SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Drive " 3,099 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Community-driven law firm receives Salem chamber’s ‘New Business of the Year’ award
All-women law firm founded by a Willamette Law grad was recognized for its excellence in business and community engagement. To comment on this story, use the form at the end of the report.
Windows 11's new Cloud Rebuild can fix your PC even when it won't boot
A new Windows 11 recovery feature called Cloud Rebuild can restore an unbootable PC to a clean state, no USB drive required.
Men’s average testosterone levels have halved in last 50 years, say scientists
Exclusive: Researchers warn of ‘major crisis in male reproductive health’ partly driven by obesity and diabetes
AI is already reshaping US politics at every level
Artificial intelligence is barging into the workplace and transforming the battlefield. Now, it’s coming to the ballot box, promising to rewrite the DNA of politics. Driven by a flood of Silicon Valley money, AI has emerged as one of the biggest financial forces in this year’s U.S. elections, fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars […]
NASA’s COFFIES Science Center Makes Breakthrough on Solar Enigma
One of NASA's DRIVE Science Centers, COFFIES, enabled a group of researchers to tackle a fundamental question about how the Sun works in a recent paper.
Businesses face new trade headwinds as US deficit widens
The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services widened significantly in May, reaching $77.6 billion, as imports increased while exports declined, The New York Times reports. According to the Commerce Department, exports fell 3.2% to $317.7 billion, while imports rose 3.3% to $395.3 billion. The rise in imports was driven largely by strong demand for […]
Amtech and Caesars Entertainment have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day
ASYS earns Bull of the Day on AI-driven semiconductor packaging momentum, while CZR is Bear of the Day as debt and earnings pressures weigh on results.
Jude Law to Star in Getaway Driver Movie, Written by Zach Baylin
Jude Law will star in a new movie about a getaway driver written by Zach Baylin, the co-creator of Netflix miniseries "Black Rabbit."
2027 Porsche 911 GT3 S/C First-Drive Review: The Ultimate 911, Actually
All the engagement of a Porsche 911 GT3, with all the thrill of sky and sound. What more could you want?
Tech devices in California's new cars create thorny political issues
Devices that record vehicle operational data for state air quality regulators could also violate privacy and be used to tax drivers by the mile.
Health insurers’ AI vision
Health insurers are increasingly embracing artificial intelligence as part of their business models, bullish on the technology’s potential to revolutionize care and drive down costs.
HSBC reviews Turkish banking business for possible sale
HSBC said on Tuesday it had launched a review of its Turkish retail and corporate banking business and was considering all options, as part of its global drive to simplify its business and exit markets where it considers itself too small.
Rushing Walks it Off, Ohtani Drives in Four in Dodgers Win Against Rockies
Dalton Rushing walks it off for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Colorado Rockies.
Windows 11 will soon be able to reinstall itself and your drivers without a USB drive via new 'Cloud Rebuild' recovery method
A new recovery option coming to Windows 11 will let you reinstall the OS and your drivers using the internet without a USB key, even when Windows itself is unbootable.
The $10 Billion Takeover That Could Turn the Auto Parts Business Upside Down, Explained
O'Reilly might buy NAPA, which would affect the aftermarket parts business in more ways than you might realize.
Hoto’s PixelDrive screwdriver is down to $60, matching its best price
It’s got six adjustable torque settings.
25 best NASCAR drivers of all time
Arguing about the NASCAR’s most iconic drivers of all time is basically a second religion in the infield. The only thing everyone agrees on is that somebody got snubbed. The mix of drivers in the conversation tells the story of…
Monday, July 6, 2026: Cramer says this tech giant's chip packaging business will be its next big gross margin driver
Go behind the scenes with Jim Cramer and Jeff Marks of the CNBC Investing Club as they talk candidly about the market's biggest headlines, analyst calls and holdings in the Charitable Trust—and see up close how they decide when, and if, to take action on stocks.
