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Acer x Intel SFI Starter Packs Are Now Available on Google Classroom
Intel Skills for Innovation (Intel SFI) Starter Packs are now accessible directly through Google Classroom, giving teachers an easier way to deliver hands-on, technology-enabled learning. Educators can create and distribute assignments, organize class materials, and monitor student progress and submissions - all within the familiar Google Classroom ecosystem.
Developed through the Acer x Intel SFI partnership, these Starter Packs are free, ready-to-use teaching modules designed to support practical, skills-based learning. The three currently available Acer x Intel SFI Starter Packs (which you can read more about here) include Screen Sense, which focuses on digital wellbeing and responsible technology use; Optimize, Design, & Minimize, a mathematics-based module that introduces optimization and data-driven thinking; and Durability by Design, an engineering-focused lesson that explores product design, testing, and real-world problem solving.
By making these modules accessible through Google Classroom, teachers can integrate these free-to-use learning tools more seamlessly into their lesson plans - without adding any more complexity to classroom management.
What is Google Classroom?
For those unaware, Google Classroom itself is an online learning platform that helps teachers and students manage classes, assignments, and learning materials in one central location. Designed for in-person, remote, and hybrid classrooms, it simplifies how lessons are shared and completed.
Teachers can create assignments, distribute resources, collect student work, and provide feedback digitally, while students can easily access materials, track deadlines, and submit their work in a familiar, structured environment. Through integration with Google Workspace, files such as Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drive resources can be attached and managed seamlessly within each class.
Getting Started with Intel SFI Starter Packs on Google Classroom
With Intel SFI Starter Packs now available directly in Google Classroom, hands-on learning can now be introduced the same as any classroom resource - all without changing how teachers already manage lessons, assignments, or materials. The Starter Packs sit alongside existing coursework, making them easy to assign, review, and track within a platform educators and students use every day.
For educators, this means guided, curriculum-ready activities can be integrated without additional software or complex preparation. For students, the Starter Packs are easier to access and complete within their regular class environment, supporting engagement while reducing technical friction.
To see how this works in practice, the step-by-step video below walks through how to access and use Acer x Intel SFI Starter Packs in Google Classroom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmtiZEonJf8
Beyond ease of access, the Intel SFI Starter Packs are designed to spark hands-on, project-based learning across subjects. Teachers could use Screen Sense to have students analyze their own screen time data and develop strategies for healthier technology habits, apply Optimize, Design, & Minimize to a project where students design more efficient packaging using math and sustainability concepts, or introduce Durability by Design by challenging students to prototype and test a classroom object for strength and usability. And because these starter packs are now available on Google Classroom, they can be assigned like any other assignment - making it easy to experiment, adapt, and build interactive lessons within an existing syllabus.
To explore the Starter Packs in more detail and see how they can fit into your own lesson plans, visit the Acer x Intel SFI landing page and try out a module today.
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Acer Gaming Laptops That'll Carry You Through 2026
With 2026 on the horizon and GPU and RAM prices threatening to go through the roof, now’s the time to start sizing up new gaming laptops. Ah yes, there’s no time like the present, and thankfully we’ve taken most of the hard work out of finding a gaming laptop that will help you sail through 2026 and beyond. We’ve got five of the best gaming laptop deals for you, so read on, and hopefully you can find a device to take your gaming to new heights. First though, what’s the forecast for computer prices in 2026?
GPU and RAM inflation?
GPUs, or graphics processing units are the parts in a computer responsible for rendering visuals in games and accelerating demanding tasks such as video editing and AI workloads. GPUs do the heavy lifting in games, and right now they are in great demand for gaming and content creation, as well as ever-evolving AI workloads.
RAM, or memory pricing is cyclical, and there’s currently an upswing, reflecting tighter supply and stronger demand. High demand for memory in AI development and data centers, is also causing a scarcity of RAM worldwide.
Put simply, both GPUs and RAM are in great demand, while manufacturers (obviously) prioritize higher margin (AI) products, meaning higher prices all round. This in turn has reduced the supply of regular consumer components. On top of all that, global currencies, supply chains, and of course logistics are increasingly unstable, all leading to higher prices. Still curious? Here’s an in-depth article covering the GPU price inflation forecast in 2026.
Computers: forecast to get a lot more expensive in 2026
Before we hook you up with the best gaming laptop for next year and beyond, let’s decipher the true cause of these soon to soar prices. New generations of CPUs and GPUs will arrive in 2026 at higher starting price points, particularly at the performance end of the market. At the same time, AI-focused features are pushing baseline specifications upward, meaning today’s mid-range hardware increasingly becomes tomorrow’s entry level.
