Google has reportedly resolved a known scrolling issue with its Pixel phone that numerous users had complained about.

According to Google’s issue tracker, the scrolling experience on some Pixel models were jittery and stuttering, especially noticeable when the animation movement started to slow down. It appears to be most common on the Pixel 8 Pro but has also been reported on other models.

CustomScrollView On iOS is Scrolling fine, on Google Pixel 6a is Scrolling but on Google Pixel 7 Pro is not scrolling. This is really weird, #flutterdev did you already find this type of issue? #flutter pic.twitter.com/Kufqnot2dE

— Isaias Cuvula (@ICuvula) September 12, 2023

The stutter, first reported in October, has now apparently been fixed. However, the fix might not roll out until Android 15.

Google’s tracker states, “Ongoing optimizations in performance and power are slated for the next Android release. These include improvements positively impacting overall system UI jank as well as use cases tied to some Android applications.”

It’s believed that the “next Android release” refers to Android 15, rather than a minor update to Android 14.

Android 15 Developer Preview

The official beta program for Android 15 is set to launch in April, following its current availability as a developer preview. However, there have been several reports of installation issues with the Android 15 Developer Preview that have led Google to withdraw the official OTA update files.

A host of features for Android 15 has already been leaked, including lock screen widgets and possible advanced Bluetooth audio sharing.

The Android 15 Developer Preview was launched in February, allowing developers to explore new APIs, behavior changes, and report any critical issues or requests to the company during this period. It then released Preview 2 in March, which had some changes including better handling of automatic language switching.

It also brought long-awaited support for satellite connectivity alongside several improvements to contactless payments, volume consistency, and interaction with PDFs via apps.

The first official confirmation that Android 15 will feature satellite messaging came from Google’s press release, which stated that the new preview supports “preloaded RCS applications to use satellite connectivity for sending and receiving messages.”

These betas, aimed at developers, serve as a testing ground for features expected to be included in the final public release later this year.

Featured image: Canva

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Schools in several major cities in Canada have initiated legal actions against social media corporations, including Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook, alleging that these platforms hurt children’s mental health and educational progress.

On Wednesday, school districts from Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel Region launched individual lawsuits, collectively seeking damages amounting to approximately $4.5 billion.

The legal actions against Meta, TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd., and Snapchat parent Snap Inc. allege that these firms intentionally target children with products designed to be addictive. This, in turn, leads to disturbances in classroom settings and increases the susceptibility of children to sexual abuse and exploitation.

The Toronto District School Board said in a complaint filed in Ontario’s Superior Court: “Endemic social media use is causing an unprecedented youth mental health crisis within the Plaintiff’s schools and amongst its student population.

“Students’ social media use is causing significantly increased rates of anxiety, depression, social media addiction, body dysmorphia, anorexia, low self-esteem, disordered eating, suicidal ideation, pervasive loneliness, self-harm, and suicide,” it continued.

It claimed that the companies “capitalized on their knowledge that the developing child brain is particularly vulnerable and prone to manipulation” by these social media products.

Only this week (March 26), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law to effectively ban young children from social media. Under the new legislation to be introduced on 1 January 2025, Florida will prohibit children aged 13 and under from having access to social media, whilst 14 and 15-year-olds will require parental consent to be online.

The ongoing issue with social media

In January, social media executives testified at a US Senate hearing aimed at addressing online child exploitation. The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, Snap, Discord and X, formerly known as Twitter, shared their stance amid growing concerns and questions about how platforms are considering their impact on children.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg surprisingly turned to parents of victims on the Senate floor and apologized. “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” Zuckerberg said while parents displayed photographs of their children, who died after suffering from sexual exploitation or harassment through social media platforms.

Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap Inc., expressed similar sentiments to parents whose children obtained illegal drugs via Snapchat. In late 2023, parents of over 60 teenagers sued Snap, accusing it of enabling their children to purchase drugs that led to overdoses.

In October 2023, a massive lawsuit filed by 33 states accused Meta of knowingly designing its platforms to be addictive and harmful to children’s mental health. The claims originate from internal research leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen in 2021, revealing that 13.5% of teenage girls reported Instagram worsens suicidal thoughts, and 17% stated it aggravates eating disorders.

Featured image: Canva

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Helldiver’s 2 players will be able to access new weapons in the battle against the Terminid and Automaton hordes in the acclaimed game.

Those loyal to the fight for Super Earth will get not one, but two new heavy weapons to add to their arsenal.

Helldivers adds new content

The co-op game from Arrowhead Studios has added another supply drop in the form of the LAS-99 and the MG-101 joining the armory. The official X account posted:

Helldivers, support has arrived! The LAS-99 Quasar Cannon and the MG-101 Heavy Machine Gun are available now for use against the Automaton horde. pic.twitter.com/EZSzXJWSPn

— HELLDIVERS 2 (@helldivers2) March 28, 2024

The two new weapons mark a busy week for the studio as Arrowhead published an article looking at the previous patch for the game. Patrik Lasota said “I’m responsible for how Arrowhead listens to feedback and balances its games. I’d like to talk about the changes we made in this patch and why.”

Latosa is the Head of Product Testing (HPT) at Arrowhead and was also a designer on the original Helldivers game.

He broke down the weapons, nerfs, and fantasy and a few of the key supporting pieces that help Helldivers on their missions.

”All too often in the games industry the core fantasy, and what makes a weapon feel good and fun, is ignored for the sake of Balance,” Latosa said of finding harmony in the game.

