Google loses final appeal over $4.7 billion EU Android antitrust fine

Europe's highest court of appeal has upheld a record-setting $4.7 billion fine imposed on Google back in 2018.

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Weird Al Continues To Prove He’s The Best, Refusing To Shill For AI

The singer says he turned down 'a nice pile of money'

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BMW's X5 finally goes electric with an impressive 435 miles of range

BMW's X5 lineup finally has an electric option with impressive range.

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Meta puts rate limits on its smart glasses' Conversation Focus feature

Meta's Conversation Focus feature for smart glasses is now only free for three hours a month.

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PS5 System Update for July 2026 Is Live, Don’t Get Your Hopes Up

Sony Interactive Entertainment has rolled out PS5 system software update 26.04-13.42.00 to ring in July 2026. As usual, the new firmware doesn’t bring any changes that will excite players, but prepare to download around 1 GB of data on your PS5 and PS5 Pro.

PS5 system software update 26.04-13.42.00 patch notes (July 1, 2026)

“We’ve improved system software performance and stability,” the official patch notes read. This is standard language for minor changes and/or security patches that Sony doesn’t want to advertise.

Sadly, the update doesn’t fix PS5’s Recently Played section, which has been broken for over two weeks now. As I explained in our recent coverage of the issue, the section is stuck for many players and doesn’t register games that affected users have played or are playing since at least a month ago. It’s pretty annoying because the Recently Played feature is widely used to track game campaign and trophy progress.

Sony did, however, find the time to apply a GTA VI overlay to the PS5’s Welcome Hub. Many may not have noticed, but even the PS Store’s search bar flashes GTA VI’s color scheme when searching for games!

This update doesn’t make any noteworthy changes (at least none that I’ve spotted thus far), but we’ll update our readers when we have more information.

The post PS5 System Update for July 2026 Is Live, Don’t Get Your Hopes Up appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Shark's new PowerDetect Transformer turns into three different types of vacuum

Shark has launched a new vacuum with three form factors.

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PlayStation Plus Adds Massive 2025 PS5 Adventure RPG

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium catalog has dropped the final three PS5 games for June 2026, including a 2025 open-world adventure role-playing game. Members in Japan, the UK, and the USA will be able to access Black Desert (2025), Blades of Fire, and Farming Simulator 25 starting today.

Final batch of PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium June 2026 PS5 games rolling out now

As a reminder, Sony has begun staggering the rollout of PS Plus Extra and Premium games in the aforementioned regions. The company previously tested a staggered schedule in several countries before halting the practice and reintroducing it in Japan, the UK, and the USA this month.

As a result, the games listed above were withheld from users in these three regions until today.

Black Desert, Blades of Fire, and Farming Simulator 25 are available now in Japan and the UK, with the USA to follow. As a reminder, the PS Store updates around noon local time.

Today’s batch wraps up the catalog additions for this month, all of which are listed below:

Extra

• Final Fantasy 16
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure
• Farming Simulator 25
• Blades of Fire
• Black Desert
• Sonic X Shadow Generations

Premium

• PS2 classic Gitaroo Man

The post PlayStation Plus Adds Massive 2025 PS5 Adventure RPG appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Proton's privacy-focused Lumo chatbot gets image generation

Proton has launched a major upgrade for its Lumo chatbot, giving it image generation and editing capabilities.

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Google reportedly capped Meta's use of Gemini AI for coding and chatbots

Google was forced to cap Meta's use of Gemini AI due to a lack of capacity.

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DJI's Osmo Pocket 4P promises 17 stops of dynamic range

DJI's Osmo Pocket 4P introduces a new D-Log2 format and promises 17 stops of dynamic range.

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Apple's touchscreen MacBook reportedly won't wait for the M7 chips

The new models will launch with the M5 Pro and M5 Max, according to Mark Gurman.

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Mesh Wi-Fi or a range extender? Here's how to know which one you actually need

Wi-Fi extenders are cheap, but come with distinct drawbacks.

