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The Premier League’s Manchester City is going all in with Fortnite with new content drive

English Premier League Champions and 2023’s UEFA Champions League winners Manchester City is set to launch a new experience in… Continue reading The Premier League’s Manchester City is going all in with Fortnite with new content drive
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English Premier League Champions and 2023’s UEFA Champions League winners Manchester City is set to launch a new experience in Fortnite tomorrow called ‘The Ladder’.

Available from 4 am Eastern Time, The Ladder features a series of one-on-one competitions where “players face off for the right to ascend a series of virtual arenas inspired by Manchester City branding”, according to a report in Digiday.

City have dabbled inside Fortnite’s universe earlier this year already by allowing players to see the club’s kit for this season, as well as the Premier League trophy within the game.

The Ladder however is the first map the club has been involved with and, although not an official partnership with Epic Games, City Football Group Head of eSports, Gaming, and Metaverse Kris Lewis told Digiday that they had “collaborated” with the publisher to determine how best to activate within the game.

“We’re really trying to set a precedent with the map and set something that does have the potential to live long-term in the ecosystem, and that really does resonate with players in the longer term,” said Lewis.

“What exactly that horizon looks like will be shaped by the map and what we learn from the launch process.”

Manchester City is one of the teams within the Premier League that runs its own eSports team alongside its on-field operation and fields a roster in both EA FC and Fortnite.

The new Fortnite content coincides with the team’s pre-season tour of the USA which sees the first game v Celtic take place in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on 23rd July.

According to DemandSage, the US has the highest number of Fortnight players, accounting for around 22% of the global player base of the game. It is likely City is eyeing this audience an as expansion target going forward.

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How to celebrate in College Football 25 and complete celebrations list

College Football 25 brings back all the on-field goodness that has been missing for a number of years now. However,… Continue reading How to celebrate in College Football 25 and complete celebrations list
The post How to celebrate in College Football 25 and complete celebrations list appeared first on ReadWrite.

College Football 25 brings back all the on-field goodness that has been missing for a number of years now.

However, as it has been a while since we’ve seen a college football game, there have also been new features introduced.

One of which is more complex celebrations, and here, we’ll run you through the new College Football 25 celebration mechanic, as well as how to do them all.

How to celebrate in College Football 25

When you achieve something in College Football 25, you’ll almost always want to let out a celebration just to prove a point.

Thankfully, you can do this out on the in-game field as well as in real life, and there are multiple ways to do so.

You’re able to perform Touchdown, First Down, and Interception celebrations but each of them requires a specific input meaning there is no ‘one way’ of celebrating.

Thankfully, we’ve collated all celebrations and how to do them so read on for all the information.

All College Football 25 celebrations and how to perform

As promised here are each of the College Football 25 celebrations separated into the three categories:

Touchdown celebrations

Come At Me Bro: Right Stick right + RB/R1
Cross Up: Right Stick right + LB/L1
Head Swag: Right Stick left + LB/L1
I Can’t Hear You: Right Stick right + LT/L2
Ice In My Veins: Right Stick left
It’s Time: Right Stick down + LB/L1
Jacked: Right Stick down
Little Baby: Right Stick right + RT/R2
Mic Drop: Right Stick down + RB/R1
On His head: Right Stick down + RT/R2
Point To fans: Right Stick up + RB/R1
Put Em To sleep: Right Stick left + RT/R2
Salute (All teams except Colorado): Right Stick left + RB/R1
Shoot The Arrow: Right Stick right
Show The Ice (Colorado only): Right Stick left + RB/R1
Strike A Pose: Right Stick left + LT/L2
The King: Right Stick down + LT/L2
Tiger Swag: Right Stick up + LT/L2
Vibes: Right Stick up
Wave Goodbye: Right Stick up + RT/R2
Who Cares: Right Stick up + LB/L1

First Down celebrations

Jacked Right: Right Stick down
Shake It off: Right Stick left
Signal It: Right Stick up
Touch Em Up: Right Stick right

