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Lead Google Stadia Exec Moves to Google Cloud

Matt Milano
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Lead Google Stadia Exec Moves to Google Cloud

Stadia’s status continues to perplex as a top exec moves from Google’s gaming platform to Google Cloud.

Stadia is Google’s cloud gaming service. The service has gone through a number of changes, not the least of which was Google shutting down its own in-house game studio.

According to The Verge, Jack Buser, Stadia’s Director for Games, has been moved to Google Cloud. The company provided the following statement to Google:

Gaming is an incredibly important vertical at Google and we’re seeing huge momentum across all products and services. Jack’s new role will allow us to better bring customers the best of Google across our Cloud services, Stadia, YouTube, and more. Stadia continues to be led by its GM Phil Harrison, and Stadia’s business development and partner management teams will continue to be led by Michael Abbattista, who took over the role in 2020.

As The Verge points out, though disconcerting, the move doesn’t necessarily spell trouble for Stadia. Google made it clear when it shut down its own in-house game studio that it wanted to provide a platform for partner companies to develop games for.

In that content, Buser’s move to Google Cloud may make sense and demonstrate Google’s commitment to leveraging the power of its cloud platform to bolster Stadia.

Xbox Controller Firmware Update Improves Connectivity

Matt Milano
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Xbox Controller Firmware Update Improves Connectivity

Microsoft is rolling out a firmware update for Xbox controllers that improves connectivity.

Xbox controllers are used for a variety of devices, not just the Xbox. The controllers are popular with gamers on Windows 10, iOS and Android. Microsoft’s latest update is designed to improve controller connectivity.

“These controllers now support Bluetooth Low Energy, which delivers better compatibility across devices and allows for better pairing experiences,” the company announced on its blog. “You will be able to play wirelessly on Windows 10 PCs, iOS 15+, and Android devices with Bluetooth Low Energy for remote play from your console or cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on the go. After installing the firmware update, these controllers will remember one Bluetooth host (e.g., smartphone) and one Xbox Wireless host (e.g., Xbox console), so you can quickly and seamlessly switch between previously connected devices with a simple double tap of the pair button.”

The new firmware is available for Bluetooth-enabled Xbox One controllers, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers.

Steam Deck Won’t Run Every Available Game

Matt Milano
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0
Steam Deck Won’t Run Every Available Game

Prospective Steam Deck buyers are in for a disappointment, with news the console won’t run all available Steam games.

Valve announced it was releasing a Nintendo Switch-like console, named the Steam Deck. The console has already been making waves, with users excited about the possibility of having their entire Steam library at their fingertips.

Valve has seemingly supported this notion with some of their comments.

“This is the first time we’ve achieved the level of performance that is required to really run the latest generation of games without problems,” said Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais, according to Boiling Steam, via Rock Paper Shotgun. “All the games we wanted to be playable is, really, the entire Steam library. We haven’t really found something we could throw at this device that it couldn’t handle.”

Unfortunately, those comments don’t paint a complete picture, at least according to CodeWeavers president James B. Ramey. Steam Deck is powered by a Linux distro, and CodeWeavers makes the Proton compatibility layer that allows the Linux-based Steam Deck to run Windows games.

According to Ramey, not all games will be compatible with Proton right away, but Ramey suspects the confusion stems from Valve talking about how powerful the Steam Deck hardware is, not necessarily commenting on software compatibility.

“I think there are two messages that have been kind of mashed together when people focus and talk on this,” Ramey told Boiling Steam. “The first message is when Pierre-Loup made his announcement and stated that the Steam Deck can support any and all games. I think what he was referencing is — and this is my opinion, this is my perception, this is not something I have talked to him about — but I think he was trying to state that the device itself, the hardware specs on this device, can support any game.”

“I don’t necessarily think he was referencing supporting that game in Proton — I think he was referencing that the device has the horsepower, the video graphics, the RAM, the hard drive space to support any game out there.”

As Boiling Steam points out, even if it doesn’t support the entire Steam library, the Steam Deck still supports a whopping 16,000 games. If the device is as successful as early feedback would seem to indicate, the remaining games may be tweaked for compatibility sooner rather than later.

ProtonMail Logs User’s IP at Behest of Authorities

Matt Milano
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ProtonMail Logs User’s IP at Behest of Authorities

ProtonMail is having a PR crisis as a result the revelation that the company logged a user’s IP address at the behest of authorities.

ProtonMail has built its reputation as one of the most private and secure email services, providing end-to-end encryption. Despite that, French authorities wanted information on an activist being monitored.

According to TechCrunch, ProtonMail did not initially cooperate with the French authorities. In response, the French enlisted the aid of authorities in Switzerland, where ProtonMail is based. While the company doesn’t log IP addresses by default, it will do so if local authorities require it to.

