gshc2020.com

That's as reported by Windows Latest, who noticed the change this week. Now, clicking on the link address to the support document redirects you to the Windows Learning Center instead.

Interestingly, Microsoft, in a separate support document, declared 32 GB to be the "no-worries" upgrade back in May, and that support document has since been deleted too. Two separate documents that recommend 32 GB of memory being taken down is certainly strange behaviour, and implies it wasn't just an accident.

And it would make sense for Microsoft not to pitch 32 GB of memory, given that it just recently announced it would be bringing back 8 GB Surface laptops in May. Microsoft seemed to remove the 8 GB memory option in the 7th-generation Microsoft Surface and Microsoft Surface Pro 12th edition, which are the previous versions of both laptops.

These new laptops don't even meet the memory requirements to be labelled a Copilot+ PC, and they're mighty expensive, with the Intel Core Ultra 5 standard Surface with 8 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage being an eye-watering $1,299.

This is a shame as its initial assessment seems about right, in my estimation. 16 GB of memory is fine for most games, but 32 GB is ideal, especially for less casual gamers. I went for 32 GB of DDR5 memory in my own rig, and wouldn't want less, but I also reckon I play more than most.

The memory crisis may be a problem for Microsoft, as suggested by a dip in console sales (though this 29% decline could be somewhat attributed to the life cycle of the console and tariffs raising prices), but the company's AI usage is also one of the larger contributors to the mess in the first place. The end consumer is paying for the expansion of AI in many ways, but the most pressing to a PC gamer is the fact that they're paying more and more for less storage and memory.

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

As such, it would probably be a bad look for Microsoft to recommend 32 GB when its latest Surface Pro device will fetch a minimum of $2,750 to get so much memory. And Microsoft seems unlikely to backtrack on this pricing for some time. Samsung, one of the big three memory manufacturers, reckons we will see a "severe" memory supply crisis next year and "Beyond 2029, it is hard to say because of more limited visibility."

AMD did a similar thing recently. After arguing gamers should look to "Game beyond 4 GB [of VRAM]" back in 2020, it has just recently launched a 4 GB graphics card, the RX 9050.

While these big companies continue to put more and more funding into AI, we'll just have to sit with our meagre supplies of memory until it all blows over. Here's hoping 2029 is the year things get better. Or is it 2030?

James is a more recent PC gaming convert, often admiring graphics cards, cases, and motherboards from afar. It was not until 2019, after just finishing a degree in law and media, that they decided to throw out the last few years of education, build their PC, and start writing about gaming instead. In that time, he has covered the latest doodads, contraptions, and gismos, and loved every second of it. Hey, it’s better than writing case briefs. %!s()

A new report claims Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo 4 is finally making the jump to Nintendo Switch 2, with a release potentially arriving as soon as September.

French outlet Dealabs Magazine, citing recent ratings board listings, reports that Diablo 4 is slated for Switch 2 on either Sept. 15 or Sept. 18. The publication says the game will retail for $69.99 in the U.S. and receive a physical "code in a box" release, meaning the package would include a download code instead of a physical cartridge.

Earlier this year, the Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS) reportedly listed Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred expansion for Nintendo Switch alongside other platforms before the listing drew attention and was seemingly pulled. More recently, Taiwan's ratings board briefly published a Switch 2 classification for the game before it was removed, lending additional credibility to rumors that Blizzard has been preparing a port.

Blizzard and Xbox have not officially announced a Switch 2 version of Diablo 4, but Dealabs claims it has independently confirmed the game's existence. The outlet states it was unable to verify whether the Lord of Hatred expansion will be included in the release. Polygon has contacted Blizzard Entertainment for confirmation and will update this story when the company responds.

Image: Blizzard Entertainment

Polygon's review of the Lord of Hatred expansion praised the add-on for improving the endgame and introducing the new Spiritborn class, though its review noted that some of the game's broader issues remained.

