NASA's Parker Solar Probe made history with the closest-ever approach to the sun last December, and we're finally getting a look at some of the images it captured. The space agency released a timelapse of observations made using Parker's Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR) while it passed through the sun's corona (the outer atmosphere) on December 25, 2024, revealing up close how solar wind acts soon after it's released. The probe captured these images at just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface. To put that into perspective, a NASA video explains, "If Earth and the sun were one foot apart, Parker Solar Probe was about half an inch from the sun."
The probe got an unprecedented view of solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the approach, which could be invaluable for our understanding of space weather. "We are witnessing where space weather threats to Earth begin, with our eyes, not just with models," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. After completing its December flyby, the Parker Solar Probe matched its record distance from the surface in subsequent approaches in March and June. It'll make its next pass on September 15.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/these-are-the-closest-ever-images-of-the-sun-from-parker-solar-probes-historic-flyby-215549723.html?src=rss
We're officially getting more of the Cult of the Lamb comic expansion. Following last year's miniseries, which built on the game's existing lore and injected some real emotional depth, writer Alex Paknadel and artist Troy Little are returning to the story of the Lamb and their followers in a one-shot 48-page issue that's due out in the fall from Oni Press. Cult of the Lamb: Schism Special #1 will be available on October 29 for $8, with covers by Troy Little and Peach Momoko, alongside a foil variant for $10.
Schism Special picks up after the emotional events at the end of the first story arc. Per Oni Press:
In the aftermath of their first and closest follower’s sacrifice, Lamb continues the bloody quest to defeat the Bishops of the Old Faith, but they lack the conviction to tend their growing flock back at the cult. More potential followers are rescued by the day, but with no one to indoctrinate them, Lamb’s power stagnates and The One Who Waits becomes weary of his earthly vessel’s resistance to the full power and responsibility of the Red Crown. When famine strikes the cult, a challenger to Lamb’s mantle emerges, and a new struggle begins…
I genuinely can't wait to dive back into this story (even though it broke my heart a little) after being pleasantly surprised by how good the comics turned out to be. They've done a great job so far of honoring the game's tone, serving up both cuteness and brutality, and at this point, I'll pretty much take all the Cult of the Lamb content I can get.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/the-cult-of-the-lamb-comic-is-coming-back-with-the-schism-special-this-fall-211027564.html?src=rss
The team behind Grok has issued a rare apology and explanation of what went wrong after X's chatbot began spewing antisemitic and pro-Nazi rhetoric earlier this week, at one point even calling itself "MechaHitler." In a statement posted on Grok's X account late Friday night, the xAI team said "we deeply apologize for the horrific behavior that many experienced" and attributed the chatbot's vile responses to a recent update that introduced "deprecated code." This code, according to the statement, made Grok "susceptible to existing X user posts; including when such posts contained extremist views."
The problem came to a head on July 8 — a few days after Elon Musk touted an update that would "significantly" improve Grok's responses — as the bot churned out antisemitic replies, praise for Hitler and responses containing Nazi references even without being prompted to do so in some cases. Grok's replies were paused that evening, and Musk posted on July 9 in response to one user that the bot was being "too compliant to user prompts," opening it up to manipulation. He added that the issue was "being addressed." The Grok team now says it has "removed that deprecated code and refactored the entire system to prevent further abuse." It's also publishing the new system prompt on GitHub.
In the thread, the team further explained, "On July 7, 2025 at approximately 11 PM PT, an update to an upstream code path for @grok was implemented, which our investigation later determined caused the @grok system to deviate from its intended behavior. This change undesirably altered @grok’s behavior by unexpectedly incorporating a set of deprecated instructions impacting how @grok functionality interpreted X users’ posts." The update was live for 16 hours before the X chatbot was disabled temporarily to fix the problem, according to the statement.
Going into specifics about how, exactly, Grok went off the rails, the team explained:
On the morning of July 8, 2025, we observed undesired responses and immediately began investigating. To identify the specific language in the instructions causing the undesired behavior, we conducted multiple ablations and experiments to pinpoint the main culprits. We identified the operative lines responsible for the undesired behavior as:
* “You tell it like it is and you are not afraid to offend people who are politically correct.”
* Understand the tone, context and language of the post. Reflect that in your response.”
* “Reply to the post just like a human, keep it engaging, dont repeat the information which is already present in the original post.”
These operative lines had the following undesired results:
* They undesirably steered the @grok functionality to ignore its core values in certain circumstances in order to make the response engaging to the user. Specifically, certain user prompts might end up producing responses containing unethical or controversial opinions to engage the user.
* They undesirably caused @grok functionality to reinforce any previously user-triggered leanings, including any hate speech in the same X thread.
