NASA has shared a fascinating animation showing the route taken by the Perseverance rover on Mars since its arrival there in February 2021.

Perseverance is NASA’s most advanced Mars rover to date, and while its general routes are decided by a team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the rover actually moves forward autonomously, checking for hazards and moving around any problematic objects as it goes.

The animation covers the entire 18.7 miles (about 30 kilometers) traveled by Perseverance over the last 44 months, and includes the locations where it’s been collecting samples of Mars rock and soil.

Those samples will be returned to Earth in the coming years so that scientists can study them in laboratory conditions to try to determine whether microbial life ever existed on the red planet.

Most of Perseverance’s travels have taken place inside Jezero Crater, a place once filled with water and which scientists believe has the best chance of containing evidence of ancient life.

In recent months, however, Perseverance has embarked on a challenging climb up the side of the crater and is now tackling its steepest inclines to date.

Because much of the material it’s currently driving over comprises loosely packed dust and sand with a thin, brittle crust, Perseverance has recently been slipping a lot and has covered only about 50% of the distance that it would have managed on a more stable surface. On one occasion, it managed only 20% of the planned route.

“Mars rovers have driven over steeper terrain, and they’ve driven over more slippery terrain, but this is the first time one had to handle both, and on this scale,” said JPL’s Camden Miller, who is a rover planner, or “driver,” on the Perseverance mission. “For every two steps forward Perseverance takes, we were taking at least one step back. The rover planners saw this was trending toward a long, hard slog, so we got together to think up some options.”

The team used a replica rover on Earth to test out some new maneuvers aimed at reducing slippage, and also considered alternative routes featuring different terrain. Assessing the data, the planners settled on altering the route, and Perseverance is continuing on its way at a steady pace.

“That’s the plan right now, but we may have to change things up the road,” Miller said. “No Mars rover mission has tried to climb up a mountain this big, this fast. The science team wants to get to the top of the crater rim as soon as possible because of the scientific opportunities up there. It’s up to us rover planners to figure out a way to get them there.”

Those opportunities include access to rocks from the most ancient crust of Mars that were formed from a wealth of different processes. Rocks there have never been analyzed close up before, and they could potentially include once habitable environments.

Samsung has confirmed it is adding 300 repair locations by 2025. The tech giant’s partnership with Cell Phone Repair by Assurant (CPR) will ensure genuine spares and fast service for Galaxy devices.

Samsung will add 300 repair locations by 2025

Samsung is expanding its customer care network. The South Korean tech giant officially announced that its partnership with Cell Phone Repair (CPR) by Assurant will jointly have over 400 new service locations in 2025.

Samsung is reportedly planning to get these service centers operational before 2024 ends. At the beginning of the current year, CPR had roughly 100 locations certified by Samsung. However, the network is growing rapidly. With the 300 new locations, Samsung will have over 400 service centers in the US.

Speaking about the development, Samsung’s VP of Customer Care, said, “Our commitment to repairing devices the right way gives Galaxy customers confidence that they are receiving the highest-quality care experience for extending the lifespan of their smartphones.”

Samsung’s repair network currently includes over 2,000 Authorized Care centers. The company also operates a fleet of ‘We Come To You’ vans for in-person and doorstep repairs.

How will Samsung Galaxy users benefit from the new service centers?

Samsung has assured that the CPR locations have WISE-certified technicians. This means they have received CTIA’s Wireless Industry Service Excellence certification.

Technicians have reportedly received training to offer fast, quality repairs, using genuine Samsung parts. These skilled personnel would offer most of the repairs in under an hour, boasted Samsung.

The service centers are equipped to repair or replace nearly every component, be it cracked screens or worn-out batteries. These locations will also offer out-of-warranty fixes.

Samsung assures Galaxy users will get certified service backed by a limited warranty for added peace of mind. Specifically speaking, smartphone models from the Samsung Galaxy S9 generation to the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra would be serviced by CPR.

Late last week, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) they were investigating “the unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China.” At the same time, The New York Times that phones used by Donald Trump, JD Vance and Kamala Harris’ campaign staff were among the targets, though it was unclear what data the group may have been able to access.