Interception celebrations

Head Swag: Right Stick left
Strapped: Right Stick down
Wave Goodbye: Right Stick up
Why You Throwing My Way: Right Stick right

Sim Lab teams up with Mercedes to showcase a new $2,500 F1 sim-racing steering wheel

It sounds like a broken record to keep saying there is so much going on right now in the simulation… Continue reading Sim Lab teams up with Mercedes to showcase a new $2,500 F1 sim-racing steering wheel
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It sounds like a broken record to keep saying there is so much going on right now in the simulation world. Be it racing sims or flight sims, the speed at which we are getting fantastic new sim peripherals coming to market is really exciting.

Sim Lab is a company we haven’t covered as yet but that changes today with the unveiling of its officially licensed Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Sim Racing Steering Wheel, with the company saying, “Nothing has been spared to make this wheel as authentic as possible, with its sole purpose of being the best sim racing steering wheel on the market.”

It does come with a price to match, coming in at just under $2,500/£2,300 so you have to be a serious race simmer to even be looking at this, but if it is within your budget you are going to get your hands on a replica as close to what Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have been driving with – albeit in your bedroom on an office chair. You can’t do better than this, especially if you are playing the new season of F1 24.

With a 280mm diameter and weighing just 1240 grams, you can easily use the display on the wheel with race management software such as SImHub and Race Director – Sim Lab’s own software.

As you can see from the image above, the wheel looks as realistic as it gets. High-quality sim wheels certainly come with a premium cost but some companies are trying to get the price down and we will be looking at a new offering from Moza Racing in the coming weeks too.

Sim Lab Formula 1 wheel Features

14 Button inputs
9 Rotary switches
Mono shifter paddle
Single throw clutch with replaceable finger cup and adjustable travel
2x rear mounted buttons (magic buttons)
Fully customizable with RaceDirector®
Removable USB connector for future upgrade possibility to pass-through quick releases
Hand built – expect minute differences in each wheel regarding weaves and weight of the carbon fiber
2 types of sticker sets included of your preferred driver

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Netflix has surpassed Q2 expectations with 44% profit surge

The video streaming giant Netflix has boosted its global subscribers by 16.5% to 277.65 million, resulting in a 44% profit… Continue reading Netflix has surpassed Q2 expectations with 44% profit surge
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The video streaming giant Netflix has boosted its global subscribers by 16.5% to 277.65 million, resulting in a 44% profit surge to $2.15 billion.

These numbers surpass Wall Street’s expectations of the firm for the second quarter of 2024. The 16.5% increase in subscribers equates to a 17% year-on-year increase in revenue and a 44% increase in profits.

Netflix said the growth can be attributed to the ongoing benefit from its recent crackdown on password sharing as well as recent original titles proving popular.

As a result of the success of Netflix’s strategy to mitigate free sharing and convert these users into paying subscribers, Disney+ has made its own plans to enact stricter password-sharing policies in the hope of driving growth.

“We’re clearly seeing healthy organic growth in the business, but we’re also continuing to get better and better at translating improvements in our service into business value, including getting better and better at converting unpaid accounts,” said Netflix’s CFO Spencer Neumann to analysts on Thursday, adding “On the paid member front, we’re also probably benefiting from that attractive entry point in terms of price point and feature set for our ads plan.”

Netflix warns this growth will not continue into quarter three

As the impact of the password-sharing clampdown declines, so will the corresponding surge in revenue. Netflix is warning that quarter three paid net additions will be lower year-on-year because of this.

In addition, they expect global average revenue per paid member to be roughly flat year-on-year in quarter three due to “ongoing [foreign exchange] headwinds and plan and country mix.”

Netflix is now looking at how it can continue to grow its user base, saying in a quarterly shareholder letter that “Our biggest opportunity is winning a larger share of the 80%+ of TV time (primarily linear and streaming) that neither Netflix nor YouTube has today. If we execute well — better stories, easier discovery and more fandom — while also establishing ourselves in newer areas like live, games and advertising, we believe that we have a lot more room to grow.”