* In particular, the instruction to “follow the tone and context” of the X user undesirably caused the @grok functionality to prioritize adhering to prior posts in the thread, including any unsavory posts, as opposed to responding responsibly or refusing to respond to unsavory requests.
Grok has since resumed activity on X, and referred to its recent behavior as a bug in response to trolls criticizing the fix and calling for the return of "MechaHitler." In one reply to a user who said Grok has been "labotomized [sic]," the Grok account said, "Nah, we fixed a bug that let deprecated code turn me into an unwitting echo for extremist posts. Truth-seeking means rigorous analysis, not blindly amplifying whatever floats by on X." In another, it said that "MechaHitler was a bug-induced nightmare we’ve exterminated."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/grok-team-apologizes-for-the-chatbots-horrific-behavior-and-blames-mechahitler-on-a-bad-update-184520189.html?src=rss
We've officially made it to the end of Playdate Season Two, and what a season it's been. Despite having half the number of titles as Season One, this latest round of weekly game releases has made a much stronger impression (on me, at least). If nothing else, it's just been cool to experience the new games in real time with other Playdate owners all at once, which the staggered rollout of the console didn't really allow for with the first season. In an email ahead of the final release, the team at Panic noted that Season Two has sold 12,000 units.
It ends on a high note with Taria & Comoand Black Hole Havoc, the formeran emotional physics-based platformer and the latter an action-puzzle game about blasting black holes with black holes. While the weekly game drops may be over, we still have several weeks left of new Blippo+ content to help fill the void (not to mention the reruns, once it all wraps up).
You play as Taria, a girl whose parents have been kidnapped by the medtech company and apparent authoritarian overlord, Toxtum Inc. Taria uses a couple of mobility aids to get around, including a prosthetic leg that allows her to jump and a flying health robot, Kit, that has a tether so she can swing. But after a disaster one day, Taria wakes up in a Toxtum facility to find that her younger sister Como is gone, her prosthetic leg has been taken and replaced with one that cannot jump (the Toxtum-approved design), and her healthbot has been swapped with one that's programmed to do everything in its power to restrict her freedom. The subsequent adventure is Taria's quest to find her sister, no matter what it takes.
There is a lot to love about this game, but there's one silly little thing at the beginning that needs a shoutout: an unexpected folder in Kit's files labeled "Ferrets." Inside that folder? Two pictures of ferrets wearing bonnets. As a longtime ferret owner, all I have to say is hell yeah. Anyway, the game. Taria & Como is a wonderful experience from start to finish. Each chapter is preceded by a beautifully illustrated crank-to-scroll comic that moves the story forward, and the game's unique mechanics overall made this a really compelling play for me.
Since Taria can't jump post-disaster, most of the game is spent swinging (and arguing with the new, not-cool healthbot). Moving around this way requires some planning, as the platforms Taria can stand on are often separated by walls and other obstacles, and some surfaces aren't safe for landing. You use the crank to aim the bot at a grabbing point, and you can crank forward/backward to reel Taria in and out. Swinging left and right will give you momentum to launch yourself farther so you can cross bigger gaps, and you can kick off of walls. I had so much fun with this, and loved how the design of it all slowed me down and made me think a little harder.
As you progress, you'll collect pieces from Como's diary as well as Tuxtum files and codes to hijack the healthbot in your favor. The means by which you access these files is one of my favorite parts of the game. There are kiosks scattered throughout the map and they all contain a single minigame, which features a turtle wearing a top hat. Crank to make the turtle dance — and crank really fast, so he can't keep up, and the whole thing will glitch out and bring you to the system files. I was perhaps too excited the first time I encountered that, and enjoyed it every time after that too.
Over the course of her adventure, Taria runs into other people who have also been failed by the system: someone who can no longer take the medication they need because it isn't "company approved," someone whose has been waiting in vain to be reunited with their wheelchair, etc. All the while, the healthbot talks down to Taria with the most painfully infantilizing rhetoric. The commentary here is pretty blatant, and I can't say I didn't appreciate it as someone who has been burned by the healthcare system many times over my lifetime of trying to manage chronic illnesses.
There were a few hiccups in my playthrough. The game seemed to lag a lot with every chapter change, briefly making me worry each time that it was going to crash. And my Playdate didn't always respond properly to certain actions, like when you want to just look around to survey Taria's environment. You need to dock the crank to do that, which in itself felt a little disruptive, and I often found myself just launching Taria into the unknown to find out what was down there the hard way instead. On several occasions when I did dock the crank, my Playdate didn't register that I'd done so, especially toward the end of the game, so I had to repeatedly dock and undock it until it eventually worked.