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Major PS5 Feature Down for the Last 2 Weeks, Sony Silent

A widely used PS5 feature has been down for the last two weeks on both the console and the PS App, and Sony has yet to acknowledge the issue. The company temporarily took down PlayStation’s “Recently Played” section to fix a PS Store glitch earlier this month, and although the feature returned shortly afterwards, it’s been busted ever since.

PS5 ‘Recently Played’ feature went down following a game library bug on June 15

As we previously explained, sometime around June 15, players suddenly started seeing raunchy games in their libraries and the Recently Played section that they hadn’t purchased. Sony took the feature down to fix the problem, but the company seems to have broken something else.

It appears that PSN’s clock has been set back by a month or so, and all the games we’ve played since then have either disappeared or don’t register in Recently Played. From what I’ve gathered, the problem affects both disc-based and digital games, but most of the complaints are coming from folks who’re playing games off of discs.

I, like many others, use the Recently Played feature — especially on the PS App — to check game campaign and trophy progress. While there are other ways to check both, going through the Recently Played section is quick and convenient.

Due to this issue, players can no longer check their campaign completion percentage for the games they’re playing via the PS App. On the PS5, the Recently Played widget in the Welcome Hub has been rendered useless, and players now have to hover over a game tile for an overview of their progress.

I’ve seen arguments that this isn’t a dealbreaker, but all the complaints lodged on gaming forums over the past two weeks suggest that a considerable number of players (myself included) use the Recently Played section frequently. Over the last day alone, at least a dozen threads have popped up on the PlayStation subreddit, inquiring about the issue.

It’s certainly a bit annoying to have it broken for this long.

Reaching out to Sony has been of no use, as the company rarely addresses such matters. There’s no ETA for a fix, then, so we’ll have to wait.

The post Major PS5 Feature Down for the Last 2 Weeks, Sony Silent appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Flock cameras track more than your license plate, and they're spreading fast

Mounting privacy and security issues have residents and activists concerned.

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Uber expands US driver background checks after sexual assault lawsuits

Uber is adopting a more stringent background check process for drivers and couriers in the US.

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Apple is reportedly looking to buy chips from a US-blacklisted Chinese company

Apple is seeking clearance from the Trump administration to buy chips from a company linked to the Chinese military, according to Financial Times.

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Apple executive in charge of Vision Pro is reportedly leaving for OpenAI

Apple's Vision Pro chief is reportedly leaving for OpenAI to start a hardware division.

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California launches tracker for AI-related job losses

California governor Gavin Newsom worked with the state's employment department to roll out an AI job loss tracker.

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YouTube Shorts nixes 'dislikes' and lets you double the playback speed

YouTube has made several key changes to Shorts by removing dislikes and offering a clear screen mode.

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Nothing teases the Phone 4b, launching on July 7

Nothing will launch the entry-level Phone 4b on July 7.

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Surprise PS5 Feature Update Adds Cool New Home Screen

In a rare move, Sony dropped a stealth PS5 feature update that adds a custom home screen to greet players. As GTA VI preorders went live around the globe, so did a neat new Welcome Hub animation for the game that automatically plays after booting up and logging into the console.

GTA VI PS5 Welcome Hub overlay is the first such update from Sony

This is the first such update we’ve seen from Sony in this generation, confirming its long-rumored GTA VI marketing partnership with Rockstar Games. Even Sony’s own first-party games have not received this treatment thus far.

For those who haven’t received the update yet, here’s what it looks like in action:

GTA 6 is now the first thing you see when you boot up your PS5, they made an entirely new UI for this, insane. pic.twitter.com/xmz8h6RLzI

— Synth Potato? (@SynthPotato) June 24, 2026

Do note that this is a server-side update, so you can’t force download it. When it’s live in your region, it’ll automatically be applied to your PS5.

The promotion doesn’t end here, though. The PS Store has been overtaken by all things GTA VI. What’s more, the PS App’s icon is now GTA VI-themed. The app has been updated on both Android and iOS in regions where it’s available.

