What's better than snagging a new game on Steam? Buying one at a super cheap price, of course. Regardless of if the game is on a steep discount or if it just usually sells for pennies, there's always something great about grabbing a game without the usual post-purchase bank account regret.

The indie-focused open gaming marketplace Itch.io has abruptly deindexed adult content from its browse and search pages, warning that some games will be permanently removed from the platform. In a blog post on Thursday, Itch.io creator Leaf Corcoran said that the update was due to concerns that the website’s payment processors had “about the nature of certain content” hosted on the platform, following similar scrutiny against Steam.“Our ability to process payments is critical for every creator on our platform,” said Corcoran. “To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and take immediate steps towards compliance.”While Itch.io hosts a variety of gaming content, adult and pornographic titles are often among the top-sellers on the platform. Content creators who host their work on Itch.io were given no warning ahead of the decision. “We know this is not ideal, and we apologize for the abruptness of this change,” said Corcoran. It’s unclear if customers are currently able to access games and visual novels that they had paid for prior to the update. We’ve reached out to Itch.io for clarification.Credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard have rules that restrict some kinds of illegal and NSFW content. Steam similarly purged some adult titles last week after quietly changing its policy guidelines to ban any content that might violate rules set by the platform’s payment providers and card networks. Backlash against both gaming platforms online has likened the situation to Tumblr banning pornographic content in 2018, a decision that Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Tumblr’s parent company, Automattic, attributed to pressure from credit card companies, and is widely believed to have driven many users away from the platform. Itch.io has yet to provide full guidance for creators that outlines the content that will be permitted on the platform following this change, but notes that creators will be required to confirm that their NSFW content abides by any rules set by their account’s payment processors. That is, of course, providing that this doesn’t cause a Tumblr-esque mass exodus of users who may now be looking for an alternative service to host, sell, and buy NSFW games.“We are currently conducting a comprehensive audit of content to ensure we can meet the requirements of our payment processors,” said Corcoran. “Pages will remain deindexed as we complete our review. Once this review is complete, we will introduce new compliance measures.”

It's been a long while since Nintendo released a new 3D Donkey Kong adventure. The most recent outing for everyone's favorite tie-wearing ape on the Nintendo Switch was a nod back to the Donkey Kong Country series and its 2D gameplay roots. But for as good as those games were on the Switch, many Nintendo fans were craving a 3D platformer in the same spirit as Donkey Kong 64. With a little help from the same team that made Super Mario Odyssey on the Switch, Donkey Kong finally has a brand-new title with Donkey Kong Bananza that takes advantage of everything in the third-dimension, and just smashes it. And not figuratively, he quite literally smashes through everything.

I've used many different network configurations lately, from custom OPNsense boxes to Eero mesh networks, have used custom firmware on various hardware, several generations of Ubiquiti, and I am working on some OpenWrt-based router content. One thing that has struck me along the way is that it's a rare system that makes it easy for non-technical users, or gives you enough control to satisfy the more technical ones. That makes the search for a capable Wi-Fi router tricky, and it doesn't have to be like that.

I already know some people will disagree with me, and that's OK. There are cases where memory speed alone can do more for your gaming performance than shelling out hundreds of dollars on a new CPU, and they're more common than you might imagine. It doesn't feel good to say that a BIOS setting could represent a larger jump in performance than a new square of silicon, but in some cases, it's true.

It doesn't matter if it's just an extra 5%; no one wants to leave performance on the table when it comes to their gaming PC. Even if everything is working properly, you may not be getting the highest frame rates possible out of your rig, and that's a problem. Thankfully, there are a few quick ways you can tell if something has gone awry in your PC, and a few quick solutions to get it back on track.

Jellyfin is already a strong choice for media lovers who value privacy and control. It’s free, open source, and offers all the essential tools for managing a personal media library in a package that can run even on underpowered hardware. However, many of its best features are often overlooked. These hidden gems can significantly enhance your experience, whether you’re watching alone, with family, or remotely with friends.