Next American Sports Pro and QuickBuzz Announce Strategic Partnership to Build a Global Sports & Entertainment Digital Ecosystem
Ten-Year Collaboration Aims to Drive Subscriber Growth, Fan Engagement, and Long-Term Digital InnovationLondon, UK, July 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Next American Sports Pro (NASP), a rapidly expanding sports media and athlete development organization, today announced the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with QuickBuzz to collaborate on creating one of the world's largest integrated sports and entertainment digital ecosystems. The partnership combines NASP's growing spor
Fast-food chains face growing competition from grocery stores
Fast-food chains face new competition as grocery stores expand prepared-food options, challenging traditional drive-thru value meals.
Business leaders, advocates betting on south DeKalb
A recent tax allocation district (TAD) grant award is sparking economic development on Memorial Drive in DeKalb County after the Belvedere Plaza Kroger closed last year.
A New Report Just Revealed a Widening Gap in Corporate Leadership. It Points to a Massive Opportunity for Startups
Good business is just doing right by people. Customer focus is both a driver of business success and a reflection of morality in action.
SoFi (SOFI) Launches AI Investing And Small Business Loans In Product Push
SoFi Technologies (NasdaqGS:SOFI) has launched Composer by SoFi, an AI-powered investing platform designed to help members build and automate customized investment strategies. The company has also introduced SoFi Small Business Loans, a digital-first lending product aimed at giving entrepreneurs faster access to capital with no fees. These product rollouts expand SoFi's presence in AI-driven investing tools and small business lending within its broader financial services platform. SoFi...
Inside California Politics: Will ballot measures drive turnout in November?
A month past the primary, election season has hit a lull before campaigns reach full swing in the fall. On Inside California Politics this week, host Nikki Laurenzo sat down with two political insiders to discuss various candidates and campaigns: Republican strategist Rob Stutzman and Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta.
Inside California Politics: Will ballot measures drive turnout in November?
(Inside California Politics) — A month past the primary, election season has hit a lull before campaigns reach full swing in the fall. On Inside California Politics this week, host Nikki Laurenzo s…
Small flower farm’s business springs from a seed of trust
Every day at 5 a.m., while most of the world is asleep, Alicia Atwood sets out flower bouquets for sale in a small shop at the end of her driveway. The arrangements are priced at just $10, and her farm operates in a way almost no other business does -- through an honor system.
Electronic Health Record Ehr Systems Market Forecast Points Higher Toward 2035, Driven by Interoperability Mandates and Cloud Migration
World EHR systems market forecast to 2035: 6-8% CAGR, cloud adoption, interoperability mandates, and value-based care drive growth. Key players and regional insights.
Politics: Laws affecting driver registration, cyberbullying take effect in Illinois
Several new laws took effect in Illinois last week — along with the largest budget in the state’s history.
David J. Skorton: Make Your Voice Heard to Protect Science-Driven Funding Decisions in U.S. Research Policy
David J. Skorton: Make Your Voice Heard to Protect Science-Driven Funding Decisions in U.S. Research Policy / AAMC, cancer, David J. Skorton, OncoDaily,
The Selective Frontier: The State of the American Experiment After 250 Years
Since its inception, America has revolutionized scientific research and technological advancements. Yet, in its shift away from federal research grants and “basic research,” science may find itself in an increasingly privatized and profit-driven setting.
I tried this hidden Google Maps trick in Android Auto; now every drive feels smarter
Google Maps finally feels more proactive
AI is already reshaping US politics at every level
Artificial intelligence is barging into the workplace and transforming the battlefield. Now, it’s coming to the ballot box, promising to rewrite the DNA of politics. Driven by a flood of
Sports car driver killed, several injured, including 2 children, in I-45 crash involving heavy truck
A person was killed and two children were injured in a multi-vehicle crash involving a heavy truck on I-45 Friday morning, according to officials.
