Valve CEO Gabe Newell, known for Steam and popular games like Half-Life and DOTA 2, has ventured into brain-computer interfaces with his startup Starfish Neuroscience. The company announced plans to produce its first brain chip by late 2025. Unlike Neuralink, Starfish aims to create a smaller, less invasive implant that can access multiple brain regions simultaneously and operate without a battery, using wireless power instead. The custom chip will record and stimulate brain activity and is designed to facilitate neurological disease therapy. Starfish is open to collaborations to develop wireless power systems and final implant components. The startup also works on technologies for tumor destruction and robotic transcranial magnetic stimulation for neurological disorders. This innovative work ties back to Gabe Newell's earlier exploration of brain interfaces for gaming.

Graduation marks a significant milestone filled with excitement and a touch of nervousness. It's a moment to celebrate but also signals the start of a new chapter that can feel daunting. To support your grad as they embark on their next journey—whether it's college or their first job—The Verge has curated a thoughtful list of gifts. These selections include essential items for their first apartment or dorm room, such as kitchenware and tools, as well as heartfelt gifts that remind them of home. Tech lovers will appreciate gadgets like e-readers and portable chargers that help set them up for success. Additionally, to honor their hard work, there are options for relaxation and celebration. Recently updated, this guide now features new gift ideas including Apple's latest MacBook Pro 13 and Lovepop’s vibrant Black-Eyed Susan Bouquet.

Reliable hot water is essential, especially when camping or traveling off-grid. BougeRV offers a battery-powered portable propane water heater designed for outdoor use, providing a convenient, hot shower experience wherever you go. Priced at $310, this device comes with a rechargeable battery, propane canister attachment, and water pump, delivering a luxurious spray of hot water for humans, pets, and cleaning needs. It offers a maximum output of 20,500 BTUs and is a practical alternative to bulky, permanent van shower installations. The portability and efficiency make it a great investment for outdoor adventurers seeking comfort and convenience on the road.

Google's Veo 3 AI video generation model demonstrates a highly sophisticated ability to create videos with convincing audio, even adding dialogue not present in the original prompt. This new capability, showcased at Google's I/O event, marks a significant step in AI video creation by combining realistic sound with generated visuals. While impressive, it raises questions about the potential for misuse, though it is not yet a cause for misinformation alarm. Veo 3 enables users to create diverse clips ranging from news reports to cartoons, reflecting a new era of creative possibilities powered by AI technology.

Last Defense Academy starts with a simple yet intriguing premise: colorful teenagers are taken from their homes, placed in a high-tech school, and forced to fight for survival. The game features a creepy-cute mascot as your guide and an elusive overarching mystery. While it echoes themes from Danganronpa, a well-known murder-mystery series, LDA establishes its own distinctive identity. Developed by Kazutaka Kodaka, creator of Danganronpa, and Kotaro Uchikoshi, known for Zero Escape, LDA blends elements from both creators yet remains mechanically unique. After 45 in-game days, the author remains delightfully perplexed and engaged.

The Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe charging stand is now priced at $79.99 for Memorial Day, marking a $20 discount from its original price. This 3-in-1 charger efficiently powers MagSafe-compatible iPhones, Apple Watch Series 7 and newer, and any Qi-compatible devices such as AirPods. Its unique front-to-back design helps reduce desk clutter, and it supports Apple's StandBy mode for convenient smart display usage. Additional Memorial Day deals include the Sony ULT Field 3 portable speaker, Lego's Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera set, and the latest Apple Watch SE with GPS, all available at discounted prices from various retailers.

Users of Whoop’s MG fitness trackers, which feature EKG and blood pressure monitoring, have reported issues with the devices becoming unresponsive shortly after setup, sometimes within an hour. The MG tracker requires a premium Whoop Life subscription priced at $359 per year. Reports shared in the Whoop community forum describe devices failing rapidly, with some not even lighting up or pairing with the app. Troubleshooting tips from Whoop, such as charging and resetting, have not resolved the problems for affected users. In response, Whoop has begun proactively sending out replacement units to users, occasionally without prior requests or notifications. This follows a controversial launch period marked by backlash over updated membership upgrade fees for the Whoop 5.0. Whoop has yet to publicly comment on the replacement initiative or the tracker issues.

After a significant outage early this morning around 9AM ET, X is now back up for most users. The global internet monitor NetBlocks reported that X experienced international outages for some users twice within a week, noting the issue was not due to country-level internet disruptions or filtering. Downdetector recorded a sharp rise in outage complaints starting at 8AM ET, which began to decline about 45 minutes later. Reports have dropped from tens of thousands to a few hundred. Users also reported login issues on social media over the past days, with the X platform's incident log showing a sitewide outage lasting nearly a day. The problems coincided with a fire at an Oregon data center owned by X, which involved battery fires and required emergency response. X has not yet commented on the incident. As of May 24th, outage reports have mostly subsided.

Owners of the earliest Amazon Fire TV devices need to upgrade soon as Netflix will end support for these models starting June 3rd in the US. Affected devices include the 1st-generation Fire TV streaming box, the original Fire TV Stick, and the 2016 Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote. Users can verify their device model via Settings > My Fire TV. Amazon is reportedly offering discounts on new Fire TV Sticks to impacted users, although this has not been confirmed for US customers. Netflix cites the inability for these devices to receive necessary updates or support new features as reasons for ending support. New error codes R4, R12, and R25-1 have also been introduced related to this change.

A recent developer commentary video from Koei Tecmo showcased the Nintendo Switch 2's compatibility with a USB mouse in the game Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition. Producer Michi Ryu demonstrated seamlessly switching between a USB mouse and the left Joy-Con 2 controller, highlighting improved mouse support. This advancement builds on the original Switch's limited mouse and keyboard support seen in select titles like Nightdive's Turok port. Nintendo is further integrating mouse functionality, as shown in a Nintendo Today app video where using a Joy-Con 2 on its edge activates mouse mode with an on-screen pointer for system navigation. While it's unclear if a USB mouse works everywhere mouse control is supported on the Switch 2, this development suggests broader usage potential. Nintendo has yet to confirm full compatibility.