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Microsoft’s next Surface Go could up the screen size to 10.5 inches

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More details of Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Go sequel appear to have emerged, and they could be good news — if you’re not expecting a revolution. Windows Central sources claim that the tablet will share the familiar form factor, but pack a larger 10.5-inch screen (versus 10 for the original) and a corresponding bump to a 1,920 x 1,280 resolution instead of the 1,800 x 1,200 from before. You’d also have the option of a 1.1GHz Core m3 processor if you want more speed without upgrading to the Surface Pro, with LTE also available.

The Windows 10 slate is believed to be launching in May at the same $399 starting price as before. Unfortunately, you might also get specs all too similar to the 2018 model as a result, including a 1.7GHz Pentium Gold chip, 64GB of eMMC storage and a meager 4GB of RAM. You may need to spend another $100 or more to get the Core m3, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. If this is accurate, you won’t have much reason to get the new Surface Go if you already have the first version — this is more of a refresh to keep the tablet relevant and appeal to newcomers.

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Microsoft blood bot helps recovered COVID-19 patients donate plasma

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“We are now convinced that the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance has a real chance to save lives, at significant scale, and possibly much sooner than other approaches currently being developed,” Microsoft wrote.

Eventually, Microsoft hopes to make the bot available through other web, social and search channels. It will first recruit donors in the US, where the company says donating should be easy. It claims that 50 percent of the eligible donor population in the US lives within 15 minutes of one of the 500 centers operated by CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance member companies. Microsoft plans to expand its recruitment efforts to Europe, but it hasn’t said when that might happen.

Since the pandemic began, bots have been helping users check their symptoms and find accurate information. If donated plasma becomes a reliable way to treat COVID-19, we might see more bots of this nature, too.

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HyperX’s latest gaming headphones feature 7.1 channel audio starting at $60

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Besides 7.1 sound, the new Stinger models include the type of features you would expect from affordable, no-frills gaming headsets in 2020. Both weigh in at about 245 grams and feature 40mm drivers. You can also swivel their built-in microphones up to mute yourself. The steel sliders allow you to adjust the fit of the headband as needed, and volume controls are present on the earcups. The wired model features an 8-foot cable with a 3.5mm connector at the end. The wireless model, meanwhile, connects to your PC through a 2.4GHz USB adapter. HyperX claims you’ll get about 17 hours of battery life on a single charge. Range is also respectable, at a max of 65 feet. You’ll also be able to buy Xbox and PlayStation specific versions that include matching color accents.

You can order both headsets starting today through the HyperX online store. Virtual surround sound can be hit and miss, but we’ve tended to like HyperX’s past offerings, so if you’re in the market for an affordable gaming headset, this might be worth a look.

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Fandango is buying Vudu’s video service from Walmart

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Fandango isn’t exactly selling many movie tickets right now, as almost all theaters (save for some drive-ins) are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Streaming, on the other hand, is booming, so adding Vudu to the portfolio might help Fandango’s bottom line in the long run. Comcast, which is the majority owner of Fandango, is in the midst of launching another streaming service: NBCUniversal’s Peacock.

Rumors have been floating around for several months that Walmart was seeking a buyer for Vudu. NBCUniversal emerged as a potential suitor back in February.

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Facebook removes posts promoting anti-quarantine protests

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Facebook says it will take down posts created through its Events tool if they encourage violating social distancing orders, but it may leave other Facebook posts, including groups about the protests, CNN reports.

“We reached out to state officials to understand the scope of their orders, not about removing specific protests on Facebook,” the Facebook spokesperson said. “We remove the posts when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful.”

Facebook announced plans to fight coronavirus misinformation in January, and it said it would remove claims “designed to discourage treatment or taking appropriate precautions.” Posts that encourage people to break social distancing guidelines violate Facebook’s policies. That’s nothing new. But it appears that, after several states saw large public gatherings to protest social distancing orders this weekend, Facebook is stepping up its efforts to remove those posts. 

4/20/2020 3:40PM ET: This story was updated to include comments from Facebook.

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An SSD can resurrect your old Sega Saturn and Dreamcast consoles

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Classic disc-based consoles are getting long in the tooth. As their optical drives burn out, they’re rendered unplayable, which is a shame — these systems were the peak of gaming in the eyes of many. Hardcore gamers who miss titles like Panzer Dragoon Saga and Power Stone may want to perform life-saving surgery on their Sega Saturn or Dreamcast consoles this summer, as a new solution will be able to replace dead disc drives, with no soldering skills needed. The Terraonion MODE — Multi-Optical Disc Emulator — simply drops into your console of choice, reads ROMs from a storage medium, and passes the data onto the console for processing. The dream of the ‘90s is alive.

