Apple and Microsoft reportedly want their services, the iMessage chat app and Bing search engine, to be exempted from the designated “gatekeepers” list under the European Union’s forthcoming Digital Markets Act (DMA) on September 6. Both the tech giants argue that their services aren’t large or powerful enough to justify earning the restrictions of the DMA (via The Financial Times ) . For those unaware, the DMA is a European Union (EU) regulation that aims to make the digital economy fairer and more contestable by keeping the big internet companies in check....

In a recent development, Microsoft has reversed the decision to discontinue the free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefit following complaints from its employees. This reversal means that the employees will continue to have access to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription for free. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription includes hundreds of high-quality games on console, PC, and cloud, online console multiplayer, EA Play membership, member discounts and deals, and much more....

Microsoft has put all rumors to rest by officially acknowledging that it is working on a streaming stick codenamed “Keystone” to offer Xbox Cloud Gaming via a more affordable dongle. However, the company said that it needs more time before it is released in the market, reported Windows Central. Originally announced in June 2021, the company now has decided to “pivot away” from the current iteration of its streaming dongle to reportedly explore other iterations before bringing it into the market....

Microsoft stops sales of Windows 7 Pro, Windows 8.1 to OEMs Ever since Microsoft introduced Windows 10 last year, it has been aggressively pushing and convincing its Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users to upgrade to its new operating system. It looks like the U.S. software giant has gone a step further by quietly ending sale for both the Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8 licences, which now can no longer be purchased with a new PC....

Microsoft-owned Mojang Studios on Tuesday announced that it will be shutting down AR mobile game, ‘Minecraft Earth’ on June 30, 2021. The decision to shut down was taken due to the ‘current global situation’ that has brought changes to day-to-day life. Launched in October 2019, Minecraft Earth – an augmented reality (AR) game for smartphones – was designed to rival Pokémon GO. The game encourages players to move around the real world in virtual blocks and collect resources, crafting items, and building structures....

Netflix, the popular video streaming platform, is reportedly planning to increase prices of its ad-free plans in the next few months, reported The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources. According to the report, Netflix is considering raising prices for its ad-free plan after the SAG-AFTRA strike ends, starting with the U.S. and Canada before expanding to a number of markets around the world. However, there is no information on how much the prices will increase on the ad-free plans....

The Pinkfong Company and TinyTap have announced a partnership with the aim of revolutionizing early learning education. The Pinkfong Company, creators of ‘Baby Shark’, have signed a licensing agreement with TinyTap, utilizing their digital ecosystem to create accessible learning opportunities for younger audiences. TinyTap, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands , is one of the leading education tech platforms for user-generated educational games. With over 250,000 activities in its educational games library, TinyTap is a leading code-free authoring platform....

Streaming giant Roku Inc. on Friday announced that it has acquired the now-defunct short-form video streaming service Quibi’s library of content nearly three months after it was shut down. While both the companies did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition, The Wall Street Journal reported that Roku paid “significantly less” than $100 million to acquire Quibi’s shows. Quibi’s catalogue, which includes more than 75 premium shows and documentaries that Quibi created in conjunction with Hollywood’s leading studios and production companies, will be available for free on an ad-supported basis in 2021 to all Roku users....

Microsoft: Russian-linked hackers targeted at least 16 athletic organizations ahead of Tokyo Olympics “Today we’re sharing that the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center has recently tracked significant cyberattacks originating from a group we call Strontium, also known as Fancy Bear/APT28, targeting anti-doping authorities and sporting organizations around the world. As the world looks forward with anticipation to the Tokyo Summer Games in 2020, we thought it important to share information about this new round of activity,” Tom Burt, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for Customer Security & Trust said in a blog post ....

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 already hacked to play GameCube classics Its no question that the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are phenomenally powerful devices irrespective of the variant. Considering their power, someone decided to see if the device could support popular video game titles not originally meant for smartphones. Also Read- Dolphin Emulator- Run GameCube/Wii Games On PC And Android Devices A YouTuber named GuruAidTechSupport has shown that devices really can support serious video games....

