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The big news last night was Elon Musk saying that Tesla’s big battery innovations are, well, in years. But let’s start with something a little more immediate. In addition to all the buzz about next-gen consoles, Microsoft has been busy elsewhere. You have just signed a deal to buy ZeniMax Media, one of the largest independent game publishers in business. WHO? Well, it owns the studios behind some of the biggest franchises in video game history, like id Software (Doom, Quake), Arkane Studios (Dishonored, Prey), and Bethesda Game Studios (The Elder Scrolls, Fallout).
For all those games, Microsoft is paying $ 7.5 billion in a cash deal that is expected to be completed in the second half of 2021, subject to regulatory approval. However, it should bolster the benefits of Game Pass, if these studios are producing free games for the service’s 15 million subscribers.
– Mat Smith
Tesla’s battery innovations won’t reach “ high-volume ” production until 2022.
Tesla’s once-delayed “battery day” unveiling is scheduled to begin later today, but don’t expect your car to have amazing new electric cells made by Tesla this year. According to Musk, “what we announce will not reach serious high-volume production until 2022.” Musk added that the company plans to increase purchases of battery cells from partners such as Panasonic and LG, indicating that it will take steps to avoid shortages in the future, a possible indication that it could eventually enter cell manufacturing.
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After the PS5 debacle, we’ll be on the lookout for today’s pre-orders.
Pre-orders for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S open in the US Later today at 8 am PT / 11 am ET – keep an eye out for our guide with tips on how to enter your pre-order, it will be activated before that date and will be updated to note availability or out of stock status, but Microsoft had other news to share first. Beyond its big Bethesda purchase, the company pushed for some software updates.
Microsoft Store on Xbox One has a new look and when the new consoles ship they will all have the same app. But the best news? The annoying autoplay video from the store finally has a switch so you can turn it off, similar to the one Netflix recently added.
The Xbox app on Android also has an update, and now everyone can stream games from a local console to their phone. Unlike xCloud, games are rendered at your home and you don’t need a Game Pass subscription to work.
Last but not least, Microsoft revealed that its new Xbox Wireless Controller will keep the same price. It adds some low-latency tech, a dedicated Share button, and a slightly revamped design, but it’s still $ 60, plus an additional $ 25 if you want to use a rechargeable battery pack instead of AA batteries.
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How long did it take?
Last week Apple released iOS 14 for its mobile devices and the apps are rolling out updates to support their new features. Those tweaks include the long-awaited ability to swap new default apps for the browser and email apps. While some users report that a bug reverts associations when their device restarts, Google has updated Chrome and more recently Gmail to support the feature, so you never have to worry about opening an email link in the wrong application.
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