Valve loves to warn people about about the risks of do-it-yourself Steam Deck maintenance, and that now extends to upgrading the storage. In a response to a PC Gamerarticle on modding the Steam Deck, Valve hardware designer Lawrence Yang warned against upgrading the device's NVMe SSD. While it's technically possible, the M.2 2242 drives (22mm wide by 42mm long) you frequently find in stores are hotter and more power-hungry than the 2230 models (22mm x 30mm) the handheld was meant to support. You could "significantly shorten" the longevity of the system, Yang said, adding that you shouldn't move thermal pads.

The PC Gamer story referenced modder Belly Jelly's discovery (initially reported by Hot Hardware) that it was possible to fit an M.2 2242 SSD in the Steam Deck, albeit with some design sacrifices. There were already concerns this might lead to overheating problems. Yang just explained why it's a bad idea, and outlined the likely long-term consequences.

The alert might be a letdown if you feel limited by Valve's maximum 512GB storage and don't think a microSD card (typically much slower than an SSD) is an adequate substitute. With that said, it's not shocking — mobile devices like this often have size and thermal constraints that make it impractical to upgrade at least some components.

If you've been waiting for Google's highest-end Pixel 6 model to drop below the $800 mark before you buy, you now have your chance. Woot is selling the 128GB Pixel 6 Pro for $780 ($119 off) today only. That's better than an Amazon discount we saw earlier this month, and a good deal if you're looking for a powerful large-screen phone.

Much of what we said about the Pixel 6 Pro at launch remains true today. It mates top-tier (if polarizing) design with superb cameras, a good screen and Google's definitive Android 12 experience, including smart Assistant features. It's also relatively light for a phone this size at 7.4oz, if not quite as featherweight as Samsung's Galaxy S22+ (6.9oz).

Software updates have tackled many of the Pixel 6 Pro's early problems, although the fingerprint reader might still be too finicky for some tastes. The bigger concern simply revolves around timing. Google has already teased the release of the Pixel 7 Pro this fall — you might want to hold off if you're interested in its improved performance and other as yet unannounced upgrades. If you're just looking for a good value, though, the current-generation phone is hard to top.

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Former Indy Racing League competitor Sam Schmidt is continuing to break new ground for accessible driving technology. The Arrow McLaren SP team co-owner has completed the signature hill climb at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed using head movements and his breath to steer — the first time anyone has demonstrated the feature at the UK event. Schmidt drove a McLaren 720S Spider modified by Arrow Electronics to track his head using infrared cameras. He controlled acceleration and braking by inhaling and exhaling through a "sip-and-puff" device. The racer also wore a semi-autonomous exoskeleton concept, the SAM Suit, that helps him walk.

Schmidt became quadriplegic in 2000 when he injured his spinal cord in a practice lap crash. He has long been an advocate for paralysis treatment, and in 2014 partnered with Arrow to drive a Corvette using a combination of head tracking, sip-and-puff and voice controls. In 2016, became the first American with a license to use an autonomous vehicle on highways, using a Corvette to drive in Nevada.

While alternative mobility solutions can return some level of autonomy to those no longer able to operate a vehicle for one reason or another, it's not entirely clear what role Arrow's technology might play in the future. We've reached out to the company for details on where it sees projects like the SAM heading. Arrow will also be racing against self-driving tech, which is becoming closer to a practical reality, with Level 3 autonomy already reaching public roads. With that said, completely driverless cars (Level 5 autonomy) will take years to arrive.

Expect an Apple Music student plan to add slightly more to your college debt. As developer Michael Burkhardt and 9to5Mac have noticed, Apple has quietly raised the price of Music's student discount from $5 per month to $6 in the US and Canada, and from £5 to £6 in the UK. It's not clear exactly when or why the change occurred (we've asked Apple for comment), but it appears to have occurred within the past two days.

The student tier was introduced in 2016 and offers the full functionality of Apple Music to those who qualify, just at a more affordable price. You currently get Apple TV+ as a bonus, but this is a "limited-time offer" that could vanish at any moment. In May, Apple hiked prices in countries like India, New Zealand and South Africa.

The increase makes Apple Music a tougher sell. Spotify Student Premium is still priced at $5 per month in the US as of this writing, and it includes Hulu's ad-supported plan as well as Showtime. While there are still some reasons to pick Apple Music over rivals (such as tighter integration with Apple hardware), it might not be so enticing if you're trying to wring every last drop of value out of your subscriptions.

Think the computers at your office are overdue for an update? They probably don't compare to one of the European Space Agency's best-known spacecraft. The ESA is upgrading its Mars Express orbiter's MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ioniospheric Sounding) software 19 years after its June 2003 launch. For context, the original code was created using a toolset built for Windows 98 — there are computers in museums that are newer than Microsoft's OS.

The update promises to dramatically improve the Mars Express craft's efficiency. The initial approach gathered large amounts of high-resolution data that quickly swamped memory. With the new software, scientists can toss out unnecessary data. This lets MARSIS run for five times longer than before, and cover much wider swaths of Mars and Phobos in a given pass.

The improvement should help explore the subsurface levels of Mars and Phobos in much greater detail. Researchers hope the extra resolution will let them quickly confirm signals hinting at liquid water near Mars' south pole. In effect, the MARSIS revamp will make sure Mars Express can continue its mission. 

Mars Express is most famous for discovering previous signs of liquid water on the Red Planet, but it's also known for capturing dramatic visuals of the martian landscape. While it won't necessarily make similar headlines as a result of the update, it should remain relevant where it might have become obsolete.

