Technologies

PlayStation Plus Subscribers Are In for a Scary Fun October With These Great Games

All subscribers can play Alan Wake 2, while Extra and Premium subscribers can play The Last of Us Part 2.

There’s a chill in the air, the days are getting shorter and Halloween is only a few weeks away. Sony announced at its PlayStation State of Play event on Wednesday that it was treating PlayStation Plus subscribers to Alan Wake 2 and The Last of Us Part 2 this October.

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass and it offers subscribers a large, constantly expanding library of games. Subscribers can choose from the Essential, Extra and Premium tiers, which each have unique perks and benefits. The plans start at $10 a month, and each tier gives subscribers access to monthly games and rewards.

Here are the games PS Plus subscribers can play in October for spooky season. You can also check out the games Sony added to the PS Plus Game Catalog in September, including WWE 2K25.

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The Last of Us Part 2

This award-winning action adventure game drops you right back into an apocalyptic world filled with cordyceps-infected zombies, violence and a whole lot of pain — so much pain. You play as both Ellie from the original game, as well as the person she’s hunting, Abby. You’ll see grief and trauma from both of their perspectives and how those things can heighten our emotions like a funhouse mirror. It’s a heavy game that forces the air from your lungs and won’t let you breathe until the credits roll.

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game starting Sept. 26.

Alan Wake 2

This sequel picks up years after the first game but Alan Wake 2 drops us back into the haunted world of the original. An FBI agent has been murdered by a cult in the town of Bright Falls, the town from the original Alan Wake game. Agents Saga Anderson and Alex Casey are sent to investigate. As you help these characters in their investigation, you’ll also assist the titular Alan Wake as he tries to write his way out of an alternate dimension. You’ll have to explore your environments, solve puzzles and keep enemies at bay in this mind-bending survival horror game.

All PS Plus subscribers can access this game in October starting Oct. 7.

Goat Simulator 3

Despite what Game of Thrones might have you think, chaos is not a ladder. Chaos is a goat and your goal in this game is to cause as much havoc as you can while on four hooves. For the first time in the series, this game features a story mode where you attempt to rise through the ranks of the Illuminati. Otherwise, this entry maintains the goofy and absurd humor as well as the sandbox setting of past games, giving you free rein to do whatever you want.

All PS Plus subscribers can access this game in October starting Oct. 7.

Cocoon

Get ready to go on an adventure across worlds within worlds in this puzzle game. You play as an insect-like creature who wakes up in a barren wasteland. You soon find an orb that contains an entire world within it that you can dive into, explore and solve puzzles in. As you progress, you’ll find more orbs, and each one will help you unravel a cosmic mystery.

All PS Plus subscribers can access this game in October starting Oct. 7.

For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service and a rundown of PS Plus Extra and Premium games added in September. You can also check out the latest and upcoming games on Xbox Game Pass and Apple Arcade.

Technologies

Be Wary of AI Videos as Hurricane Melissa Hits Jamaica. How to Spot a Fake

AI-generated storm videos are spreading rapidly online. Here’s where to find reliable information.

As Category 5 Hurricane Melissa bears down on Jamaica with winds topping 180 mph, social media is being hit by a surge of AI-generated and misleading videos, showing catastrophic flooding, collapsing buildings and rescue scenes that never happened.

Across X, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp and other social media platforms, fake clips spread quickly, racking up millions of views in hours. Many of these videos are spliced footage from past storms or clips created entirely with text-to-video AI tools.

In times of crisis, like a dangerous and imminent natural disaster, these fake videos can create confusion, panic and distraction at a time when accuracy can be life-saving.

Natural disasters have always bred rumors and recycled footage, but the rise of AI-generated video has supercharged the problem. Tools like OpenAI’s Sora and other AI-video platforms can render realistic-looking images of storms, floods and damage scenes in seconds, reaching millions online in just a few hours.

Read also: The Deepfakes Are Winning. How Can You Tell if a Video Is Real or Sora AI?