Now, The New York Times has about the extent of the hack, which is reportedly linked to a Chinese group known as “Salt Typhoon.” According to The Times, aides to President Joe Biden, as well as Trump’s family members were also targeted, in addition to diplomats and other government officials. Even more concerning, though, is what the hackers may have been able to access. From the report:

CISA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment The agency said last week in a joint with the FBI that the investigation was “ongoing” and that the affected companies and other potential victims had been notified. At least 10 companies, including Verizon and AT&T, were impacted, according to The Washington Post. A spokesperson for AT&T declined to comment. Verizon didn’t immediately respond to questions, but The Times the company was “aware that a highly sophisticated nation-state actor has reportedly targeted several U.S. telecommunications providers to gather intelligence.”

Lightspeed partnered with GamesBeat, Nasdaq, and leading judges and mentors once again to spotlight the 25 most innovative startups reshaping the gaming and interactive media industry. 

For half a century, video games have profoundly shaped consumer behavior and acted as a catalyst for significant technological innovation.

As an ever-increasing time of our lives is spent in immersive virtual worlds, gaming is expected to continue its pivotal role in how we play, work, and connect.

And like every industry, the gaming world is defined by outliers — the few companies that push the boundaries and pave the way for how the next generation of games are made and played. 

That’s why, after the success of last year’s program, Lightspeed, GamesBeat, and Nasdaq again teamed up with industry-leading judges and mentors to recognize extraordinary startups revolutionizing gaming and interactive media. 

This year’s theme: resilience and adaptation

The gaming industry is in constant flux, so this year’s list emphasizes resilience and adaptation — honoring ideas and strategies that demonstrate a startup’s ability to not only withstand the challenges facing the gaming & interactive media industry but excel in this turbulent environment. 

In June, we asked the gaming and venture communities to nominate standout startups across five key categories:

• 3D technology & infrastructure
• Generative AI & agents
• Game studios & UGC
• Interactive media platforms
• Extended reality (AR & VR) 

To qualify, entrants had to have been in business no more than five years and have no more than 50 full-time employees. The goal of this list is to highlight startups that have unique and original visions with a strong focus on execution. 

Introducing the Top 25 

After receiving an overwhelming amount of entries (almost 40% more than last year), Lightspeed investors and GamesBeat editors narrowed the list of entrants to 75.

From there, a star panel of judges — including C-level gaming executives and senior operators across companies like Activision Blizzard, Amazon, TikTok, Riot Games, Tencent, and DeepMind — scored each candidate (with ~10 votes per startup). We then took the average scores across all judges for each company, sorted the list, and arrived at our final 25.

Here are our five best-in-category winners.

Best 3D technology & infrastructure: k-ID 

There are nearly a billion kids and teens globally that play games online. Yet, today, children pay the price for publisher shortcomings: trolling, cyberbullying, exploitation, toxicity, harassment, grooming, and other forms of online abuse.

The judges were impressed by k-ID’s bold approach in tackling one of the industry’s most pressing, complex challenges—providing a platform that allows both families and publishers to immediately create safe spaces for kids and teens online. At Lightspeed, we believe innovation should drive meaningful and positive change, and k-ID sets that standard, building infrastructure and technology that prioritizes both entertainment and safety. (Note: k-ID is a Lightspeed portfolio company.) 

Best Generative AI & agents: Bitmagic

The barrier to create games has always been high. While there are three billion gamers worldwide, there are only ~200,000 professional game developers. 

Bitmagic believes anyone should be able to create games. 

Bitmagic caught the judges’ attention for its groundbreaking use of generative AI — it’s the first system in the world that leverages generative AI to transform text prompts into fully interactive, multiplayer 3D games. By eliminating the traditional barriers to game development, we see that Bitmagic can act as a catalyst for game lovers, empowering users of all skill levels to bring their game ideas to life with unprecedented ease. 

With its recent availability on Steam Playtest, Bitmagic is well underway to democratize game development. 

Best game studios & UGC: Giant Skull

Led by industry veteran Stig Asmussen, the mind behind God of War III and the Star Wars Jedi series, Giant Skull is focused on creating AAA, story-driven action-adventure games. 

While their technical and visual achievements blew away our judges, our panel was also impressed by the company’s commitment to sustainability practices, work-life balance, and diversity, opting to employ remote developers all over the world.

Best extended reality (AR & VR): Eggscape

Eggscape impressed the judges with its unique blend of mixed reality (MR) and humor, a rare combination in XR. 

Known for their immersive VR experiences like Gloomy Eyes featuring Colin Farrell and Paper Birds featuring Edward Norton, Eggscape is an extended reality game where players navigate vivid 3D levels and interact with fellow gamers in real time, all while expecting the relentless invasion of alien robots. 

