

Without getting overly technical, Telecom Jetpack is said to allow “multi-device sessions over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ultra-wideband” among other things. The example given at the event would be to imagine playing call audio on a smartphone and then transferring the output to a Pixel Tablet.

We should mention Android Authority speculates in their report there could be an Internet Sharing tool at some point under Link Your Devices. This would be an easy-to-use “mechanism” for setting up a personal hotspot for other connected phones. 

Edge over the competition

It’s unknown when Link Your Devices will be released. As 9to5Google points out, the feature hasn’t made a single appearance in any of the “past Android 14 releases.” It could be something that comes with the launch of Android 14 or be a future drop exclusive to Pixel phones. 

If any of this sounds familiar to you, that’s because Link Your Devices is similar to iPhone Cellular Calls on iOS. The feature lets people receive phone calls on either a Mac or iPad assuming the hardware is “on the same network as your iPhone.” However, unlike what's expected of Link Your Devices, iPhones cannot directly transfer calls to or receive them from another iPhone.

This could be the edge Google needs to court over iOS users to Android. At the very least, it could be more effective than the recent set of online commercials the tech giant has recently rolled out.

However, if the ads were effective on you, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best Android phones for 2023 for some recommendations.

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Best Solar Panel Installation Companies in California - CNET

Going solar in California could be worth it, even with the state's new net metering rules.

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AMD announced its answer to Nvidia’s DLSS 3 with Frame Generation graphics technology back in 2022, officially dubbed FSR 3 graphics scaling with Fluid Motion Frames technology. AMD had gone into great detail on FSR’s progress since then during its GDC 2023 presentation to developers in March, detailing the progress from version 1 to its current version 3.

According to a new report from YouTube channel Moore's Law is Dead (reported on by PC Gamer), the technology will be launching in September 2023. It seems that the tech giant will release FSR 3 with Fluid Motion to tie into its new RDNA 3 graphics cards. And considering that CEO Lisa Su herself confirmed the imminent arrival of RDNA 3 during AMD’s earnings call for the Q2 fiscal, this only bolsters the rumor’s porobability even more.

This launch is especially important to AMD, as Frame Generation tech in Team Green’s graphics cards gives it a huge advantage over Team Red, since gamers can see the noticeable improvement in resolution and gamplay frames per second. We’ll see for certain if the FSR tech can match DLSS 3 Frame Generation if this report turns out to be true.

Will AMD finally catch up? 

Nvidia’s Frame Gen uses AI-enhanced hardware  to upscale resolution by creating new frames and inserting them between already rendered GPU frames. Though this improves the fluidity and visual smoothness of games during the rendering process, it also has the drawback of increasing latency and input lag.

Meanwhile, both DLSS and FSR improve framerate and latency. And though matching DLSS was enough for AMD until now, as its FSR tech is quite competitive in resolution scaling, the fact that it had no answer for Nvidia’s Frame Gen created a huge gap between the graphics card manufacturers in terms of gaming frame rates.

But now with Fluid Motion rolling out with FSR 3, Team Red has a shot to truly compete with Team Green, as long as said tech is fully ready by September. Otherwise, AMD will spend another generation playing catch-up, which would be especially diffilcult for AMD considering that Nvidia controls so much of the graphics card market share.

AMD does have a chance, though, as we’ve seen how much FSR 2 closed the gap between it and DLSS 2.0, Nvidia's previous version  of its upscaling technology. Hopefully Team Red does it again, as healthy competition between these two giants is something that always benefits consumers.

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An AI Helped Me Find Running Shoes for the NYC Marathon. Here's How It Worked - CNET

With my first marathon less than 100 days away, I gave artificial intelligence a go in hopes of finding the perfect trainers.

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Wacom is back with four new mid-range drawing tablets for fledgling digital artists: the One S, One M, One 12, and the One 13 touch. The first two are your traditional pen tablets while the others feature a screen similar to an iPad.

Measuring 152 x 95mm (6 x 3.7 inches), the Wacom One S is your quintessential entry-level device. It features 4K pressure sensitivity, meaning the tablet can tell, with a high degree of accuracy, if you’re drawing a thick or thin line by the amount of force you’re using. The company states the model recognizes “natural tilt” so you can hold your stylus at an angle to achieve certain effects. Speaking of styluses, the One S comes with a pen sporting two programmable buttons for assigning keyboard shortcuts. You can connect the tablet to your computer via Bluetooth, but if you prefer a wired connection, the package does come with a USB-C cable.

(Image credit: Wacom)

The Wacom One M is essentially the same thing as the One S; albeit bigger, measuring 216 x 135mm (8.5 x 5.3 inches). They’re both paper thin, clocking in at 7.9mm (less than an inch) thick.

These tablets are currently available for purchase. The Wacom One S retails for $69.95 (£55.99/$99 AUD) whereas the One M sells for $109.95 (£106/$199 AUD). You can purchase third-party stylus pens from LAMY and STAEDTLER at the checkout if you prefer those. However, good luck getting your hands on either of them. At the time of this writing, they are completely sold out across the US, UK, and Australia. 

No word on when they'll come back.