Players are now convinced that Rockstar Games will stealth-drop a new GTA VI trailer sometime soon.

What do our readers think of Sony’s new marketing campaign?

The post Surprise PS5 Feature Update Adds Cool New Home Screen appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Xbox is testing support for longer gamertags

Xbox is testing new features, including support for 15-character gamertags.

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2026 Video Game Price Hike Confirmed With First $80 PS5 Game

Grand Theft Auto VI developer Rockstar Games has just become the first company to launch an $80 PS5 game in 2026, setting a new price standard for AAA PS5 video games after Nintendo’s first-party titles. The company confirmed this morning that the highly anticipated game will charge players $80 for the standard edition and $100 for the Ultimate Edition.

GTA 6 will be the first PS5 game with an $80 price tag, but that’s not the only bad news

In a press release, Rockstar Games also confirmed that GTA 6, which is described as a single-player experience, will not launch on disc. The game’s boxed version will contain a download code.

There’s no mention of GTA Online or a Collector’s Edition. As for the $100 Ultimate Edition, here’s what it’ll include:

Vehicles

• ’95 Grotti Cheetah car
• Jason’s Safehouse:
  • Dinka Enduro motorcycle
  • Crest kayak
• Modkit: Jason’s Vapid Ganado low-riding pick-up truck
• Shitzu Squalo watercraft
• Vehicle & Garage: ’67 Vapid Dominator Buggy, Paradise Garage in Watson Bay
• Classic Car Collection (work-in-progress project cars)

Weapons

• Hawk and Little Morgan Revolvers
• Personalized sidearms with detailed engravings for Jason’s Girardi ES9 pistol and Lucia’s Klose K17 pistol.

Character Looks

• Whether poolside or side by side, Jason and Lucia can look the part with exclusive outfits, tattoos, and more.
• A capsule collection of apparel and accessories inspired by the Goodtime State’s hit TV show character, Macca the Gator.

Access to shops

• One-Eyed Willie’s mod shop
• Electric Fang Tattoo shop
• Stock 305 clothing store
• Sara’s Unisex Hair Salon
• Rideout Customs mod shop
• PTT Youngin$ Illegal Goods Store

GTA 6 will be open for preorders at midnight local time on June 25. Preorder bonuses include:

• ’55 Vapid Stanier sedan and garage alongside Ocean Beach
• Decadent outfits and hairstyles for both Jason and Lucia
• Tommy Vercetti inspired weapon pattern
• Instantly redeemable free one-month GTA+ subscription

The post 2026 Video Game Price Hike Confirmed With First $80 PS5 Game appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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GameStop CEO Abandons $35 Billion Bonus To Concentrate On…Oh For Crying Out Loud…Buying eBay

Despite already being resoundingly rejected, Ryan Cohen announces new plans to buy the auction site

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YouTube settles early test case over social media harm to children

Google has settled a lawsuit with a minor known who claimed that social media platforms harmed them.

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Promising PS5 Action Game Announced a Year Ago Is Canceled – Report

An intriguing PS5 action adventure game that was announced in June 2025 appears to have been canceled already. Revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase, Mudang: Two Hearts was a project by Korean dev EVR Studio, who quietly filed for bankruptcy earlier this month.

Studio behind PS5 action game Mudang: Two Hearts goes bankrupt, website offline

To jog your memory, Mudang: Two Hearts was a Splinter Cell/Metal Gear Solid-esque third-person game set in the Korean Peninsula. Check out its reveal trailer below:

Over on Reddit, user kimchamchi shared documents revealing that EVR Studio was declared bankrupt on June 5, 2026, and Mudang: Two Hearts’ development was stopped.

The studio behind Mudang: Two Hearts has gone bankrupt
byu/Salt_Employment_9627 inGamingLeaksAndRumours

Digging a bit deeper into this story out of curiosity, I found that EVR Studio was in trouble as far back as six months ago, as it suffered mass layoffs. Shortly afterwards, the studio’s website was taken offline, and everything went quiet.