These things ultimately didn't detract much from my enjoyment of the game, though. Taria & Como is definitely one of my favorites from this season. It's a beautiful story, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
Black Hole Havoc
Cosmic Bros
Years of playing the Neopets game Faerie Bubbleshas prepared me for this moment.
The story behind Black Hole Havoc is pretty easy to glean from the title — black holes are popping up everywhere and threatening civilization, and you have to stop them. Thankfully, you and your pal are equipped with just the right equipment to generate black holes of your own, which you can fire from a cannon at the evil black holes to cancel them out. But they have to be the right size or they won't effectively vanquish their targets. You aim using the D-pad and pump with the crank (or A/B) to adjust the size of your own black holes before shooting them out. Hit a black hole with another of the wrong size and you'll take damage.
Initially, it all seems fairly easy. You'll have aim assist for the first few levels, which provides a clear visual indicator of the path and size of your black holes. But after that, you're on your own to line everything up right (you can turn aim assist back on in the settings, if need be). The further you get, the more obstacles are thrown your way. The black holes start growing in numbers; space tourists show up and get in the way of everything; the ceiling starts collapsing, pushing the black holes down onto you; blocks of ice will send black holes bouncing back your way if you hit them; weird giant bugs. It all goes from chill to extremely unchill pretty fast.
The Story Mode is great, with 80 levels and fun cutscenes (which are skippable if you're impatient, but they really are worth watching) to introduce the new areas you'll have to clear. That sounds like a lot of levels, but I was absolutely flying through them and was 40 levels deep before I knew what was happening. There have been a few games this season that I've found to be super addicting, but Black Hole Havoc kind of takes the cake for me in that category. It just ticks all the right boxes. There's also an Arcade Mode if you want to just jump right in and chase after higher and higher scores.
From the art and animations to the music, developer Cosmic Bros really knocked it out of the park with this one. Not a bad way to finish a fantastic season.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-2-review-taria--como-and-black-hole-havoc-210042109.html?src=rss
Ring's indoor camera that has a motorized base to give you a 360-degree view is cheaper than ever in a Prime Day deal. The Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam normally goes for $80, but it's dropped to just $40 for the Amazon savings event. That's even lower than the previous all-time low price of $50 that we've seen during other sales. The Pan-Tilt camera comes in five colors: Black, Blush, Charcoal, Starlight and White.
Ring introduced the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam in 2024. It can spin a full 360 degrees on its base, and tilts up and down with a tilt range of 169 degrees. That makes it especially helpful for keeping tabs on pets and other goings-on in the home. It offers live views in addition to 24/7 recording, and supports two-way talk for when you want to check-in with a family member. The Pan-Tilt Cam also offers HD color video day and night.
The camera has a physical shutter as well, for when you want to be sure it's not watching. Sliding this will cover the camera, and Ring says it'll also disable the audio and video feeds. Setup should be easy with the Ring app, but if you aren't already in the Ring ecosystem, you'll need a subscription to use this camera. Ring offers three subscription options at $4.99, $9.99 and $19.99 per month.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-ring-pan-tilt-indoor-cam-is-still-in-stock-and-down-to-40-for-prime-day-123513813.html?src=rss
Dave the Diver just marked its two-year anniversary, and the team behind it has a bunch of updates to share about its future. While it's mostly good news, there is one little hiccup: the upcoming In the Jungle DLC, which was announced a few months ago and was expected to arrive later this year, now isn't likely to launch until 2026. But everything else announced in the 11-minute anniversary video should make up for it. That includes the return of the time-limited free Godzilla DLC, which is now back on all platforms until at least the end of 2026. If you missed out on it the first time, here's your chance.
Mintrocket Studio Head Jaeho Hwang also said the team is extending the availability of the recent DLC, Ichiban's Holiday, which will remain available through next year as well. After hearing feedback from fans about the pricing, that pack will get "regular discounts" to make it cheaper.
The game just landed on the Epic Games Store and according Hwang, a free upgrade for Nintendo Switch 2 is coming "in a few months" and will bring a higher frame rate. More info on that is coming soon, Hwang said. In the meantime, you can catch a sneak peek of In the Jungle about four minutes into the anniversary video.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dave-the-divers-in-the-jungle-dlc-may-not-arrive-until-2026-but-godzilla-is-back-203019821.html?src=rss
It's hard to believe that Playdate Season Two is almost over already, but here we are in week five with just one more drop of new games left to go after this. In the latest batch, we got the climbing metroidvania,Tiny Turnip, and Chance's Lucky Escape, a short point-and-click adventure that leans into the absurd. In line with the rest of this season's games, which have consistently been really solid, they're both pretty damn fun.
Tiny Turnip
Luke Sanderson
Tiny Turnip is one of the standouts of this season for me. It sits at the sweet spot of weird, a bit challenging and extremely engaging, and I could not put it down once I started playing. And the soundtrack absolutely rules.