Rising manufacturing, energy, and compliance costs are also feeding into higher retail prices, while vendors continue to focus on higher-margin configurations. So while laptops have never been cheaper than in recent years, in 2026, there will be fewer genuinely affordable systems, coupled with a steady upward drift in what consumers can expect to pay for a decent gaming laptop.
Five of the best gaming laptops from Acer
1. Predator Triton 14 AI - PT14-52T-972D
First up, here’s a Triton for gamers seeking premium power in a carry-on friendly size. A Copilot+ PC, the Predator Triton 14 AI - PT14-52T-972D is available now for $2,499.99. This is a device built for gamers and creators who demand serious performance in a compact, premium design, with OLED clarity. Hardware wise, the Triton 14 features an Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 processor and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5070 GPU. The Triton 14 AI delivers stellar gaming performance while remaining perfectly portable. The 14.5-inch WQXGA+ OLED touchscreen offers a sharp 16:10 aspect ratio, smooth 120 Hz refresh rate, and beyond vibrant visuals for gaming and creative work. 32 GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 1 TB SSD, is basically equivalent to gold dust in 2026.
2. Nitro V 16S - ANV16S-71-72KE
Slimline and looking fine, the Acer Nitro V 16S ANV16S-71-72KE is a 16-inch gaming fortress ready to conquer and create. Recently reduced from $1,469.99 to the festive price of $1,399.99, you’d better get the Nitro V 16S while you can. Powered by an Intel® Core™ 7 240H processor with a deca-core design and a base frequency of 2.50 GHz, the CPU is paired with an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5070 GPU for modern gaming performance. 16 GB of DDR5 SDRAM and a 1 TB SSD, deliver a solid combo of memory and fast storage. All of this on a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) 16:10 ComfyView (Matte) IPS display with a smooth 180 Hz refresh rate for sharp, responsive visuals, what’s not to like?
3. Predator Helios Neo 18 AI - PHN18-72-902R
Jumping up a bracket to the Predator family, let’s see what the Neo 18 can throw into the mix. The Predator Helios Neo 18 AI Gaming Laptop - PHN18-72-902R is an 18-inch gaming galleon ready to sail the seas of gaming, currently priced at $2,849.99. Designed for gamers who demand maximum performance and screen real estate without stepping into full desktop mode, this laptop is powered by an Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 275HX processor and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5070 Ti GPU. There’ll be no messing about with the Helios Neo 18 AI. This laptop is ready to handle demanding AAA titles and intensive workloads by the bucketload. The gargantuan 18-inch WQXGA display pairs a 16:10 aspect ratio with a lightning fast 250 Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth, insanely immersive gameplay. Stacked with 64 GB of DDR5 memory and a 2 TB SSD, the Helios Neo 18 AI delivers desktop level gaming in laptop form.
4. Predator Helios Neo 16 AI Gaming Laptop - PHN16-73-979X
Staying strictly in the Predator family, our next super-powered gaming laptop is none but the Predator Helios Neo 16 AI Gaming Laptop - PHN16-73-979X. This laptop has recently undergone a hefty reduction from $2,649.99 to a mere $2,299.99. Under the hood, you’ll find an Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 275HX processor with a 24 core design and a base frequency of 2.70 GHz, paired with an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5070Ti GPU with 12 GB of dedicated memory. Fear not the spike in RAM prices, for this system is configured with a hefty 64 GB of DDR5 SDRAM and 2 TB SSD, providing ample memory and storage for all workloads. Let’s not omit the display! The Helios Neo 16 has a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) 16:10 CineCrystal (Glare) display running at a respectable 240 Hz refresh rate. For speed, power and portability, you simply can’t go wrong with the Helios Neo 16.
5. Predator Helios 18 AI Gaming Laptop - PH18-73-99A8
Last, and certainly not least in our odyssey of Acer gaming laptops that’ll carry you through 2026, meet the Predator Helios 18 AI Gaming Laptop - PH18-73-99A8. This is Acer’s second most powerful laptop, reserved for the elite forces of the gaming world. First, the price: $6,999.99. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a closer look. As you’d expect, this laptop has some serious specs for the pinnacle of gaming on-the-go. Powered by an Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 275HX processor and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5090 GPU with 24 GB of dedicated memory, it’s designed to crush all games and tasks in its path. The expansive 18-inch WQUXGA display delivers sharp visuals with a 16:10 aspect ratio, while Windows 11 Pro adds productivity-grade features as expected. Stacked with 192 GB of DDR5 memory and 6 TB SSD, buy the Helios 18 AI you’ll be able to rent space out to your friends and neighbors.
