Author: Trafficblast

Last week, Valve unveiled the Steam Deck, an impressive-looking handheld gaming PC that will launch later this year. Since then, one of the lingering questions is whether or not its internal SSD storage will be user-upgradable. 

During IGN’s exclusive hands-on with the Steam Deck, Valve hardware engineer Yazan Aldehayyat confirmed that the SSD is not soldered to the motherboard, which means that it is technically user-upgradeable.

“We are using a standard M.2 NVMe SSD in there,” Aldehayyat said. “It’s a separate module – we went against the trend of putting it directly on the motherboard.”

That said, this doesn’t mean that upgrading the SSD will be easy. “The repairability is something we did actually focus on and try to make it as repairable as possible. But, it’s really meant for people who know what they’re doing, and have experience doing it.”

These comments fall in line with new messaging that has appeared on the Steam Deck hardware specs page: “All models use socketed 2230 m.2 modules (not intended for end-user replacement). 

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In other words, the SSD is upgradeable, but it’s not in an easily accessible spot like the PS5’s SSD expansion slot. This means folks who aren’t afraid to take their unit apart (and likely void the warranty along the way) will be able to upgrade that SSD to a compatible 2230 m.2 module, but it’s not something that Valve expects (or recommends) most users to do.

The Steam Deck comes in three models: 64GB for $399, 256GB for $529, and 512GB for $649. Stay tuned tomorrow as we take a deep dive into the Steam Deck’s hardware.

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Warner Bros. and DC have found their Barbara Gordon. Leslie Grace has been selected to play Batgirl in the superhero’s upcoming solo film, as reported by Deadline.

It was reported earlier this week that Warner Bros. and DC were testing several actresses to play the DC heroine, with Dora and the Lost City of Gold star Isabel Merced and Zombieland: Double Tap’s Zoey Deutch also featured on a shortlist for the role. Warner Bros. reportedly had a high opinion of Grace after her performance in the studio’s musical In the Heights and an impressive audition cinched the deal.

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Batgirl will premiere exclusively on HBO Max, along with an upcoming Static Shock solo film. The pair of DC adaptations represent an effort by DC to expand their storytelling beyond theatrical releases. Both Batgirl and Static Shock will have connections to DC’s established live-action cinematic universe, though DC Films president Walter Hamada has described the projects as “riskier” endeavors better fit for the smaller budget of a non-theatrical release.

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Batgirl was first announced in 2017, with Joss Whedon attached to write and direct. After Whedon left the project in 2018, Warner Bros. has since hired Adil El Arbi and Billall Fallah, the duo that helmed 2020’s Bad Boys for Life. Bumblebee writer Christina Hodson is attached to pen Batgirl.

For more on DC’s upcoming slate of movies and TV shows, check out our rundown of every DC project that’s currently in development.

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J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

(Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Whether you want to create social and Youtube content which skyrockets your brand, or you want to start an exciting new career in media, the key to doing it lies with expert training to teach you the latest production tools and techniques.

But, did you know that you don’t need to go to an expensive film or media school to make it happen? Instead, you can learn the most in-demand skills in the business (and keep on learning new ones, too) from anywhere, with a Video School Online Unlimited Membership, which we’ve found on sale today for just $49.99 – that’s 86% off the regular price of $375. 

Video School Online gives you on-demand access to over 1,500 hours of top-rated training on photography, video production, YouTube creation, digital marketing, and more. With this unlimited membership, you’ll get unlimited access to all of these courses, as well as future courses and updates, too. It’ll equip you with everything you need to enter the media world as a professional content producer, be your own boss with lucrative freelance video editing work, or create videos for your own brand.

Consider this your complete education to take you from beginner through to advanced in any topic – and to keep you learning new things, constantly, meaning you never have to pay for another course again, and that you’re always top of your field.

The courses you’ll get access to come from some of the world’s highest-rated instructors, and from established professionals in the photography, video, design, and business worlds. Just one example? Phil Ebiner, a film and TV production expert who has shot and edited thousands of videos for movies, film festivals, and Youtube, has taught more than 2 million students from all over the world and has earned a highly respectable 4.6/5 instructor rating from those students.

