Sebastian Bernard, the lead developer and designer for hit indie game Dead Cells, has created a new game that will have you fighting fires, solving mysteries and saving cats. Yes, you'll play a firefighter in Bernard's new 2D action-adventure game entitled Nuclear Blaze — one who gets air-dropped into a secret military facility that went up in flames for unknown reasons. 

In the complex, you'll have to use your firehose wisely to deal with the wildfire spreading uncontrollably throughout each section. You'll also have to deal with backdrafts, exploding walls and complex sprinkler systems. But you won't just be trying to put out a blazing inferno in the game: You also have to rescue survivors (cats included) and investigate every nook and cranny to find hidden secrets that would help you figure out the site's true nature, as well as solve the mystery behind the fire.

Bernard developed Nuclear Blaze under his own company called Deepnight Games. In the developer's website, Bernard described himself as a "former associate" of Motion Twin, which was the studio behind Dead Cells. He also said that he wanted to create a game his 3-year-old could play, which is why the title has a "Kid mode" with simpler level designs, rules and gameplay. 

Nuclear Blaze will be available for download on Steam on October 18th. You can watch a short trailer below to get an idea of how you'll be fighting fires and solving mysteries as a 2D firefighter.

When General Motors CEO Mary Barra delivers the opening keynote at next year's CES, she won't only be kicking off the event — she'll also be unveiling Chevrolet's electric Silverado. The automaker first revealed that it's working on an electrified version of the pickup truck in April, promising an EV with a 400-mile range, which can rival Tesla's 2020 Long-Range Plus Model S. 

In today's announcement, Chevrolet has also confirmed that the retail model will come with a glass roof with increased headroom to make the interior look and feel bigger. It will apparently be the first time GM is making a glass roof option available for a full-size pickup. Chevrolet has also confirmed that the vehicle will be capable of four-wheel steering. 

The electric Silverado is based on GM's Ultium platform, the automaker's modular technology that enables it to mix and match battery and drive units to electrify all kinds of vehicles across its brands. GMC's electrified Hummer vehicles are also based on the Ultium platform. And, like the Hummer EVs, the electric Silverado will be manufactured at GM's Factory ZERO, the company's new Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. GM spent $2.2 billion to set up the factory with the equipment needed to build all types of electric vehicles.

Mary Barra's CES 2022 keynote and the Silverado's debut will take place on January 5th.

Valve has long been a proponent of open hardware and software, but its latest video makes a case to the contrary for the upcoming Steam Deck. The game company has posted a Steam Deck teardown video that shows how to pry open the handheld console while simultaneously urging you to keep the system shut. It's certainly possible to get in — it's just that you might just cause more problems than you solve.

As Valve explains, the Steam Deck is tightly packed with highly customized parts, including the thumbsticks. While the company is promising replacements for various parts in the "coming months," there are chances you'll damage the system on your way in through static electricity or other mishaps. There can also be consequences to using off-the-shelf parts. A stock SSD might interfere with the handheld's thermals, for instance. You might even compromise the integrity of the console just by opening it, according to Valve.

This likely won't deter you if you insist on fixing your Steam Deck yourself. Valve clearly expects at least some unofficial repair attempts given its parts plan. However, it's evident the Half-Life maker wants you to rely on Valve's own technicians, or at least third-party pros, in the event the Deck breaks. This machine isn't the poster child for right to repair advocates, even if it's easier to fix than other devices.

Telecoms have long been accused of trying to skew politics, but a new report suggests AT&T might have gone further than most. According to The Verge, Reutersreports that AT&T is a major backer for One America News Network (OAN), a right-wing media outlet YouTube temporarily banned last November for spreading misinformation. While multiple TV providers carry the channel, an OAN accountant testified in 2020 that 90 percent of OAN parent Herring Networks' revenue, tens of millions of dollars, came through deals with AT&T-owned platforms that included DirecTV.

OAN founder Robert Herring separately testified that AT&T executives inspired him to launch the network in 2013 after looking at a media landscape with relatively few conservative outlets. Court documents also indicated that AT&T offered to buy a 5 percent equity stake in OAN and Herring's lifestyle channel AWE, although the two ended up choosing a different agreement.

