Samsung's highly lucrative bonus deal with its semiconductor employees is now tearing the conglomerate apart along the proverbial seams, as the ensuing astronomical pay gap is now spurring angst among ex-semiconductor employees. To demonstrate their grievances, Samsung Device Experience (DX) employees, which include those from its Mobile, Display, and Digital Appliance businesses, chose a novel and fairly dramatic method today, replete with overtones of grief and condemnation. Some Samsung workers wore black to work today, symbolizing 'death, sorrow, and mourning' As per the reports coming out of South Korea, Samsung DX workers went to work today while dressed in black […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/samsung-workers-wore-black-in-protest-today-as-a-100x-bonus-gap-with-semiconductor-workers-splits-the-company/

The 2020s have been a great time for adaptations based on video games, with the film industry in particular seeing an influx of highly-successful properties brought to the big screen. Of course, one of the biggest in this regard was 2025’s A Minecraft Movie – going on to bring in just shy of a Billion Dollars at the box office. Unsurprisingly, a sequel was quickly greenlit, with filming for the sequel now already underway.

Taking to Instagram, actor Kirsten Dunst shared an image of two chairs with the names ‘Steve’ and ‘Alex’ on them alongside the caption “It has begun…..”

Of course, this is in reference to the Minecraft Movie sequel, in which Dunst is set to portray Jack Black’s counterpart Alex, confirming that filming is officially underway.

For the uninitiated, A Minecraft Movie 2 was quickly greenlit following the success of the first film, confirming in October of last year that director Jard Hess would be returning alongside cast members Jack Black; Jason Momoa; Danielle Brooks; Matt Berry and Jennifer Coolidge.

Officially premiering on the 23rd of July 2027, A Minecraft Movie 2 appears to be having quite the rapid turnaround (understandable given the success of the first film).

Hopefully the sequel manages to embrace what worked with the first film while avoiding what didn’t. We won’t have to wait too long to find out.

KitGuru says: What did you think of the first Minecraft Movie? Could the sequel improve upon it? Will the film manage to break a Billion at the box office? Let us know your thoughts down below.

Noctua has announced the chromax.black edition of its flagship NF-A12x25 G2 120mm fan. The new all-black variants maintain the technical specifications of the regular G2 model, including the Progressive Bend impeller and Sterrox liquid-crystal polymer construction. The fans are available immediately in single units and speed-offset dual-packs.

The NF-A12x25 G2 features a 0.5mm tip clearance and a Centrifugal Turbulator hub to improve performance-to-noise efficiency. It features Noctua's etaPERF motor with SupraTorque technology, providing additional torque headroom for high-impedance applications, such as water-cooling radiators. The chromax.black version is compatible with Noctua's optional coloured anti-vibration pads for aesthetic customisation.

For multi-fan configurations, Noctua offers the Sx2-PP set, which includes two fans with a ±50rpm speed offset. This design is intended to prevent acoustic interference and harmonic phenomena, such as periodic humming, when fans are used in push-pull or side-by-side on 240mm or 360mm radiators.

The fans feature the SSO2 bearing system and carry an MTTF rating exceeding 150,000 hours. Noctua backs the series with a 6-year manufacturer's warranty. The NF-A12x25 G2 PWM chromax.black is priced at €34.90/$34.90 for the single fan, while the Sx2-PP dual-pack is available for €64.90/$64.90.

KitGuru says: Were you waiting for Noctua to release the chromax.black variant of its NF-A12x25 G2? 

There is now a demo for In The Black, a space combat game in Early Access, developed by people who also brought us Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance and MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries. …

Noctua has published a technical blog detailing why chromax.black versions of its fans often launch months or years after the standard brown and beige models. The company attributes these delays to the complex engineering required when introducing new pigments into the injection moulding process, which can alter material properties and disrupt the tolerances of its designs.

According to Noctua, its fans are designed with extremely tight tip clearances between the impeller and the frame, measuring approximately 0.5mm for 120mm fans and 0.7mm for 140mm fans. The company states that introducing third-party pigments can disrupt the structure of its Sterrox liquid-crystal polymer (LCP). Noctua claims that pigment particles possess unique characteristics that affect the behavior of the molten plastic during injection moulding, potentially leading to microscopic structural changes.

The manufacturer compares the process to the precision required in Formula 1 engineering rather than a simple aesthetic change. These material variations reportedly impact the results of Noctua's lab performance testing, necessitating extensive re-evaluation to ensure the black versions match the performance of the original designs.

Noctua confirmed it is currently preparing the chromax.black version of the NF-A12x25 G2, scheduled for release approximately 10 months after the launch of the original model. By comparison, the first-generation NF-A12x25 chromax.black took three years to reach the market, a delay the company attributed to a combination of engineering hurdles and pandemic-related logistical issues.

