TechCapsules

Former Epic Games principal animation engineer Kiaran Ritchie sparked a debate about Steam’s 30 % revenue share, claiming developers accept the fee only to reach Valve’s massive user base and that no Steam user would switch to a superior platform. Ritchie argued the cut is “siphoned into a black hole” and that Valve could lower it while keeping healthy margins, praising the company for “playing capitalism so well it broke it.” He added that even an objectively better [...]

Arizona’s two largest utilities, Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and Arizona Public Service (APS), submitted 2026 Integrated Resource Plans that outline energy procurement through 2041. Both filings retain fossil‑fuel projects despite including renewable and storage additions. APS proposes over 4,000 MW of new natural‑gas capacity, eight methane‑fired turbines at the Redhawk Expansion, and an extension of coal supply to keep Four Corners plant operating until 2038, while also seeking a 14 % rate increase that would add $240 to residential [...]

Mega Crit co‑founder Casey Yano told fans in the latest Spire newsletter Q&A that the Ironclad starter card Bash is the “perfect card” in Slay the Spire 2. Bash is the only basic Ironclad attack, costing two energy for eight damage and two Vulnerable, or ten damage and three Vulnerable when upgraded. An Ancient‑exclusive upgrade called Break boosts it to one‑energy, 20 damage and five Vulnerable (30 damage, seven Vulnerable upgraded). Yano explained that perfection refers to the [...]

State and federal officials have launched coordinated actions against the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other environmental nonprofits. West Virginia Attorney General Mike Justice issued a subpoena demanding ten years of internal communications, alleging consumer‑fraud violations for stating that fossil‑fuel combustion drives climate change. NRDC, with Democracy Forward, filed a federal lawsuit claiming the subpoena infringes First Amendment rights to speak, associate and advocate for renewable energy solutions, prompting the AG to withdraw the demand within hours. [...]

Samsung’s Android 17‑based One UI 9 update has begun rolling out to Galaxy devices, and users are reporting Android Auto malfunctions. Complaints surfaced on Reddit, Samsung’s community forums and Google’s support pages, describing stuttering playback and complete connection loss. The problem appears limited to a subset of phones, but a pattern is evident. Android Authority tested a Galaxy S25 Edge on One UI 8.5, which worked flawlessly, while a Galaxy S24 Ultra on One UI 9 reproduced the reported glitches, suggesting [...]

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is being developed to teach Nintendo’s newer Zelda staff the original’s impact. Series producer Eiji Aonuma said in a recent Ask the Developer interview that many team members have only worked on recent titles and may not fully grasp how the 1998 N64 game shaped 3D action‑adventure design. Younger developers, including art director Aya Shida, are playing the classic for the first time and are surprised by its polish. [...]

Google is rolling out a visual refresh for its communication apps—Contacts, Messages and Phone—by replacing the existing icons with new gradient‑styled versions. The redesign follows earlier updates to Workspace and Pixel apps and aims to make the icons appear sharper and clearer on Android home screens, according to the company. The new graphics use a subtle crisp gradient and refined edges, removing the intersecting lines and layered look of the previous set while preserving the familiar shapes. [...]

Apple announced fiscal Q4 2026 revenue of $114.5 billion, up 12 % year over year, and net profit of $30.71 billion, setting September‑quarter records despite supply constraints on iPhone, Mac and iPad and rising memory costs. CFO Kevan Parekh projected the upcoming December quarter—Apple’s holiday season—to deliver the company’s highest‑ever revenue, forecasting a 7‑10 % YoY increase that would place fiscal Q1 2027 revenue between $153.82 billion and $158.13 billion. He warned that higher memory prices and costs tied to the Siri AI rollout would pressure [...]