Feedback is incredibly important to the method Arrowhead adopts and can be seen in the HPT’s views on game design. “It is extra important to us to tread carefully so that we don’t ruin fantasy and fun when we do nerfs. We hope you, our players, will tell us when we cross that line inadvertently.”

Arrowhead dropped game content earlier this month in the form of the Warbond upgrades. “Helldivers… we need your help. The brainiacs in Super Earth Research & Development have some cool experimental armor ready to be field-tested. This is where you come in, you’re just the right people for the job,” said the Sony blog post.

The content drop was well received off the back of a massive update patch that brought fire tornadoes and meteors to the co-op shooter, as well as stabilization and balancing fixes.

Arrowhead continues to impress with its player and content-focused updates to the game. We await what is next for the saviors of Super Earth, but knowing the tongue-in-cheek studio they will probably drop a few hints.

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Google has announced several new updates to its Maps and Search functions, aimed at assisting users with their travel plans, thanks to AI.

Users in more than 40 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada will be able to access lists of suggested dining and visitation spots via Google Maps. These algorithm-generated suggestions comprise three main lists, which include a “Trending” list updated weekly featuring places currently experiencing a surge in popularity, a “Top” list of locations known for their enduring popularity, and a “Gems” list highlighting lesser-known but worthy destinations.

Are you ready to revolutionize your projects with immersive 3D experiences?

It's easier than ever to transform how users interact with geospatial data, thanks to our new solution guides.

Discover the possibilities → https://t.co/09x6vTsI38 pic.twitter.com/DF3larv3RL

— Google Maps Platform (@GMapsPlatform) March 27, 2024

In addition to this, Google Maps will feature curated recommendation lists from top sources including Lonely Planet, The New York Times, The Infatuation, and OpenTable. At the same time, Google Maps on Android and iOS is introducing enhanced customization features for creating personal lists.

For the first time, users can rearrange the order of places within these lists and link to relevant posts on their social media channels. These customizable, shareable lists are useful for trip planning, keeping track of favorite locations, and more.

In the upcoming months, they will begin showcasing some of the best lists from the Maps community. Therefore, if someone has created a list they believe others will appreciate, they can nominate it by sending it to listnominations@google.com.

Google will also be updating its design, giving Maps a new look, including a cleaner home screen with fewer tabs, and new pin colors that make it easier to find places on the map. The tech giant also states that it is using AI to generate intelligent summaries of locations in Google Maps, such as reviews and user-uploaded photos. It will also be employing AI to enhance photos of food with details, including the specific name of the dish.

Google’s push for more AI

In October 2023, the California-based company announced Immersive View for cycling, driving, and walking routes, offering detailed previews of journeys powered by Google’s AI. Users can view photorealistic 3D simulations of their whole route, helping them prepare for each turn and avoid issues like heavy traffic.

The feature also integrates AI-based analyses for weather and traffic forecasts. Immersive View, which initially launched in July 2023 for places, was extended to routes in cities globally. The expansion shows routes in 3D, as well as augmented reality search capabilities and information on electric vehicle charging.

Featured image: Canva

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The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has decided not to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into the advertising of the iconic show Doctor Who.

We reported earlier this month that David Housden, a senior executive with the BBC had initially said that there is “a rich variety of content in the Whoniverse collection on iPlayer to test and learn with, and Doctor Who thematically lends itself to AI, which is a bonus.”

Now the fans have spoken and the broadcaster has had to file an official statement saying “We have no plans to do this again to promote Doctor Who.”

BBC backpedals on AI incorporation

The Doctor Who Companion site was “disgusted” at the attempt to incorporate the generative AI into any aspect of the show.

The site would post that “shortly after the news was published, outrage from fans resulted in the (AI announcement) article being deleted — replaced by a webpage which states “Sorry, we couldn’t find that page.”

Housden had stated “We’re going to take it one step at a time, starting simple and learning as we go. We have chosen to start with Doctor Who, as it is a joint content priority for both BBC Public Service UK and BBC Studios marketing teams.”

This was a marquee moment for both the established pop culture character, who has fought storied battles against AI and robots in comics, television, and radio dramas, and the BBC.

The cherished Tardis-traveling Doctor and their fanbase won in the end. In response to the complaints levied at the BBC, the broadcaster released a statement acknowledging the backlash, writing:

“We received complaints about reports that the BBC is exploring generative AI in Doctor Who promotion.”

“As part of a small trial, marketing teams used generative AI technology to help draft some text for two promotional emails and mobile notifications to highlight Doctor Who programming available on the BBC.

We followed all BBC editorial compliance processes and the final text was verified and signed off by a member of the marketing team before it was sent.”

Doctor Who returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in May 2024 for the UK and Disney+ for the rest of the world.

As we reported earlier this year, Doctor Who will also be making a debut in the world of Fortnite to possibly coincide with this new series of science fiction adventures, according to well-established gaming leakers.

Image: BBC.

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This morning we reported that disgraced crypto magnate Sam Bankman-Fried was due to be sentenced in New York this morning, with the Prosecution looking for between a 40-50 year term and SBF’s defense team arguing a five-year term would be more acceptable.

The judge meanwhile had the ability to lock up Bankman-Fried and effectively throw away the key with a 110-year sentence but has just issued a 25-year sentence for his part in the collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange.

Bankman-Fried was found guilty by the jury after just over five hours of deliberation last November.

Bankman-Frieds’ FTX had a $10 billion black hole in its accounts after money belonging to customers was used to make risky bets on crypto. A scheme that was to go horribly wrong.

FTX was valued at $32bn before it went bankrupt with Sam Bankman-Fried crafting an image that drew in celebrities, politicians, and business titans, according to the BBC.

