I have two computers that I use on a regular basis. When I'm at home, I use my gaming PC hooked to an ultrawide monitor. For times when I'm traveling or working from a cafe or co-working space, I use my MacBook Pro. The Mac, undoubtedly, has a built-in webcam for video calls which serves its purpose well. But, when I'm using my PC, I have to use an external webcam to attend meetings. Owing to this, I picked up a 1080p 60fps webcam from Asus with autofocus capabilities. While the video quality is truly commendable, the field of view is way too wide for my liking. So, naturally, I wanted to reframe it.

Image: Riot Games The League of Legends universe is expanding once again — this time with a physical card game. Riot Games announced today that it’s developing a physical trading card game set in the League universe. The game is currently known as “Project K,” and Riot says it’s working with an unnamed partner in China to release the game there in early 2025. As for a global release, Riot says, “We are taking our time to find the right publishing partners.”There aren’t a lot of details about Project K. According to Riot, the game “has unique gameplay and is best when played with friends and in person,” and development is being led by director Dave Guskin and producer Chengran Chai. You can get a sense for the game in the images below:Of course, this is far from the first spinoff from League. So far, that has included mobile games like Teamfight Tactics and Wild Rift, the Netflix series Arcane, and the competitive fighting game 2XKO, which is expected to launch next year. Not all of these bets have paid off. In January, Riot announced that it was cutting more than 500 jobs, which included shutting down Riot Forge Games, a publishing label for indie games set inside of League. Also impacted was Legends of Runeterra, a mobile card game that launched in 2020, which Riot said “hasn’t performed as well as we need it to.”The Project K news comes as card games are having another moment, led largely by the new smartphone version of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

As a PC user, you probably already appreciate the crucial role of a power supply unit (PSU). It's not only responsible for routing the correct voltage to every component inside the PC, but also keeping everything operating at peak performance. Without adequate and clean power, your CPU and GPU can easily encounter issues that you might fail to diagnose at first glance.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Following news that foreign hackers may still be in US telecom networks, the Federal Communications Commission proposed a new rule that would require telecom companies to secure their networks from “unlawful access or interception of communications.” It would also force providers to submit an annual certification to the FCC stating they have implemented a plan to counter cybersecurity threats.On Wednesday, US officials recommended Americans use encrypted apps to make phone calls and texts in response to the ongoing infiltration of telecom networks linked to the Chinese hacking group Salt Typhoon. Deputy national security advisor Anne Neuberger confirmed that at least eight telecom providers have been impacted by the hack, as reported by Bleeping Computer.“We cannot say with certainty that the adversary has been evicted because we still don’t know the scope of what they’re doing,” Neuberger said during a press briefing, Bleeping Computer reports. Neuberger added that the attack has been going on for “likely one to two years” but doesn’t “believe any classified communications has been compromised.”The Wall Street Journal reported in October that Chinese hackers had broken into AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen’s networks and even targeted members of President-Elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaigns. In a letter on Wednesday, Senators Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) urged Department of Defense Inspector General Robert Storch to investigate the DOD’s “failure to secure its unclassified telephone communications from foreign espionage.”If the FCC’s proposed rule is adopted, it will go into effect immediately.“While the Commission’s counterparts in the intelligence community are determining the scope and impact of the Salt Typhoon attack, we need to put in place a modern framework to help companies secure their networks and better prevent and respond to cyberattacks in the future,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in the press release.

Image: Laura Normand / The Verge Google CEO Sundar Pichai says the company’s search engine will “change profoundly” in 2025. “I think we are going to be able to tackle more complex questions than ever before,” Pichai said during the NYT’s DealBook Summit on Wednesday. “I think you’ll be surprised, even early in ‘25, the kind of newer things Search can do compared to where it is today.”Pichai also responded to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s comment from earlier this year, in which he said Google should’ve been the “default winner” in the AI race. “I would love to do a side-by-side comparison of Microsoft’s own models and our models,” Pichai said. He added that Microsoft is “using someone else’s models,” alluding to the company’s partnership with OpenAI.“When I look at what’s coming ahead, we are in the earliest stages of a profound shift,” Pichai said. “I just think there’s so much innovation ahead. We are committed to being at the state of the art in this field, and I think we are.”Google started its big AI overhaul of Search this year, which included the addition of AI search summaries and a Lens update that lets you search the web with a video. The company is also preparing to launch a major update to its Gemini model as it aims to compete with Microsoft, OpenAI, and the AI search engine Perplexity.

