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It’s kind of impossible to believe, whatever Microsoft says later today in its Business Update, that hardcore Xboxers are going to be onside with it. Most people of course in the wider world simply will not care, or even be aware of Phil Spencer and co’s plans, but for those working on Xbox’s social accounts tonight, it might be best to just log off and shut down.
If, as expected Microsoft announces a pathway for some of its biggest exclusives to make their way to Sony and Nintendo’s competitor consoles to help them become the number one cross-platform gaming company, those who bought into the Xbox’s ecosystem for exclusives such as Sea of Thieves and Starfield, along Sony fanboys declaring victory in the console wars, it is not going to be pretty.
However it is spun, and Inverse is reporting already there has already been an internal “town hall” meeting with staff ahead of tonight’s shenanigans, there are going to be issues for Microsoft, who is already selling far fewer consoles than its rivals. With a rumor of two new pieces of Xbox hardware under development it is tough to see how a new mainline console would fit in the overall picture if all Microsoft’s studios were publishing for everything. A handheld to rival the Steam Deck, however, might be a completely different proposition.
Spencer and Xbox President Sarah Bond presented to the vision to staff who were told by Bond “Every screen is an Xbox”. They were shown multiple images of surprise hit Palworld being played on a variety of devices including mobile and handhelds. Of course, Palworld is also available on Steam, and many players would argue that that is currently the superior version with patches and updates coming to Steam ahead of the Game Pass version.
Microsoft staff have not been authorized to speak to the media before today’s announcement, even though we kinda know what it is, but the stories from the above town hall were leaked on the promise of anonymity.
Featured Image: AI-Generated by Ideogram
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Details on the chips used in the upcoming iPhone 16 suggest the phone will receive a huge AI boost.
Expected to launch in September 2024, the iPhone 16 will include both the A18 chip and the next-generation M4 chip for Mac, a combination that could “significantly increase the number of built-in AI computing cores”, according to the Taiwanese website Economic Daily News.
Taiwan produces over 60% of the world’s semiconductors and over 90% of the most advanced ones, meaning local news sources are likely to be the ones to break this sort of detail on upcoming releases. Plus, iOS 18 is already largely assumed to see Apple catching up to Google when it comes to generative AI, so it tracks that the next generation of Apple smartphones would harness that AI power.
Apple and AI
Although Apple hasn’t been at the forefront of the AI boom over the last couple of years, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed in a recent earnings call, as reported by Trusted Reviews, that the company was working on generative AI. What’s more, he stated that the product of that focus would be publicly revealed in 2024 – perhaps in the iPhone release scheduled for later this year.
In addition, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in November that consumers shouldn’t expect major hardware updates to the iPhone 16, with the focus instead being on the software updates brought in with iOS 18. Not only would this result in new features, but also major performance and security boosts.
iOS 18 will roll out to older iPhones but it’s also rumoured that some features will be exclusive to the iPhone 16 – perhaps with AI capabilities among them. If such features relied on a brand-new advanced neural engine that’s the result of the combined efforts of the A18 chip and the next-generation M4 chip, for example, this would account for why some features are limited to the newer model.
Featured image: Unsplash
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Social media platform X has been accused of possibly breaking US sanction law by granting subscription perks to terrorist groups and others banned in the United States.
Campaigners from the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) have claimed that Elon Musk‘s X gave blue check marks to accounts associated with Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group Hezbollah, among more than a dozen others sanctioned by the US government.
Blue check marks used to be free on Twitter, granted to accounts largely associated with journalists, world leaders, and celebrities to show that the social media site had verified the account. Under Musk’s leadership, it now costs $8 (£6.40) a month and comes with perks like longer posts and better promotion.

“The fact that X requires users to pay a monthly or annual fee for premium service suggests that X is engaging in financial transactions with these accounts, a potential violation of U.S. sanctions.,” the TTP said in a report published on its own site. The group went on to claim that X removed ticks from named accounts after the report was published.

The TTP claimed that an account run by Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, had also seemingly paid for its blue check mark, as well as accounts associated with Iranian and Russian state-run media. The Houthis are sanctioned in both the US and the UK due to attacks on international shipping routes in the Red Sea, and threats to Yemen’s stability.
The concern is that X is giving a larger platform to harmful voices and potentially breaking US sanctions law.
How has X responded to the claim?
Responding to the claims from the TTP in a post on the platform, X’s safety team defended its “robust and secure approach” to monetization features.
“Several of the accounts listed in the Tech Transparency Report are not directly named on sanction lists, while some others may have visible account check marks without receiving any services that would be subject to sanctions,” the statement continued. “Our teams have reviewed the report and will take action if necessary.”

