Jul 14
Shortly after a judge denied the Federal Trade Commission’s injunction to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard on Tuesday, the FTC has now turned to an appeals court to stop the $69 billion deal once again.
Jul 14
Yesterday was a big day for actors and writers, as well as anyone—like us—who covers the entertainment industry as SAG-AFTRA officially joined the WGA on the picket lines for the first time in 60 years. From AI reveals to Fran Drescher’s pretty great, off-the-cuff speech about the labor problems facing actors in …
Jul 14
Don’t try to sign up for Threads through a virtual private network (VPN) if you live in Europe. Meta has confirmed that it’s blocking European Union users from accessing the new social network through a VPN. As consultant Matt Navarra explains, content, notifications and profiles won’t load properly. Some users say they can use Threads without a VPN if they’d previously signed up with one, but you may not want to count on that loophole working.
In a statement, Meta says it’s taking “further measures” to stop people from accessing Threads in European countries where the app is unavailable. The company nonetheless says Europe remains a “very important market” and that it hopes to expand availability in the future. The firm doesn’t provide a timeline for more rollouts, but the app is currently rough and missing important features like hashtags.
Threads is available for users in over 100 countries, including the US and UK, but not in the EU. The Union considers Meta a technology “gatekeeper” in the region, and the company reportedly wants to be sure Threads’ data sharing approach complies with the upcoming Digital Markets Act. Threads is built on Instagram’s infrastructure and may import data from that platform. The EU also ruled that Meta has to get permission to show personalized ads, potentially adding more complications.
There’s pressure for Meta to expand. Threads racked up 100 million users in less than a week, and is already considered Twitter’s greatest threat. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg notes that growth so far has largely been “organic,” without advertising or other familiar promotional tactics. While it’s unclear if usage will hold up in the long term, an expansion to the EU could sustain that momentum. Outside analysts believe Twitter traffic is already dropping as a result of users trying or switching to Threads.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-blocks-eu-users-from-accessing-threads-through-a-vpn-135306350.html?src=rss
Jul 14
Why Is Every Man On Dating Apps Suddenly ‘In Therapy’? It Might Not Be A Good Thing.
Posted in: Today's Chili“I decided to investigate — and my findings are somewhat suspicious.”
Jul 14
It looks like Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is trucking along, following a court rejection of the FTC’s injunction attempt. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Jordan Minor, a Senior Analyst at PCMag covering games, about this massive deal and what it means for the gaming industry. Will further consolidation end up being harmful for consumers (as we’ve been saying for a while), or will Microsoft actually help the beleaguered Activision? Also, we dive into our experiences with the latest Apple betas: iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma and watchOS 10.
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
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Topics
Microsoft is (mostly) cleared to buy Activision Blizzard for $69 billion – 00:56
Our previews of the iOS 17, iPad OS 17, macOS Sonoma, and WatchOS 10 betas – 21:55
Meta’s Threads hits 100m users, Elon is not happy about it – 47:58
Microsoft confirms Chinese hackers used 365 email exploit to access US government accounts – 51:32
Google’s Bard can now speak 40 languages – 52:29
Around Engadget: Sam Rutherford’s ROG ally review and Katie Malone on why passkeys are suddenly everywhere – 1:01:46
Working on – 1:05:47
Pop culture picks – 1:07:06
Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Jordan Minor
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-podcast-microsoft-activision-blizzard-deal-123058754.html?src=rss
Jul 14
GOP Lawmaker’s Bafflingly ‘Stupid’ Argument Against Humanitarian Aid Stuns Critics
Posted in: Today's ChiliApparently in Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s books, if it’s not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, it’s not a thing.
Jul 14
The Morning After: Virgin Galactic's first private passenger spaceflight will launch next month
Posted in: Today's ChiliVirgin Galactic, having flown its first commercial spaceflight in late June, is ready to take civilians to the edge of space, briefly. The company plans to launch its first private passenger flight, Galactic 02, as soon as August 10th. Virgin isn’t yet revealing the names of everyone involved, but there will be three passengers aboard, alongside crew.
The company says it’s establishing a “regular cadence” of flights – and it needs that. Virgin Galactic has operated at a loss for years and lost $500 million in 2022 alone. The business won’t recoup all those losses anytime soon, even at $450,000 per ticket. But the focus is pretty clear: make the case for space tourism… at least for the one-percenters.
– Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
Microsoft’s next big Office update: A new font
One week in, Threads has become Twitter’s biggest threat
What the hell are passkeys and why are they suddenly everywhere?
