Pixel 8 too pricey, will Google launch a budget Pixel phone?

Can't come to Washington? Couldn't get a ticket to tour the White House? Don't worry.

AI is everywhere now. From search engines to customer-facing chatbots, it is added in a lot of different ways for different tasks. It has also begun appearing in mobile applications on both Android and iOS. Now, noticing the potential risks with generative AI, Google has updated its Play Store policy to push for moderation of AI-generated content in apps. As per the new policy, developers will have to add an option to report when AI generates offensive content, and then developers must use these reports to build safe filters and moderation tools to protect users.

An investigation eventually led to the discovery that Google was not allowing benchmark programs from being installed on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro during the embargo period, which is when both flagships were being reviewed to see how these models stack up against the competition. The company has now come forth, admitting to the prevention of testing on the latest handsets, and the justification is not all that convincing.

Good news, Black Clover fans. The upcoming mobile gacha game that takes place in the same universe as the anime series will still launch across the globe in 2023, publisher Garena has confirmed.

It was initially reported that Apple plans to launch new iPad and MacBook models later this year. Later on, rumors coined that the forthcoming M3 chips have been delayed until next year. Various reports highlighted that the company would not release the M3-powered iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models this year. However, the iPad mini 7, iPad Air, and iPad 11 were reported to launch this year with upgraded internals. It is now anticipated that Apple does not have plans to release any iPad this year as the launch has been pushed to Spring of 2024.

With the US's new trade policy reaching official implementation, NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang has reacted to the decision, stating that it will have an "adverse" effect on the mainland China market.

The release date for the slimmer and lighter mid-gen refresh of the PS5 has seemingly leaked online, alongside details about its first bundle. As per reliable tipster Billbil-kun — notorious for accurately leaking monthly PS Plus games ahead of time — the new PlayStation consoles with smaller form factor will go on sale November 10 in the US before spreading out to other regions; both disc and digital versions. A bit before that, on November 8, Sony would be bundling it with the newly launched Marvel's Spider-Man 2 at $559.99, which is the same amount as the existing standard edition bundle. While not explicitly mentioned, the content should be the same, with a digital voucher for the game, alongside a themed controller.

Google Meet is rolling out a long-awaited feature that enables users to enhance their appearance during video calls. This new feature, known as "portrait touch-up," was announced in a recent Google Workspace update and is currently available to early adopters on mobile devices. The extended rollout to all remaining accounts is set to commence on October 28th. Additionally, Google has plans to bring this feature to Google Meet on the web by the end of 2023.

Destiny 2 Festival of the Lost 2023 presents players with a whole host of challenges to complete. They add an extra layer of activities for players to tackle while playing the game they love and give everything a much spookier vibe overall.

Just finding time to play through the best Steam Next Fest demos, let alone all the promising ones that appeal to me specifically, is a tough task. I've had to get pretty aggressive about my selection process this week. If a demo's screenshots and tags don't grab me immediately, it's not getting a download, and if the first five minutes don't feel right, it's getting uninstalled. Life, like Steam Next Fest, is too short. And I was this close to passing on Noreya: The Gold Project, a 2D pixel art Metroidvania from developer Dreamirl, not because it didn't look good, but because I still haven't gotten to demos for some of the event's most popular games. But I'm glad I gave it a shot. The demo is a little rough technically, but I see huge potential in this distinctly post-Hollow Knight game. 

Sony has announced that PS5 cloud streaming for PlayStation Plus Premium goes live on October 17th in Japan, October 23rd in Europe and October 30th in North America. There will be several titles from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog to stream, with “hundreds” of PS5 titles to support the same later.

Two months after PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers began receiving invites to a PlayStation 5 cloud streaming beta, Sony has announced the feature will be getting its full launch on on 23rd October in Europe and 30th October in the US.