Bankman-Fried’s victims remain out of pocket and while they may get some losses back, it is unlikely everybody will come out of the scandal unscathed.

Prosecutors described Bankman-Fried’s crimes as one of the biggest financial frauds in the history of the United States.

Handing down the sense Judge Lewis Kaplan said that despite “protestations of sorrow” about customer losses there was “never a word of remorse for the commission of terrible crimes”.

The judge refused to accept Bankman-Fried’s claim that his victims would be paid back in full as “misleading and logically flawed”.

“A thief who takes his loot to Las Vegas and successfully bets the stolen money is not entitled to a discount on the sentence by using his Las Vegas winnings to pay back what he stole.”

Earlier today Bankman-Friend took the stand and, while stopping short of a full apology said he had made a series of bad decisions that haunt him every day.

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Amazon is reportedly gearing up to invest nearly $150 billion over the next 15 years in data centers. This substantial financial commitment will equip the cloud-computing giant with the necessary resources to manage a projected rise in demand for AI applications and various digital services.

Bloomberg reports that this investment is a strategic display of dominance, to preserve Amazon’s leading position in the cloud services sector. Amazon currently holds about twice the market share of its closest competitor, Microsoft Corp.

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to ReadWrite that the figures were based on its recent infrastructure announcements found on its website.

However, Amazon Web Services experienced its slowest sales growth on record last year, as corporate clients reduced expenses and postponed upgrades. Now, as spending begins to rebound, Amazon is eagerly securing land and energy for its energy-intensive operations.

In the last two years, Bloomberg said its calculations indicate that Amazon has pledged $148 billion towards the building and operation of data centers globally. The company aims to expand its server farm locations in northern Virginia and Oregon, and venture into new areas such as Mississippi, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia.

Despite the expansion, AWS saw a 2% decrease in its data center investments in 2023, marking its first reduction, even as Microsoft ramped up its expenditures by over 50%, as reported by Dell’Oro Group. However, Amazon’s Chief Financial Officer announced last month that there would be an uptick in capital investments this year to fuel AWS’s expansion, encompassing projects related to artificial intelligence.

“As we look forward to 2024, we anticipate capex to increase year over year, primarily driven by increased infrastructure capex to support growth of our AWS business, including additional investments in generative AI and large language models,” said CFO Brian Olsavsky.

Amazon’s plans for AI expansion

While Amazon’s expansion of its data centers aims to cater to the growing need for corporate services, its focus on sophisticated, high-cost chips will provide the substantial computing power needed for the predicted increase in generative AI.

Reports suggest that Amazon is developing proprietary tools to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and has developed partnerships with various companies to enhance its AI services using its servers. As a result, Amazon expects to generate AI-related revenue amounting to tens of billions of dollars.

Featured image: Canva / Web Summit Rio

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Researchers have found that thousands of servers, running AI infrastructure, have been hacked in an active attack campaign. This attack targets a reported vulnerability in Ray, a computing framework used by the likes of OpenAI, Uber, and Amazon.

According to analysts at Oligo, a cybersecurity firm, the vulnerability allows attackers to take over the companies’ computing power and leak sensitive data. The blog post stated that this flaw has been under active exploitation for the last seven months, affecting sectors like education, cryptocurrency, biopharma and more.

I discovered an active attack campaign targeting a vulnerability in Ray. Thousands of companies running AI infrastructure are exposed to the attack through a critical vulnerability that is under dispute and thus has no patch.

It all began with a client that was using Ray. pic.twitter.com/BrVr2p8yOu

— Avi (@avi_lum) March 26, 2024

They claim that a trove of sensitive information from compromised servers has been leaked, targeting entities such as OpenAI, Hugging Face, Stripe, and Slack, as well as cloud environments like Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft Azure.

Oligo reports that it discovered hundreds of compromised clusters, with hackers allegedly installing cryptocurrency miners on compromised infrastructure. The researchers explain that attackers choose to compromise these machines because they can obtain valuable sensitive information, and GPUs are very expensive and difficult to obtain.

The company reports that GPU on-demand prices on AWS can reach an annual cost of $858,480 per machine, which means the total amount of machines and computing power that might have been compromised is estimated to be worth almost a billion dollars. Attackers have also installed reverse shells, which are text-based interfaces that allow for remote server control.

In a statement, it continued: “When attackers get their hands on a Ray production cluster, it is a jackpot. Valuable company data plus remote code execution makes it easy to monetize attacks—all while remaining in the shadows, totally undetected (and, with static security tools, undetectable).

What is the Ray AI framework?

Ray, an open-source unified compute framework, simplifies the scaling of AI and Python workloads, including everything from reinforcement learning and deep learning to tuning and model serving.

These applications generally operate on large clusters of servers. A central dashboard serves as an interface for displaying and managing active tasks and applications. Among the programming interfaces accessible via this dashboard is the Jobs API. It enables users to dispatch a list of commands to the cluster through a straightforward HTTP request that doesn’t require authentication.

In November 2023, analysts from the security outlet Bishop Fox spotted a similar vulnerability in Ray, tracked as CVE-2023-48022. Bishop Fox senior consultant Berenice Flores Garcia wrote in a blog post: “In the default configuration, Ray does not enforce authentication. As a result, attackers may freely submit jobs, delete existing jobs, retrieve sensitive information, and exploit the other vulnerabilities described in this advisory. “

Anyscale response

A spokesperson for Anyscale, the developer behind Ray, confirmed to ReadWrite that there were a number of issues it was fixing. In a statement, they said: “In light of reports of malicious activity, we have moved quickly to provide tooling to allow users to verify proper configuration of their clusters to avoid accidental exposure.”

