HeyWhatsNew: Fortnite’s Fantastic Four Skins and Soldier Hacker Pleads Guilty
Welcome back, Heyuppers. As always, we’re bringing you the highlights from the world of technology, gaming, and innovation. Here’s your roundup for the week beginning 14/07/2025.
8BitDo Pro 3 Drops with Swappable Buttons, Retro Vibes, and Pro-Level Features
Say hello to 8BitDo’s Pro 3, a customizable controller with serious style and smarts! This is 8BitDo’s first-ever gamepad with swappable ABXY buttons, so you can mix and match layouts to suit your gaming style, whether you're Team Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or somewhere in between. The Pro 3 sports a familiar PlayStation-style dual-stick layout, now upgraded with drift-resistant tech for smoother gameplay. It’s packed with features like back buttons, Hall effect triggers, extra shoulder buttons, and even arcade-style joystick caps if you’re feeling retro. Plus, it supports everything from Windows and Android to the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck.
At $69.99, the Pro 3 costs a bit more than its predecessor, but it comes with a 1,000mAh rechargeable battery (20 hours of playtime!), a sleek matching charging dock, and support for three custom profiles via 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software V2. Available in three nostalgic colorways — gray (PlayStation), G Classic (Game Boy), and purple (GameCube) — this controller is a love letter to old-school gaming with a modern twist. Preorders are live now, with official sales kicking off on August 12th.
From Soldier to Cybercriminal: Hacker Pleads Guilty in Major Telecom Case
A former U.S. Army soldier has pleaded guilty to a major hacking and extortion scheme targeting telecom giants. Cameron John Wagenius, who went by the online alias “kiberphant0m,” admitted to breaking into systems at multiple telecommunications companies. Using brute force attacks and stolen credentials, he and his co-conspirators discussed and shared stolen data in Telegram chats and attempted to extort the companies by threatening to leak sensitive information. Wagenius had previously pleaded guilty to hacking AT&T and Verizon, stealing large volumes of call records in the process. He was also involved in SIM swapping and sold stolen data on underground forums like BreachForums. His crimes were reportedly linked to a larger series of breaches, including the one that hit cloud computing firm Snowflake. Sentencing is set for October 6, and he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Fortnite x Fantastic Four? Leaks Say the First Family Is Dropping In
Fortnite’s next big update (v36.20) might bring some superhero power to the island. According to trusted leakers like HYPEX and Shiina, three members of Marvel’s Fantastic Four — Reed Richards, Susan Storm, and Johnny Storm — are coming to the game as new skins. Each character will feature unique animated styles and powers, including Fantastic Fists, Psionic Orbs, and Torch’s Flame. So far, there’s no official word on whether The Thing will join the lineup, but fans are definitely keeping their fingers crossed.
That’s not all. Leaks also hint at a special “collaboration car,” likely inspired by the iconic Fantasticar, and it may even be free. With the Fantastic Four movie building hype, this crossover feels perfectly timed. While none of this is confirmed just yet, the update goes live on July 15, so fans won’t have to wait long to see if Marvel’s First Family really is joining the Fortnite universe.
Meta’s Superintelligence Ambitions Get a Major Boost with Billion-Dollar AI Data Centers
Mark Zuckerberg is going all-in on AI. On Monday, the Meta CEO announced plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to build massive data centers designed to support the development of artificial superintelligence. With names like Prometheus and Hyperion, these upcoming centers are set to be technological powerhouses, with one expected to rival the size of a Manhattan city block. Meta’s first gigawatt-plus supercluster could be up and running by 2026, and Zuckerberg hinted that the company may be the first to reach that scale in the AI race.
Meta’s aggressive push into superintelligence is powered by strong ad revenue, which Zuckerberg says gives them the capital to fund bold moves like these. After recently restructuring its AI division into “Superintelligence Labs,” Meta is betting on new innovations such as the Meta AI app, smarter ad tools, and next-gen smart glasses. Despite recent challenges with its open-source Llama 4 model, the company is pressing forward and may even shift toward more closed, proprietary systems. Investors are watching closely, but so far, Meta’s stock is up more than 20% this year.
Thinking Machines Lab Emerges with $2 Billion Seed Round and Star-Studded AI Team
Thinking Machines Lab has burst onto the scene with a record-breaking $2 billion seed round, giving the AI startup a sky-high valuation of $12 billion. Led by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, the company includes an impressive lineup of cofounders who played major roles in OpenAI’s development of ChatGPT, AI safety tools, and reasoning systems. Backed by major players like Andreessen Horowitz, Nvidia, Cisco, and AMD, the funding highlights just how intense the race for advanced AI and top-tier talent has become.
Murati shared on X that Thinking Machines is focused on building multimodal AI designed to interact more naturally with humans through conversation, sight, and collaboration. Their first product is expected in the coming months, with open-source tools and new research planned to support startups and the broader AI community. While the startup has remained quiet about its ambitions for human-level AI, its heavyweight team and bold backing suggest that Thinking Machines is one to watch in the evolving AI space.
Until next time, Heyuppers! We’ll be back next week with more stories, leaks, and launches you’ll want on your radar.