Get the key to becoming a content production pro today with a Video School Online Unlimited Membership, on sale with 86% off now, for $49.99 (regular price $375).

Final Fantasy 14 has had a great deal of success of late. On the flipside, World of Warcraft has had its share of struggles, from the departure of major influencers to controversy over its handling of one of its most important characters, Sylvanas.

Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida isn’t in the mood to celebrate, though. In fact, he would prefer that fans stop making negative comparisons between the two, calling claims that Final Fantasy 14 has successfully claimed the MMORPG crown ‘irritating.’

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“The hard work we’ve been putting into Final Fantasy 14 did pay off,” Yoshida said in a translated clip of a recent stream, as reported by PC Gamer. “But this whole conversation about surpassing WoW is the wrong conversation to have and it’s honestly irritating.”

Instead, Yoshida says Final Fantasy 14 owes WoW a debt of gratitude, noting that A Realm Reborn “wouldn’t exist” without Blizzard’s long-standing MMORPG. Yoshida himself is a WoW fan, and he took many cues from Blizzard in building Final Fantasy 14 into the game it is today.

“WoW was the game we constantly looked up to,” Yoshida said.

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Elsewhere in the stream, Yoshida expressed gratitude for Final Fantasy 14’s recent surge in concurrent players in anticipation of the Endwalker expansion, calling it “kind of scary.” But he also said there’s “no way” that Final Fantasy 14 could match the 12 million paid subscribers that WoW enjoyed at its peak, likening it to Mt. Everest.

One way or another, Final Fantasy 14 continues to enjoy immense success, and that is something everyone can agree is worth celebrating. Read more here about our Top 10 MMORPGs, as well as the steps Square Enix is taking to account for its influx of new players. Endwalker is due on November 23.

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Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.

Playing the piano is one of the coolest skills you can have. If you’ve ever seen someone surprise a bar full of people by hopping onto the piano, you’ll know what we mean. Aside from that, it’s also been proven to sharpen your concentration, improve your memory and increase your motor control skills (so it’ll even make you better at CoD, too). Oh, and it’s a lot of fun. 

You don’t have to have an expensive piano tutor to learn to play, either. Even if you’ve never played piano before, The Complete 2021 Piano for Beginners Bundle will turn you into a real pianist in your own time, from anywhere – and today, it’s on sale for just $19.99 (regular price $1194). With six different courses included in this bundle, that works out to less than $3.50/course. 

This complete training will teach you everything you need to know with more than 13 hours of tutoring on music theory, chords, scales, and playing techniques. You’ll also get lifetime access to every course, so you’ll always be able to go back and refresh your knowledge whenever you like. 

You’ll get started with the 4.4/5 star rated Learn Piano Today: How to Play Piano in Easy Online Lessons, which will walk you through the basics of piano playing and how to read sheet music, even if you have no musical experience. 

Then, in the 4.7/5 rated courses Piano Technique Exercises, volumes 1 through 4, you’ll take your skills to the next level, with practical exercises and video tutorials which will teach you excellent techniques and have you playing skilfully with both hands. 

Every course in this bundle is taught by SkillSuccess, a leading online learning hub that has been featured on CNN, Entrepreneur, and Mashable. Your tutors will be experts in their field, such as Ilse Lozoyam, an experienced Certified Suzuki piano teacher and university professor with a 4.4/5 instructor rating from her previous students, and the 4.4/5 rated David Brogan, a professional keyboard player and touring session musician who has been teaching piano for 34 years.

Take the first step to becoming a master pianist today with The Complete 2021 Piano for Beginners Bundle, on sale now for $19.99 – that’s 98% off the regular price of $1194. 

Whether you’re a total beginner or an experienced pro when it comes to photo editing, chances are you’re using Photoshop. It’s understandable – 90% of all creative professionals use the Adobe software. But, it’s also extremely expensive. Photoshop alone costs over $30 a month, or $239 a year. 

The likelihood is that everything you’re currently using that software for could be done with a smarter AI-powered alternative. As a prime example, look no further than the award-winning Pixlr Premium, which we’ve found a one-year subscription to on sale today for just $19.99. That works out to less than $2 a month – and a huge 79% discount off the regular price of $95.