They also said the firm was providing a client-side script and server-side code and that it had pre-configured the defaults of the client-side script to reach out to a server it has set up, simplifying the process of determining whether or not ports are unexpectedly open.

Last October, the company had initially denied the reports stating that four of the five reported bugs had already been fixed in November. They disputed the term “vulnerability,” referring to it as a bug instead.

It added: “We recognize that reasonable minds can differ on this issue, and consequently have decided that, while we still do not believe that an organization should rely on isolation controls within Ray like authentication, there can be value in certain contexts in furtherance of a defense-in-depth strategy, and so we will implement this as a new feature in a future release.”

Featured image: DALL-E

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The cryptocurrency Ether (ETH) hits the one million validator milestone with 32 million Ether currently staked. This 32 million is valued at around $114 billion according to current market prices.

According to one report on Cointelegraph “the network achieved a validator count of one million, with the 32 million ETH staked accounting for 26% of the total supply.”

The CEO of BlackRock, Larry Fink, caused a surge in the price of Ethereum this week after his comments on a recent interview panel. Fink said that designating ETH as a security won’t be “deleterious.”

After Fink’s comments, the value of Ether would rise to $3,658. We covered BlackRock’s application for an ETH exchange-traded fund last year.

Ethereum reaches landmark

The staking platform Lido saw 30% of the total ETH in play and allows investors in the cryptocurrency to stake in smaller amounts as part of a collective.

This collective then takes part in the staking process (which has a maximum effective staking 32ETH limit) and their presence helps to approve transactions. For playing their part these validators get a small reward in the shape of ETH.

Not all onlookers are happy to see the number of validators increase as they believe it could bring issues with transactions. Investors such as Evan Van Ness took to X to share his concerns on the increase in the number of validators:

Definitely not, arguably already too much staked

— Evan Van Ness (@evan_van_ness) March 27, 2024

Gabriel Weide, who runs a staking pool, responded to Van Ness’ post saying that too many validators can lead to “failed transactions.”

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has tabled several legal challenges against cryptocurrency operators for their practices. Ethereum isn’t escaping this scrutiny as we reported earlier this month.

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has been vocal about his and the regulator’s stance on cryptocurrency operators, speaking recently at Columbia Law School saying “There are participants in crypto securities markets that seek to avoid these (SEC) registration requirements. No registration means no mandatory disclosure. Many would agree that the crypto markets could use a little disinfectant.”

The SEC is currently locked in legal battles with Coinbase, which is set to move to a trial date. U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla wrote that “the Court finds the SEC has sufficiently pleaded that Coinbase operates as an exchange, as a broker, and as a clearing agency under the federal securities laws, and, through its Staking Program, engages in the unregistered offer and sale of securities.”

As we reported last week, the government regulator is also seeking $2bn penalties from Ripple Labs.

Image: Ethereum.

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In an effort to cut costs, Sega announced that they will be laying off 240 staff across three subsidiary companies as well as selling Relic Entertainment to an external private investor.

The job losses will be spread across three of Sega’s subsidiaries: Sega HARDLight (responsible for multiple Sonic The Hedgehog franchise games), Sega Europe, and Creative Assembly (developers of the popular Total War series).

Relic Games stated in a post on X that they plan to continue to support Company of Heroes 3 and that they view the transition from Sega subsidiary to an independent development studio as a positive one.

Important Update from Relic Entertainment pic.twitter.com/nCcF8olDaC

— Relic Entertainment (@relicgames) March 28, 2024

Why is Sega conducting layoffs and selling subsidiary companies?

According to the press release from Sega, it has been forced to perform layoffs due to the “rapidly changing” business environment, citing a “reactionary decline from the stay-at-home demand in COVID-19 and the economic downturn due to inflation,” meaning that “profitability has been lowered.”

Eurogamer was able to see an internal email from Jurgen Post, European managing director at Sega, which confirmed that some laid-off staff members found out about the layoffs from social media before they were informed personally.

“Due to the nature of this announcement and our legal obligations in Japan, we were unable to share any detail with you until now,” Post wrote. “That is far from ideal and means some of you may have read about this in the media or via social networks before seeing this email. If that is the case, I’m sorry.

“I want to sincerely apologize for the worry and understandable distress this news will cause, particularly for those directly affected,” Post continued. “These decisions have been incredibly tough to make, and they follow meticulous consideration and deliberation with leadership teams across the business.

“Change is necessary to secure the future of our games business, and to ensure that we are well-placed to deliver the best possible experiences to our players going forward.”

It has been a tumultuous day for the games industry. As well as Sega selling Relic, it was also announced that Embracer Group plans to sell Gearbox Entertainment to Take-Two Interactive. It’s a period of flux for the industry as a whole.

Featured image credit: Relic Entertainment

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StealthMole, a rising dark web data intelligence startup, has announced that it secured $7 million in a Series A funding round.

We’re incredibly excited to announce that StealthMole has just closed a US$7 million Series A funding round!

A huge thank you to all our investors, partners, customers, and our incredible team for their unwavering support that has allowed us to reach this significant milestone.…

— Fusion Intelligence Center @ StealthMole (@stealthmole_int) March 28, 2024

The Singapore-based outlet said in a blog post that funds will be channeled towards StealthMole’s expansion into new markets, and supporting its efforts to apply its technology to more commercial uses.

The funding round was led by Korea Investment Partners (KIP), a multinational joint venture between RHL Ventures, Penjana Kapital, and KB Investment called Hibiscus Fund, as well as Smilegate Investment.