Future-proof in 2026 and beyond
We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s article, and now have a clearer picture of the best gaming laptops to carry you through 2026. With GPU and RAM prices climbing and 2026 forecast to be a more expensive year for PC hardware, locking in a capable gaming laptop now is the best choice. From slim, portable machines built for gaming and creative tasks to desktop-class powerhouses, Acer’s laptop lineup covers every rung of the performance ladder. If you plan to play seriously in 2026 and beyond, acting sooner rather than later could save you money and hassle down the line. Head to the Acer store to discover the freshest deals as we head into 2026, and don’t forget that students get a 15% discount.
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The Nemesis System: A Brilliant Idea Trapped by Patents
First introduced in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor in 2014, the Nemesis System is one of the most ambitious gameplay innovations of the past decade. Developed by Monolith Productions, it transforms ordinary enemy encounters into evolving rivalries by giving enemies persistent identities, memories, and the ability to change based on how players interact with them. Orc captains remember past defeats, taunt you over previous humiliations, rise through ranks when they kill you, and sometimes even return from death bearing scars and grudges. What begins as a procedural villain generator quickly becomes a deeply personal, player-driven story engine, one that reached its full potential in Middle-earth: Shadow of War and left a lasting impression on players who experienced it.
How the Nemesis System Works
At its core, the Nemesis System functions as a dynamic storytelling engine that reacts to player behavior rather than following a fixed script. Instead of enemies existing as disposable NPCs, the system tracks encounters, outcomes, and patterns of interaction, then uses that data to shape future events.
Every notable enemy is procedurally generated with a name, appearance, voice, combat traits, strengths, weaknesses, and a distinct personality. More importantly, they remember you. If an enemy defeats you, escapes, is humiliated, or cheats death, that outcome is logged by the system and referenced in future encounters through dialogue, behavior changes, and even visual alterations such as scars, prosthetics, or altered armor.
The system also relies heavily on non-lethal outcomes to sustain long-term narratives. Enemies may flee, mock you instead of killing you, survive fatal blows, or ambush you later when you least expect it. Likewise, the player’s own deaths are treated as canonical events rather than failures, allowing rivals to grow stronger, gain promotions, and develop reputations based on how they defeated you.
All of this operates within a living hierarchy. Enemies exist in a structured chain of command, where captains can rise to power by killing the player or defeating rivals, and powerful leaders can fall through humiliation or betrayal. These power shifts often occur independently of the player through background missions, ensuring the world continues to evolve even when you are not directly involved.
What makes the Nemesis System especially effective is that it combines procedural generation with handcrafted content. While encounters are systemic and unpredictable, they are anchored by curated dialogue, animations, and personality archetypes that make individual rivals feel memorable. The result is a system that creates stories in real time, assembling them from player actions, enemy reactions, and emergent relationships rather than pre-written narrative beats.
Why Gamers Loved the Nemesis System
The Nemesis System resonated with players because it made their experiences feel genuinely personal in a way few single-player games ever had. Instead of delivering the same scripted moments to every player, it allowed unique stories to emerge organically from moment-to-moment gameplay. No two playthroughs were the same, and no two players ended up with the same rivals, allies, or outcomes.
One of its greatest strengths was emotional investment. Enemies were not just obstacles. They were characters with history. When an Orc killed you, mocked your failure, earned a promotion, and later ambushed you again with new scars and taunts, it created a powerful sense of rivalry. Revenge felt earned rather than scripted. Victory carried narrative weight because it resolved a relationship that had been built over hours of play.
Players also appreciated how naturally the system integrated storytelling into core mechanics. You did not have to make dialogue choices or follow branching narrative menus. Simply playing the game, fighting, fleeing, dying, or humiliating enemies, was enough to shape the story. This made the Nemesis System accessible to players who might normally ignore narrative-heavy RPGs, while still offering depth for those who cared about emergent storytelling.
Another reason for its popularity was how it blurred the line between single-player and multiplayer experiences. The system replicated the feeling of rivalry normally found in competitive games, where recurring opponents develop reputations and grudges over time. According to Monolith Productions, this sense of multiplayer-style relatedness was a core design goal, and it is something players consistently praised as fresh and memorable.
Ultimately, gamers loved the Nemesis System because it respected player agency. It did not tell players what their story was. It observed what they did and built meaning around those actions. That combination of systemic design, emotional payoff, and player-driven narrative is why the system is still discussed more than a decade later, despite appearing in only a handful of games.
Why the Nemesis System Is in Patent Hell, and How U.S. Gameplay Patents Work
The biggest reason the Nemesis System has not appeared widely across the industry is not technical complexity. It is legal ownership. Monolith Productions, under its parent company Warner Bros. Games, was granted a U.S. patent covering the core mechanics behind the Nemesis System. That patent does not protect a specific character or story. It protects a method of gameplay, specifically the idea of procedurally generated enemies who remember past encounters, evolve based on player interaction, and form persistent relationships within a hierarchy.
