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Fox buys ad-supported streaming service Tubi for $440 million

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A WSJ report from February said Fox has been eyeing the free ad-supported streaming service for quite a while now and that the companies were discussing a deal that could be worth upwards of $500 million. While the cash exchanging hands will be $60 million less than that, Fox might have to pay an additional $50 million in deferred consideration and unvested options over the next three years.

Tubi TV will now operate as an independent Fox subsidiary. Fox says it doesn’t have plans to offer original content through the service, which is known for streaming movies and TV series reruns to begin with. Instead, it will evaluate opportunities “in a cost-effective manner by leveraging [its] expertise in national and local news and sports programming.” It will also use the service to provide ad partners the chance to reach more audiences, particularly younger ones, based on Tumi’s userbase.

Fox is but the latest media giant to snap up an ad-supported streaming platform to add onto its main business. Last year, Viacom purchased streaming startup Pluto TV. Comcast also acquired Xumo in late February.

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‘Half-Life: Alyx’ will launch on Monday at 1 PM ET

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After years of waiting, a new Half-Life game is almost here. While everything else is getting canceled or rescheduled, the release of Half-Life: Alyx will happen on March 23rd. Valve tweeted tonight that the game will go live at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. For gamers whose PCs are properly prepared, it will be available for preloading via Steam starting on Friday.



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Mixer’s new homepage showcases streamers it poached from Twitch

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You can also expect refinements to Xbox One viewing. If you’re on some April Xbox One system update Insider rings, you can see emotes, Ember (highlighted) messages and subscriber badges in chat — common features in rival apps, but welcome all the same. It’ll be easier to change stream settings, and gift subscriptions are coming to the fresh experience “in the coming weeks.” You’ll have more control over which channels prompt notifications, not to mention higher-resolution emotes and wider access to clip creation on mobile.

And yes, there are improvements for the streamers themselves. Anyone can auto-host fellow streamers when they’re not broadcasting themselves, while Partners now have a beta option to start ad breaks on their own. These are familiar features if you’re used to Twitch, but that appears to be the point. The Mixer team hopes to attract and keep Twitch converts by giving them the money-making and community features they’re used to.

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LG’s 48-inch gaming OLED TV arrives in June for $1,499

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You’ll unsurprisingly have to pay more for the larger sets, but you might not have to be as patient. If you absolutely want a set this month, the 55-inch CX set will be available for $1,799. Its 65-inch ($2,799) and 77-inch ($4,999) counterparts arrive in April and May respectively. If you’d prefer the slightly more frugal BX series, a 55-inch set will debut in May for $1,599, while the 65-inch edition appears around the same time for $2,299.

The spare-no-expense types are covered as well. The new GX “Gallery” sets, which offer extra-thin designs without a breakout box, launch in April at prices ranging from $2,499 or a 55-inch set to an eye-watering $5,999 for the 77-inch screen. The thinner but breakout-dependent WX “Wallpaper” series, meanwhile, will be available in a lone 65-inch model this June for $4,999. And if you’re drowning in cash, the 8K ZX series ships in May at $19,999 for a 77-inch TV and $29,999 for the 88-inch flagship.

As before, many of the upgrades come down to subtler improvements. Gamers will be happy for G-Sync support to reduce screen tearing when using a GeForce GPU in a PC, while movie fans may like Dolby Vision IQ’s more adaptable HDR and Filmmaker Mode’s smoothing-free output. You can likewise expect the obligatory processor upgrade and corresponding improvements to image processing. Many of these features won’t make you regret buying last year’s TV, but you might appreciate them if you were holding out.

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Overwatch League sets its new online-only schedule for spring

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For the next month-and-a-half, the league’s clubs will only compete online against opponents in the same geographic region as they reside. For example, this week’s slate of games sees the San Francisco Shock, Los Angeles Gladiators, Los Angeles Valiant and Seoul Dynasty, all of which are based on the west coast of the US, playing against one another. Some teams will need to play more frequently in the next while to catch up to the number of matches they were originally scheduled to have played by this point in the season.