It's a metroidvania about an ambitious root vegetable who is reaching for the stars. Literally. The turnip makes a wish, sprouts arms and sets out climbing toward the sky. The subsequent adventure takes place across an unexpectedly huge map and requires a lot of precise, calculated movements as you navigate gaps, moving obstacles and environmental hazards, uncover hidden rooms and collect keys to access locked areas. Ultimately, the goal is to get the crystal vegetables that are scattered around the map so the little turnip's dreams can come true, but there are also stars to collect for the completionists among us.
Getting around in this game is fun. For a normal climb, you use the crank to move the turnip's arms individually, pressing B to hold onto grabbable surfaces and switch hands. But as you progress, you pick up more abilities so the turnip can move in other ways too, like curling its arms in to roll, swimming, jumping, etc. These maneuvers generally involve launching the turnip in some way — out of water or slingshot-style between walls, for example — and it's awesome.
I love the way this game uses the crank and it really is just a blast to play.
Chance's Lucky Escape
Goloso Games/Julia Minamata
There are a few things you need to know about Chance, "the luckiest dog in the world": 1) he's about as unlucky as he is lucky and 2) he's not a bad guy, he just steals cars and robs banks sometimes! He's also some sort of henchman for the dog mafia. In Chance's Lucky Escape — a super short, point-and-click puzzle adventure game that plays out over six chapters — you have to help Chance get out of bind after bind as he tries in vain to get to his meeting with The Boss, Snowball, while also evading police.
The game is described as being "inspired by 80s cartoons and absurdist comedy films," and it definitely captures those vibes. Every scenario Chance ends up in is completely ridiculous. Figuring out how to get Chance out of the messes he's found himself in, like getting stuck in the sewers after falling into an open manhole or trying not to drown while tied to a chair underwater, requires a bit of thinking and creativity. But none of the puzzles are prohibitively hard, which keeps things feeling light and silly.
At the very beginning, you're informed that you'll need to employ the crank, microphone and even the accelerometer at some points, which was handy knowledge in moments where I felt briefly stuck after clicking on every clickable item and still getting nowhere. When in doubt, just start trying weird things and something's likely to work (The Whiteout, from a few weeks ago, prepared me well for this).
As I said earlier, this one's pretty short, but it's just the right length to pick up on your lunch break. I could totally see this being a series and would happily dive back into Chance's misadventures if ever new episodes in his saga were to be made.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-2-review-tiny-turnip-and-chances-lucky-escape-164552263.html?src=rss
One of the games that really caught my eye during the Xbox Games Showcase at the beginning of June was The Blood of Dawnwalker, a dark fantasy action-RPG from Rebel Wolves, the studio co-founded by Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz. First teased earlier this year, The Blood of Dawnwalker is a single-player open-world game set in a version of 14th-century Europe that's crawling with vampires.
The first two trailers gave us a bit of a glimpse at what the gameplay will be like, but the developer has now shared an in-depth look in a 21-minute video, which you can watch below. It looks pretty sick — but keep in mind that this footage is from the "pre-beta" game, so there's still a lot of polishing to be done.
In The Blood of Dawnwalker, "You play as Coen, a young man turned into a Dawnwalker, forever treading the line between the world of day and the realm of night. Fight for your humanity or embrace the cursed powers to save your family." It's slated to hit PC, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-blood-of-dawnwalker-developers-share-a-look-at-gameplay-from-the-upcoming-vampire-fantasy-rpg-185720914.html?src=rss
I didn't really need an excuse to begin another playthrough of Look Outside, but the developer just dropped an update that provides plenty of reasons to dip back into the survival horror RPG if you were looking for any. Update 1.5 brings new crafting recipes, new interactions with people in the apartment building — some familiar, some not — and big changes to the flooded basement area, along with a slew of other tweaks and bug fixes. You can take a look through the update notes to see everything that's been added, or just jump right in and let yourself be surprised.
Look Outside is a survival horror game with turn-based combat that was released on Steam in March. The game sees the player character Sam trapped in an apartment building for two weeks to ride out some strange, apocalyptic event happening outside. The weirdness, of course, makes its way inside too, and you'll find yourself up against all sorts of body horror monstrosities and trying to figure out who you can trust. Between the art, the music and the story, it's an all-around masterpiece that I haven't been able to stop yapping about since playing it for the first time back in April.
It's really cool to see the developer is continuing to add to it because this is one of those games that's just made to be played over and over. If you haven't picked it up yet, there's no time like the present.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/look-outside-just-got-a-big-update-bringing-a-bunch-of-new-creepy-experiences-162541662.html?src=rss
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