VTuber Ironmouse has left VShojo over claims of unpaid funds, including a $500k charity donation. VShojo, the VTuber agency that billed itself as “talent first,” is shutting down. VShojo CEO Justin “Gunrun” Ignacio made the announcement today on X, writing, “I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us to this point.”Earlier this week, VShojo came under fire as Ironmouse, the agency’s top-performing VTuber, announced she was leaving the company over a missing $500,000 charity donation and her own unpaid funds. Her departure triggered a mass exodus of VShojo talent, with 12 of the company’s 13 creators officially announcing their own split from the company and some also claiming unpaid wages as their reason. Ignacio’s announcement alluded to VShojo’s financial difficulties.“We raised around $11 million to pursue a bold, talent-first approach in VTubing,” the statement reads. “However, despite all our efforts, the business failed to generate the revenue we needed to sustain that model, and eventually, we ran out of money.”Ignacio also admitted that the funds raised by Ironmouse and intended for the Immune Deficiency Foundation had been spent by the company: “Additionally I acknowledge that some of the money spent by the company was raised in connection with talent activity which I later learned was intended for a charitable initiative.” Ignacio went on to write that he was confident that he’d be able to raise enough money to cover those costs. “We were unsuccessful in our fundraising efforts.”Here’s the statement in full.VShojo has failed, and I’ve mismanaged the company into the situation you’re all witnessing.So today I am sharing the difficult news that VShojo is shutting down, and I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us to this point.I’ve been doing everything I can to fundraise and right the ship these past few months, but despite my efforts, we are in a worse position, and those I care about are now paying the price.Over the past few years, we raised around $11 million to pursue a bold, talent-first approach in VTubing, prioritizing creators and community over short-term profits, to achieve long-term sustainability. Our funding went directly to our creators through generous splits, debut investments, infrastructure, concerts, events, and staffing, all designed to support them. We also wanted talent to own their IP, which we knew was a unique creator-first approach for an agency. However, despite all our efforts, the business failed to generate the revenue we needed to sustain that model, and eventually, we ran out of money.Additionally, I acknowledge that some of the money spent by the company was raised in connection with talent activity, which I later learned was intended for a charitable initiative. At the time, we were working hard to raise additional investment capital to cover our costs, and I firmly believed, based on the information available to us, that we would be able to do so and cover all expenses. We were unsuccessful in our fundraising efforts. I made the decision to pursue funding, and I own its consequences.I am deeply sorry to all the talents, staff, friends, and community members who believed in our brand. You did not deserve this.

On Thursday, Google launched Web Guide, a new AI-powered search feature that “groups links in helpful ways” for people who opt in to the test on Labs. Web Guide runs on a custom version of Google’s Gemini AI model to process search queries, reorganizing the traditional “10 blue links” by sorting results and finding related questions using generative AI. For anyone who chooses to enable Web Guide, it is currently available within the same “Web” tab on Google Search that currently shows search results without including AI Overviews. It uses the same “query fanout technique” as AI Mode, allowing Gemini to break down queries and make several searches at once.When I searched for “how to care for a mango tree,” Google’s Web Guide pulled up two relevant webpages, followed by an AI-generated summary and links listed under different categories, like “Mango Tree Care in Specific Climates” and “Troubleshooting Mango Tree Issues.” Some of the links came from educational resources, like from the University of Florida, while others led to YouTube videos, Quora, and Reddit threads. Last year, Google made a $60 million-per-year deal with Reddit to use its content for AI training.It’s nice that Web Guide brings back some elements of traditional search, like showing links at the top of your results page instead of bombarding you with an AI Overview and YouTube videos that take up almost half the page. The AI-generated categories were somewhat helpful for tracking down specific bits of information, but the descriptions beneath each heading just seem unnecessary.Beneath “Comprehensive Mango Tree Care Guides,” for example, Web Guide notes, “The most effective way to care for a mango tree varies slightly depending on its age, location, and specific cultivar, so it’s useful to consult multiple guides for comprehensive instructions,” which is a bit obvious, and probably something I could find out myself from actually clicking one of the surfaced links.You can also use Web Guide to ask more detailed or specific questions, like “My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected and maintaining close relationships despite the distance?” The AI results will attempt to address the different parts of your question.You can still switch back to regular web results, but Google is already saying it plans on bringing it to the “All” tab as well. You can try out Web Guide now by toggling on the test in Search Labs.

If you're looking to start fresh with a new PC build, then choosing a case is going to be one of the hardest decisions you'll make for the project. Of course, with so many different options available, it can be hard to choose one that checks all the boxes. Luckily, we think we've found one that gets everything right, while also not costing a fortune.

Having multiple PCs at home is definitely a privilege not everyone has, but it's not all that uncommon. For myself, the fact that I review so many Windows 11 PCs means I have a lot of them at home, and having them work together can be pretty important.

Upgrading my office didn’t mean buying expensive gear or completely overhauling the space. With a bit of time, some leftover PLA, and access to a 3D printer, I tackled minor issues that had been bothering me for months. Most of these projects took only a few hours from design to finish, and all of them added something useful. They solved problems, added convenience, and even enhanced the appearance of the space.