Month: July 2024

Fallout game series pulls 500 million users, Microsoft CEO tells investors

Microsoft is still crediting Amazon Prime Video’s Emmy-nominated Fallout adaptation with driving a wave of interest to the role-playing game… Continue reading Fallout game series pulls 500 million users, Microsoft CEO tells investors
The post Fallout game series pulls 500 million users, Microsoft CEO tells investors appeared first on ReadWrite.

Microsoft is still crediting Amazon Prime Video’s Emmy-nominated Fallout adaptation with driving a wave of interest to the role-playing game series. In a quarterly call with investors on Tuesday, chief executive Satya Nadella cited internal metrics saying the whole series (spanning a wave of releases going back to 2008) has more than 500 million monthly active users across all devices and platforms.

That’s impressive, but it does need a little context. Fallout 76, launched 2018, is the ongoing, live-service component of the post-apocalyptic role-playing game. Fallout 4 (released 2015) is the more traditional, boxed-goods video game that still gets a lot of replay thanks to its modding culture (officially supported by Bethesda Game Studios) as much as people either drawn to the series by the show, or returning to it by the reminder.

Fallout 4 got two updates after the TV series released to positive reviews, the latest update coming in mid-May. “Fallout: London” a “total conversion mod” of Fallout 4, years in the making, stumbled out of the gate of its launch due to technical issues but its developers promise fixes are coming.

In any case, the bigger message is pretty clear: official mod support (of community modifications) for the older games pays off, and the churn of new stuff for Fallout 76 is still working. The most recent big expansion for Fallout 76 was the Skyline Valley update in June.

Xbox Game Pass helps drive the audience, too

It also helps that Fallout’s games are on Xbox Games Pass (as most first-party Xbox titles are). Nonetheless, “hours played on [Xbox] Game Pass for the Fallout franchise increased nearly five times, quarter over quarter.” Taking that at face value, that’s a remarkable spike for a game whose last completely new release came six years ago, and two years before Microsoft acquired its parent publisher, Bethesda Softworks.

Fallout was a no-question hit as a TV show, enough that Amazon has already renewed it for a second season. It all makes for a bright spot for Xbox despite an admitted drop in console and hardware revenue (quarter-over-quarter) though all three console makers (Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation) have been modestly declaring revenue, mainly because their flagship hardware is all four years old (at minimum) at this point.

The post Fallout game series pulls 500 million users, Microsoft CEO tells investors appeared first on ReadWrite.

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How to watch USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 online for free

Live stream USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 online for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Team USA are expected to win basketball gold at Paris 2024, which is a lot of weight on the shoulders of those players. But we’re talking about the likes of Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry here, so they’re not exactly new to pressure.

Next up for team USA is South Sudan. These sides met recently in a warm-up fixture that almost ended in a stunning win for South Sudan. Could they secure a shocking win this time around, or will USA show their class?

If you want to watch USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024?

USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 takes place at 3 p.m. ET on July 31.

How to watch USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 for free

USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These are tools that hide your real IP address and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock free streaming sites like BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer for free by following this simple process:

Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

Visit BBC iPlayer

Live stream USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free)
$99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)



The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream USA vs. South Sudan (plus the rest of Paris 2024) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including the UK

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

Fast connection speeds free from throttling

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

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How to watch the women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 online for free

Live stream the women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 online for free from anywhere in the world.

TL;DR: Live stream the women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

If you’re looking to watch athletes run at seriously impressive speeds during Paris 2024, the women’s 200m final promises to have excitement and drama in abundance.

The gold medallist from Tokyo 2020, Jamaican runner Elaine Thompson-Herah, is out injured, which means we’re guaranteed to get a new champion. Fellow Jamaican runner Shericka Jackson is the favorite, having run the second fastest time ever in the 200m last year. But it’s not a foregone conclusion. Jackson could find strong competition from U.S. runner Gabby Thomas and Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith.

If you want to watch the women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is the women’s 200m final at Paris 2024?

The women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 takes place at 3:40 p.m. ET on Aug. 6. The event is hosted by the Stade de France.

How to watch the women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 for free

The women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but you can access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world by signing up to a VPN. A VPN can disguise your real IP address (digital location) while connecting you to a secure server in the UK, which will help you unblock free streaming platforms such as BBC iPlayer no matter where you’re based around the globe.