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Why storms are a magnet for fake news

Storms are visual, emotional and fast-moving, which is the perfect recipe for viral misinformation. In years past, videos were often taken out of context or labeled as a different storm. Now, they can be digitally fabricated from scratch.

Some depict apocalyptic flooding that hasn’t occurred, while others claim to show «real-time» conditions hours before landfall. Several videos that have circled this week include images of sharks swimming in the storm surge and unsettling depictions of human suffering.

False videos like these can exaggerate the danger of the storm, create panic, undermine trust and distract emergency responders, as misinformation pulls attention from verified reports.

The following three videos are all fake. They are labeled (albeit briefly) with the Sora watermark, which indicates they were made in OpenAI’s video generator.

How to separate truth from fiction online

When social feeds fill with dramatic hurricane clips, it’s important to separate truth from fiction.

«You have to be very discerning,» Senator Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s information minister, said. «You have to know what is good information from bad information. If you want to know where the storm is going, if you want to know what to do, you need to look for official sources.»

Dixon highlighted that the Jamaica Information Service, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management’s information sites and the Office of the Prime Minister page are resources for legitimate, timely updates.

Here are some ways to be discerning.

Check the source. If the video comes from an unfamiliar account, lacks a timestamp or carries no recognizable media branding, assume it is fake until verified. Also, look for the Sora watermark indicating it was made in OpenAI’s app, or read the comments to see if someone else has flagged the video as fake.

Ask yourself if it’s new and local. Does the geography match Jamaica? Is the footage recent? Many «Melissa» clips could actually be from past Caribbean or Gulf storms.

Cross-check before believing. Confirm through trusted outlets, like the Meteorological Service of Jamaica and the US National Hurricane Center, or established media like the BBC, Reuters or the Associated Press.

Pause before sharing. A viral video can cause harm if it spreads misinformation. Wait until a credible source verifies it before reposting.

Go local. If you’re in the affected area, rely on local emergency agencies, radio stations and city or county-level officials for evacuation and safety updates.

Monitor official alerts. For real-time instructions, stick with government channels and local emergency feeds. Your safety depends on accurate information, not viral content.

As AI-generated media becomes easier to produce, hurricanes like Melissa offer a preview of a new reality: one in which you can’t trust much of the information you see online.

Staying safe means being skeptical and diligent when looking for accurate and even lifesaving news.

Read also: What Is AI Slop? Everything to Know About the Terrible Content Taking Over the Internet

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 29 #605

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 29, No. 605.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a fun one for English majors. Some of the answers are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: «Nevermore!»

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Poem by Edgar Allen Poe.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

MOVE, RAVE, NOVEL, BACK, LACK, HACK, FEAT, HEAT, WING, SORE, ROSE, STAR, RATS

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

BLACK, CLEVER, WINGED, FEATHERED, OMNIVOROUS

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is THATSSORAVEN. To find it, look for the T that’s six letters down on the far-left vertical row, and wind across.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 29, #401

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 29, No. 401.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one. As a Vikings and Seahawks fan, I spotted two nicknames for parts of those teams right away. Of course, the purple category is its typically loopy self. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Buy me some Cracker Jack.

Green group hint: Hoops homes.

Blue group hint: Like the Monsters of the Midway.

Purple group hint: Football teams, with a twist.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Things a stadium vendor sells.

Green group: NBA arenas.

Blue group: Famous nicknames for NFL defenses.

Purple group: NFL teams, with the second-to-last letter changed.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is things a stadium vendor sells. The four answers are beer, cotton candy, hot dogs and peanuts.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NBA arenas. The four answers are Barclays, Little Caesars, Smoothie King and United.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is famous nicknames for NFL defenses. The four answers are Legion of Boom, Orange Crush, Purple People Eaters and Steel Curtain.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is NFL teams, with the second-to-last letter changed. The four answers are beads (Bears), biles (Bills), colas (Colts) and packets (Packers).