When news broke that Microsoft was considering buying the rising social media sensation TikTok, many who’ve followed the software maker for years expressed surprise. Even Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates called the potential $30 billion deal “a poisoned chalice.” TikTok would make for an effective fire sale, following a meteoric rise that’s netted the app more …
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Minecraft: Education Edition now available on Chromebooks
Just in time for many students to virtually head back to school, Microsoft is bringing the education edition of its blocky video game Minecraft to Chromebooks. Available Monday, Minecraft: Education Edition for Chromebook includes the same features as the Windows, iPad and Mac versions of the game, including multiplayer across platforms, the company said. The education-focused version of the game …
Read More »Microsoft is launching xCloud game streaming in beta Tuesday
Microsoft is adding Project xCloud streaming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate earlier than expected, with the feature opening in beta on Tuesday. Users of the Xbox Game Pass (Beta) app on Android will be able to test cloud-streamed gaming on Tuesday, provided they’re also Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. It will be a way for the Xbox team to fine …
Read More »Note 20: How do you sell a $1,000 phone during a pandemic? Samsung has a plan
Virtual sales pitches and consultations. Touchless in-store device demos. Deals galore. Those are just some of the plans in Samsung’s playbook for selling phones during a pandemic. Last week, the South Korean electronics giant unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 2 alongside the $999 Note 20, the $1,299 Note 20 Ultra, the $649 Galaxy Tab S7 tablet, the $399 Galaxy Watch 3 and the $170 Galaxy Buds Live earbuds. …
Read More »Microsoft’s cheaper next
Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox Series X console will be hitting store shelves later this year, we know this. But recent months have seen rumors swirl around a less powerful, less expensive version targeting 1440p, all-digital gameplay rather than 4K. The cheaper console had a rumored codename of said to Xbox Lockhart, but leaked packaging for a next-gen Xbox controller, discovered on …
Read More »TikTok slams Trump executive order that effectively bans the app
TikTok fired back at an executive order that would essentially ban its app, saying the Trump administration had denied the social media company due process. TikTok said it would challenge the order, which President Donald Trump issued Thursday evening. “We are shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without any due process,” the social media company said in a blog post. …
Read More »Facebook Gaming launches without games on iOS due to Apple App Store policies
The Facebook Gaming app for iOS launched without games on Friday because of Apple’s App Store approval process. The social media giant’s app is used to watch streamers play video games, similar to what happens on Twitch, but features mini games that Apple’s policies reportedly wouldn’t allow. “Unfortunately, we had to remove gameplay functionality entirely in order to get Apple’s …
Read More »Xbox slams Apple for blocking Microsoft’s Project xCloud streaming game service
Earlier this week, when Microsoft announced its Project xCloud video game service would be released on September 15 for free to Xbox Games Pass Ultimate subscribers, it said devices powered by Google’s Android software were supported. But the tech giant conspicuously said nothing about Apple in its press materials. On Thursday, it said why. In a strongly worded statement, the …
Read More »Most TikTok users don’t want to switch to a rival app, survey says
Most Gen Z and millennial TikTok users in the US are upset about the potential TikTok ban, according to a survey of 10,000 users taken this week and published Friday. And 83% of those surveyed are not concerned enough about the Chinese government potentially having access to their data to consider deleting the social media video app. A majority of …
Read More »Xbox slams Apple for blocking Microsoft’s Project xCloud streaming game service
Earlier this week, when Microsoft announced its Project xCloud video game service would be released on September 15 for free to Xbox Games Pass Ultimate subscribers, it said devices powered by Google’s Android software were supported. But the tech giant conspicuously said nothing about Apple in its press materials. On Thursday, it said why. In a strongly worded statement, the …
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