Replacing optical discs with more modern storage media isn’t a new idea. A small company named GDEMU has made similar devices for the Saturn and Dreamcast since 2015. However they’re not a panacea — only certain console revisions are supported, some chips need to be soldered to the console and, with the company being a one-man operation, the products are extremely scarce. Terraonion, which has shipped various flash carts for Neo-Geo and Sega Genesis, is aiming to make an optical disc emulator that works with all Saturn and Dreamcast models, and is easy to obtain and install. The MODE’s firmware is the same for both consoles, meaning users can order one device that will work for either console. It’s plug-and-play, so once the optical drive is removed, installing the MODE is just a matter of fitting it into the console and connecting the power and data cables. The device supports SD cards, 2.5-inch SSDs and hard drives and USB drives, which can hold and load a variety of (legally obtained) ROM files. While read times are carefully kept the same as an actual optical drive, the lack of seek time on solid state media means that games should load much faster.

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Premier League football stars face off in a weeklong virtual tournament

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With both traditional and esports adjusting their schedules due to COVID-19, England’s Premier League announced a new, hybrid tournament, the ePremiere League Invitational, in which football stars and celebrity fans will test their esports abilities in a five-day, 20-team, single-elimination tournament. The winner will take home the ePremier League Invitational champion title, and all proceeds will go to the #PlayersTogether fund, supporting the National Health Service.

Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold will face off with musician and lifelong Manchester United fan Tom Grennan, who will represent the Red Devils. The league’s “trickiest wingers” Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha will go head-to-head, and Tottenham Hotspur’s midfielder Moussa Sissoko has been matched with Christian Atsu, playing for Hotspur’s old club, Newcastle United.

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Travis Scott is going on tour in ‘Fortnite’ starting April 23rd

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Travis Scott is taking a different approach to virtual concerts in the pandemic era: he’s going on tour in Fortnite. Epic has revealed that the rap star is launching an “Astronomical” experience in the battle royale game that includes both performances and in-game rewards. You’ll have five “other-worldly” shows inspired by the work of Cactus Jack, with the first due in the Americas on April 23rd at 7PM Eastern. European and Middle Eastern gamers can see a show on April 24th at 10AM Eastern (4PM CET), while a trio of shows will take place on April 25th for Asia and Oceania (12AM ET), Europe and Middle East (11AM ET) and the Americas (6PM ET).

You won’t have to wait as long for the in-game items. As of April 21st, you’ll have access to outfits, emotes and other Scott-themed goodies both in the shop and earned through Astronomical Challenges. If you do attend one of the shows, you can score a free Astroworld-themed glider as well as two loading screens.

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ESPN will stream a ‘Valorant’ tournament today at 3:30PM ET

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The Valorant esports strategy is getting off to a quick start. ESPN is streaming an Esports Valorant Invitational tournament on its Twitch channel between April 20th and April 22nd, starting at 3:30PM Eastern each day. This isn’t part of a larger circuit, but the eight-team tourney will include plenty of pro-level players that include Rainbow Six: Siege champion Troy “Canadian” Jaroslawski, CS:GO champ Tyler “Skadoodle” Latham and Fortnite World Cup runner-up Harrison “Psalm” Chang.

The competition isn’t airing on TV despite the dearth of live sports, but it’s still a significant moment. Valorant only just entered closed beta testing earlier in April — while it’s easier to score an invitation than it was at first, the game isn’t widely available yet. ESPN’s involvement suggests that Valorant might get traction in a sometimes finicky esports scene.

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Facebook’s dedicated gaming app is now available on Android

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Chat functionality is also built in the app, allowing you to to talk with other people watching the same stream. At the moment, the app doesn’t feature ads; instead, monetization is limited to viewer “stars,” which like Twitch’s “bits,” you can buy to use in chat and cheer on your favorite streamer.

According to TechCrunch, Facebook will release an iOS version of the app once it obtains approval from Apple. We’ve reached out to Facebook for additional information and we’ll update this article when we hear back from the company.

It’s not a surprise to see Facebook roll out a dedicated gaming app. The company obviously thinks game streaming is its next big growth opportunity. However, it has a long road ahead given Twitch’s dominance. Let’s also not forget YouTube, which has a much bigger presence in the space, had a dedicated gaming app that it sunset partway through last year.

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