Illustration: The Verge Google is making it easier to switch off personalized search results thanks to an option that sometimes appears at the bottom of the results page, as reported by Search Engine Roundtable. After searching for something, scroll all the way down and look for a link to “Try without personalization.” Click or tap that and Google will load a new page without personalized results.The link might not be present for you in all searches. Some results for me include a message at the end of the results page that already says “Results are not personalized.” This might be user error — maybe I have other settings that prevent it from appearing or am not using the right queries. But I did get the option to turn off personalized results much more often for searches on my iPhone than on my Mac, for some reason.“This change makes it easier for people to get an accurate understanding of whether their results have been personalized, while also providing them with the opportunity to explore non-personalized results,” spokesperson Ned Adriance says in a statement. “We also make it easy for people to adjust their personalization settings at any time.” Adriance adds that “while we previously showed this information in About this result on individual results, this display is more accessible and clear.”You have already been able to get unpersonalized search results for a very long time; as Search Engine Roundtable reported in 2007, you can see unpersonalized results by appending a parameter, “&pws=0,” to the end of a Google search URL. You can also turn off personalized search from your Google account settings. Update, December 5th: Added context from Google.

If you've been keeping up with handheld console news, you'll know that MSI has been brewing something in its labs. The last time we checked in on them, they discussed making a Lunar Lake upgradein June. If you've been holding out for that, we have some good news for you: the company has released two new consoles that add AI to its previous range.

Image: Bethesda The game’s most interesting bits are trapped in cutscenes while its boring bits are the stuff you actually have to play out. Read the full story at The Verge.

MainFrames. | Image: The Arcade Crew Before we all settle in for The Game Awards next week, this year’s PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted had its own assortment of interesting reveals and excellent trailers. It was an indie-focused showcase, which means that there was quite a bit of inventiveness on display; everything from a unique take on TMNT to a platformer where you jump around computer windows. If you missed the show live — which also included some news updates, like PlayerUnknown’s ambitious plans for the future — here’s a curated list of some of the best stuff that was on display.Moonlighter 2: The Endless VaultThe original Moonlighter mixed action RPG gameplay with the mundanity of running a shop, and the sequel looks like much of the same: only this time, players are transported to another dimension they need to escape. The Endless Vault launches in 2025 on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical TakedownOne of the biggest surprises was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, from indie studio Strange Scaffold. It’s billed as a turn-based take on the turtles, which is billed as an experience designed in part for “quick-play sessions that feel meaningful.” It takes place in a timeline without icons Shredder and Splinter. Given the studio’s history — see Clickolding and An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs — it will hopefully also be weird in a good way. Tactical Takedown launches on PC in 2025.CairnThis rock-climbing adventure / survival game has been looking good for a while now, and you can finally check it out for yourself: Cairn just got a free demo on Steam.Sol MatesThere can never be enough co-op games. This release from Daruma Games supports local and online co-op for up to four players, who are tasked with surviving in the great expanse of space by doing “odd jobs through the galaxy.” It’s also pretty darn cute. Sol Mates launches in early access next year.The Legend of BabooBilled as a “heartfelt nod to Middle Eastern fables,” this game looks like a potentially great mix of adventure, action, and puzzle solving, with a great big fluffy dog to ride on. In fact, you play as both the boy and the dog, who form a bond over the course of the game. Let’s hope it has a happier ending than The Last Guardian. The Legend of Baboo is launching in 2025 on both PC and Xbox.AbyssusThanks to this game, I’ve learned of a fictional genre called “brinepunk,” where tech is powered by sea brine. It sounds weird, but this co-op shooter does take place in the fascinating underwater ruins of a long-gone civilization. Developer DoubleMoose says Abyssus will go into alpha on December 6th, with a full release next year.MainFramesAll you really need to know is that this is a platformer where you’re jumping across a desktop PC interface, rearranging icons to solve puzzles, and fighting bosses controlled by the OS. It launches on both PC and the Nintendo Switch on March 6th.Deepest FearDeveloped by Variable State, the indie studio behind games Virginia and Last Stop, Deepest Fear is an immersive sci-fi horror title with distinct shades of Alien and The Thing. The developers say that it “combines Metroidvania level design in the context of a classic FPS immersive sim, where the game’s setting is a puzzle to unravel and where creativity and improvisation are your greatest assets.” There’s no release date yet, but Deepest Fear will (obviously) be launching on PC whenever it’s ready.Blue PrinceIt looks a bit like a more colorful take on Myst, and Blue Prince is described as a game that “combines compelling mystery, strategy, and puzzle elements to create an unpredictable journey through Mt. Holly, a peculiar manor with ever-changing rooms.” It doesn’t have a release date yet, but according to the new trailer, it’s due out next spring.