The company says it traces criminals using 255 billion analyzed data points from the dark web, deep web, and various hidden sources while leveraging advanced AI. Through AI and machine learning, it reportedly collects and connects data from hidden digital sources. This, in turn, aids governments and law enforcement in early risk mitigation and criminal tracking and supports businesses in cyber incident response and prevention.

StealthMole founder Louis Hur stated: “StealthMole came about from a critical market gap I encountered while working in cybersecurity and white-hat hacking: a severe lack of data points and information networks specifically within Asia.”

He added that data leaks, anonymized transactions, and cybercrimes were on the rise, demanding a better understanding of digital threats.

In response to the funding, managing director Kim Min-Q said: “As organizations across the world continue to digitize, cybercrimes will not only become more rampant but also more advanced. StealthMole has shown tremendous agility in this regard.”

Who are StealthMole?

Founded in 2022, the company is co-led by Simon Choi, an experienced threat investigator and former adjunct professor with extensive experience in working with South Korea’s national police and intelligence agencies, and Hur, a specialist in enterprise IT security who also founded a cybersecurity firm in South Korea.

Startups in the cybersecurity sector are facing a daunting market environment, contending with decreased valuations and increasing pressure to sell while competing for vital funding and collaborations.

Featured image: DALL-E

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Building on initial reports in February, leaked images of the supposed upcoming disc-less Xbox Series X  have surfaced.

eXputer has revealed exclusive leaked images of the new version of Microsoft’s console. It appears that the new drive-less Series X will be available in the same ‘robot white’ color that the Series S is currently available in.

Very few details are known at present but the lack of a disc drive means that the new version of the Series X will probably retail around $50 – $100 cheaper than the current version. As well as the removal of the disc drive and the color change, the new console will reportedly have an improved heatsink, but little to no other hardware changes.

An improved heatsink will provide a slight performance enhancement because cooler components run better, but nothing revealed so far suggests the gains will be enough to warrant replacing old consoles with new ones.

What about the previously leaked Xbox console refresh?

eXputer’s report suggests that the new disc-less Series X could launch in June or July (while acknowledging that this is changeable, as anything is with regards to leaks.

It is unclear at present how the new console affects a previously leaked refresh of the console. Revealed in documents related to FTC v. Microsoft last year, a project codenamed Brooklin suggested Microsoft was already planning to launch an “adorably all digital” Xbox Series X, but with much greater changes to the design than color.

The leaked design featured a cylindrical console with plans for updated technology, improved sustainability, and more internal storage alongside a new controller, which would ship for $499, the same price Series X consoles currently retail for.

The Verge obtained an internal email where Xbox CEO Phil Spencer addressed the leaks and suggested that part of the downside of leaks is how quickly things change in the company’s plans.

We've seen the conversation around old emails and documents. It is hard to see our team's work shared in this way because so much has changed and there's so much to be excited about right now, and in the future. We will share the real plans when we are ready.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) September 19, 2023

So don’t hold your breath about the new leak either – who knows what Microsoft will eventually release. All we can really say for sure is that they are continuing to work on the Xbox console series and may have some plans to release a new version of their flagship console.

The success of GamePass as a digital streaming platform and two leaks that show consoles with no drive for physical media do raise questions however, especially as Spencer has previously said in an interview with Game File that getting rid of physical media was not a strategic decision for Microsoft.

Featured image credit: eXputer

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3D-printing has never been so close to the mainstream with printers from Bambu Lab and Uniformation being as close to plug-and-play as any newcomer can get. What has been missing from the hobby so far however is a user-friendly method of being able to scan your own objects and turn them into 3D models to print out yourself. 3D scanners have existed for a while, but like the printers themselves, the technology is now speeding up and the price coming down.

Enter the Moose, from 3DMakerpro which has just kicked off its pre-sale today, and from the press release it sounds like it could be just what we are looking for: “(The Moose scanner are) beginner-friendly 3D scanners with AI visual tracking technology. The Moose series is 3DMakerpro’s latest consumer-grade 3D scanner line-up offering, designed to handle real-world medium-sized objects into 3D models with remarkable efficiency and precision.

“Powered by a set of AI features and in collaboration with Oqton, the developer of Geomagic Wrap, 3DMakerpro aspires to make 3D scanning easier and more accessible to beginners and advanced users in the creative field.”

“The Moose series brings consumer 3D scanning to new heights of accuracy and allows more users to benefit from the convenience of 3D scanning,” said Tianshi Yuwen, Global Marketing Director of 3DMakerpro. “Our dedication to innovation empowers us to democratize high-precision 3D scanning and push beyond the boundaries of making all creative visions a reality.”

The Moose comes in two different variants, the Moose and the Moose Lite with the latter costing $249 at pre-sale ($399 after) and the main Moose costing $454 ($699 after). The Lite’s scans are not as detailed and operate with a Mono texture mapping method, while the main Moose has full 24-color mapping.

Hopefully, we will get to see within the next couple of weeks whether 3DMakerpro has pulled this off, but initial signs look great, and those pre-order prices are tasty.

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Embracer Group has announced plans to divest Gearbox Studios in a sale to Take-Two Interactive valued at $460 million to be made up entirely of newly issued Take-Two shares. Take-Two has confirmed that Gearbox is working on a new Borderlands game.

According to a press release from the video game holding company, it is divesting Gearbox Software, Gearbox Montreal, Gearbox Studio Quebec, and the franchises Borderlands, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Homeworld, Risk of Rain, Brothers in Arms, and Duke Nukem.