Fireworks stand owner says tariffs have impacted business
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A local fireworks stand saw fewer customers heading into the holiday weekend as tariffs continue to impact business. The owner of Boomerz Fireworks on Marketplace Drive said tariffs have affected their business. The Supreme Court struck down global tariffs in February, but fireworks stands are feeling the impact this year because many […]
Zak Brown explains how McLaren ended toxic blame culture
Zak Brown says McLaren’s transformation into a championship-winning team was driven by a no-blame culture and a major leadership reset
Long Reads for the Long Weekend
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Happy Fourth of July weekend! As has been a tradition of mine going back to the beginning of the EntStrategyGuy website, I’m sharing my favorite long reads of the last year, like I did in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Let’s dive right in! Subscribe “Different Prices for the Same Ride: How Uber and Lyft Use AI to Get More Money Out of You“ by Derek Kravitz in Consumer Reports I don’t think surveillance pricing, like the kind described in this brilliant Consumer Reports article, is long for the world—it’s toxically unpopular—but we’ll see if either party takes on this issue. If I ran a political party focused on affordability, I would focus on a few pro-consumer and pro-market policies: Banning non-compete agreements. Ending surveillance pricing Eliminating junk fees (read more here...) Ensuring “right to repair” for consumer (and military!) products Capping excessive app store fees Stopping digital/algorithmic price-fixing tools. Preventing automatic subscription price increases. And more. If you want to fight inflation, there are a lot of great ways to do it quickly. Speaking of higher prices... “Secret Documents Show Pepsi and Walmart Colluded to Raise Food Prices Across the Economy“ by Matt Stoller in BIG Again, I think a political party should focus on lowering prices for consumers. And deals like this—Walmart making a deal/forcing Pepsi to offer the lowest prices at its stores and nowhere else—hypothetically lower prices at Walmart...but raise them everywhere else. “15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road“ by Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler in CalMatters CalMatters does terrific reporting in California, something the Golden State desperately needs more of, and this article is a great example of that. “PugLips: The next insanely popular thing you’ve never heard of…” by Simon Carless in Game Discover Co I thought that this parody article (and yes, it’s a parody, but I was definitely unsure at first) was hilarious and totally nailed how much tech/business journalism feels these days. Actually, three of my favorite articles this year were on hype in the video game industry, including Georg Zoller’s “The Video Game Industries Very Dark Night”—which I linked to recently and wrote a follow-up here—and Owen Mahoney’s “Derek Zoolander, Videogame Exec”. In particular, I like Mahoney’s focus on user experience as a guide to what trends will actually grab hold of customers. “The Matrix Lies“ by Evan Shapiro in Media War & Peace Evan Shapiro’s first person account of his experience with AI was hilarious. I think LLMs capabilities have significantly grown from last summer, and yet...my editor/researcher just had an abysmal experience using an LLM to do a quite basic task (which our LLM normally does each week) and the LLM made a mistake on every single data entry...along with seven different mistakes affecting twelve of the twenty or so entries, including mistakes that are explicitly spelled out in the prompt. That’s a brutal failure rate. Again, if you use AI/LLM for data collection, you need to take a lot of extra steps to verify and check the data. “Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive“ by Matthew Frank in The Ankler I thought Matthew Frank’s pitch to head across America to visit theaters sounded insane aggressive at the time—at least it felt that way to someone a decade older than him; man, to be in your twenties again, am I right?—but I knew the result would be great. And it was, a terrific feature by a great young writer. Also, I loved Matthew’s recent article on who’s getting the precious few entry level jobs in Hollywood. (Hint: nepotism.) “Disney erased FiveThirtyEight“ and “Did Las Vegas get too greedy?” by Nate Silver in Silver Bulletin I love media history and analysis, and there’s no one better to get the history of FiveThirtyEight than from Nate Silver, who wrote about his personal experience in one of my favorite pieces from this year. I also loved Nate’s breakdown of what’s causing Vegas’ woes, but I’ll offer one criticism, summarized as “Might I suggest antitrust?” Many centrists/center-right/libertarian thinkers (Nate is self-described as the latter) often don’t consider consolidation or antitrust as factors in policy issues like housing, America’s military readiness, or, in this case, Las Vegas. Even if libertarians want to debunk antitrust/consolidation concerns, I’d