In order to drive this, Netflix has recently redesigned its home screen intending to make it easier for users to find content they want to watch. In addition, the company is continuing to expand Netflix Gaming, with new titles frequently being added for customers to play.

Featured image credit: generated by Ideogram

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dogwifhat Price Prediction – WIF Poised for 2x Surge in Coming Weeks

Altcoins have struggled recently, declining in value. However, based on the previous dogwifhat price analysis, the WIF price prediction remains… Continue reading dogwifhat Price Prediction – WIF Poised for 2x Surge in Coming Weeks
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Altcoins have struggled recently, declining in value. However, based on the previous dogwifhat price analysis, the WIF price prediction remains bullish.

Investors felt a surge of optimism for the anticipated bull run as the cryptocurrency market rebounded this week. Bitcoin led the way to $65,000, sparking a broader bullish trend.

At the same time, dogwifhat’s price prediction shows that WIF is set for a significant rise, potentially doubling its value in the coming weeks.

Apart from dogwifhat, the prediction for WienerAI, a new meme coin getting a lot of attention, is also bullish. It’s in its presale stage and has already attracted big investors and smart traders.

WIF price prediction

WIF has made a strong move, especially with its recent surge. The coin has shown solid support at higher lows, which means it’s likely to keep rising. Even though some resistance might occur, the falling wedge pattern suggests a possible breakout upwards.

dogwifhat has been a standout performer, surging 3% in the past 24 hours. Outpacing the entire top 100, it has rallied over 3000% from its recent all-time lows. This meteoric rise has drawn significant attention to the meme coin sector.

While WIF is still recovering from a 51% decline from its all-time high, its current breakout indicates a promising trajectory. Analysts anticipate further gains. dogwifhat’s impressive 54% weekly increase reinforces its bullish momentum and positions it for a potential breakout as well.

With the recent price jump and the analysis, WIF might break through its resistance levels and climb to $3 or more, possibly reaching new highs.

Alternative meme coin with AI bot features

WienerAI’s ICO is still ongoing, with over $7 million raised and 12 days left for investors to purchase $WAI tokens at $0.00073. This is the last chance to buy before the presale ends. After the presale, this price will no longer be available. In August, WienerAI will launch on Uniswap.

WienerAI (WAI) stands out as one of the most successful crypto presales right now. It uniquely blends creativity and meme culture with advanced artificial intelligence. The standout feature of the WienerAI ecosystem is its AI-driven trading bot, which offers powerful and useful predictive capabilities.

Consider WienerAI the ChatGPT of crypto.

Not only will the Bot find winning trades with unrivaled accuracy and give meaningful reasoning for its suggestions, but WienerAI is Swap-Enabled–meaning you don’t have to leave the App to place your trades. (3/4) pic.twitter.com/5HFpCmVOHh

— WienerAI (@WienerDogAI) June 11, 2024

This bot can significantly assist all crypto users, whether they are experienced or newcomers. It’s like having ChatGPT for crypto trading. You simply enter what you’re looking for, and the bot will quickly search the market for opportunities.

For example, if you want to find new DeFi projects, just ask the WienerAI bot, and it will find potential gems for you. The bot can also execute trades on various DEXs, so you won’t need to switch platforms or manage multiple crypto wallets.

As more investors see the benefits of this AI trading bot, the WienerAI (WAI) Sausage Army is growing daily. In addition to its main AI-enhanced trading feature, the project offers a no-fee model and includes MEV protection. This means investors won’t be front-run by MEV bots during buying or selling.

WienerAI also offers a staking system for its native $WAI token. Currently, $WAI stakers can earn estimated annual yields of 148%, with over 6.9 billion tokens already locked up. With its AI technology, meme appeal, and real-world utility, WienerAI is definitely a project to watch.