OAN even claimed that one AT&T executive, Aaron Slator, offered to put the channel on DirecTV in return for help lobbying for the satellite broadcaster's 2014 merger. The Herring family also supposedly met FCC officials to talk about the merger and speak well of AT&T in news stories. AT&T has denied making the offer linked to Slator, and an OAN lawsuit alleging a breach of that deal supposedly led to AT&T adding OAN to DirecTV's selection.

AT&T rejected claims of undue influence in responses to Reuters and The Verge. The carrier maintained that DirecTV "does not dictate" channel programming, and that DirecTV merger support was "never a condition of or part of" any content carriage agreement. In a Twitter statement, AT&T maintained it "never had a financial interest" in OAN and that the decision to carry the network was now in DirecTV's hands.

The concern, as you might imagine, is that AT&T may have contributed to the spread of misinformation without being held to account like online providers and other companies. On top of YouTube suspending OAN following a violation of COVID-19 misinformation rules, voting machine maker Dominion sued the network in August this year over unproven claims of election fraud. If the report is accurate, there could easily be pressure on AT&T to distance itself from OAN and focus more on its core services than politics.

Before you jump into a feisty Twitter thread about Sora being the last Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character, you may eventually see a warning about the potentially heated conversation. Today, the company said it's testing a "Heads Up" feature on iOS and Android that'll serve as a helpful PSA. (Twitter said it was in the works a few weeks ago.) On top of the intensity warning, there's also a screen that highlights a few golden rules of online conversations: remember there's a person on the other side; focus on facts; and consider the value of different opinions, which could help strengthen your perspective. 

Similar to Birdwatch, Twitter's community-driven push to fight misinformation with informed context, the Heads Up feature is an attempt at empowering the company's users. It's tough to prevent toxic conversations entirely, and this is one way to opt out of a potentially contentious argument. (Life is too short to argue with some gaming fandoms, after all.) Of course, this isn't a replacement for tools that can actually help people avoid harassment, like its new Safety Mode.

Developers who let users create an account in their iOS, iPadOS and macOS apps will soon have to offer people a method of deleting their accounts in apps too. Apple says that as of January 31st, all app submissions (including updates) will need to include the option.

The company announced this requirement alongside other App Store guideline changes at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June as part of a push to give users more control over their data. As The Verge notes, Apple is only requiring developers to let people "initiate deletion of their account from within the app," so apps might send you to a website or even a chat with an agent before you can actually close your account.

It remains to be seen how useful this requirement will actually be in practice, given the tricks many developers employ to encourage you to remain as a user. Still, if you have an account in an app, deleting it will be slightly less of a headache, which can't be a bad thing. This will hopefully make it easier for people to ditch subscriptions and apps they aren't actually using. 

Elsewhere, App Store pages on iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey (which is still in beta) now have a Report a Problem button, so you can flag any issues or concerns you have with an app to Apple. The feature is available in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US for now. Apple will roll out the button to more regions later.

In a landmark announcement today, the World Health Organization has recommended the use of the first-ever malaria vaccine. RTS,S, also known as Mosquirix. Specifically, the WHO says it should be deployed for children in sub-Saharan Africa and other areas where with moderate to high malaria transmission. The announcement follows in the footsteps of huge vaccine advancements around the COVID-19 pandemic. To be clear, though, RTS,S isn't an mRNA vaccine, which have the potential to make an even bigger impact on malaria and other diseases that have affected humans for ages.

“This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “Using this vaccine on top of existing  tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.”

RTS,S has an efficacy rate of preventing 39 percent against malaria cases and 29 percent of severe cases, based on trials in Africa involving small children. That may seem particularly low, but when combined with other anti-malarial tools, like bed netting with insecticide, the WHO says the vaccine could potentially save tens of thousands of lives annually. The organization estimates that more than 260,000 African children die from malaria every year.

Crucially, the WHO also says RTS,S can be deployed easily, is safe to use and is cost effective to roll out. According to The Guardian, the company behind the vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), says it will supply up to 15 million doses annual at no more than 5 percent of the production cost. The WHO and GSK are looking for additional sources of funding from partners and governments. 