Mudang: Two Hearts might be in trouble, EVR Studio facing massive layoffs
byu/Tvilantini inGames

Mudang: Two Hearts probably cancelled, EVR Studio website shut down.
byu/Feeling-Examination6 inGamingLeaksAndRumours

When Mudang: Two Hearts was announced, it was confirmed that EVR Studio would be both developing and publishing the game. Suffice it to say that unless an external party rescues Mudang: Two Hearts, the project is dead.

It’s worth noting that although Mudang: Two Hearts was revealed a year ago, the game has been in development since at least 2023. It was previously known as “Project TH” and was given a 2024 release window.

The post Promising PS5 Action Game Announced a Year Ago Is Canceled – Report appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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OpenAI's new Daybreak⁠ initiative will help open-source projects fend off bugs

OpenAI has launched Patch the Planet, a new initiative part of its Daybreak cybersecurity program.

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CD Projkect Red Boss Feels The Studio Still Needs To Right The Wrongs Of Cyberpunk 2077‘s Terrible Launch

The CEO is banking on The Witcher 4 to earn back trust

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Free PS Plus Premium Being Offered to Select PS5 Players

In a rare move, Sony Interactive Entertainment is offering a free PS Plus Premium subscription trial to select PS5 players. Free membership trials used to be a regular occurrence in the days of yore, but ever since it locked almost everything — including save data backups — behind PS Plus, Sony has only really offered membership upgrade discounts.

Sony offers a rare week-long PS Plus Premium trial for free

Reddit users shared screenshots of a PS5 console notification they received from Sony that includes a voucher code for a free week of PS Plus Premium. From what we’ve gathered, the offer is only going out to those who’ve yet to join PS Plus.

Just got this notification earlier never had ps plus on this account
byu/Longjumping_Sea7214 inplaystation

As mentioned in the notification, the code has to be redeemed by July 5, so these free trial offers are very limited. If you’ve never had a PS Plus subscription on a PlayStation account you have access to, we suggest logging in and checking your console notifications.

There are plenty of short and sweet games in the catalog that you can play and finish within a week.

As a reminder, make sure to turn off Auto Renew immediately after redeeming the offer, and to be on the safe side, remove your payment information for the time being so that your membership doesn’t automatically renew after a week. If that happens, you won’t get a refund.

The post Free PS Plus Premium Being Offered to Select PS5 Players appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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My Most Beloved PSP-Era Lost Gem Finally Returns In R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos

Finally the world can experience the vibey and ruthless R-Type strategy game trapped on the handheld for nearly two decades

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NASA's Perseverance rover has traveled the distance of a marathon on Mars

It did so in just five years.

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I Am Looking For My Father In Blue Prince’s Spiral Of Stars

There are two true boxes in this room

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Steam Next Fest demos, a Virtual Boy-inspired shooter and other new indie games worth checking out

Steam Next Fest demos, a Virtual Boy-inspired shooter and other new indie games worth checking out.

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Ubisoft Co-Founder Claude Guillemot Dies In Plane Crash

The 69-year-old Ubisoft co-founder is one of two reported victims, alongside the operator and owner of the aircraft

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New Orders For Valve’s Steam Controllers Won’t Arrive Until 2027

If you reserve the device today, you've got at least a six month wait

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Are you prepared to wait until 2027 for a Steam Controller?

In an update, Valve says it may not ship some Steam Controller orders until next year.

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NASA is sending an orbiter to Mars with Eric Schmidt's Relativity Space

NASA has teamed up with Eric Schmidt's Relativity Space for a 2028 Martian mission.

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VSCO's new Studio Pro app can edit 100 photos at a time

VSCO's new Studio Pro app can batch edit photos and match the style of a reference image.

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WhatsApp is testing read-once disappearing messages

WhatsApp is finally catching up to rivals with disappearing messages.

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KPop Demon Hunters gets its first Lego set

Lego's gonna show us all how it's done done done.

