Wayne Williams

Large language models (LLMs) have shown impressive results in many areas, but when it comes to playing classic text adventure games, they often struggle to make it past even the simplest of puzzles.

A recent experiment by Entropic Thoughts tested how well various models could navigate and solve interactive fiction, using a structured benchmark to compare results across multiple games. The takeaway was that while some models can make reasonable progress, even the best require guidance and struggle with the skills these classic problem-solving games demand.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the UK’s national tax authority, has confirmed it is using artificial intelligence to monitor the social media accounts of people suspected of tax fraud. The BBC reports that this is done only as part of criminal investigations and not for everyday taxpayers.

For readers outside the UK, HMRC is the government department responsible for collecting taxes, administering certain benefits, and enforcing compliance with tax laws. Its role is similar to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States or the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in Canada.

Continua has launched an AI assistant designed to work directly inside group chats, helping participants keep track of ideas, decisions, and plans in real time. The tool can join conversations on SMS, iMessage, or Discord, offering live web search, scheduling tools, and the automatic organization of group discussions.

The company describes the product as a “social AI” agent that listens in, remembers details, and can turn ongoing conversations into shareable documents, checklists, or calendar invites. It can also suggest restaurants, find meeting times that suit all members, and provide quick answers without breaking the flow of conversation.

Google Pay has announced three new features which it says will make online payments simpler and more flexible for shoppers. The update focuses on providing more choice, convenience and value, and covers both everyday purchases and larger transactions, as well as international money transfers.

For US buyers, Chrome’s autofill feature will now display reward details for over 100 credit cards, expanding from the smaller set previously supported. This addition makes it easier to see which card offers the best benefits for a specific purchase before checkout.

Linux Mint 22.2 “Zara” beta version has been released, giving testers and enthusiasts an early look at the next long term support release of the popular desktop Linux distribution. The final version will be supported until April 2029, but this preview is aimed at testing, so some issues are to be expected.

This update continues Mint’s focus on making small, but noteworthy changes. Sticky Notes now have rounded corners, Wayland support, and can sync with Android devices via the new StyncyNotes app. The login screen gains a blur effect, user avatars, and a cleaner layout.

Epson has launched ReadyPrint, a subscription-based printing service that aims to make color printing simple, predictable, and cost-effective for homes and businesses.

The plan combines an EcoTank wireless all-in-one Supertank printer with unlimited color printing, premium support, and automatic ink replacement for a fixed monthly fee.

Syncthing 2.0 has arrived, promising faster syncing, a new database system, and a number of major fixes and improvements. This open source program lets you sync files directly between computers in real time, keeping them private, encrypted, and fully under your control without the need for a central server.

Syncthing offers a simple promise: your files stay yours. You decide where they are stored, how they are transmitted between devices, and who gets access.

Kubuntu Focus has introduced the Zr GEN 1, a high-performance Linux laptop aimed at users who want maximum mobile power. The 18.0-inch workstation replaces the previous 17.3-inch M2 GEN 5 and brings faster components, more storage capacity, and a brighter display, with shipping now available in the US and Canada.

The Zr GEN 1 runs Kubuntu 24.04 LTS and is built for developers, machine learning researchers, content creators, and others looking for fast hardware with Linux-first support.

A High Court ruling has ended Wikipedia’s attempt to overturn part of the UK’s divisive new Online Safety Act, but the legal fight over its application may not be quite over. Judges dismissed the Wikimedia Foundation’s challenge to rules that could place the encyclopaedia under the law’s strictest category of regulation.

The organization behind Wikipedia says the framework risks forcing it to verify the identities of its volunteer editors, undermining both their privacy and the way the site operates. It argues that the model, in which anyone can contribute without registering personal details, is central to the platform’s reliability and breadth of coverage.

The AI assistant market is projected to grow from $3.35 billion this year to $21.11 billion by 2030, according to Indian research firm MarketsandMarkets.

This represents a compound annual growth rate of 44.5 percent, with North America forecast to have the largest share during that five year period.

Lucky for fans of the popular Linux operating system, Debian has released version 13, codenamed “trixie,” marking the project’s first stable release in over two years. Supported for the next five years by the Debian Security and Long Term Support teams, trixie delivers updated packages, improved hardware compatibility, and expanded architecture support, including official riscv64 support for the first time.

The release includes multiple desktop environments such as GNOME 48, KDE Plasma 6.3, LXDE 13, LXQt 2.1.0, and Xfce 4.20.

Ashampoo has released UnInstaller 16 for Windows, allowing users to fully remove programs and apps with minimal effort. The latest version promises more thorough cleaning than the standard Windows tools, giving users greater control over installations while maintaining system performance. It also brings faster cleaning, expanded logging, and new resource management features.

Ashampoo UnInstaller 16 builds on the company’s existing removal tech, adding tools that track software installations in detail.

Cooler Master has introduced the MasterFrame 500 Mesh to North American builders, offering an open-frame ATX chassis designed with customization and airflow in mind.

Built on its FreeForm 2.0 design approach, the new case combines flexibility, access, and thermal performance in a format that supports a wide range of system sizes.

Attackers are finding new ways to get inside company systems, and deception is playing a bigger role than ever, according to the latest LevelBlue Threat Trends Report.

Threat actors are leaning on tactics like social engineering and AI tools to move quickly, stay hidden, and then extend their reach once inside. Even experienced users can be tricked into opening the door without realizing until it's too late.

Opera has submitted a formal complaint to Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) alleging that Microsoft’s practices unfairly restrict browser choice on Windows devices.

The Norwegian company argues that Microsoft’s dominance in the operating system market allows it to give an artificial edge to its Edge browser, at the expense of competitors, such as Opera (naturally), and Brazilian users.