Two more OS upgrades are on the way for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge Owners of Pixel 6-series, 7-series and Pixel Fold phones can look forward to a couple extra years of OS upgrades than initially expected, as discovered by Android expert Mishaal Rahman and confirmed by Google on X. When they were introduced, Google originally promised three years of OS upgrades and five years of security patches for each device, starting from the time they went on sale. But a quiet update to a support page confirms that these phones will get two additional OS upgrades, giving them a full five years of OS and security support that “may also include new and upgraded features with Pixel Drops.” That, my friends, rules.Google’s three-and-five policy wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the best either — after the Pixel 6 arrived in 2021, Samsung did one better by offering four years of OS updates for the Galaxy S22. Google got its act together with the Pixel 8, announcing a class-leading seven years of OS and security update support. Which is great! But you wouldn’t blame a Pixel 6 or 7 owner for feeling like they were unfairly left behind. Google seems to be making up some of the shortfall by offering these additional OS upgrades, and it’s a welcome change.And ICYMI, #PixelFold along with #Pixel6 and #Pixel7 generation users will now get two additional years of OS updates! This extended support will total five years starting from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US: https://t.co/Y50A92TiqC— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) December 5, 2024Of course, an ‘OS update’ isn’t quite what it used to be — for better and worse. Google is emphasizing pushing out more updates across older versions of Android through its Play framework. That’s a great thing, but it does mean that the yearly OS upgrade isn’t quite as important as it once was. The company can also gate certain features to pricier or more recent models, as it has with Night Sight Video and Zoom Enhance. Google’s mention of new features via Pixel Drops for the next couple of years is promising, though.Going by Google’s original schedule, the Pixel 6 should have gotten its last OS platform upgrade with this year’s Android 15. Inquiring minds wondered if something was up when the Pixel 6 series was deemed eligible for the Android 16 beta, and now we know: Pixel 6 phones are on track to get Android 16 and 17 when they become available. Not too shabby.

When populating your network-attached storage (NAS) with drives, it's important to consider hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). These are excellent for reliably storing lots of data and are specifically designed for use inside NAS devices. Another medium that can be used to expand your NAS's capacity is the trusty USB drive. Many prebuilt turnkey NAS enclosures have a few USB ports available, but here are some reasons why you shouldn't rely on USB drives for storing data long-term.

Building your network-attached storage (NAS) is a great way to create somewhere to stash files and backups, but it's also a platform for hosting services such as media streaming and even home surveillance. It's not the most efficient way of running services, however, compared to something like Proxmox. Proxmox is a fantastic virtualization platform that can handle anything you throw at it. This includes the aforementioned services, as well as NAS operating systems. Yes, you can run a NAS as a virtual instance through a VM. Here's why and how to do it.