A reveal could be just weeks away

If the report is accurate, an official reveal at Gamescom later this month could be on the table. Xbox has already confirmed it will have a major presence at Gamescom 2026 as part of its 25th anniversary celebration and some heavy hitters are already set to be shown: Playground Games will deliver Fable's first live gameplay demonstration to the public and more information on Alien Isolation 2 will be available.

Other unreleased games that will be at Microsoft’s booth include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Gears of War: E-Day, Minecraft Dungeons 2, Metro 2039, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, and Valor Mortis. The company will have 140 gaming stations in total.

A Switch 2 release would also add another major third-party title to Nintendo's growing lineup. The system has shown it can handle graphically demanding games, though recent ports have also highlighted the hardware's limitations. How Diablo 4 performs on Nintendo's hardware remains to be seen until Blizzard officially unveils the port.

There's certainly precedent for demon-slaying action on Switch. Blizzard released Diablo 3 on the original Nintendo Switch back in 2018, and brought Diablo 2 Resurrected to Nintendo's console in 2021. %!s()

Scientists compared neonate cockroaches that had been allowed to consume their colony's feces and were exposed to fecal odors with neonates that had not engaged in coprophagy. German cockroaches are born with no gut microbiome and rely on eating feces from a collective fecal pile within their cockroach "aggregation" to gain the microbes and fecal nutrients they need.

Neonates who ate from the aggregation's feces after hatching displayed an affinity for the specific pheromone present in that aggregate, while neonates without any microbiome—known as naïve neonates—showed a much broader, less focused array of interests.

Using pheromones against infestations

"This finding could be used to help control cockroach infestations," said Ayako Wada-Katsumata, a principal research scholar in North Carolina State University's Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and lead author of the paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

"What we've found is that aggregation pheromones are extremely important in how these cockroaches find each other and group together," Wada-Katsumata said. "Because the aggregation gives these neonates everything they need early in life, they have little reason to leave it, which makes traps and insecticidal baits less effective.

"If we can develop an aggregation pheromone that works across the entire species, we could make traps and baits far more effective and make it easier to control populations in places like residences, hospitals and restaurants."

Cockroaches show stronger social ties

Beyond the practical applications, this research also unveils a fundamental misunderstanding about cockroach social structures, said Coby Schal, co-author of the paper and the Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professor of Entomology at NC State.

"We think of cockroaches as being subsocial, in that they are not completely solitary but also do not exhibit the kinds of group behaviors that bees or ants do," Schal said. "The use of fecal aggregation pheromones to recognize their natal group is a behavior that mirrors that of social insects like bees, wasps, ants and termites, which typically use body odors instead of fecal odors to recognize nestmates. Both groups of insects share a similar mechanism that involves learning and memory of their colony's unique odor, but the anatomical source of the pheromone is different."

This behavior implies a greater capacity for social structure and learning than has often been attributed to the German cockroach, Schal said.

"What we're seeing here is a capacity for learning and memory retention that is often thought of as being beyond that of an insect as primitive as the cockroach," he said. "Cockroaches have evolved their own twist on forming kin bonds."

Publication details

Ayako Wada-Katsumata et al, Group recognition in the German cockroach, a subsocial omnivore, is based on faecal odour preference that is modulated by coprophagy, diet and learning, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.3042

Who's behind this story?

Lisa Lock

BA art history, MA material culture. Former museum editor, paramedic, and transplant coordinator. Editing for Science X since 2021. Full profile →

Robert Egan

Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →

Citation: German cockroaches appear to be more social animals than previously thought (2026, August 5) retrieved 5 August 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-08-german-cockroaches-social-animals-previously.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. %!s()

In addition to Lifehacker, her work has been featured on Wirecutter, Tom’s Guide, and ZDNET. Emily has also worked as a travel guide around the U.S. and as a content editor. She has a masters in social work and is a licensed therapist in Utah.