love to read that debunking. In this case, Vegas is incredibly consolidated (though it also has been for a long time) and I’d have loved to read Nate at least contending with this factor, since he addresses almost every other potential factor for Vegas’ decline. “Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big Deal“ by Robinson Meyer in Heatmap News I’m a big supporter of carbon removal efforts, but this nascent industry faces a lot of headwinds, including this big move most recently. I think it’s clear that solar panels and batteries should be able to get the world to its carbon footprint goals, but effective carbon renewal remains necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. “AI is killing the cheap smartphone“ by David Oks LLMs and AI will impact the world in ways we’re not ready for, and already, third world countries are seeing the prices of cheap cellphones skyrocket due to the cost of chips skyrocketing. This article by David Oks is a terrific breakdown. “100 Days of Madness: Netflix, Paramount, Warner and the Future of Hollywood“ by Wade Major at Hollywood Heretic Wade Major dove deep into Hollywood/streaming’s financials in this must read piece. Not that I agree with everything in this article (read my take on Warner Bros./Paramount here) but the analysis is top notch. I think many people discount how quality thinking, regardless of the argument/conclusion, will make you a better thinker. “Erased by the UFC: Frank Shamrock, The MMA GOAT of the 20th Century“ by Nate Wilcox in The MMA Draw Newsletter Growing up playing the UFC fighting game on the Dreamcast, Frank Shamrock was my favorite MMA fighter, and this history/tribute to him was great. Other Fun Reads “The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt“ by Craig Fehrman at Defector “Unmasking the Sea Star Killer“ by Craig Welch at bioGraphic “What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn“ by Richard Rushfield in The Ankler Alex Rollins Berg in Underexposed on movie bumpers, pillow shots, Disney trash cinema, cult films, and Casablanca. David H. Montgomery in YouGov’s The Surveyor on punctuation marks, condiments, dinosaurs, and comic strips and kids media. “How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability“ and “Why the best journalists on YouTube are all former Vox employees“ by Simon Owens in Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter “It’s Not Just You, Netflix Shows Have Gotten Slightly Shorter: Here’s What the Data Says“ by Kasey Moore at What’s on Netflix “Numlock Awards: How Diane Warren became the biggest loser in Oscar history“ by Nathaniel Rakich and “Numlock Awards: The Oscar Bait era is over. The Oscar Chum era is here.” by Walt Hickey & Michael Domanico at Numlock Awards
2027 Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale Brings the Stick-Shift Back to Maranello—Kind Of
Ferrari's listened to the market and created a completely new shift- and clutch-by-wire system that promises to be just like the real deal, if not better. Genius or blasphemous?
Ferrari Finally Brought Back The Manual—Sort Of
The new 12Cilindri Manuale introduces a simulated gearbox with both manual and automatic drive modes.
10 truly groundbreaking sports ‘firsts’ that shaped America
These 10 firsts laid the foundation for the sports that drive us to eat, sleep and breathe fandom.
News of disease outbreaks can warp our brains in strange and subtle ways
The "behavioural immune system" can drive harsher moral judgement and may even contribute to xenophobia.
Michigan Football Recruiting: Kyle Whittingham is proving skeptics wrong
Michigan Football HC Kyle Whittingham has kicked things into overdrive lately on the recruiting trail, proving the skeptics wrong so far about his recruiting chops:
Report: Xbox Disc-to-Digital Feature in Testing, Microsoft "Likely" to Stop Disc Production Too
Both Sony and Microsoft look ready to drop disc drives from their next-gen consoles.
Cost-Free Entertainment Platforms Propel Growth in the Ad-Supported Streaming TV Sector
The FAST market is driven by increasing consumer adoption of cost-free streaming, expanding ad-supported content, and enhanced personal advertising technologies. This growth is further accelerated by smart TV integration, diverse content offerings, and rising digital video libraries, notably in Asia-Pacific. Free Advertisement (Ad)-Supported Streaming Television (TV) (FAST) Market Free Advertisement (Ad)-Supported Streaming Television (TV) (FAST) Market Dublin, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton in ‘Decisive’ Contract Talks Amid 2027 Uncertainty
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has gotten off to an amazing start to the 2026 season, marking a real turning point with the team at a pivotal stage.
Xbox reportedly to follow PlayStation's example and ditch discs for next-gen console Project Helix
The next Xbox console may also ship without a built-in disc drive, but Microsoft may have a solution for discs from older generations.
PwC predicts: Providers, payers, pharma, medtech—all will have new to-do lists after the midterm elections. And that’s regardless of results.