In the United States, game mechanics can be patented if they meet three criteria: they must be novel, non-obvious, and useful. Unlike copyright, which protects expression, patents protect systems and processes. Once approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the patent holder gains exclusive rights to that system for a fixed period, generally twenty years from filing.
This creates a chilling effect across the industry. Even if another studio builds a system that feels meaningfully different in tone or presentation, the risk of infringement remains if the underlying mechanics resemble the patented claims. For most developers, especially indie and mid-sized studios, the cost of defending a lawsuit is enough to stop experimentation before it begins. As a result, many teams avoid deep emergent enemy systems altogether rather than risk legal exposure.
Warner Bros. has technically been free to reuse the Nemesis System internally, but it has done so sparingly. Planned projects that were rumored to incorporate it never materialized in a visible way, and the system remained closely associated with the Middle-earth games rather than becoming a studio-wide pillar.
More recently, industry discussion has intensified due to reports that control of the Nemesis System patent now sits under Netflix’s games division following corporate asset transfers involving Warner-related properties. While the exact corporate structure is still being clarified publicly, what matters to developers is simple: the system remains locked behind exclusive ownership, with no clear, standardized licensing pathway available to outside studios.
This is why the Nemesis System is often described as being in “patent hell.” It is widely admired, broadly requested, and technically feasible to adapt, yet functionally unreachable for most of the industry due to legal risk rather than creative limitation.
If you are ready, the next section can cover whether the system could realistically be freed, including the current petition and what a developer-friendly licensing model could look like in practice.
Could the Nemesis System Be Freed Soon?
For the first time in years, there is a realistic conversation about the Nemesis System becoming accessible to the wider industry. This shift is driven by reports that control of the Nemesis System patent now sits with Netflix, following its future acquisition of Warner-related assets and expansion into game publishing.
This change in ownership matters because Netflix is not a traditional games publisher with a single franchise to protect. Its games strategy is still evolving, and its long-term value comes from growing an ecosystem rather than guarding one specific implementation. That creates an opportunity for a different approach to the patent.
Developers are not asking for the Nemesis System to be open sourced or stripped of protection. Instead, the current push focuses on something far more practical: a clear, affordable, and transparent licensing program. Under this model, Netflix would retain ownership of the patent while allowing studios of all sizes to legally build Nemesis-inspired systems without fear of litigation.
A community-led petition is already calling for exactly this kind of solution. The proposal argues that a standardized licensing framework would benefit everyone involved. Developers could finally experiment with emergent rival systems in genres like RPGs, strategy games, immersive sims, survival titles, and roguelikes. Netflix would gain licensing revenue, goodwill within the developer community, and long-term influence over how one of gaming’s most celebrated systems evolves.
Importantly, this petition does not demand immediate action or retroactive permission. It asks for dialogue, visibility, and a pathway forward. In an industry where innovation often stalls due to legal uncertainty, even a modest licensing program would represent a major step.
Whether the Nemesis System is freed depends entirely on Netflix’s willingness to treat the patent as a platform rather than a locked vault. If it chooses engagement over restriction, the system could finally move beyond a single franchise and become a foundational design tool for the next generation of games.
Next, we can close by looking at the long-term future of the Nemesis System and what kinds of games could benefit most if it is finally allowed to evolve beyond Middle-earth.
Final Thoughts
The Nemesis System remains one of the clearest examples of how systemic design can create stories that feel personal, reactive, and genuinely memorable. First introduced in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, and refined in Middle-earth: Shadow of War, it showed that enemies do not need scripted arcs to become compelling characters. They only need memory, consequence, and the ability to change.
Its absence from the wider industry has never been about lack of interest. Developers have been vocal for years about wanting similar systems, and players continue to cite the Nemesis System as one of the most distinctive mechanics of the last generation. The barrier has always been legal uncertainty, not creative hesitation.
With the patent now reportedly under the control of Netflix, there is a rare chance to reset that trajectory. A fair, transparent licensing model would not diminish the value of the patent. It would amplify it. It would allow one of gaming’s most celebrated ideas to evolve across genres, studios, and creative visions, rather than remain frozen in a single franchise.
Whether that happens is still an open question. But the renewed discussion, the active petition, and the continued admiration for the system all point to the same conclusion. The Nemesis System deserves more than to be remembered as a great idea locked away by circumstance. If given room to grow, it could still shape the future of how games tell stories, not through scripts, but through play itself.
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