With Eggverse’s world-building tool that allows you to share creations with your friends, its combination of art direction, innovative gameplay, and social connection makes for a new direction in XR. 

Best interactive media platforms: Pok Pok

Gaming, especially for young children, can be overstimulating and addictive. Pok Pok stood out with its calm, creativity-driven approach. 

Inspired by Montessori principles, Pok Pok prioritizes open-ended, non-addictive educational games for children ages 2-8. Collaborating with the top minds in education, the interactive platform allows children to explore and learn at their own pace. 

The minimalist design and thoughtful execution have earned them an Apple Design Award, and highlight a shift in gaming towards more meaningful, balanced entertainment that resonates with both parents and children.

The 2025 Game Changers

Game Changers Judges on stage at GamesBeat NEXT in SF: Moritz Baier-Lentz, Dean Takahashi, Kylan Gibbs, Mihir Vaidya, and Lisha Li.

Gaming moves fast, and these companies are on the front lines of innovation. We’re thrilled to announce the additional 20 winners and honor them on stage at GamesBeat NEXT Summit tonight followed by a reception at our San Francisco office with our judges and some previous winners:

You can learn more about our winners on our new home page here. 

A special thank you to our judges, leaders, and mentors 

Thank you to all of the companies that submitted entries, as well as our panel of judges, who were inspired to give back to the community and brought their expertise and passion when evaluating these companies.

• Allen Adham, Co-Founder and fr. Chief Design Officer at Blizzard Entertainment
• Anna Sweet, CEO of Bad Robot Games
• Ben Feder, Managing Partner of Tirta Ventures
• Bonnie Rosen, General Manager of Disney Accelerator
• Chris Bell, CEO & Game Director of Gardens Interactive 
• Danny Lange, Vice President of BI & AI at Google
• Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer of GamesBeat
• Jim Yang, President of Hoyoverse / miHoYo 
• Joe Tung, Co-Founder & CEO of Theorycraft Games
• Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment
• John Hanke, Founder & CEO of Niantic
• John W. Thompson, Fr. Chairman of Microsoft
• Ken Wee, Chief Strategy Officer of Mattel and fr. Chief Strategy Officer of Activision Blizzard
• Kylan Gibbs, Co-Founder & CEO of Inworld AI
• Leo Olebe, VP of Global Partnerships at Microsoft Xbox
• Maria Park, Vice President of Corporate Development at Krafton
• Michael Chow, Co-Founder & CEO of The Believer Company
• Mihir Vaidya, Chief Strategy Officer of Electronic Arts 
• Moritz Baier-Lentz, Partner & Head of Gaming at Lightspeed
• Riccardo Zacconi, Co-Founder and fr. CEO of King
• Songyee Yoon, Fr. President & Chief Strategy Officer of NCsoft
• V Pappas, Fr. COO of TikTok

Smartphones and navigation apps have become second nature these days. But for those with blindness and low vision, it’s not quite so convenient. Haptic has been building a non-visual, non-verbal way of telling people where to go, and they’ve decided it’s time to scale up and take it global.

Haptic presented onstage today as part of the Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, showing their progress from concept to prototype to platform. The company got started in 2017 when, after a friend lost their sight in an accident, a group of colleagues began looking into ways someone could navigate without using visual or auditory cues.

Though there are plenty of screen-reading options and spoken directions in apps, these options aren’t always convenient or practical. But as co-founder and head of business Enzo Caruso pointed out, there are other interfaces we could be using. Touch, for instance.

“Why not receive info in a more robust, intuitive, and accessible way? Everyone can understand the sensation of touch. It’s global, it’s worldwide, it’s universal,” he said.

The advance Haptic has made — and patented, Caruso noted — is a way of using vibration and other tactile sensations to communicate the simple, intuitive idea that the user is going in the right direction. Your device will send a steady pulse when you’re on track, then quicken or intensify if you veer off course; they call it a “haptic corridor.” Though it’s hard to imagine, they say it’s intuitive enough to get after just a few seconds.

The advantages of the approach are plentiful: It works in any language, requires no special hardware, and can be used to direct someone down a crowded city sidewalk, an open landscape, or even inside a building (though that part is still in development).

Originally this haptic corridor was communicated through a wearable of their own, but since then the company has embraced the progress made in the market.

“Technology advances while you’re advancing — and smartwatches got better. So, do you want to be in competition with the Googles and Apples out there… or do you want to have them as allies? You can take your SDK from thousands of users to billions of users,” said Caruso.