Instant messaging app Snapchat on Wednesday announced that it has made its customizable AI-powered chatbot ‘My AI’ available for free within the app to all users globally at the Snap Partner Summit 2023. “My AI,” an AI chatbot powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology, was initially introduced in February and was exclusive to Snapchat+ users, a subscription service that costs users $3.99/month. The in-app chatbot will now be available to everyone for free and has the functionality to reply to users’ queries with messages and fully AI-generated images....

Stardock Tiles is one of the most reliable and feature-packed Windows 10 desktop customization tools out there. The tool is used by both professionals and enthusiasts to streamline workflow and increase productivity. Recently, Stardock has introduced the second iteration of Tiles that goes by the name Tiles 2. In this article, we have shared everything that you need to know about Tiles 2. ALSO READ: 15 Best Windows 10 Themes and Skins You Must Try in 2021...

The vulnerability, dubbed “Log4Shell” by cybersecurity researchers at LunaSec and credited to Chen Zhaojun of Alibaba, exploits results in Remote Code Execution (RCE) by logging a certain string, which allows attackers to gain uncontrolled access to computer systems and import malware putting millions of devices completely at risk. The 0-day was tweeted on December 9 along with a proof-of-concept (POC) posted on GitHub . According to the researchers, given how ubiquitous this library is, the impact of the exploit (full server control), and how easy it is to exploit, the impact of this vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228) is “quite severe”....

Attackers Hijack Cellular Phone Towers Thanks To Critical Flaws You and I are afraid of somebody hacking our smartphones and stealing critical information, but what happens when hackers hijack a whole cellular network by hacking into cellphone towers? No, this is not an empty threat because, security researchers from the mobile security firm, Zimperium have discovered three serious security flaws in BTS stations which can allow potential hacker remotely hijack the entire cell phone tower....

It’s been less than a week since Tesla CEO Elon Musk completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter and the popular microblogging site has already started bringing about changes to the platform. Apparently, Twitter is looking to revive the microblogging site’s short-form video app, Vine so that it could take on popular Chinese short-video sensation, TikTok reports Axios citing multiple sources. Musk has asked Twitter engineers to work on a rebooted version of Vine so that it could be ready by the end of the year....

While WhatsApp stands out as the most widely used instant messaging platform, Telegram serves as another popular choice that many of us still rely on as the primary app for connecting with friends, colleagues, and workplace superiors. Telegram boasts a multitude of features, and like WhatsApp, it provides the option of the “last seen” feature, catering to users who prefer its inclusion. What Does ‘Last Seen Recently’ Mean on Telegram Can I Hide My Last Seen Time on Telegram?...

Microsoft engineers are known for their botched patches and fixes. And, they have done it yet again with the Windows 10 update that is causing some computers to crash down while others are experiencing the “Blue Screen Of Death” (BSOD). This latest Windows 10 update known as KB4540673 was released on March 10, as part of Microsoft’s “Tuesday of fixes”. It appears to have created problems for those who have downloaded and installed it on their systems....

Microsoft released Patch Tuesday Update KB5027231 (OS build 22621.1848) for Windows 11 22H2 on June 13, 2023, which addresses security issues related to the Windows operating system. However, some users who have Malwarebytes anti-virus software installed on their systems are unable to completely launch Google Chrome and load the user interface after installing the Windows 11 22H2 KB5027231 cumulative update. Affected users took to the Malwarebytes support forum to post their complaint, which is as follows: “I can’t open Chrome anymore after installing the June update KB5027231....

Arlington-based start-up Eviation’s all-electric prototype passenger plane, Alice (registration N882EV) took off on its maiden test flight on Tuesday and landed successfully at Grant County International Airport (MWH) in Moses Lake, Washington. Alice, which was first unveiled at the Paris Air Show in June 2019, is designed to accommodate nine passengers and two pilots up to about 500 miles (800 kilometers). Powered by two, rear-mounted magniX650 electric motors, the plane airlifted off at 7:10 a....

Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) is now completely powered by custom Xbox Series X hardware, the company has confirmed in a statement to The Verge . The Redmond giant told the publication that “it recently completed the upgrade, which improves both frame rates and game load times for players streaming Xbox games over the web.” In June, Microsoft had announced that it was in the final stages of updating its Microsoft datacenters around the world with their latest generation of hardware, the Xbox Series X....