Areas of Expertise

Read Full Bio

August 5, 2026

Credit: Maskot via Getty Images

Key Takeaways

1. A new hacking campaign, known as CaptiveCrunch, is targeting wireless networks at hotels, conference centers, airports, and other hospitality venues.
2. Attackers are using phishing sites, ClickFix attacks, and man-in-the-middle tactics to distribute malware.
3. Users are urged to connect via personal hotspots or cellular data instead of using public wifi.
4. Never download software or browser updates, certificates, tools, or utilities through captive portals, pop-up messages, or web prompts.

Table of Contents

You've likely heard the warnings that public wifi can't always be trusted, and now Microsoft is giving you a good reason to avoid them. A new hacking campaign, known as CaptiveCrunch, is targeting wireless networks at hotels, conference centers, airports, and other hospitality venues in an attempt to steal credentials and compromise devices.

Hackers are targeting hospitality wifi networks

The warning comes from Microsoft Threat Intelligence, a group of security experts and researchers who found that Russian threat actors are using the captive portal prompts that appear when users connect to wifi to phish sensitive information and spread malware. Users are accustomed to seeing these pop-ups when logging onto public networks, so they're less likely to be suspicious.

As Malwarebytes Labs describes, hackers are able to manipulate DNS and HTTP traffic from these portals, which allows them to send users to phishing sites (and harvest login credentials and device codes), push malware via fake update and ClickFix prompts, and run machine-in-the-middle attacks to intercept and redirect traffic. Users may see a number of fake dialog boxes when connecting to hotel or airport wifi, such as a Windows Update or Windows Security window or a prompt to download a PDF viewer or disk optimization utility.

How to keep your devices safe from public wifi attacks

Microsoft researchers are urging travelers to assume that public and guest wireless networks at hotels, conference centers, and airports are untrustworthy. Whenever possible, users should rely on private connections, such as mobile hotspots and cellular data, instead of logging onto public wifi. If you're on a work device specifically, you should have an enterprise-managed travel router or hotspot that provides an encrypted connection to your company's infrastructure.

If you must use hotel or airport wifi, Malwarebytes Labs recommends using a VPN with a killswitch, which blocks internet traffic if your connection drops unexpectedly. Inspect login pop-ups carefully, and be wary of portal pages that ask for information beyond a room number or last name in order to connect. Use an email alias if you need to provide an address.

What do you think so far?

Never download software or browser updates, certificates, tools, or utilities through captive portals, pop-up messages, or web prompts, as these may introduce malware to your device. If you are unsure whether an update is required, go directly to the service or your system settings. (You should never be required to download anything to connect to wifi.) If you're prompted to copy code or run commands on your device, exit immediately, as this is a sign of a ClickFix attack. Anything urgent, such as a countdown timer, is also a red flag.

Finally, ensure your devices, apps, and software are up to date before you travel to patch security flaws and minimize the likelihood that you'll need to download anything while you're on the road. %!s()

Dafoe is hardly chasing notoriety, but Saxberger’s impulse to put down his pen and walk away from work is very unlike him. His five other 2026 projects include “Tenzing,” in which Dafoe plays the commander who led the first successful attempt to surmount Everest, and “Werwulf,” the latest Robert Eggers gothic-horror freakout, this time set in the 13th century.

Since beginning his career in New York’s experimental theater scene in the 1970s, Dafoe has ranged from indie cinema — with his two most recent Oscar nominations coming from Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project” and Julian Schnabel’s “At Eternity’s Gate” — to major productions. Of late, his collaborations with Eggers (“Nosferatu,” “The Lighthouse,” “The Northman”) and with Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things,” “Kinds of Kindness”) have been particularly fruitful. But those performances tend toward the grander-scale; in “Late Fame,” Dafoe is muted and interior, conjuring both the cerebral quality of a poet and the stoicism of someone who had believed he had made the choice to live a quiet life.

Variety spoke with Dafoe about the film, and about lessons he’s learned over a long career.

Your character has left his art behind and seems not to reflect upon it much — it’s a chapter of his life that is now over. For you, the act of making art seems so fundamental. Did you find it challenging to relate to his decision to walk away?