The divested properties will join Take-Two’s 2K division, which has long been a publishing partner of Gearbox. They have published the successful Borderlands games franchise since the first one in 2009. Gearbox will continue to be led by its founder and CEO Randy Pitchford.

The sale does not include studios that were purchased by Embracer through Gearbox, including Cryptic Studios, Lost Boys Interactive, and Captured Dimensions. It also does not include Gearbox Publishing in San Francisco, publishers of Remnant 2, and owners of the publishing rights of several upcoming titles, including Hyper Light Breaker.

The end of Embracer’s restructuring?

This divestment marks the apparent end of a planned restructuring which resulted in over 1300 layoffs at Embracer-owned companies.

“Today’s announcement marks the result of the final structured divestment process and is an important step in transforming Embracer into the future with notably lower net debt and improved free cash flow. Through the transaction, we lower business risk and improve profitability as we transition to becoming a leaner and more focused company,” says Lars Wingefors, co-founder and CEO of Embracer.

Randy Pitchford said that despite being a long-term shareholder in Embracer Group, he believed that this was the most positive outcome for Embracer, Take-Two, and Gearbox. “My primary interest is always Gearbox, especially our talent and our customers. I want to personally assure fans of our games that this arrangement will ensure that the experiences we have in development at Gearbox will be the best they can possibly be,” he said.

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Global gambling group 888 Holdings parts ways with several business-to-customer (B2C) assets after a strategic business review.

Hard Rock Digital benefits from 888’s move that the company is calling a “controlled exit of its remaining US B2C operations”.

Hard Rock Digital is one of the United States’ leading sportsbook and online gaming operators. The company has been quick to pounce on the 888 assets after the company conducted its review.

888 sells B2C assets

The operator’s review earmarked the sale of their American-based assets after a rocky 2022 and 2023. The company reported a £115.7 million ($141m) loss in 2022 and £121.3 million ($151m) pretax loss in 2023 respectively.

Per Widerström, CEO of 888 said that “in the US, the intensity of competition and requirement for scale means huge investment is required to reach profitability.”

The leading man at the gambling operator said that despite some U.S. gambling markets doing well, “we (888) have concluded that achieving sufficient scale in the US market to generate positive returns within an accelerated timeframe is unlikely.”

888 concluded that as a “result of the review the Group has agreed the sale of selected assets to Hard Rock Digital (“HRD”), completion of which is conditional upon, amongst other items, relevant regulatory approvals. It is expected that the disposal will be completed in a number of phases, with final completion expected in Q4 2024.”

The dynamic of the U.S. gambling and online gaming market is only continuing to become more complex as 2024 unfolds.

Other than existing businesses giving up their territory in the U.S. market there are limited opportunities for gambling operators to expand their existing markets. This is unless a state allows for more gambling options to be present.

The biggest operators in the U.S. are ready to capitalize in states that have no form of gambling legislation.

An example is the state of Missouri. The home of the current Superbowl-winning champions the Kansas City Chiefs. The football team and other sports teams in the state are lobbying for an ease of the current restrictions on gambling. These established brands are looking to benefit from lucrative sports betting partnerships with brands such as Hard Rock Digital.

Image: Ideogram.

The post 888 agrees to the sale of certain United States B2C assets to Hard Rock Digital appeared first on ReadWrite.

Update: SBF has now been jailed for 25 years – read more here.

Sam Bankman-Fried, owner of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, will receive sentencing in New York today (March 28) after his convictions for fraud and conspiracy last year. District Judge Lewis Kaplan could level a sentence of up to 110 years of jail time.

Prosecutors are pushing for 40-50 years, whereas the defense is seeking leniency due to Bankman-Fried being a non-violent first-time offender. They are lobbying the judge for a sentence closer to six and a half years.

Victims of the collapse of FTX have been writing to the judge to provide their thoughts on the issue and to attempt to convey the impact fraud of this scale has had on them.

Sunil Kavuri, a British investor, said to the BBC “He has shown no remorse so why would any judge show any mercy?” At the time of FTX’s collapse, Kavuri had over $2 million worth of holdings on the exchange site.

Arush Sehgal, an entrepreneur from Barcelona, and his wife had around $4 million in dollars and Bitcoin in FTX – their life savings. He described it as them having “lost everything.”

Canadian Angela Chang had about a quarter of a million dollars in FTX, and its fall has led to her taking out credit card debt and ultimately selling a portion of a claim to an investor. She believes that victims of the crimes committed by Bankman-Fried are being minimized due to being in the crypto industry. “People think that crypto is criminal and so they have sympathy for this guy… But I’m not a criminal,” she said to the BBC.

How will Sam Bankman-Fried’s sentence be determined?

Making a sentencing decision such as this is a complex matter. The scale of the crime and its effects are contested at a huge scale, according to Columbia Law professor Daniel Richman. “Any judge or lawyer will tell you that one of the best things the defendant can do before being sentenced is really, really show he’s on the right path, show some remorse, and show some degree of self-knowledge as to his offense,” said professor Richman, continuing, “Here you not only have a defendant who went to trial but you have one who really, at least the judge believed, was obstructive prior to trial.” Bankman-Fried had his bail revoked last year after rumors of witness tampering and intimidation reached Judge Kaplan.

Part of the case for leniency stems from the fact that through the bankruptcy filings, most people who had holdings in FTX stand to regain their money. However, this does not account for losses sustained due to being unable to participate in the market as Bitcoin hit its record high before beginning to fall again.

There are also those reaching out to beg for leniency in sentencing, including Bankman-Fried’s mother, Barbara Fried. She is a former law professor and describes the US justice system as “punitive”. “I have no illusions about the redemptive power of prisons,” she wrote in a letter to Judge Kaplan. “Being consigned to prison for decades will destroy Sam as surely as would hanging him.”