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PlayStation Network Services Partially Down, Sony Confirms

Sony Interactive Entertainment has confirmed that PlayStation Network services are partially down since the evening of June 16, 2026, following a bizarre PS Store glitch. The issue began when players suddenly started seeing games in their library and “Recently Played” section that they hadn’t even purchased. What’s more, nearly all of the mysterious games were raunchy titles, like Sex Store Simulator and Hentai Princess.

PlayStation ‘Gaming and social’ services went down on June 16

In a popular Reddit thread and numerous social media posts, players shared screenshots of random games that appeared in their libraries and “Recently Played” section with hundreds and thousands of hours clocked in.

Random games I don’t have showing up on profile?
byu/xviixvo inplaystation

Here’s the list of random appearances that we’ve compiled so far:

• Sex Store/Shop Simulator (appears in all reported cases)
• Avatar Island
• Hentai Princess (appears in all reported cases)
• Horror Night with Tung Tung Tung Sahur
• Quiz Thiz Germany

I personally didn’t experience this glitch, but after reports of the issue spread, Sony apparently took down everyone’s “Recently Played” section. I can confirm that at the time of this writing, I am unable to see my list.

Over on the official PlayStation Status page, Sony notes that “Gaming and social” services are experiencing a disruption, and they still are at the time of this writing. Multiplayer and other services do not seem to be impacted. Affected platforms include “PS5, other.”

“You might have difficulty launching games, apps, or network features,” a message reads. “We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.”

What do our readers think happened here?

The post PlayStation Network Services Partially Down, Sony Confirms appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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FIFA wants Jamal Musiala to forget about Dre (during the World Cup)

FIFA, which has strict policies around advertising, reportedly had the Bayern player tape over the Beats logo of his headphones.

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Surprise PS4 System Update 13.52 Brings Bad News for Some

Sony Interactive Entertainment rolled out PS4 system software update 13.52 out of nowhere this morning, June 16, and it brings some unwelcome “improvements” for the modding/jailbreaking community. Unlike the March 2026 firmware update that brought usability improvements, this one patches security exploits and vulnerabilities.

PS4 system software update 13.52 patch notes (June 16, 2026)

“We’ve made some security fixes to the system software,” the official patch notes read. But we all know by now what this means. Although the PS4 was jailbroken long ago, the company is trying to deter ongoing and future hacking and modding attempts.

We can see why, though. The PS4 has a massive library of games and remains one of Sony’s most popular consoles. After all, the company still hasn’t given up on the PS3 either, as evidenced by the annual Blu-ray and security patches it receives.

In other PS4 news, the console continues to lose features, services, and support for popular games, which is unfortunate but understandable given its age. One of the biggest blows came recently when it was confirmed that Call of Duty will no longer support last-gen platforms.

We’ll update our readers if players notice any unannounced changes after today’s system software update.

Are any of our readers still playing on the PS4?

The post Surprise PS4 System Update 13.52 Brings Bad News for Some appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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India temporarily blocks Telegram, claiming it was done to prevent exam fraud

India has temporarily blocked Telegram, claiming it's to prevent cheating on a crucial entrance exam.

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Meta's Threads app now has half a billion monthly users

Almost three years in, Meta's X competitor is still growing.

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Electronic Arts Announces Plans To Cram Far More Advertising Into Its Games

EA Advertising will serve up real-time dynamic ads inside EA Sports titles

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UK will ban social media for children under 16

The UK is following Australia by banning young people under 16 from TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms.

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Capcom’s President Explains The Secret Behind The Resident Evil Maker’s Recent Winning Streak

According to Capcom President Haruhiro Tsujimoto, the publisher owes its recent success to its switch towards a new 'team-based approach to game development'

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Apple Watch alternatives that will last for 7 days on a charge

Here are some wearables that will last longer than a mere two days while offering some of the features you might be looking for.

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A report on the benefits of AI was reportedly full of AI hallucinations

KPMG published a paper about the benefits of AI last year. An investigation found that it was full of AI hallucinations.

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