Blizzard originally balanced this year’s schedule around the fact that teams would play against opponents in their own conference twice. With this updated schedule, that’s not possible anymore; some teams will play more than three matches against the same opponent, while other squads won’t play against each other at all. Ultimately, the changes may lead to further tweaks down the road as Blizzard tries to build a balanced playoff format.

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‘Call of Duty: Warzone’ adds a solo mode

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It’s a welcome addition if you’re either averse to teammates or just want to improve your skills without the pressure of supporting other players. At the same time, it could also be important to keeping Warzone relevant. The free-to-play mode has been popular so far, but it has fierce competition from the likes of Fortnite and Apex Legends. If gamers feel its features are getting stale, they won’t have much trouble switching to a rival game.

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Uber sues LA’s Dept. of Transportation for warrantless record requests

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LA’s Department of Transportation already uses real-time data from several rivals of Uber’s scooter service, such as Lyft, Lime and Spin. The city mandated compliance with its “Mobility Data Specification” plan, which is similar to programs in other cities like Seattle and Austin. The organization says that it needs such data for city planning purposes and to ensure that the company isn’t allowing riders to leave their scooters all over the city. Uber offered to share one-day-old data with the LADOT, but the department rejected the compromise and ordered the company to remove its scooters from the city by March 15th.

Uber shares data regarding its scooters and riders with other cities, but none of this data is real-time. Location data — which can reveal personal details about a user — can be a touchy subject, and real-time location tracking can be even more unsettling. In fact, California’s government passed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act last year — which is meant to curb the abuse of user data — making the Department of Transportation’s request seem contradictory. That said, scooters being left abandoned all over sidewalks has quickly become an issue in several cities. A compromise would be ideal, but it seems like the LADOT has a firm stance on how it wants these scooter rental companies to operate and how they share their data.

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Google Translate’s transcription mode is now available on Android

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According to The Verge, the feature will be available to all Android users by the end of this week. At launch, there’s support for eight languages — English, French, German, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai. What’s more, the app is capable of translating freely between them.

Google Translate transcription GIF

Once you’ve updated to the latest version of Translate, you can use the tool by tapping on the transcribe icon near the center of the interface. You’ll then need to select a source and target language. You can use the functionality to translate and transcribe speeches and lectures, though Google notes it works best when you record in a quiet room. You’ll also need an internet connection to take advantage of the feature because it relies on Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs).

If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because the mode builds on the Live Transcribe feature Google built into the Recorder app that’s available on its Pixel phones. It’s also designed as a compliment to Translate’s Conversation mode, which you can use to make sense of single words, as well as phrases and sentences. A Google spokesperson told The Verge that part of the app “wasn’t well suited to listen to a longer translated discussion at a conference, a classroom lecture or a video of a lecture,” which is why we’re getting this new mode.

If you’d like to try Translate’s new trick on iOS, you may have to wait a while. The feature is currently exclusive to Android devices, though Google did say it plans to bring it to iOS in the future.

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GitHub’s mobile app helps you manage code on the move

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This unsurprisingly won’t let you edit code, and the feature set isn’t terribly complicated in the app’s current state. You’ll likely want to fire up your PC for some tasks. GitHub promises that there’s “a lot more to come,” though, so don’t despair if you like the thought of juggling common coding duties and saving some time at work.

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Oman lifts restrictions on secure video chats

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Oman is notorious for blocking video calling services, FaceTime included, because they are encrypted and therefore difficult to track. Those services also compete with domestic telecom providers. While some encrypted chat apps occasionally sidestep those restrictions, they are rare.

In addition to helping schools and businesses, this may provide expats living abroad with another way to communicate with friends and family in Oman. Given the current state of the world, that could be a tremendous relief for many. It’s unclear if this is a temporary change or if Oman residents will be able to use the services when the situation stabilizes.

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