Despite the pleas from family and friends and the fact that Bankman-Fried is a non-violent first-time offender, Professor Richman believes it would be “really surprising” for the Judge to come anywhere close to the defense’s request of 6.5 years.

Featured image: Generated by Ideogram

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GameSir announced the X2s a few weeks back and it certainly raised a lot of interest. An upgraded version of the X2 from a couple of years ago, especially now new iPhones all rock a USB-Type C port having ditched the Apple Lighting port opens up a whole new audience as well as the Android crew who could already utilize a device such as this.

Combine this with an increased interest in mobile gaming, and a wider offering with things such as Xbox Cloud Gaming, could mean that the stars align for little hand-held controllers like this that you can just throw in your bag and whip out when you need to.

GameSir sent us over an X2s for review, so we didn’t need to stump up the £50 asking price, but we will get into that later on. First, the controller itself.

So, what is the GameSir X2s?

There are lot of nice things about the X2s, despite its small appearance the body stretches out to fit a mobile phone up to 168mm long in between its buttons.

My phone is an iPhone 15 Max Pro which is around 160mm long. Throw on an Apple case for another couple of millimeters and I am getting towards the top end of tolerance.

The USB connection is at one side, so, orientating my phone that was and fitting it in was a little fiddly. The connector moves up and down (deliberately on sort of a rocker mechanism, which is quite cute, but with it moving while I was trying to connect didn’t make things easier.

Having inserted the USB as best I could I stretched out the other side to fit my iPhone in which was a push. I did accidentally let go before it was in properly and it snapped closed again, but that was my fault. The spring, after a few goes doesn’t seem quite so violent, either that or I just stopped being stupid, and now connection is a breeze.

Once you have a solid connection the only real indication that things have gone to plan is a tiny LED that will light up showing that the unit is drawing power from your phone. There are no batteries here so using it will drain your phone battery.

Thankfully it does have a USB passthrough connector on the bottom of the controller so you can always throw a charger or power bank in there as you play.

How does it feel?

Gaming with the X2s was a really pleasant experience to be fair. The joysticks are Hall-Effect switches, meaning they have magnets inside that measure resistance and are far more accurate and sensitive than what we normally get on this type of device. Also, they should not suffer from any dreaded Stick Drift and would be a welcome addition on the next set of Joycons Nintendo comes up with.

The buttons themselves are very small, those of us with big fingers may not enjoy fighting games on the X2s, but if you are looking to play racers, shooters, or even platformers you will be well served here. Just maybe avoid anything with a tricky combo.

The X2s in truth is barely bigger than my smartphone so is easy to just have with you for all the times on the bus or train you might feel like playing a game properly. The controller is responsive and it doesn’t seem as though it is a big battery hog. It just works, I was looking for some indication that it was even connected and operational, but once I loaded a game everything was seamless.

It has a retro styling like an old Nintendo handheld but the grey and lilac color scheme may not appeal to everybody. We think it still looks great though. Its biggest selling point is definitely the joysticks, which even come with rubber caps (and a spare set at that) to make it a bit more grippy.

Conclusion

At £50 it is not a throwaway purchase that a casual mobile gamer is likely to make to see if they like it. You are paying for a very neat little technology package but you have to be in the market for a good mobile controller.

Having said that other offerings from the like of Razer have been considerably more expensive, but you can still get a legit Xbox controller for less, although granted it doesn’t offer the same handheld convenience.

If you want to get in on the handheld gaming craze, don’t want to drop big money on a Switch, ROG Ally, or a Steam Deck, and want to utilize that stupidly powerful computer you carry around in your pocket every day instead, the X2s will certainly not let you down. Playing games console style is a huge step up from touchscreen controls and it is unlikely that if you buy this, you won’t come to love it very quickly.

It just depends on what you play and how often. You can order the X2s direct from GameSir’s website.

The post GameSir X2s Mobile Controller: Turn your mobile phone into a Switch lookalike appeared first on ReadWrite.

Credible leaks from the Honkai: Star Rail 2.2 version beta are coming thick and fast now. One of the latest is that players will receive a free Light Cone, an ATK, DEF, and HP boosting weapon when the patch drops.

The free Light Cone will be called For Tomorrow’s Journey and is a 4-star weapon. It’s a Harmony Path weapon so only Harmony characters will receive the passive bonus granted by the item.

2.2 Free 4 star Harmony LC
byu/ukrisreng inHonkaiStarRail_leaks

What are the stats on the free Light Cone in Honkai: Star Rail 2.2?

For Tomorrow’s Journey is the name of the free weapon and its detailed stats are:

• Path: Harmony
• Rarity: 4-stars
• HP: 952
• ATK: 476
• DEF: 330
• Bonds (Harmony Path users only): Increase the wearer’s ATK by 16%. When the wearer uses their Ultimate, increase their DMG dealt by 18% for one turn.

There is a lot of speculation online about what this Light Cone is designed for. Being an offensive Harmony path Light Cone suggests that it could be designed for Robin, an upcoming 5-star Harmony character who uses physical damage. It is rumoured that Robin will release in 2.2, alongside this Light Cone.

What are Light Cones in Honkai: Star Rail?

In Honkai: Star Rail, Light Cones are a kind of weapon, ranging between 3- and 5-star rarity, which characters can equip. They all provide a variable boost to HP, ATK, and DEF, and have a passive ability that will activate if the Cone is equipped by someone of the same path.