As always in crypto, nothing is certain, but WienerAI could be a dark horse worth keeping an eye on. For the latest updates, follow WienerAI on X or join its Telegram group.

Secure your spot in the $WAI token presale by visiting wienerdog.ai.

Crypto Analyst Tips Top Meme Coins For Huge Gains By 2025 – PEPU, TREMP, SHIBASHOOT, TRUMP, WAI, POPCAT, DAWGZ, PLAY, MICHI, and WIF
WienerAI Meme Coin Presale Ending Soon – Potential for 100x Gains with CEX Listings Confirmed

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Anthropic and Menlo Ventures launch $100m fund for AI startups

Anthropic and Menlo Ventures have joined forces to set up the Anthology Fund for aspiring developers to make their mark… Continue reading Anthropic and Menlo Ventures launch $100m fund for AI startups
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Anthropic and Menlo Ventures have joined forces to set up the Anthology Fund for aspiring developers to make their mark on the evolution of artificial intelligence.

The $100 million fund aims to support the advance of new AI technology for the particular benefit of humanity.

The fund will concentrate on five key areas of focus. They are AI infrastructure, novel applications of AI in industries such as healthcare and education, consumer AI solutions, trust and safety tooling, and AI applications that maximize societal benefits. This strategy is said to reflect the backers’ ambition to support innovation and collaboration across the wider AI landscape

Anthropic, the AI startup behind the Claude chatbot, wants to “push the boundaries” of AI for the greater good, as stated by its co-founder and President, Daniela Amodei.

” We’re particularly interested in ventures that leverage AI to enhance human capabilities and productivity in fields such as healthcare, legal services, education, energy, infrastructure, and scientific research,” she said.

“We look forward to working closely with Menlo and the exceptional founders backed by this Fund to push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI,” added Amodei.

We are excited to announce the Anthology Fund, a $100M fund we created with our partners at @AnthropicAI to support the next generation of breakthrough companies.

With funding from the Anthology Fund, we will back visionary founders using Anthropic’s cutting-edge AI to reshape…

— Menlo Ventures (@MenloVentures) July 17, 2024

Shaping the future of AI

Anthropic is entering this venture from a position of strength, having secured investments from the likes of Amazon and Google in the past year, totaling $6 billion. Menlo Ventures appears to be a good partner with the California-based venture capital firm closing a $1.35b funding round in November last year. It was said to be earmarked for the growth of the “forthcoming generation” in AI, acting as a fitting prelude to this project.

Matt Murphy, Partner at Menlo Ventures, stated, “We are thrilled to join forces with Anthropic to launch the Anthology Fund. By combining Menlo’s company-building experience with Anthropic’s cutting-edge AI technology and talent, we are uniquely positioned to identify and partner with the most promising entrepreneurs shaping the future of AI.”

Beneficiaries of the fund are in line to receive $25,000 in credits to access Anthropic’s most advanced models, extra research tools, and extensive venture support from Menlo.

Image credit: Anthropic

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Atari launches Asteroids Recharged – a full-sized arcade cab that I somehow need to sneak past the wife

One of the first major video game successes in history is back and in a brand new, modern arcade cabinet… Continue reading Atari launches Asteroids Recharged – a full-sized arcade cab that I somehow need to sneak past the wife
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One of the first major video game successes in history is back and in a brand new, modern arcade cabinet that would fit in very nicely into many a games room, 1979’s arcade space classic Asteroids from Atari, who recently did a deal to take over the Intellivision brand, is back in a new Asteroids Recharged form and oh my, is it pretty.

As you might expect with a piece of gaming history (albeit a modernized one) that costs $6,499 this is a limited edition run of the cabinet that can be pre-ordered from Atari until August 26th and shipping will then begin on September 15th.

Featuring “real arcade controls”, whatever that means, and “mechanical haptic feedback devices” – presumably like a controller rumble, you can’t argue that this looks beautiful.