X has a robust and secure approach in place for our monetization features, adhering to legal obligations, along with independent screening by our payments providers. Several of the accounts listed in the Tech Transparency Report are not directly named on sanction lists, while… https://t.co/jgEzkNcFqj
— Safety (@Safety) February 14, 2024

However, the TTP responded once again in another thread on X, arguing that even if some of the entities are not directly listed on the sanction lists, they are owned by companies that are.
“This is why companies have compliance efforts on these issues,” the organization wrote.
Featured image: Pexels

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A strike has been taking place at Ubisoft’s Annecy and Montpellier studios since this morning where workers moved to the picket line at 9 am (8 am GMT), meanwhile, the Paris studio is set to walk out at 2 pm.
French game workers union Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) has organized the protest according to Gamesindustry.biz following the failure of annual salary negotiations at Ubisift.
The Union’s statement reads, “Despite the union’s efforts to find an acceptable compromise, negotiations hit a wall. In order to hit arbitrary cost reduction targets, management offered a budget dedicated to raises that would be lower than inflation for the second year in a row.”

Grève à Ubisoft ce mercredi : des piquets de grève seront organisés aux studios d’Annecy, Montpellier et Paris
Annecy : à partir de 9h à côté de la tour GalbertMontpellier : à partir de 9h devant le studioParis : à partir de 14h au pied du studio rue de Lagny https://t.co/w9Ggr7ZO9L
— Syndicat des Travailleurs·ses du Jeu Vidéo (@stjv_fr) February 12, 2024

One Ubisoft Paris worker told Gamekult, “The strategy chosen by management aims at saving €200 million over the next two years among production costs. We are contesting this strategy.
“When you’re a game development studio, the right way to make money is to make video games in the best possible conditions so they can be of the right quality. It’s not by skimping on the workers who build them, or by saving on the tools they use, that you’re going to make money in a capitalist context. Workers want to be proud of what they ship. And overall it’s not by struggling to pay your rent or by working in poor conditions that you can work properly.”
Ubisoft has recently come under fire for changing the full price for its forthcoming Skull & Bones title as well as for comments that people need to get used to the idea that they don’t actually own the games that they purchase.
The strike action will last throughout Wednesday and it is unclear if further disruption is planned.
Featured Image: Ubisoft Annecy
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Wearable tech expands into new territory with a prototype smart earring that offers fashionable health monitoring.
Researchers from the University of Washington have developed the Thermal Earring, a piece of jewelry that can monitor the user’s temperature. Early tests on six users demonstrate the Thermal Earring out-performing a smartwatch at sensing skin temperature during periods of rest.
How does the smart earring work?
At about the size and weight of a small paperclip, the earring is an unobtrusive form of wearable tech, with a 28-day battery life. It attaches to the ear with a magnetic clip (so no need for a piercing) and attaches one temperature sensor to the wearer’s ear, while another sensor dangles below it. This second sensor estimates room temperature.
The small size of the wearable presented a challenge to its engineers.
“It’s a tricky balance,” said co-lead author Yujia (Nancy) Liu, who worked on the research during her Masters. “Typically, if you want power to last longer, you should have a bigger battery. But then you sacrifice size. Making it wireless also demands more energy.”
To strike that balance, the team focused on making the earring’s power consumption as efficient as possible, leaving just enough room for its essential components of a Bluetooth chip, a battery, two temperature sensors and an antenna. One way they did so was by employing Bluetooth advertising mode, rather than needing to pair the earring with another device, which uses more power.
After reading and sending the temperature, the Thermal Earring goes into deep sleep to save power. What’s more, the piece of smart jewelry can be personalized with various resin designs or with a gemstone, without negatively affecting its accuracy.
Earlobe temperatures tend to change more often than core temperatures, being affected by eating, exercising and experiencing stress. After more use cases are tested, it’s hoped that the earring will be able to provide insights into daily health rhythms, as well as potentially incorporate heart rate and activity monitoring in future versions.
Featured image: Raymond Smith/University of Washington
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