With Swiss authorities aiding their French counterparts, ProtonMail was compelled to log the user’s IP and turn it over. In doing so, the company showed the privacy it provides has its limits — that limit being whatever the Swiss government says it is.

El Salvador Buys 400 Bitcoin on Eve of It Becoming Legal Currency

Matt Milano
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El Salvador Buys 400 Bitcoin on Eve of It Becoming Legal Currency

El Salvador has purchased 400 bitcoin — roughly $20.9 million — one day before the cryptocurrency is adopted as a legal currency.

El Salvador passed a law in June adopting bitcoin as legal tender, making it the first country to do so. One the eve of the law going into effect, the country has purchased 400 bitcoin.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced the purchase on Twitter.

Kids in China Limited to Three Hours of Gaming a Week

Matt Milano
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0
Kids in China Limited to Three Hours of Gaming a Week

China is continuing its crackdown on video games, limiting minors to three hours of gaming per week.

China has a contentious relationship with its technology companies. On the one hand, the country encourages its tech companies to achieve dominance — even looking the other way when they engage in blatant IP theft — but on the other hand, it doesn’t approve of the impact technology has on its own citizens, especially video games.

According to state media outlet Xinhua, via ZDNet, China will only allow minors to play from 8pm to 9pm, Friday through Sunday, as well as on holidays.

As part of the ban, National Press and Publication Administration (NAAP) also called on companies to implement real-name registration to help keep users under 18 from playing more than the allowed time.

Instagram Will Require Users’ Birthdays

Matt Milano
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Instagram Will Require Users’ Birthdays

Instagram users will have to provide their birthday to the company if they want to continue using the social media app.

Like many tech companies, Instagram is taking additional steps to protect children from threats. As part of that, they will require users to disclose their birthday so the company knows which accounts belong to minors.

The company has made it clear that those refusing to provide the information will not be able to continue using the app.

“First, we’ll start to ask you for your birthday when you open Instagram. We’ll show you a notification a handful of times and if you haven’t provided us with your birthday by a certain point, you’ll need to share it to continue using Instagram,” writes Pavni Diwanji, VP of Youth Products. “This information is necessary for new features we’re developing to protect young people.”

The company will also include a birthday request in its warning screens for age-sensitive content.

“Second, if you see warning screens placed on posts, we’ll ask you for your birthday before you can see the post,” Diwanji conintues. “These screens aren’t new, and we already show them on posts that may be sensitive or graphic, but we don’t currently ask for your birthday when viewing these posts. Now, we’ll start asking for your birthday on some of these screens if you haven’t shared it with us previously.”

The company has also indicated it’s working on a system to detect when someone lies about their birthday.

Mavs Cryptomania: Buy $150 in Mavs Gear With Crypto and Get $25 Gift Card

Matt Milano
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Mavs Cryptomania: Buy $150 in Mavs Gear With Crypto and Get $25 Gift Card

The Dallas Mavericks are doubling down on their crypto support, giving $25 gift cards to anyone using crypto to buy $150 in merchandise.

The Dallas Mavericks were one of the first major organizations to embrace Dogecoin, with Mark Cuban announcing the organization would accept the crypto as payment. 

The organization is now rewarding users who purchase at least $150 worth of gear using eligible cryptos.

Mavs Cryptomania: Free $25 e-gift card for purchases made with eligible cryptocurrency on DallasMavs.Shop! Must spend minimum of $150 (before tax and shipping.) Only one e-gift card per transaction. E-gift card will be emailed 5-7 business days after order is placed and expires 12/31/21.

Samsung Phone Owners at Risk of Losing Their Photos

Matt Milano
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0
Samsung Phone Owners at Risk of Losing Their Photos

Samsung smartphone owners are in danger of losing their photos if they don’t retrieve them from the cloud soon.

Samsung offers its Samsung Cloud service for backing up one’s smartphone, and that includes backing up one’s photo library. Unfortunately, Samsung is killing off that particular feature. Samsung Cloud will still be able to back up other data from a smartphone, such as contacts, calendars and documents, but not photos or videos, according to Forbes.

As a result, users have a limited time to retrieve their photos before the service shuts down. Unfortunately, Samsung isn’t making it very easy to know which group a person is in, as the company has split its users into two groups, each with their own cutoff date.

Consider this a PSA: Download your photos off of Samsung Cloud now, or risk losing them forever.

Paid Ticketed Spaces Come to Twitter

Matt Milano
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0
Paid Ticketed Spaces Come to Twitter

Twitter is expanding its Spaces feature, adding paid Ticketed Spaces — at least on iOS.

Spaces is Twitter’s answer to Clubhouse, and provides the ability to have audio conversations with one’s followers. The company is looking to help creators monetize Spaces by providing paid Ticketed Spaces.

The company announced the feature via (surprise) tweet. Ticketed Spaces is currently rolling out to iOS only, but the company hopes to expand it soon.

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