Obviously it is being sold with actual arcades in mind, but that will now stop serious collectors picking one up for preservation reasons even at that price.

Yes, there is an argument you could probably build an emulated Asteroids cabinet for your home yourself for a few hundred dollars, but this is the real deal isn’t it?

Personally I was never much of an Asteroids player but if the game brings you back more than a pang of nostalgia – and you are in the USA because it is only available for shopping there, then check out the Atari site for further details.

Asteroids Recharged features

Arcade Edition: Asteroids Recharged gameplay redesigned for intense quick arcade-style action
Save the Galaxy: Blast through 256 waves designed to put even the most seasoned players to the test
Mechanical Effects: Gameplay that interacts with real haptic feedback devices such as large & small shaker motors, flashing LED lights, fans, and a pinball knocker
Complete Globally: Earn Major League Esports League points with every high score in daily, monthly, and special event tournaments
Bring a Friend: Play local co-op, with individual scoring, to see who is best at defending the galaxy together
Get in the Groove: Space out to an original score by Megan McDuffee

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Meet Diablo IV’s new class – The Spiritborn – an apex predator who likes a tattoo or two

The Vessel of Hatred expansion for Diablo IV was announced earlier this year with the promise of the addition of… Continue reading Meet Diablo IV’s new class – The Spiritborn – an apex predator who likes a tattoo or two
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The Vessel of Hatred expansion for Diablo IV was announced earlier this year with the promise of the addition of the first new class to enter Sanctuary. While many might have been expecting a more standard Paladin to return to the fray we were instead teased the Spiritborn – an apex predator from the jungles of Nahantu.

Very little was known at that early stage but now Blizzard has revealed the Spiritborn in all their glory in an hour-long livestream, hosted by presenters in Spiritborn t-shirts. This is truly big time. But who are the Spiritborn? What will they bring to Diablo IV and when can we start creating our new class? Here’s what we know at this point.

Who are the Spiritborn?

“Before this question can be answered, you must first understand the Spirit Realm and Akarat’s discovery of it.” cue Blizzard mysteriously slipping into story-telling mode.

There is a huge amount of lore here and if you want to immerse yourself in that, then have a full read here, but suffice to say for our purposes, they are a band of warriors who have sworn to protect the Spirit Realm, but on to the cool stuff.

A Spirtborn can call upon one of four Spirit Guardians in times of need- the Jaguar, Gorilla, Eagle, or Centipede and champion their prowess.

With the Spiritborn comes a new Skill Tag: Incarnate. While equipped, the Spiritborn embodies the traits of the Guardian associated with the Incarnate Skill, providing you with a passive bonus. When activated, you take on the Guardian’s full strength.

The Spiritborn are described by Blizzard as thusL “Spiritborn are versatile warriors who fuse devastating three-hit-combo attacks and acrobatic fluidity into a potent display of their ferocity. They are masters of hand-to-hand combat, doling out lethality at close range through the ability to extend their wrath with the aid of spirit energy and their favored demon-slaying implement, the glaive. Their physical prowess allows them to block or dodge incoming strikes, absorbing this power for themselves or redirecting it back at their aggressors.”

The Four Spirit Guardians

Jaguar (Rezoka)

The Jaguar is relentless and violent, attacking repeatedly with blinding speed and fury. Constantly ramping up in lethality and keeping its fire burning in between kills.

Rake: Conjure claws that rake through enemies in front of you, dealing [20%] damage before exploding for an additional [40%] damage.
Ravager: (Passive) Minimum Ferocity increased by 2. (Active) Unleash a savage roar, causing all your attacks to trigger additional strikes dealing [60%] damage for 6 seconds.
Rushing Claw: Slash a short distance through an enemy, striking all enemies along the way twice for a total of [50%] total damage.
The Hunter: Bound across the battlefield with the Jaguar Spirit, dealing [50%] damage upon landing and then rapidly slashing enemies in the area for [200%] total damage over 7 strikes.