Light Cones can be leveled up and enhanced by consuming other Light Cones or Light Cone EXP Materials. The six Ascension phases mean they can be leveled to 80.

Light Cones can also be Superimposed, which increases its passive ability’s level. Superimposing is done by consuming an identical Light Cone. The rank of the Cone and the one being consumed by the Superimposition are added together during the process and this can be done to a maximum of level five.

Honkai Star Rail version 2.1, Into the Yawning Chasm, is now available across all regions, and 2.2 is expected sometime in May. Find out more about what’s in Honkai: Star Rail version 2.1 here.

The post Get a free Light Cone in Honkai: Star Rail appeared first on ReadWrite.

Crypto influencer TodayTrader has announced a giveaway opportunity for his audience of over 10,000 subscribers.

In one of his latest videos and on his X, the content creator revealed plans to distribute 120 million Pepe Tokens for free, in celebration of the popular meme coin’s market cap milestone of surpassing $3.5 billion.

120,000,000 $PEPE Token Giveaway RT then watch the video to get involved – Good Luck https://t.co/6h5aMWSECp

— Mark Kelly (@TodayTraderMark) March 26, 2024

How to Participate In The Pepe Giveaway

Participation in this crypto giveaway is straightforward and requires no purchase of tokens. Interested participants just need to follow three simple steps:

1. Visit the giveaway’s official Gleam.io link
2. Subscribe to the TodayTrader YouTube channel
3. Follow TodayTraderMark on X and retweet the giveaway tweet
4. Join the TodayTrader Telegram channel for additional rewards.

As TodayTrader emphasizes in the video, “You just need to do all those things, subscribe, retweet, join the Telegram group, and you’re all set. You’ll be getting your free coins anytime soon, and I’ll let you know inside the Telegram group roughly when that first random drop is going to happen.”

He added “Be ready to get the random drops that could happen at any time, could be tomorrow. So take action now.”

Also follow his Tiktok account here, which is listed as one of the steps on the Gleam.io link although not mentioned in the video.

The giveaway promises to reward multiple winners with PEPE Tokens, distributed as follows:

• 1st Place: 30,000,000 PEPE Tokens
• 2nd Place: 15,000,000 PEPE Tokens
• 3rd Place: 7,000,000 PEPE Tokens
• 4th Place: 4,500,000 PEPE Tokens
• 5th Place: 2,000,000 PEPE Tokens
• Additional Prizes: Random drops of 60 million Pepe Tokens in the Telegram group.

About TodayTrader

TodayTrader’s channel focuses on identifying cryptocurrencies with the potential to generate returns, making this giveaway a potential opportunity for his audience to gain exposure to an already established meme coin. All in all, TodayTrader aims to reward his loyal followers with this free distribution.

In the video, TodayTrader expresses his enthusiasm for the giveaway, stating, “This is going to be absolutely free. There’s no money you’re going to need to spend, put your credit card away.”

TodayTrader emphasizes the randomness of the selection process, mentioning, “It’s going to be completely random. There’s been a couple of things that you need to do, but remember, this is going to be absolutely free.”

Takeaway

As the giveaway goes underway TodayTrader has assured his audience that he will provide updates on the first random drop within the Telegram group, encouraging potential participants to join and stay informed. “The more people that join the new Telegram group that I’ve created, the quicker that first drop will happen, but I’ll let you know,” he stated.

With the potential for rewards and no financial commitment required, TodayTrader’s giveaway might potentially present an opportunity for crypto enthusiasts to expand their portfolios with Pepe tokens, one of the top trending meme coins.

Related

• Top Meme Coins Ranked – Pepe Makes The List

The post YouTuber ‘TodayTrader’ Launches Free Crypto Giveaway Of 120 Million PEPE Tokens appeared first on ReadWrite.

No Man’s Sky, alongside Cyberpunk 2077 is a gaming rarity in that it launched to a sea of derision, but is now so highly thought of in gaming spheres that it is up there with the best games of the last decade.

Unthinkable as that was back in 2016 when it launched, the team at Hello Games stuck to the task and tirelessly crafted and molded it into the game that was promised.

Now we are getting another of the frequent massive updates taking the game to v4.6. This one is called No Man’s Sky Orbital and sees a huge revamp of space stations in the game, along with a host of new starship customizations.

There is a ton of other stuff in the patch but below is the juice we are really interested in.

As with all NMS updates, we don’t need to wait, they launch as they are announced so you can jump in and get going on this one immediately. We are off to load it up right now.

What’s new in 4.6 No Man’s Sky Orbital

Space Stations

• Space stations have been completely overhauled and refreshed.
• Station exteriors now come in a huge array of procedurally generated shapes and colors, as well as at an increased scale.
• Space station interiors are now procedurally generated.
• Space station interiors now have a huge amount of lighting and visual variation.
• Station interior designs now reflect the race of the local system authorities.
• The various key space station merchants and interactions have all been visually refreshed.
• Players can now use the Quick Menu to switch their docked ship while aboard the space station, provided the ship in question has functioning launch thrusters.

Starship Customization

• A new interaction, the Starship Fabricator, has been added to the space station.
• The fabricator allows you to build your own custom fighter, hauler, or explorer starship.
• When salvaging a ship, the process can now be targeted at specific visuals, e.g. reclaiming the wings or thruster array specifically. These harvested components can then be combined to create a brand-new ship.
• Purchase starship reactors from space station technology merchants to determine the stats and class of your new starship.
• The fabricator also allows you to choose unique colors and paint styles for your new ship.
• Starships salvaged from the wild or purchased from another pilot benefit from universal authentication, granting them a bonus to future trade-in values.

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