With Election Day only four months away, healthcare is again emerging as a major source of idealistic campaign promises. Many of these are driven by widespread public angst. What sorts of changes can U.S. healthcare stakeholders realistically expect once the results are in?
iPhone Fold expected to fuel rebound in foldable phone panel shipments
Apple’s entry into the foldable phone market will help drive a strong rebound in foldable smartphone panel shipments this year.
Xbox is reportedly considering dropping disc drives as it tests new feature that lets players digitize physical games
A new report now claims Xbox, like PlayStation, is set to "drop the disc drive."
Settlement serves up a million eggs for Hawaii
Three major producers were found to have conspired to artificially drive up egg prices
Everett water main break forces business closures
Water service along a section of West Marine View Drive was shut off around 1 p.m. Tuesday. The city expects to restore it Wednesday afternoon.
CMS proposes updates to home health payments for CY 2027, updates to provider enrollment and quality and value-based purchasing programs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 1 issued its calendar year 2027 proposed rule for the home health prospective payment system. The rule proposes a 2.4% update, which includes a 3.1% market basket update, reduced by a 1.0 percentage point cut for productivity, as well as an 0.3 percentage point increase related to outlier payments. In addition, the agency proposes a temporary cut of 3.0% that it states is necessary to achieve budget-neutral implementation of the Patient-driven Groupings Model.
Bates lifts what matters in healthcare leadership
East Carolina University College of Nursing student Sandra Bates is driven by a passion for improving healthcare systems.
Uber Shakes Up AI Data Labeling Business, Dismissing Top Leaders
Uber Technologies Inc. has dismissed two tech leaders at its nascent AI data labeling business, shaking up a key division that the ride-hail company has positioned as a key growth driver.
The Case for Performance-First Management
What began as a crisis-driven response to the Covid pandemic laid the foundation for today’s dominant management paradigm: people-first management. But today’s business demands a different approach, as performance and productivity have replaced engagement and retention atop the CEO agenda. Performance-first management represents a gentle shift toward an approach where managers empower their teams to deliver high-impact results within a complex and evolving reality. It keeps people at the center, but reorients the manager’s role around enabling performance, not just supporting satisfaction. Gartner research shows that managers who shift toward a performance-first approach are up to 21% more likely to deliver the business results that are expected of them. And employees who say that their managers are performance-first report higher overall satisfaction with their employee experience.
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
Corona maker Constellation Brands tops forecasts as beer business drives earnings growth
Strong beer performance lifts quarterly resultsConstellation Brands Inc Class A (NYSE:STZ) reported first-quarter results ahead of Wall Street expectations, supported by continued strength in its beer division. Adjusted earnings came in at $3.
Anthropic debuts AI-driven pharma R&D tool, Claude Science
Anthropic launches Claude Science as big tech companies increasingly eye expansion in the wider healthcare and life sciences space.
Unisun Sports Commences, Kicking Off 2026-27 Season
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Unisun Sports, the groundbreaking strategic alliance between the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the United Athletic Conference (UAC), has officially commenced as of July 1, 2026. Unisun Sports will serve both conferences, designed to significantly enhance operational efficiency, foster deeper collaboration, and drive innovation across both NCAA Division I organizations.
Unisun Sports Commences, Kicking Off 2026-27 Season
Unisun Sports, the groundbreaking strategic alliance between the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the United Athletic Conference (UAC), has officially commenced as of July 1, 2026. Unisun Sports will serve both conferences, designed to significantly enhance operational efficiency, foster deeper collaboration, and drive innovation across both NCAA Division I organizations.
AI, Data Centers, and the New Politics of Power Demand
Artificial intelligence (AI) has overturned the long-stable trajectory of U.S. electricity demand. After decades of flat growth, planners and regulators now face a surge driven by hyperscale data
AI-Driven Restructuring Accelerates Layoffs Across U.S. Technology Sector
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the U.S. technology industry, with major companies accelerating workforce reductions.