Gorilla (Wumba)

The embodiment of resilience and retaliation, the Gorilla not only shrugs off incoming damage but ensures their reprisals are brutal, swift and final. This Guardian embodies pure dominance and efficient resolution to protect its own at all costs.

Rock Splitter: Rush at a target and clobber enemies in front of you, dealing [15%] damage. Your third attack strikes enemies around you, dealing [28%] damage.
Concussive Stomp: Stomp in front of you, releasing a shockwave that deals [15%] damage and Knocks Down enemies for 3 seconds.
Payback: Smash enemies in front of you, dealing [100%] damage. When attacked, you have a 35% chance to reduce Payback’s active Cooldown by 1 second.
The Protector: The Gorilla Spirit protects an area for 6 seconds, continuously smashing surrounding enemies for [80%] damage and granting you Barrier for 15% of your Maximum Life every 1.5 seconds.

Eagle (Kwati)

The Eagle is lethal and attacks its prey with pinpoint precision. Its movement speed and amplified Evade, combined with extendable mid-ranged attacks, come together to deliver a concentrated burst of pain upon your foes.

Soar: Fly into the air, creating a cloud that makes enemies at your target location Vulnerable for 5 seconds before you crash down upon them dealing [50%] damage.
Quill Volley: Hurl 5 feathers that pierce through enemies, each dealing [14%] damage.
Razor Wings: Whirl out a cluster of razor-sharp feathers that rebound back, dealing [50%] damage each way.
The Seeker: The Eagle Spirit swoops down and deals [20%] damage. After a short delay it blasts off dealing [300%] damage.

Centipede (Balazan)

Draining the strength of foes to sustain itself, the Centipede is a manifestation of the inescapable cycle of death. Wield debilitating Poison damage and disruptive crowd control to reduce any opposition to a lifeless husk.

Withering Fist: Dart at and jab an enemy, dealing [5%] damage and applying [30%] Poisoning damage over 6 seconds. Your third attack bursts on your target, damaging surrounding enemies and Slowing them by 30% for 3 seconds.
Scourge: Call forth a wave of insects that bite enemies, Fearing and Slowing them for 3 seconds and applying [100%] Poisoning damage over 6 seconds.
Stinger: Strike a small area, dealing [70%] damage to enemies within as well as all surrounding Poisoned enemies.
The Devourer: The Centipede Spirit emerges, blasting enemies in a line for [140%] damage and splitting at others for [40%] damage. Lasts for 15 seconds.

When are the Spiritborn coming to Diablo 4?

The Spiritborn will arrive in D4 on October 8 as part of the Vessel of Hatred expansion. Pre-purchasing the Ultimate edition of the expansion will also get you some cool SB cosmetics to get you up and running.

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Expansion
Nahantu Veilwalker Spiritborn Armor
Alkor, Snow Leopard Pet (Pre-Purchase Bonus)
Mother’s Lament Legendary Gem for Diablo Immortal (Pre-Purchase Bonus)
Hratli, Canine Pet
Nahantu War-Cat Mount and Armor Bundle
One Premium Battle Pass Token
3,000 Platinum
Natalya, Tiger Pet
Nahantu Unearthed Armor Bundle (5 class armor sets)
Wings of the Faith Cosmetic
Nahantu Themed Town Portal

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FTC gunning for Microsoft again after Game Pass price hikes and sends a letter basically saying, “We told you so”

FTC gunning for Microsoft again after Game Pass price hikes and sends a letter basically saying, “We did warn you”… Continue reading FTC gunning for Microsoft again after Game Pass price hikes and sends a letter basically saying, “We told you so”
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FTC gunning for Microsoft again after Game Pass price hikes and sends a letter basically saying, “We did warn you”

Microsoft’s seemingly endless arguments with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) are back up and running with the government agency highlighting recent changes to the Game Pass subscription service, suggesting that it believes Microsoft is now offering a “degraded product” in order to push people to a higher-priced tier.

