Bitcoin reached a record high of over $111,500 last week before consolidating around $109,000 over the weekend. On Monday, May 26th, it experienced a slight increase of 1.30%, trading at $109,612 on global exchanges. Indian platforms mirrored this upward trend, showing gains of less than two percent. Exchanges like Giottus and CoinDCX reported Bitcoin fluctuating around $109,288, indicating continued market stability after its recent surge.
Raphael Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios, has voiced concerns about the long-term viability of Xbox Game Pass, calling it “unsustainable.” His comments come after recent layoffs within Xbox and its parent company, Microsoft.
Colantonio, now head of Wolfeye Studios, sees Game Pass as a potential hindrance to traditional game sales. He highlighted the subscription service as “the elephant in the room” impacting the industry. While not directly blaming Game Pass for the layoffs, he implies it contributes to an unstable financial model for game development.
His statement raises questions about the sustainability of subscription-based gaming services and their effect on traditional game sales revenue, particularly within the Xbox ecosystem. Colantonio’s experience provides a valuable perspective on the potential challenges facing developers in the age of Game Pass.
By 2025, Canva, known for its design platform, surprisingly becomes a competitor in the AI-assisted coding space, challenging industry giants. While still nascent, AI-powered coding has exploded in recent years, with numerous platforms emerging. Major tech players like Google, OpenAI, Meta, and Amazon now offer chatbots capable of writing, editing, analyzing, debugging, and previewing code. This signifies a major shift, moving beyond traditional coding methods to AI-driven solutions. Canva’s entry indicates a broadening accessibility of these technologies, demonstrating the potential for diverse companies to participate in shaping the future of coding. The competitive landscape is rapidly evolving, promising further innovation and advancements in the field.
Solana is deepening its foray into Web3 hardware integration. Following the 2022 launch of the Saga smartphone, Solana has partnered with Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller to introduce a limited-edition, Web3-enabled luxury watch priced at approximately Rs. 20.7 lakh (CHF 20,000).
This collaboration represents Solana’s second major venture into connecting its blockchain technology with tangible devices. While details remain scarce, the partnership signifies Solana’s commitment to expanding Web3 beyond purely digital applications. By linking its blockchain to a high-end, traditional product like a luxury watch, Solana aims to bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds, potentially attracting a new audience to the Web3 ecosystem. Further details are anticipated soon, revealing the functionalities and specific Web3 features integrated into the watch.
Microsoft recently executed significant workforce reductions, impacting over 9,000 employees, roughly four percent of its total. The gaming division, Xbox, bore the brunt of these cuts.
Multiple first-party Xbox studios experienced job losses, leading to the cancellation of projects like the Perfect Dark reboot. Emerging details highlight the extent of the restructuring, impacting Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios and causing the complete closure of Romero Games in Ireland.
While specific numbers remain undisclosed, reports indicate layoffs within Turn 10, suggesting a strategic realignment within the Forza franchise. The closure of Romero Games signifies a more decisive shift, leaving former employees seeking new opportunities. This latest wave of cuts signifies Microsoft’s effort to optimize its gaming operations amid evolving market conditions.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT is experiencing explosive growth, processing over 2.5 billion prompts daily, a figure the company revealed for the first time. This staggering number underscores the chatbot’s rising popularity and substantial user base. The report also highlighted the distribution of message origins, comparing usage within the US to the rest of the world. This data provides valuable insight into ChatGPT’s global reach and adoption. Furthermore, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans to visit Washington D.C., signaling a commitment to democratizing AI and making it widely accessible. These developments collectively demonstrate ChatGPT’s influence and OpenAI’s ambition to shape the future of AI.
Dubai has launched its first real estate tokenization project, allowing investors to purchase tokenized shares of completed properties. Spearheaded by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and the Central Bank of the UAE, the initiative aims to democratize real estate investment.
The “Prypco Mint” platform, backed by the DLD, facilitates this fractional ownership, enabling individuals to invest in properties and receive returns. Zand Digital Bank is involved in the project, though its specific role wasn’t fully detailed in the excerpt. This move signals Dubai’s commitment to embracing innovative technologies in the real estate sector and opening up investment opportunities to a wider audience.
Activision removed Call of Duty: WWII from the Xbox PC app after reports of a significant security vulnerability surfaced. Players claimed the PC version on the Xbox app contained a major exploit, potentially leading to computers being hacked.
The issue emerged after the game’s inclusion in Xbox Game Pass in June. While Activision hasn’t specifically confirmed the nature of the vulnerability, they stated they are investigating the “issue.” This action suggests the company is taking the reported security concerns seriously and acting to protect players until a fix can be implemented. The swift removal indicates a potential risk to user security.
Netflix is exploring the integration of artificial intelligence in content production, reportedly experimenting with Runway AI’s video tools. This follows the revelation that AI-generated visuals were employed in their series “The Eternaut,” as confirmed by Netflix’s co-CEO. While the specific applications of Runway AI’s tools remain unclear, the move signals a growing interest in AI’s potential to streamline or enhance the filmmaking process.
Netflix isn’t alone in this venture. Walt Disney is also reportedly testing Runway’s AI capabilities, indicating a broader trend within the entertainment industry to explore the efficiency and creative possibilities offered by artificial intelligence in video production. The adoption of such tools could potentially revolutionize content creation workflows and aesthetics.
X, formerly Twitter, is gearing up to launch its digital payment service, X Money, later this year. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of X, has been hinting at this feature for three years, aligning with his vision of transforming the platform into a comprehensive “everything app.”
While a firm launch date remains undisclosed, Musk recently announced that X Money’s network infrastructure will undergo limited beta testing prior to its official release. This testing phase suggests a cautious approach to ensuring a smooth and secure rollout of the new payment system. The introduction of X Money marks a significant step in Musk’s ambitious plan to expand X’s functionality beyond microblogging and integrate financial services into the platform.
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