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SteelSeries is launching $160 gaming earbuds for your Xbox, PlayStation, or PC

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SteelSeries is launching 0 gaming earbuds for your Xbox, PlayStation, or PC

SteelSeries has created new earbuds that are designed to pair with Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch consoles, or even PCs and mobile phones. The $159.99 Arctis GameBuds include active noise cancellation (ANC), Qi wireless charging, and the ability to instantly swap between mobile Bluetooth usage and console or PC gaming.

I’ve been trying them out for the past few days, and so far, I’m impressed, but I’ll need more time for a full review.

The Arctis GameBuds look very similar to most earbuds on the market, complete with a variety of silicone tips to fit different ear shapes. SteelSeries is using a four-microphone ANC system to block out sounds while you’re gaming, and there’s a transparency mode if you want to hear the environment around you.

The Arctis GameBuds fit into a wireless charging case.
Image: SteelSeries

The GameBuds connect to an Xbox or PlayStation through a tiny USB-C dongle that provides 2.4GHz wireless connectivity. You can triple-tap a button on the earbuds to swap between Bluetooth 5.3 for mobile devices and the 2.4GHz wireless signal for consoles and PCs. It’s surprisingly quick at swapping the audio over, but it doesn’t support simultaneous audio over Bluetooth and 2.4GHz like Sony’s Pulse Explore earbuds do.

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I’ve been immediately impressed with the EQ settings in the mobile companion app. It includes more than 100 audio presets for popular games like Call of Duty, Destiny 2, EA Sports FC 24, Fortnite, and Valorant. These largely mirror the same EQ presets that can be found in SteelSeries’ GG desktop PC app with Sonar, and the results are impressive in games like Valorant, where you need to hear every footstep possible.

You can also toggle ANC and transparency modes in the mobile app or adjust the level of how much noise is being canceled out or allowed in. Both the mobile and desktop SteelSeries apps will allow you to control these settings and show the battery life levels for each earbud and the charging case.

The GameBuds come with a useful mobile app.
Image: SteelSeries

The ANC does a good job of filtering out sounds around you if you’re playing music or a loud game, but you’ll still hear some ambient sounds if you have the volume low or your game doesn’t have a ton of audio.

SteelSeries promises that the charging case delivers 40 hours of battery life, with 10 hours for each use and three extra charges thanks to the case. I’ve found that the battery drains at around 10 percent an hour using the 2.4GHz connection, so the battery life looks like it will be solid. The case also offers wireless Qi charging (not Qi2) and a USB-C connection at the rear that will provide around three hours of play with 15 minutes of fast charging.

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While the GameBuds work across consoles and PC, there are separate models for both Xbox and PlayStation. If you purchase the PlayStation model, it will only work on Sony’s consoles, PC, and mobile, but the Xbox version works across all platforms. The Xbox variant includes an additional chip to adhere to Microsoft’s security policies and a slider button to switch to Xbox compatibility. The white model is exclusive to PlayStation, and there is a black variant for both Xbox and PlayStation.

There is a black version of the GameBuds for Xbox players.
Image: SteelSeries

SteelSeries is entering an increasingly crowded earbud market for gaming, going up against Sony, Razer, and Logitech. The $159 price of the Arctis GameBuds is less than the $199 Sony asks for the PlayStation Pulse Explore, and the GameBuds even include the ANC support that Sony surprisingly omitted. Sony offers ANC on its $199 InZone Buds with impressive 12-hour battery life, but those still lack the wireless charging case that SteelSeries provides.

While the $149 Razer Hammerhead HyperSpeed buds include ANC, they only deliver three hours per charge. Logitech’s $179 G Fits have better battery life at seven hours but lack ANC. SteelSeries has clearly found a gap in the market where it can offer low-latency earbuds with Bluetooth connectivity, a mobile app, ANC, and a wireless charging case, all for $159.

The Arctis GameBuds are available to preorder today in black and white versions, priced at $159.99 (€169.99). The GameBuds will be released worldwide on October 29th.

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Chrome rolls out AI podcast feature on Android

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Chrome rolls out AI podcast feature on Android

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Chrome on Android now offers a fresh way to digest information when your hands are busy or your eyes need a break.

A new update powered by Google Gemini can turn written webpages into short podcast-style summaries. Two virtual hosts chat about the content, making it feel easier to follow during your commute or while you multitask.

This upgrade builds on Chrome’s long-standing read-aloud tool, yet now adds a more natural and lively delivery. It does not work on every website, so some pages will still use the original word-for-word reading. When the AI option appears, though, the audio feels polished and smooth.

Below is how to try it on your Android phone right now.

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HOW TO DISABLE GEMINI AI ON ANDROID AND KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR APPS

Make sure you have the newest Chrome version so the AI podcast feature works. (Cyberguy.com)

Update Chrome before you start

First, make sure Chrome is current in the Play Store by opening the Play Store, searching for Google Chrome and tapping Update if it appears. The AI podcast feature works with version 140.0.7339.124 or newer, so confirm you have at least that version installed. Once you finish the update, open Chrome and pick any webpage with text you want to hear.

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.

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Open the More menu

  • Tap the More icon or the three vertical dots in the upper right corner. This reveals a set of options that control how Chrome displays or reads the page.