With an entire year’s subscription to Pixlr’s premium design software costing less than one month of Photoshop, you’re probably wondering how it differs. Actually, it makes it far quicker to design stunning images – increasing your productivity if you’re a professional graphic designer, or, if you’re a design newbie, giving you the ability to create slick projects you never knew you could.

Pixlr is an online browser-based photo editor, which makes it ideal for creating great designs from anywhere, not just on one dedicated computer. Start with an empty canvas, uploading images in almost any format, including PSD files, or by selecting one of the professionally crafted templates. Then, start up your productivity with Pixlr’s AI-powered tools which make professional editing a breeze – from all the latest social media templates to its smart background remover for perfect portraits and profile pictures, to a huge archive of instant filters and effects. 

Pixlr comes highly rated by both users and experts alike. It’s earned an impressive 4.3/5 stars on Google Play from more than 1.2 million reviews, 9.2/10 stars on Finances Online, and 4.4/5 stars on G2. Meanwhile, not only did TechRadar call it “The best online photo editors 2021: edit photos in your web browser,” but it was named one of the Best Photoshop Alternatives of 2021 by TechRadar’s app critics, too. 

Start creating pro graphic designs quicker than ever before with a Pixlr Premium: 1-Yr Subscription, on sale now with 79% off, for $19.99 (regular price $95). 

With our lives lived online now more than ever, there are two services anyone who uses the internet simply must have: a reliable cloud storage backup, and a VPN that will unlock totally unrestricted browsing. 

Thankfully, today The Lifetime Backup & Security Subscription Bundle is on sale for just $89.99. That’s a massive 97% discount off the regular price of $3799 – and everything you need to protect your files and your internet freedom for life. 

With this great package, you’ll get lifetime access to two best-in-class services: Degoo Backup and KeepSolid VPN Unlimited. 

In the first, you’ll get a lifetime 10TB backup plan with Degoo Premium, so you’ll never have to worry about losing your files, ever again. Giving you a greater amount of secure storage space than Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive combined and easy-to-use automatic backups from all your devices, not only will you be able to keep your precious photos, videos, and documents safe, but it’ll also mean you’ll never have to run out of storage on your phone again, either.

Degoo also comes extremely highly rated from its users, with 4.5/5 stars on the Apple App Store from more than 6.5k ratings, and 4.4/5 stars on the Google Play Store, from over 595k reviews.  

Then, with your KeepSolid VPN Unlimited: Lifetime Subscription, you’ll be able to enjoy totally unrestricted and anonymous browsing on five different devices – forever. That means no more region-blocked content, watching TV, movies, and sports from anywhere in the world, and no risk of prying eyes looking at your confidential personal information, either. As VPNs go, this is one of the best in the business – and its long list of awards speaks for itself. Among them, it’s been named PC Mag’s Top VPN, Laptop Review Pro’s Best VPN for Laptop, and it has won the Editor’s Pick Award by Software Informer.

Start enjoying total online freedom and keep your files backed up for life with The Lifetime Backup & Security Subscription Bundle, on sale today with 97% off, for $89.99 (regular price $3799). 

With ransomware attacks on the rise, cybersecurity is becoming more important than ever. A single slipup or missed vulnerability could cost a major company millions of dollars to save their customers’ data, privacy, and safety. If you’re looking to change careers or get a promotion in the IT field, getting certified in cybersecurity is a sure win. Look no further than Infosec4TC, one of the premier e-learning companies in the cybersecurity field. Right now you have a golden opportunity with Infosec4TC, their Lifetime Platinum Membership is on sale for only $69!

Platinum Membership gives you access to all of Infosec4TC’s cybersecurity courses, including any added in the future, for life! You’ll get access to courses including ethical hacking, GSEC Security Essentials certification, CISSP Exam Prep, and many many more! In addition, you also get access to all the student social media groups and the student portal, letting you talk directly with colleagues and fellow students with whom you can network and reveal a whole world of cybersecurity professionals. All for the one-time fee of $69!