No, only because there were so many models for me. When I went to New York City, there was a scene there. At least it felt that way as a young man. I wasn’t part of it — I was basically locked in a theater, trying to make theater pieces. But I was aware of a scene, and, as part of that scene, there were poetry readings and loft performances. A lot of those people that I knew, they burned hot, they were making interesting things, they did what they did with passion, and they weren’t thinking of career. They were in freefall. 

The scene went away. Things changed, and they didn’t have the community to sustain them. And then people get practical. So I had lots of models of people who did beautiful work as young people and weren’t thinking of career, and then one day they came to peace with another way of living. I don’t have judgment — when we first see Saxberger, he’s not a sadsack. 

You may have been on the outskirts of a scene, but I know how involved you were with experimental theater, as a founder of the Wooster Group in the 1970s. “Late Fame” is all about the interplay between youthful passion and the wisdom of experience; looking back at that time in your life, do you recognize the spark you brought to your work? 

Sure! Because I’m self-deluded enough to think I’m still a young man. I seek out people that are turned on like that. It becomes infectious. Because of the eclectic choices I’ve made sometimes, I like going back and tapping into that younger energy, which you can find from younger people. 

You’re on a career run that has included multiple films with both Yorgos Lanthimos and Wes Anderson. What qualities do you seek out in a director? 

Passion, I need. When they’re turned on. If I give myself to a director, I don’t want them to be doing the job. I want it to burn hot. I want it to be a life experience — and maybe that’s too much to ask. But in the best situations, you’re changed. It wakes you up out of habit, and that’s important. 

You’ve been a fixture both of indie cinema and of the “Spider-Man” and “Finding Nemo” films. Are you as able to find the excitement you describe in a big-budget studio project as you are in a small story?

I have been. It is possible. With smaller films, they have challenges, but they do have a certain kind of flexibility, too. The challenges are different. But on a big movie, things have to be a little more planned, a little more sure, a little more measured, and there’s more cooks in the kitchen. On smaller movies, sometimes there are more opportunities — sometimes out of poverty, sometimes out of inexperience. But having to find solutions, it always turns me on. The bigger movies have to be charted out clearly, because there’s such a financial stake. That’s not totally bad, because, with that kind of clarity, you can put your efforts to the very clear tasks you have to do. In [smaller movies], they may lean on you more to collaborate.

One of the tricks of being an actor is, when you enter a movie, you’ve got to identify what we’re trying to do. You don’t have to have an absolute answer, but you’ve got to say, What is the world? How can I contribute something? What room is it? What is my function? What needs to be done? Where can I push? Where can I hold back? 

A collaborator of yours who splits the difference for me — where he makes grand-scale entertainments that have a scrappiness to them — is Robert Eggers. There’s a real sense of play to his work. You’re in his next film, “Werwulf”: What has the experience of working with him over time been like? 

Oh, I adore working with him, because everything’s clear. He gives me fun things to do. It’s like Lanthimos, and other directors I work with: They make the world, and they don’t defer. It’s his world. He has collaborators that help him a great deal, but they’re so in sync that it’s so specific, it’s so strong.

He puts you in a world that’s very challenging. So you’ve got to step up, and that’s your contribution. He gives you not only fun things but very difficult things; he designs shots very specifically, and you have to bend yourself to the shot, serve the shot, but also play the scene. That is a kind of combination, because you have a clear plan that you have to submit to. But inside of that, there’s lots of space to kick it up. 

I want to close by talking about the scene in which your character stands onstage and reads a poem he’d written decades before. The poem seems to chart the character’s emotional journey, but does so in a very enigmatic, elliptical way — kind of like how poetry works. As a non-poet, how did you prepare to play that scene?

We struggled a lot to find the right tone for that poem. Kent has some poet friends. I have some poet friends. Ultimately, Kent wrote it, and then I had some details that I really required to personalize it. He came up with a poem that was, in the end, a combination of me and Saxberger. I was quite happy reading that poem. It meant something to me.  %!s()