RTS,S is just the start, though. Thanks to mRNA-based technology, which can teach our bodies how to respond to specific diseases, Oxford University's R21 vaccine is up to 77 percent effective when it comes to preventing malaria. And based on tests so far, it's proven to be safe.     

"For centuries, malaria has stalked sub-Saharan Africa, causing immense personal suffering,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said in a statement. “Today’s recommendation offers a glimmer of hope for the continent which shoulders the heaviest burden of the disease and we expect many more African children to be protected from malaria and grow into healthy adults.”

It can sometimes come across as rude when you leave your earbuds in while chatting with someone. However, those with AirPods Pro now have a better reason for keeping them on during conversations, particularly if they have mild hearing difficulties.

Apple has rolled out the latest AirPods firmware, which includes Find My integration for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. As noted by MacRumors, AirPods Pro users can now take advantage of the Conversation Boost feature the company revealed at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference this summer. The earbuds can use built-in microphones to amplify the volume of people you're speaking with. You can reduce ambient noise too.

Once your AirPods Pro are running the latest firmware (Apple installs AirPods updates automatically), you can turn on the feature by going to the Accessibility menu in the Settings on your connected iPhone or iPad. From there, tap Audio/Visual, then Headphone Accommodations and switch on Transparency Mode. You can then enable Conversation Boost.

Facebook is reportedly slowing down its product development so it can conduct “reputational reviews” in the wake of whistleblower Frances Haugen’s disclosures about the company.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Facebook has “put a hold on some work on existing products” while a team of employees analyze how the work could further damage their reputation. The group is looking at potential negative effects on children, as well as criticism the company could face.

Zuckerberg alluded to the change in a statement Tuesday — his first since the whistleblower’s disclosures became public. “I believe that over the long term if we keep trying to do what's right and delivering experiences that improve people's lives, it will be better for our community and our business,” he wrote. “I've asked leaders across the company to do deep dives on our work across many areas over the next few days so you can see everything that we're doing to get there.”

The change is one of the clearest signs yet of how much Haugen’s disclosures have rocked the company in recent weeks. Facebook has already “paused” its work on an Instagram Kids app, after a WSJ report on company research showing Instagram is harmful to some teens’ mental health. Though Facebook has attempted to downplay its own research, pressure has mounted since Haugen, a former product manager, stepped forward and testified in a three-hour Senate hearing this week.

She told lawmakers Zuckerberg and other executives have prioritized the social network’s growth over users’ safety, and that the company has misled the public about its AI-based moderation technology. She’s called on Facebook to make its research more widely available, and urged Congress to impose new regulations on the platform.

Regional governments are still eager to court Amazon's business despite uncertain economies and Amazon's own practices. According to the Financial Times, the economic watchdog Good Jobs First has determined that Amazon has so far received about $650 million in local and state tax incentives in 2021 to build out its next-day and same-day delivery operations. That's a record for the company, and comes close to the $750 million Amazon received to build its second headquarters.

The largest incentive was a $322 million, 12-year property tax abatement pending in Markham, Illinois, followed by a nearly $151 million, 15-year tax exemption package in Monroe County, New York. Good Jobs First said this was likely a cautious estimate as some of the deals involve undisclosed tax deals and grants.

The payouts came despite an uncertain economy and complaints about Amazon's working conditions, including modest pay, strict monitoring and high injury rates. Officials may attract more jobs to their area, but they won't necessarily be high-quality jobs that grow the economy. It's also unclear if there's a net job benefit — FT cited an Economic Policy Institute study showing that an Amazon warehouse attracted workers from other companies rather than expanding the overall workforce.

Amazon has justified the incentives through overall job creation and economic investment. In a statement, the company said it created over 400,000 jobs in 2020 alongside a $150 billion investment. It added that it was often taking incentives available to any company settling into a given location, not just Amazon.

Even if there is an overall employment increase, though, the question is whether or not Amazon should be accepting tax incentives in the first place. The company made more profit in the first year of the pandemic than it did in the previous three years, raking in $26.9 billion. The firm doesn't exactly need those tax breaks to survive, and the money could be used to improve communities and working conditions.