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It’s done: Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The $69 billion deal means that some of gaming’s biggest franchises, including Call of Duty, are now Xbox properties. First announced inJanuary 2022, the blockbuster deal has faced tons of scrutiny from regulators like the CMA and FTC, with there being worry that it’d be unfair to competition in various parts of the game industry. Ultimately, Microsoft proved that wasn’t the case, defeating theFTC in courtand finally getting theCMA to retract its objectionto the deal earlier today....

Microsoft has finally retired support on Skype for Business software, after announcing its pending deprecation during a November 2023 update. Users will no longer have access to Skype for Business servers. They will not be able to access the XML settings for Skype for Business or have the ability to sign in for support to Skype for Business meetings, Microsoft said. The brand is currently rolling out a version 5....

Microsoft may be planning to finally unveil the long-rumored next-generation Xbox consoles at E3 2019, according to reports from Jeux Video and Thurrott. The next-generation Xbox lineup will bediscussedby Microsoft, according to the French news website, though there will likely be no product names or pricing details at the annual gaming event. Thurrottcorroboratedthe report, citing sources familiar with the company’s plans, that Microsoft will talk about the hardware at E3 2019....

This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episode 5, “Night.” Summary Star Warshas released a new poster, which showcasesThe Acolyte’smysterious dark side user known as The Stranger (Manny Jacinto). The seeming Sith Lord was initially shown in the trailers but was only teased. He then briefly appeared at the end of the fourth episode of the newStar Warsseries, before being fully revealed in episode 5. In that episode, “Night,” the villain is shown in full in the thirty-minute-long duel between him and the Jedi, essentially slaughtering his foes and showing his skill at swordplay and knowledge of the Force....

Spaniard Sara De Antonio Feu has been named as the 2018/19 Grand Prize winner of the prestigiousNikon Photo Contest. The announcement was made at a special event in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday as the contest celebrated its 50th anniversary. An esteemed panel of 12 judges from the fields of photography and film was tasked with sifting through a record 97,369 entries from some 33,000 photographers and video artists in 170 countries....

The Penny Arcade Expo’s annual Seattle convention has begun. More elegantly dubbed PAX West, this celebration of all things video games works a little bit differently thanGamescomorE3. Instead of spotlighting the biggest publishers and their upcoming projects, PAX West places the focus on indie games and panels on game design itself. You’ll still find Nintendo, Square Enix, Bungie, Ubisoft, and many more on the showroom floor, but not without running into the famed Indie Megabooth or Devolver Digital first....

Afraid of missing out on the latest photo industry news while you’re out, well, actually taking pictures? Photography News of the Week is all the information you might have missed this week, published on the weekends. Alongside the biggest stories of the week, likeIllustrator’s latest teaserandLuminar’s updated A.I. tool, find briefs on the latest in accessories and photography news from this week. Could the upcoming iOS 13 simplify photo editing on the iPad?...

Microsoft is still fixing bugs that appeared during the rollout of its October 2018 Update which initially launched at the start of the month and was halted following adangerous data deletion bug. Since then more flaws in the update have come to light and Microsoft continues to patch them as they appear. The latest fixes focus on driver compatibility. The October 2018 Update for Windows 10 ushers in anumber of fun new features for the operating system, including better smartphone integration and support for ray tracing in supporting games —high-end graphics hardware permitting....

Protecting your home should always be a priority, and one of the easiest ways to give you peace of mind when you’re not around is by taking advantage ofvideo doorbell deals. For top-notch security, you should be looking atRing Doorbell deals, as the brand’s products are among the best in their class. If you’re planning on purchasing one, Best Buy is participating in today’s4th of July saleswith a $30 discount on the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, bringing the smart home device’s price down to just $170 from its original price of $200 — the single best deal we’ve found in theBest Buy 4th of July sale....

Samsung today unveiled a brand-new high-spec monitor, just ahead of the beginning of CES 2023. The Viewfinity 5K is the latest release in the Viewfinity range and boasts a number of eye-catching specs that could appeal to demanding, pro-level users — especially those that might be considering analternative to Apple’s Studio Display. As the name suggests, this monitor comes with a 5K resolution, making it one of the company’s most pixel-heavy displays....

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE saga has been an unpredictable roller coaster ride so far, with a lot of confusion over its ultimate fate. While somereportssaid Samsung has canceled the S21 FE, recent developments seem to suggest the contrary. Earlier this week, the phone made anappearanceon benchmarking platform Geekbench, toting Samsung’s Exynos 2100 processor. And earlier today, folks over atCoinBRSreleased a bunch of images that appear to be very authentic-looking promotional materials for the Galaxy S21 FE....

Thebest PC gamesdeserve a great window on the adventure, and if you’re looking to land one of thebest monitor dealsof the day we’d like to steer you toward the Samsung Odyssey G9 curved gaming monitor. This is the 49-inch model with and OLED display, and it’s marked down to just $1,300 when you buy directly from Samsung right now. That’s a savings of $500 from its regular price of $1,800, and Samsung is including free shipping with a purchase....

Severance hid a disturbing detail on Helly’s clone in Episode 4 If you’re still reeling fromSeverance Season 2 Episode 4, I’m about to make it worse: look closer at Helly’s clone and you’ll notice an unsettling detail. The fourth episode ofSeverancefollows Mark and the MDR team on their first ORTBO (outdoor retreat and team-building occurrence). They hear tales of Kier Eagan’s fabled twin brother, huddle around a fire, and learna lotabout themselves....