Sony plans to boost game R&D spending this year as competition ramps up
Twitter finally begins paying some of its creators
Blue subscribers will need a significant following to get a cut.
Twitter’s ad-revenue sharing program for creators has officially launched — and it’s reportedly already begun paying eligible Blue subscribers. Elon Musk announced the initiative in February, but with scant details about how it would work, nobody knew quite what to expect. However, some high-profile users report they’ve received notifications about incoming deposits. The bar is high to receive a transfer from the Musk-owned social media company. The support post says the revenue-sharing system applies to Twitter Blue or Verified Organizations subscribers with at least five million post impressions in each of the past three months. One user claims they’re set to receive over $24,000. Going to need more to get into space, my friend.
Sony’s $90 PS5 accessibility controller arrives December 6th
The highly customizable Access controller comes with several buttons and stick caps.
Sony
Sony’s Access controller will be available worldwide on December 6th. It costs $90 and pre-orders open July 21st. The new accessibility-focused controller comes with four 3.5mm aux ports, enabling players to connect external buttons, switches and other accessories. The box includes 19 button caps and three stick caps to help you find a configuration that works best for you. You can even pair up to two Access controllers and one DualSense together to create a “single virtual controller.” That means two or even three people could control the same character, granting friends and family members the option to lend a helping hand.
Farewell ‘FIFA’: ‘EA Sports FC 24’ will hit consoles and PC September 29th
It’ll bring women’s players to Ultimate Team for the first time.
EA’s long-standing partnership with FIFA ended after FIFA 23, marking a new era for EA’s flagship soccer series. EA Sports FC 24 will hit PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on September 29th. EA says more than 19,000 authentic players, 30-plus leagues and over 100 stadiums will be represented in the new game. The company has also secured exclusive deals with the English Premier League and UEFA to use their branding and retain access to competitions like the Champions League.
AP and OpenAI enter two-year partnership to help train algorithmic models
It’s a major news-sharing agreement.
The Associated Press (AP) and ChatGPT parent company OpenAI have reached a news-sharing agreement, but it doesn’t involve AI chatbots quickly churning out content but enabling better training of OpenAI’s algorithmic models. It looks like AP will receive access to OpenAI’s proprietary technology as part of the exchange. AP doesn’t use generative AI to write articles, but it already uses similar technologies to automate corporate earnings reports and cover local sporting events.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-virgin-galactics-first-private-passenger-spaceflight-will-launch-next-month-111540932.html?src=rss
Jul 14
Donald Trump Spews Outrageous Theory On Why He Claims Joe Biden Does Cocaine
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe former president’s blowhard claim that the White House cocaine belonged to Joe Biden just got more unhinged.
Jul 14
Last year’s Miyoo Mini retro gaming handheld was a surprise hit with one fatal flaw: the company couldn’t keep them in stock for more than a couple of minutes. The console would sell out almost immediately and was nearly impossible to buy if you didn’t spend all day tracking stock. The Miyoo Mini Plus is the company’s…
Jul 14
UK competition regulator extends Microsoft-Activision investigation by six weeks
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe saga over whether regulators will allow Microsoft to purchase Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion will last at least a little longer. Citing insufficient time, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has given itself an additional six weeks to consider Microsoft’s “detailed and complex submission” arguing for the merger. The CMA will now provide a decision by August 29th, though it aims to do so earlier.
Microsoft first announced its plan to buy Activision Blizzard for $95 per share in January 2022. The CMA opened an investigation into the merger last fall, and, this April, it released an inquiry report detailing the “substantial lessening of competition” (SLC) in cloud gaming services the UK could face if Microsoft proceeded with the purchase. “The prohibition of the Merger would be the only effective and proportionate remedy to the SLC and any adverse effects which have resulted from, or may be expected to result from, the SLC,” the regulatory agency stated.
This latest development comes shortly after the CMA and Microsoft pressed pause on their legal battle in hopes of negotiating a compromise. “While we ultimately disagree with the CMA’s concerns, we are considering how the transaction might be modified in order to address those concerns in a way that is acceptable to the CMA,” Microsoft president Brad Smith shared in a July tweet.
Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley also recently denied the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) preliminary injunction in the US, which would’ve led Microsoft and Activision Blizzard to abandon the deal. The FTC has since filed an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals requesting a pause of the acquisition.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uk-competition-regulator-extends-microsoft-activision-investigation-by-six-weeks-103541516.html?src=rss
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