The End of Independent Federal Agencies Will Change Your Business
For executives, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Slaughter v. Trump will likely lead to less certainty and consistency for the regulated aspects of their businesses, with federal rules and their enforcement increasingly determined by political expediency rather than expert analysis. Specifically, there are five ways in which all U.S. businesses will be affected: regulation will become more informal and less transparent; consistency across administrations will disappear; oversight by Congress and the federal courts will be diminished; expert advice will be devalued; and politically-connected lobbyists will drive decision-making. In this environment, business leaders will need to plan accordingly, honing their ability to shift strategy, perhaps dramatically, after every election—and perhaps even during administrations.
Weird Dresses
Schiaparelli deigns shows strong business potential with celebrity-driven virality, replaces ad spend, while surrealist shock value.
Dale Jr. Fires Back At Criticism Of NASCAR Broadcast
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been involved in the NASCAR media space for a while now, so the legendary driver is used to criticism. Over the weekend, some NASCAR fans expressed frustration with the TNT broadcast, as some believed that the analysts were underestimating the chances of Shane van Gisbergen ...
Nokia, SAP and Microsoft Enter Strategic Multi-Year Agreement to Advance Cloud- and AI-Driven Business Transformation
Nokia will accelerate its enterprise transformation using RISE with SAP Methodology, with SAP S/4HANA hosted on Microsoft Azure.
Fast food, fries and science: Inside U-M's lab studying cravings
The experiment starts before anyone takes a bite. There's no drive-thru. No cashier calling the next order. No glowing sign announcing the restaurant is open.
How the Improved Shell App Drives Business Success
The app creates a unified experience to support ‘future growth across the retail network.’
Conduent Announces Agreement to Sell Its Tolling Business to Quarterhill Inc. for $70 Million
FLORHAM PARK, N.J., June 30, 2026 — Conduent Incorporated (Nasdaq: CNDT), a global technology-driven business solutions and services provider, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Tolling business (a division of...
Building the Valley: Young Springdale man keeping lawns at bay as business grows
When Justin Burrell started landscaping in 2022, the then-14-year-old wasn’t old enough to drive himself to clients’ houses so he enlisted help from his parents. At first, he mowed lawns for some extra pocket change. Now, at 18, Burrell is working toward turn his Burrell Grounds and Services business into
Ozempic Might Be Making Your Team Less Driven. Here’s the Science
New reports on GLP-1 drugs and the brain’s “wanting” system have direct implications for how leaders motivate, reward, build teams, and sustain culture.
A New Playbook: State-Driven Solutions for Resilient Health Data
Health equity depends on data equity: the representation of communities in the data used to identify disparities, target interventions, and hold systems accountable.
AI is rewriting the political competitive landscape
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a central infrastructure layer in political campaigns, reshaping how elections are financed, contested and influenced, The New York Times reports. Campaigns and affiliated political groups are increasingly investing in AI-driven tools for voter targeting, message optimization and large-scale content generation, turning modern elections into capital-intensive, technology-enabled competition. This shift is […]
Apple says it is releasing updates early in response to AI cybersecurity concerns
Apple said it is pushing forward a series of software updates that would previously have been bundled with a new version of its iOS operating system, making them available earlier than in previous cycles in response to AI-driven security concerns.
Science Says Driving A Stick Shift Is Good For Your Brain
The manual transmission may have another argument in its favor beyond driver engagement.
West Palm Beach business collecting items for Venezuela
Across the region, donation drives are collecting baby formula, medical supplies, nonperishable food and other essentials for families affected by the disaster.
How a Brain Messenger Protein Drives Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
In mice, a brain protein called Arc helps spread toxic molecules from sick brain cells to healthy ones. If therapies could be designed to target the spread, they could be a powerful tool to stop disease progression.
Expert: Tennessee Redistricting Plan Driven by Politics, Not Race
An expert defends Tennessee's congressional redistricting plan, arguing racial consequences stem from partisan aims, not racial discrimination.
Has the McLaren W1 redefined the supercar?
A first drive of the Formula One team’s latest take
Driven: The McLaren W1 Has Earned Its Suffix
The rear-wheel-driven 1258-hp hypercar is a worthy successor to the F1 and P1.