Select Listen to this page

  • Choose Listen to this page. You will see a small Generating AI playback banner at the bottom. The processing is fast, so you will not wait long.

Hear the AI hosts discuss the page

  • Chrome will start a mini podcast with two voices talking through the content. You can tap the playback bar to pause, rewind or jump ahead. The panel stays on screen and follows you as you scroll.

Switch to standard playback when you want

  • The AI audio keeps going even if you leave the webpage. If you prefer a traditional word-for-word readback, tap the AI playback icon in the lower left and pick Standard Playback.

Chrome begins creating the AI audio as soon as you tap the “Listen to this Page” option. (iStock)

ANDROID EMERGENCY LIVE VIDEO GIVES 911 EYES ON THE SCENE

What this means to you

This feature can make long articles easier to absorb when you are on the move. You get a quick, conversational rundown without having to read a full page. It also helps you revisit information faster since the controls work like any audio player. If you enjoy podcasts, this tool gives you a familiar way to stay informed without draining your attention.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Chrome’s AI podcast feature brings a new layer of convenience to Android. It saves time, reduces eye strain and turns everyday browsing into a hands-free audio experience. Since it still supports the standard read-aloud mode, you can switch back anytime.

Would you use AI hosts to read your favorite websites, or do you prefer the classic readback style? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Using the new update powered by Google Gemini, you can change from the AI podcast to a simple word-for-word reading at any time. (“I’ve Had It” YouTube channel)

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Even Trump’s chief of staff was ‘aghast’ at Elon Musk’s deadly USAID cuts

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Even Trump’s chief of staff was ‘aghast’ at Elon Musk’s deadly USAID cuts

Wiles says she called Musk on the carpet. “You can’t just lock people out of their offices,” she recalls telling him. At first, Wiles didn’t grasp the effect that slashing USAID programs would have on humanitarian aid. “I didn’t know a lot about the extent of their grant making.” But with immunizations halted in Africa, lives would be lost. Soon she was getting frantic calls from relief agency heads and former government officials with a dire message: Thousands of lives were in the balance.

Wiles continued: “So Marco is on his way to Panama. We call him and say, ‘You’re Senate-confirmed. You’re going to have to be the custodian, essentially, of [USAID].’ ‘Okay,’ he says.” But Musk forged ahead—all throttle, no brake. “Elon’s attitude is you have to get it done fast. If you’re an incrementalist, you just won’t get your rocket to the moon,” Wiles said. “And so with that attitude, you’re going to break some china. But no rational person could think the USAID process was a good one. Nobody.”

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OpenAI announces upgrades for ChatGPT Images with ‘4x faster generation speed’

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OpenAI announces upgrades for ChatGPT Images with ‘4x faster generation speed’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

OpenAI announced an update for ChatGPT Images that it says drastically improves both the generation speed and instruction-following capability of its image generator.

A blog post from the company Tuesday says the update will make it much easier to make precise edits to AI-generated images. Previous iterations of the program have struggled to follow instructions and often make unasked-for changes.

“The update includes much stronger instruction following, highly precise editing, and up to 4x faster generation speed, making image creation and iteration much more usable,” the company wrote.

“This marks a shift from novelty image generation to practical, high-fidelity visual creation — turning ChatGPT into a fast, flexible creative studio for everyday edits, expressive transformations, and real-world use.”

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CHINESE HACKERS WEAPONIZE ANTHROPIC’S AI IN FIRST AUTONOMOUS CYBERATTACK TARGETING GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS

The OpenAI GPT-5 logo appears on a smartphone screen and as a background on a laptop screen in this photo illustration in Athens, Greece. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The announcement comes just weeks after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a “code red” in a memo within his company to improve the quality of ChatGPT.

In the document, Altman said OpenAI has more work to do on enhancing the day-to-day experience of its chatbot, such as allowing it to answer a wider range of questions and improving its speed, reliability and personalization features for users, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The reported company-wide memo from Altman comes as competitors have narrowed OpenAI’s lead in the AI race. Google last month released a new version of its Gemini model that surpassed OpenAI on industry benchmark tests.

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GOOGLE CEO CALLS FOR NATIONAL AI REGULATION TO COMPETE WITH CHINA MORE EFFECTIVELY

The OpenAI logo Feb. 16, 2025 (Reuters/Dado Ruvic)

To focus on the “code red” effort to improve ChatGPT, OpenAI will be pushing back work on other initiatives, such as a personal assistant called Pulse, advertising and AI agents for health and shopping, Altman said in the memo, according to the Journal.

Altman also said the company would have a daily call among those responsible for enhancing ChatGPT, the newspaper added. 

“Our focus now is to keep making ChatGPT more capable, continue growing, and expand access around the world — while making it feel even more intuitive and personal,” Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT, wrote on X Monday night.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the Federal Reserve’s Integrated Review of the Capital Framework for Large Banks Conference in Washington, D.C., July 22, 2025.  (Reuters/Ken Cedeno)

        

OpenAI currently isn’t profitable and has to raise funding to survive compared to competitors like Google, which can fund investments in their AI ventures through revenue, the Journal reported.

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