Unblock BBC iPlayer for free by following this simple process:

Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

Visit BBC iPlayer

Live stream the women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free)
$99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)



The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. Take advantage of these offers to unblock BBC iPlayer, and without parting with any cash in the long-run. This will give you time to stream the women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 (plus all the events that follow) before recovering any investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including the UK

Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

Fast connection speeds free from throttling

Up to eight simultaneous connections

30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free. That’s an impressive 49% off for a limited time. For that price you’ll also get a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

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TikTok HQ staff hit by mass food poisoning incident

Singapore officials say they are investigating the incident, which hospitalised 57 people.

Singapore officials say they are investigating the incident, which hospitalised 57 people.

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New Pixel Watch 3 leak shows off ‘Advanced’ health features and watch face improvements

Recent info claims the display will have a peak brightness of up to 2,000 nits and smaller bezels on both Pixel Watch 3 models.

Following leaked information on its wristband options, promotional material for the Pixel Watch 3 has surfaced online, revealing several key features. Chief among them are multiple display improvements, such as thinner bezels. 

According to the images obtained by Android Headlines, one of the models will offer “10 percent more screen than the Pixel Watch 2” while the other offers “40 percent more screen”. The former is presumably the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 as that device is closer in size to the Pixel Watch 2, while the second is most likely a 45mm Pixel Watch 3

Besides the bezel upgrade, both models are breaking new ground by being the first of Google’s smartwatches to sport Actua displays, much like the Pixel 8. It’s unknown if the Actua screen will result in higher resolutions, but they will reportedly hit a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. That’s double the brightness on the Pixel Watch 2, which sits at 1,000 nits.

The leak states that the displays will be “ultra responsive.” Sadly, it does not explain what this means exactly, although we believe the text implies that the wearables will have a higher refresh rate.

Fitness upgrade

So far, everything has been hardware-focused, but things get more interesting when you look at the software. It seems one of the prominent fitness features on the Pixel Watch 3 is “Advanced Running Metrics,” which lets you create custom cardio workouts. What’s interesting about the tool is it can actively direct users during exercise. With the help of “audio and haptic cues,” Advancing Running Metrics will tell you “when to sprint, cool down, or maintain pace” during a jog.

Health features don’t stop there. Morning Brief on the Pixel Watch 3 will reportedly deliver a breakdown of “your most important health… metrics each morning,” telling you how well you slept and “your readiness score for the day.” Cardio Load is another metric that measures your heart and will liekly let you know if you’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately or not hard enough.

FIrst-party apps

Outside of fitness, Google is set to update several of its first-party apps. The promotional materials state that Google Maps on the smartwatch will be able to operate without a connection thanks to offline maps. 

Google Home is seeing a huge upgrade as it will reportedly let homeowners with a Google Nest Camera view a live feed on the watch. The wearables are also gaining greater control over the Pixel Camera app by giving users a way to switch between photo and video modes quickly.

The battery life is still expected to be at 24 hours, but Google will reportedly add a Battery Saver mode that will extend the lifetime to a maximum of 36 hours. Charging speeds will be 20 percent faster on the 41mm model. There is no word on how long it’ll take for the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 to charge.

As you can see, this was a pretty big leak, although we are still missing vital information about the smartwatches, like what kind of chipset they’ll be running. We won’t have to wait for too long as Google is holding its next Pixel event in less than two weeks on August 13.

Of course, take everything you read here with a pinch of salt. Things can always change. In the meantime, check out TechRadar’s list of the best smartwatches for 2024.

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A New White House Report Embraces Open-Source AI

An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: According to a new statement, the White House realizes open source is key to artificial intelligence (AI) development — much like many businesses using the technology. On Tuesday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a report supporting open-source and open models to promote innovation in AI while emphasizing the need for vigilant risk monitoring. The report recommends that the US continue to support AI openness while working on new capabilities to monitor potential AI risks but refrain from restricting the availability of open model weights.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: According to a new statement, the White House realizes open source is key to artificial intelligence (AI) development — much like many businesses using the technology. On Tuesday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a report supporting open-source and open models to promote innovation in AI while emphasizing the need for vigilant risk monitoring. The report recommends that the US continue to support AI openness while working on new capabilities to monitor potential AI risks but refrain from restricting the availability of open model weights.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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