Cleveland Clinic Tackles Hunger, Housing and Maternal Health
In 2025, our teams continued to address critical social drivers of health, expand access to care and resources, and build stronger, healthier communities.
South Korean tech giants to build a $518 billion chipmaking hub to serve soaring AI demand
South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plan to invest a combined $518 billion in a new computer chip manufacturing hub, capitalizing on surging artificial intelligence-driven demand.
It’s Linux, On A Sega Megadrive
If you were in the market for a games console in 1990, the chances are that the object of your desire was either a Super Nintendo with its 16-bit 6502 derivative, or the Sega Megadrive, sold as the…
Andretti linked to young rising IndyCar driver for 2027 season
Andretti Global has been linked to a young rising IndyCar driver for the 2027 NTT IndyCar Series season.
Life Science Reagent Market Forecast Points Higher Toward 2035, Driven by Biopharma Scale-Up and Cell Therapy Expansion
World life science reagent market forecast 2026-2035: CAGR 6-8%, index 2035=185. Bioprocessing, cell therapy, and QC drive growth. Key players: Thermo Fisher, Merck, Danaher.
Anxiety drives child mental health referrals past one million
Demand is soaring beyond capacity, meaning children in England wait years for help with various conditions.
How did EBS science show reach Netflix's top 10?
For years, South Korea’s public Educational Broadcasting System has struggled to rival the massive budgets of global streaming originals and star-driven mainstr
I started using Projects in Google Drive; it instantly boosted my productivity
Google Drive finally feels smarter
El Niño Is Back—and It Could Cost Businesses Trillions. What Smart Leaders Are to Prepare
Dartmouth research makes the duration of the damage clear: economic losses from major El Niño events persist for five years after the event itself.
Linux 7.3 To Introduce DRM "Color Format" Property With AMD GPU Driver Support
While the Linux 7.2 kernel merge window is only ending later today to cap off the feature work on this next version of the Linux kernel, already for the Linux 7.3 kernel cycle later in the year there is one notable feature on the way: the DRM color format property is being introduced and being first supported by the AMDGPU kernel graphics driver.
The Politics of the Instagram Story
Drive yourself crazy for the low price of $3.99 a month!
The AI Politics of 2028 Are Starting Now
Gina Raimondo and Eric Holcomb are not running for president. They might drive the 2028 agenda on artificial intelligence anyway.
Rooted in Flagstaff, Driven by Community
Flagstaff Business News Rooted in Flagstaff, Driven by Community
Your health insurer shouldn’t decide your treatment plan. That’s what your doctor (and possibly AI) should be doing.
With a digital health record, clinicians and AI-driven diagnostic tools would be able to see your full health history — and then make better decisions.
Scientists discover what triggers belly fat as we age
Aging may trigger the appearance of specialized stem cells that supercharge the body's ability to create new belly fat. The discovery reveals a potential biological driver of middle-age weight gain and a promising target for future anti-obesity treatments.
The Most Expensive AC Setting to Use During a Heat Wave, Experts Say
Trying to stay cool during a heat wave? Experts reveal the AC setting that can drive up energy costs the most—and what to use instead to save money.
ACES hosts event looking at health impacts of climate change
Dr. Mark Gladwin, the dean of University of Maryland School of Medicine and the vice president of Medical Affairs, is slated to speak with Aspen Center for Environmental Studies from 6 to 7 p.m. July 2 on the worsening health impacts in the face of human-driven climate change.
Tourism tax dollars to drive $25M makeover of John R. Jones Sports Complex in Pensacola
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The John R. Jones Sports Complex will soon undergo a makeover. When it's complete, it is expected to be one of the premiere athletic fields i
The Best Prime Day SSD and HDD Deals Are Almost Gone: Save Big With Drives From Samsung, Seagate, WD, and More
After months of RAM-related price hikes, Amazon Prime Day is the best time to score deep discounts on SSDs and hard drives. But today is your last chance!
Walton Arts Center to host blood drive with free entertainment July 1
The Walton Arts Center will host a blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1. The center will provide live entertainment for blood donors in attendance that day, including performances by cellist Carrington Truehart, and guitarists Ben Harris and William Reyes. SUBSCRIBE: Get our