Netflix continues to lock down plans to offer ad-supported service. As The Hollywood Reporternotes, company co-chief Ted Sarandos confirmed to guests at the Cannes Lions festival that Netflix is adding an ad-backed tier with a lower price. He stressed that the option wouldn't bring ads to Netflix "as you know it today" — as with rivals like Peacock, you'll still have the option to avoid marketing altogether. This is just for people who "don't mind advertising," he said.

Sarandos didn't share further details. However, The Wall Street Journalsources recently claimed Google and NBCUniversal are the "top contenders" to help Netflix build the ads-included plan. Either would likely have an exclusive arrangement to serve and (at least in NBCU's case) sell ads. Roku has also had early discussions, according to tipsters. Industry executives talking to Netflix supposedly haven't learned specifics, such as the amount of ads you'll see each hour or whether there will be ad targeting. We've asked Netflix for comment.

The future option is an acknowledgment that Netflix left a large group of customers "off the table," according to Sarandos. The company lost subscribers for the first time in a decade this past quarter, and it's eager to return to growth quickly. An ad-supported plan could help with that goal by drawing in customers put off by Netflix's regular pricing.

Twitch has been tightening its content policies in recent months, and that now includes mentions of self-harm. The livestreaming service has updated its Community Guidelines to include examples of the self-harm behavior it doesn't allow. The clarified policy is meant to foster "meaningful conversation" about mental and physical health while preventing further harm.

Broadcasters can share stories of self-harm or suicide, but can't describe them in "graphic detail" or share suicide notes. Studies show this could lead to similar thoughts among vulnerable people, Twitch said. The refined policy also singles out content that encourages eating disorders, such as unhealthy weight loss programs and attempts to glorify common eating disorder habits.

The move comes relatively soon after Twitch clamped down on usernames referencing hard drugs and sex, as well as creators who routinely spread misinformation. Not long after, the Amazon brand rolled out improved reporting tools to help viewers flag inappropriate content while providing a streamlined appeals process. Twitch has dealt with abuses in the weeks since, but it's clearly hoping the policy changes will reduce the volume of incidents going forward.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), 686868 (Canada), or 85258 (UK). Wikipedia maintains a list of crisis lines for people outside of those countries.

You can finally put money toward the Nothing Phone 1 — provided you can join an exclusive club. Nothing has opened pre-order reservations for its first smartphone using an invitation code system. Private community members go first, and will have 48 hours to use their code, place a £20 (roughly $25) non-refundable deposit and secure an order opportunity on July 12th. Everyone else can sign up for a waiting list that will deliver invitations in batches.

If you do go ahead with an order, Nothing will deduct the deposit from the purchase and supply a further £20 credit to use toward either a Phone 1 accessory or Ear 1 earbuds. The company hasn't yet revealed the price of the phone itself. As Nothing warned earlier, the Phone 1 won't officially come to North America outside of a closed beta for a handful of private community investors. The device should work, but won't have full support.

If the pre-order strategy sounds familiar, it should. Nothing founder Carl Pei's former outfit OnePlus used an invitation system for years. The effect may be similar. Invitation-based orders help manage tight supply (by controlling sales and improving demand estimates) while creating a cachet that might spur demand. It's not clear when you'll get to order a Phone 1 on a whim, but don't be surprised if you end up waiting awhile.

The much-delayed remaster of the classic Blade Runner adventure game is finally here. As Polygonreports, Nightdive Studios has released Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition for Windows PCs (via Steam) as well as PlayStation, Switch and Xbox consoles. The modernized version runs at 60 frames per second instead of the original's 15FPS, complete with updated animations and models. Improved in-game tools help you work with clues as you track down hostile replicants, and gamepad support is available on all platforms.

Westwood's 1997 game pushed the boundaries of both gameplay and graphics at the time. Instead of the usual fixed plot, Blade Runner changed the replicant with each playthrough while offering branching storylines, different outcomes and characters that operate on their own timetables. You couldn't just cut to the chase and 'retire' the android at the start. And instead of relying on either 2D art or crude 3D, the title used voxels (pixels with 3D attributes) that allowed far more visual detail for the era, including volumetric lighting that mimicked the Ridley Scott movie's gritty atmosphere.

You'll still notice the limitations from 25 years ago. This won't control as elegantly as present-day games, and Westwood's budget limited it to only some voices from the movie cast (including Sean Young and James Hong) and recreated music from Vangelis' score. Even so, this remains the closest you'll get to filling Deckard's shoes in a game while preserving the 1982 film's atmosphere.

Many medical exosuits are built to improve walking, but researchers at ETH Zurich might have a solution to improve your arm strength. They've developed the Myoshirt, a wearable arm exomuscle that can compensate for conditions and injuries affecting the upper body. The combination of vest and cuff uses sensors to detect your intended movements and cue a motor that shortens a cable running alongside your muscles. Effectively, you're getting a supplemental tendon that provides additional power and endurance for whatever you're doing.

Early tests have been positive. A dozen volunteers could perform exercises for much longer than usual, with endurance increasing 60 percent for a person with muscular dystrophy and a whopping three times for someone with a spinal cord injury. Even uninjured people lasted 30 percent longer, scientists said.

You aren't about to wear one. The Myoshirt's actuator and bulky external control box weigh about 8.8lbs. The team plans to narrow the focus to shoulder support to make the design small and light enough to wear under clothing. This won't give you exceptional strength or support like some full-fledged exoskeletons.

ETH is working with the spinoff company MyoSwiss to refine the exomuscle, though, and the practical applications are clear. Hospitals could supply Myoshirts to patients who need to perform exercises at home without ungainly (not to mention costly) therapy devices. The technology could also be useful for making day-to-day tasks noticeably easier.