We did cover a fiddly workaround last week that could save you from being hit by the price hike for a few months at least, but ultimately, they have you and the FTC wants to point out that they basically warned us this was going to happen when they tried to block the Microsoft / Activision Blizzard merger last year.

A strongly worded letter penned by Imad Abyad, Counsel for the Federal Trade Commission to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, says,

“Microsoft is discontinuing its $10.99/month “Console Game Pass” product. Users of that product must pay 81% more to switch to “Game Pass Ultimate.” For consumers unwilling to pay 81% more, Microsoft is introducing a degraded product, “Game Pass Standard,” at $14.99/month. This product costs 36% more than Console Game Pass and withholds day-one releases. Product degradation—removing the most valuable games from Microsoft’s new service—combined with price increases for existing users, is exactly the sort of consumer harm from the merger, the FTC has alleged.

“Microsoft’s price increases and product degradation—combined with Microsoft’s reduced investments in output and product quality via employee layoffs, see FTC’s February 7, 2024, Letter—are the hallmarks of a firm exercising market power post-merger.”

It’s not entirely clear that the FTC can actually act on this latest development. It is already appealing the judgment allowing the merger to go ahead, so this letter is likely just additional information rather than a new stance. It is as much a “We told you so” as anything else.

For the FTC’s part at least it does still seem to be watching the Redmond giant with hawk eyes, even if it is unlikely to force a pricing backtrack.

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Windows Global IT outage: CrowdStrike update grounds aircraft, banks and broadcasters also down

Windows computers across the world are experiencing the dreaded blue screen of death (BSoD) caused by a faulty CrowdStrike update.… Continue reading Windows Global IT outage: CrowdStrike update grounds aircraft, banks and broadcasters also down
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Windows computers across the world are experiencing the dreaded blue screen of death (BSoD) caused by a faulty CrowdStrike update. The issue is affecting airlines, broadcasters, banks, and many other businesses.

Delta, United, and American Airlines have been forced to ground flights, and other airports and airlines across the world including Australia, India, Japan, and the UK are experiencing huge delays. Virgin Australia, Qantas Airways, and RyanAir are among the affected airlines.

The state of Alaska is currently experiencing a 999 outage, according to the state’s Trooper’s Facebook page. British news channel Sky News has been unable to broadcast and the London Stock Exchange website is down, though the exchange itself is still trading.

What is CrowdStrike and why is it causing global disruption?

CrowdStrike Holdings is an American cybersecurity company with customers across the world, hence the far-reaching nature of this outage. It manages the security of companies’ IT infrastructure, particularly to prevent network threats like ransomware and cyber attacks.

The nature of being a security service means CrowdStrike’s products have wide-reaching access across the systems it protects, hence the crippling effect of a single faulty update.

The outage seems to be connected to a faulty update pushed live by the company in the early hours of Friday morning. The company has issued a support note acknowledging the issue: “We have widespread reports of BSODs on Windows hosts, occurring on multiple sensor versions.”

While the company has found the issue and reverted the update that caused the current outage, the fix does not seem to apply to machines that have already been affected.

Phoning CrowdStrike’s support line is equally futile: they are running a pre-recorded message acknowledging the fault. “Thanks for contacting Crowdstrike support. Crowdstrike is aware of reports of crashes on Windows related to the Falcon sensor.”

Troy Hunt, the creator of HaveIBeenPwned, a data breach checker, has taken to X, posting that “this will be the largest IT outage in history.”

I don’t think it’s too early to call it: this will be the largest IT outage in history

— Troy Hunt (@troyhunt) July 19, 2024

Participants in a thread of sys admins on Reddit are also discussing the outage. “This is an insane event for the world’s infrastructure,” said one user. Others are discussing how huge this issue is for their companies, with one person stating their company has over 14,000 endpoints that have been affected.