Display tablets

As for Wacom One 12 and One 13 touch, they have most of the same features as the drawing tablets, except, of course, their respective screens. 

The One 12 sports a 295 mm (11.6-inch) Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) resolution display covering 99 percent of the sRGB color space. The glass has been touched up with an anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coating for optimal clarity. Wacom also claims the display has no parallax which is the distance between the tip of a stylus and a line on-screen. Like the 4K pressure sensitivity, zero parallax ensures a high level of accuracy.

The One 13 touch has everything we just mentioned with two key differences, although you can probably guess what they are. First, the display is larger, measuring 13.3 inches across. Second, it’s a touchscreen supporting “ten-finger multi-touch gestures [for] intuitive use”. Both of the higher-end models are, at 11.5mm thick, a bit heftier than their smaller counterparts.

You can buy the Wacom One 12 for $299.95 (£293.99/$499 AUD) with optional accessories at checkout. The Wacom One 13 touch, like the traditional tablets, is sold out in the US, UK, and Australia. When it comes back, you can buy it for $499.95 (£484/$849 AUD). Everything in this lineup is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, as well ChromeOS.

These products are meant for beginners. If you want something more high-end, check out TechRadar’s list of the best drawing tablets for 2023. 

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Take Up to 30% Off (Or More) Sitewide at Xtrema Cookware During Its Summer Sizzle Sale - CNET

Upgrade your kitchen with handcrafted, non-toxic ceramic cookware from Xtrema Cookware at a deep discount.

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Timberline Solar by GAF Energy Review: A Solid Solar Roof Option - CNET

The largest roofing manufacturer in the US offers one of the best solar roof options. Here's what you get from GAF Energy.

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This week's Netflix top 10 movies list has a surprisingly low-rated entry at number one: Jackie Chan's new action flick Hidden Strike. The film debuted on the best streaming service on July 28 but has been called a flop by critics – it has just a 15% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Despite the lacklustre reception, the movie has more than 10 times the views than the second most-watched film of the week: Happiness for Beginners. Again, this romantic comedy doesn't have the best rating and it doesn't get much better with number three on the list – Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, the Movie. 

Although the new documentary Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food bucks the low scoring trend, there are much better films currently streaming on Netflix that are more worth your time.

We've rounded up four of the best Netflix movies below, one of which has been in the top 10 most-watched movies list for the past three weeks on the trot since its debut. If you don't see anything that interests you though, try checking our new Netflix movies list for more.          

They Cloned Tyrone

They Cloned Tyrone is the unusual sci-fi comedy movie that Netflix subscribers can't get enough of right now – it has been one of the most popular movies on the platform since it premiered. This satirical sci-fi mystery is a Stranger Things meets Get Out meets Don't Look Up type movie that is bound to surprise you at every twist and turn.

It's about an unlikely trio that investigate a series of eerie events that end up leading to a big conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. As we pointed out in our exclusive interview with the show's star John Boyega, Netflix breaks every genre rule in the best way possible with They Cloned Tyrone and completely flips cinema stereotypes on their head. 

Available to stream on Netflix in the US, UK and Australia. 

The Departed 

When we ranked every Martin Scorsese movie from worst to best, this wasn't put at the top of the list but that doesn't mean you should ignore The Departed. It's by far one of the best crime dramas around, with top performances from the likes of Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. 

It's similar to classics like Gangs of New York and Training Day in that it blurs the line between organised crime gangs and police forces in a way that will have you questioning who's right and wrong. Centred around an Irish gang, it follows an undercover cop and a mole as they play cat and mouse to find each other out.    

Available to stream on Netflix in the US and Australia, and on Channel 4 in the UK.  

The Karate Kid

It's always great when classics such as this one get resurfaced on streaming platforms. While it's the 2010 remake that features Jackie Chan as the kung fu sensei, the original 1984 film is the better one out of the two to watch in our opinion – it still holds up today. 

The plot is fantastically simple: a teenager learns karate from a martial arts teacher. And this is where the success of the franchise lies and why it has since been rebooted – even with a TV spin-off called Cobra Kai. Classic stories like it and Stand By Me, for instance, have a moral-led narrative behind them that make them timeless.  

Available to stream on Netflix in the US and UK, and on Paramount Plus in Australia.  

Annihilation

This dystopian sci-fi, which is also psychological thriller, wasn't the most popular movie with audiences, but don't let that dissuade you. Alex Garland's adaptation of a series of books by Jeff VanderMeer is a great reimagining of the story and completely comes to life on screen. 

Annihilation stars Natalie Portman as a biologist who leads an expedition into a patch of forest and coastline that has become enveloped by a mysterious other-worldly barrier. The movie is cinematically stunning and tackles themes such as self-identity and environmentalism. 

Available to stream on Netflix in the US, UK and Australia.

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GM Says Bidirectional Charging Will Come Standard Across Its EV Lineup - CNET

Vehicle-to-home, or V2H, technology allows a parked EV to power your house during a power outage.

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You May Lose Apple Support on Your iPhone Next Month. Find Out Here - CNET

Some iPhone users won't get to download the new iOS 17 update on their phones.

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