KitGuru says: Have you ever wondered why the Noctua chromax.black fans take so much longer to release? 

Arctic is expanding its case lineup with another variant of the Xtender case. The newly released Xtender Black clear glass provides an even greater look inside of the PC from multiple angles, making it a great option for RGB-heavy builds. 

The chassis is constructed from black SECC steel, providing a rigid foundation for the tempered-glass panels that wrap around the front and left sides. Under the hood, this mid-tower is spacious, supporting motherboards up to E-ATX and providing ample clearance for graphics cards up to 482mm long. This is particularly impressive for a mid-tower, as it comfortably accommodates even the largest flagship GPUs currently on the market.

Cooling is another major pillar of the design, with the case shipping with five of Arctic's latest ARGB LED fans pre-installed. This includes two P12 Pro (120mm) and three P14 Pro Reverse (140mm) fans. It also supports up to two 420mm radiators simultaneously along the top and front-right panels, a feat usually reserved for much larger full-tower cases. For those who want to show off their GPU's shroud, Arctic is offering a VG (Vertical GPU) variant that includes the new Accelero Vertical GPU Mount. This mount is also available as a standalone purchase for existing Xtender owners who want to upgrade later.

Arctic is launching the Xtender series with a tiered pricing model that rewards early adopters. The standard Xtender Black is officially priced at €146.65, though it is currently running a 25% discount in celebration of its 25th anniversary, bringing the price down to €109.99.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you prefer the new Clear Glass variant over the older Mirror and Tinted Glass models?

Samsung Display has officially announced the launch of QuantumBlack, a next-generation display film engineered to address one of QD-OLED's primary weaknesses: ambient light interference.

While self-emissive panels excel at delivering “True Black” by cutting power to individual pixels, external light reflecting off the panel has historically caused dark scenes to appear washed out or take on a purple tint. Samsung claims this new proprietary coating reduces light reflectance by 20% compared to its previous generation.

Beyond the visual improvements, QuantumBlack provides a significant boost to physical durability. Internal evaluations indicate that the film raises the surface hardness of QD-OLED panels from 2H to 3H. In practical terms, this means the display is more resistant to micro-scratches from routine cleaning or accidental contact with a fingernail.

The technology is set to become a standard feature for the 2026 monitor refresh cycle. Several major hardware partners using QD-OLED panels are already integrating QuantumBlack into their flagship products, though many are using their own marketing terms. Asus is branding the technology as “Black Shield”, Gigabyte as “Obsidian Shield”, and MSI as “Dark Armor”. Regardless of the name on the box, the underlying Samsung film remains the same across these high-end displays.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Reflection handling has been a minor issue with QD-OLED panels since their debut. A 20% reduction in reflectance, combined with a bump in scratch resistance, is exactly what the tech needs to rival LG's WOLED.

Thermaltake is introducing both the standard TR200 and the wood-accented TR200 WS, two models that lean into the furniture-tech trend that has defined much of the hardware aesthetics in 2026. This Micro-ATX lineup offers a refreshing choice between a high-airflow mesh front and a warmer, lifestyle-oriented vertical wood design that fits perfectly into contemporary living spaces.

Despite its compact footprint, the TR200's internal layout is surprisingly spacious, supporting graphics cards up to 365 mm in length. Perhaps the most interesting “retro-modern” inclusion is the 5.25-inch drive bay. While many thought the optical drive bay was a relic of the past, its inclusion here provides a spot for specialised front-panel modules or fan controllers that many enthusiasts enjoy. Cooling support is equally robust for the size, supporting up to a 360 mm radiator and a total of seven 120 mm fans, giving this mATX chassis the thermal headroom typically reserved for larger mid-tower systems.

For those who want to customise the case, Thermaltake is offering an optional 6.0-inch LCD Screen Kit. With a 1480 × 720 resolution, the display is powered by the TT RGB PLUS 3.0 ecosystem and introduces a very 2026 feature: AI Forge integration. This allows users to generate custom backgrounds and system-monitoring visuals with simple text prompts, making it easier than ever to match the internal display to the external wood or mesh aesthetic. You can also personalise the visuals via the TT PlayLink mobile app.

Available in black and white, with or without wooden accents, these cases also feature a modern I/O stack that includes USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 for fast data transfers and dedicated dust filters on the top, bottom, and side panels.

KitGuru says: Of the four Thermaltake TR200 models, which one do you like the most?

The WD_Black C50 2TB Xbox expansion card hits $250 at Amazon, its lowest tracked price at $125 per terabyte.

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/wd_black-c50-2tb-xbox-expansion-card-drops-to-250-at-amazon/

The WD_Black SN7100 4TB NVMe SSD is $546 on Amazon with Gen4 speeds and TLC NAND at roughly $137/TB.

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/wd_black-sn7100-4tb-nvme-ssd-drops-to-546-on-amazon-60-off-list/