Taught by expert cybersecurity professional and 20-year veteran of the industry Mohamed Atef, you know that you are getting the best instruction for your money. Mr. Atef is an IT cybersecurity expert who has worked for IBM, the Cleveland Clinic, and even the Republic of Egypt. Let his expertise and years of hard work in cybersecurity guide you onto the career path that you have always dreamed of. There’s a reason why Infosec4TC has a 4.5/5 rating on Trustpilot; with top-tier content, ease of use, and a world-class instructor they have had thousands of students go on to become certified professionals in the industry.

Infosec4TC gives you the freedom to study on your own time, so you can fit this into your busy schedule. You can also take as long as you need, the courses will always be available to you and you get to set your own timeline. It’s an easy entry into the adventurous and exciting world of cybersecurity, so get the Platinum Membership to Infosec4TC today!

The brain is central to everything we do. It plays a role in every one of our functions, controlling our organs, our thoughts, our memory, our speech, and our movements, and as such we want to keep it in as great a shape as possible. Like the muscles in our body, the brain needs exercise—obviously not the kind we get at the gym, but exercises which make us think, make us remember, make us understand. As dumbbells aid in building up your biceps, so can NeuroNation Brain Training help to give your gray matter a good workout.

Studies have shown that one in seven Americans over the age of 70 has dementia, the most common of which is Alzheimer’s. The  Alzheimer’s Association reports that there may be as many as half a million Americans under age 65 who have dementia or severe cognitive impairment. These numbers are staggering, and with our aging population, likely to increase. So what can you do to help stave off dementia?

Experts agree that what’s good for your heart is also good for your brain. This means you can help reduce your risk of dementia by eating a healthy, balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, keeping alcohol within recommended limits, stopping smoking, and keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level. But perhaps more importantly, you need to keep that brain active. That old adage, “If you don’t use it, you lose it” rings most true when it comes to your cognitive function.

The NeuroNation Brain Training app gives you the tools you need to help power up your brain in multiple areas, including memory, concentration, and reaction time. With more than 30 exercises, each getting progressively more complex, and NeuroBoosters, little exercises that engage both your brain and body in the middle of a stressful workday, you can help to give your brain more momentum. Developed with scientists and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for the treatment of cognitive impairments, this app was listed by Forbes as one of the “three apps worth considering to keep your brain on track.”

Highly rated by both the App Store and Google Play, a 1-year subscription to NeuroNation Brain Training can be yours for $39.99 (regularly $84). Add it to your daily routine.

Prices subject to change.

So you have decided to go with Shopify to sell your wares! A great decision and one you have undoubtedly researched. Based on your business model you were likely attracted to Shopify’s affordable way to build your online store, a mobile-friendly store that belongs to you and you have control over. You appreciate the powerful ecommerce tools and apps Shopify has to offer. You like that it is relatively simple to create your own unique brand identity and that it provides ample opportunity to build a substantial business. But what you are really pleased about are the free Shopify payments. So now what?

Shopify is a giant in the ecommerce sector. It currently owns 11% of the market share. More than a million businesses use Shopify and the number of Shopify buyers increased by 52% from 2019 to 2020.  Its total revenue increased 52% year-over-year.  Pretty impressive statistics, to say the least.

While the pandemic has contributed to this substantial growth in online shopping, ecommerce isn’t going anywhere even after we’re all vaccinated. Now that you have made the decision to enter this market, this Complete Shopify Store Creation Course Bundle can help you to be successful. Even if you have no prior knowledge about launching a business online, through 48 hours of content you will learn how to start, promote, and manage your own brand online. You will quickly learn the buzzwords, the tips, the tricks, the strategies of how to make your business stand out from the rest, get the best conversion rates, and most importantly, become profitable.

Taught by a variety of instructors, each lending their knowledge, expertise, and their business acumen to the subjects at hand, this bundle is a comprehensive collection of over 500 lessons. You will receive lifetime access that will allow you to go back any time to review or refresh what you learned to keep you in the forefront. Retailing at $1,400 this highly-rated Shopify course is available to you for $24.99.

Prices subject to change.