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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate adds Discord, Spotify and EA Access freebies

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Xbox Game Pass new games

Even if you take into account the fact that in some countries such as the US and UK Microsoft already offered a free six-month subscription to Spotify Premium as an incentive to sign up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you’re getting a lot for just $1. Separately, EA Access, Discord Nitro and Spotify Premium cost $5, $10 and $10 per month respectively. What’s more, if you’re already an Ultimate subscriber, Microsoft says you’ll get access to all of the new perks.

As a further incentive for people to subscribe, Microsoft is adding 50 new games to the Game Pass — making it one of the most substantial expansions of the service to date. Starting today, you can play eight new games, with over 40 more slated to arrive throughout the holiday season and into 2020. Some of the more notable games that are available today include Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Rage 2 and The Talos Principle. Meanwhile, forthcoming highlights include Darksiders III, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, 10 Final Fantasy titles and three Yakuza games.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was already one of the better deals in gaming, and after today it’s even better. Of course, whether it makes sense to subscribe will depend on how much time you can find to play all the games that interest you in the catalog.

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Google will help you pronounce difficult words

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According to Google, the feature uses speech recognition technology to break spoken words into individual soundbites. Then, it uses machine learning to tell if your pronunciation was correct, and it offers syllable-specific feedback. This feature rolls out in American English today, and a Spanish version will soon follow.

Google is also adding images to dictionary definitions. It will start with English nouns — like seal and avocado. It will eventually expand to all language translations.

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Rare’s next Xbox game is pure ‘Princess Mononoke’

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If Sea of Thieves isn’t your bag, how about a sumptuous cel-shaded game from Rare that looks like a lost Miyazaki film? The Microsoft studio announced Everwild today during the XO19 Inside Xbox presentation, and while there aren’t many details to run with, it certainly looks intriguing. The trailer shows us a gorgeous world filled with fantasy creatures and human-like characters tentatively co-existing, while something nefarious brews in darkness. Rare says it’s an open-world title that it’ll be developing alongside Sea of Thieves, so don’t expect it to arrive anytime soon.

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Uber has to pay New Jersey nearly $650 million in employment taxes

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New Jersey gave Uber a $54 million bill back in 2015, but it’s not certain if the company ever paid that.

Not surprisingly, Uber is contesting the bill. It told Engadget it was “challenging this preliminary but incorrect determination,” insisting that drivers are “independent contractors.” The company believes the bill overestimate its business in the state and that the process is still early. Uber has previously claimed that treating drivers as employees would limit their flexibility to work when they like, but critics have argued that this lets Uber avoid minimum wage and other labor guarantees.

Uber may face an uphill battle, though. Like other states, New Jersey has a test to determine if people are contractors, and it believes they are — it doesn’t buy Uber’s claim that the ridesharing platform, not transportation, is its main business. So long as the state maintains that view, it’ll continue to demand back taxes and might take legal action if Uber still refuses to pay.

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Jabra's Elite 75t true wireless earbuds are available now for $180

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It took longer than expected, but Jabra's Elite 75t is here — and with a small upside for patent would-be buyers. The true wireless earbuds will be available today for $180, a slight drop from the originally quoted $200, through Amazon, Best Buy and…

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Google rolls out next-gen RCS texting to Android users in the US

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This won’t be thrilling if you prefer an alternative app (like the one from your phone manufacturer), but it might be worthwhile for the benefits when you’re chatting with other RCS users. You can chat over WiFi, send high-quality media, see when people are typing and get read receipts. You can also easily manage and rename group chats.

There is a caveat: RCS doesn’t support end-to-end encryption like Apple’s iMessage, Facebook Messenger, Signal or similar services. Google has promised that it will only store messages while they’re in transit, but the truly privacy-conscious won’t want to use RCS for anything particularly sensitive. RCS is more an upgrade to SMS than its own messaging service, and that means dealing with similar privacy risks.

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The Game Awards will air at Cinemark theatres across the US

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In all, 53 Cinemark theatres throughout the country will take part in the screening, with “supertickets” set to cost $20. If the prospect trekking out to a movie theatre on a potentially cold December day doesn’t appeal to you, The Game Awards will stream on 45 different platforms globally. Of course, you could also do the sensible thing and watch all the new trailers after the fact.

Say what you will about The Game Awards, but clearly Geoff Keighley and company are doing something right. Last year, 26.2 million people watched the 2018 show, a 126 percent increase from the year prior. Even if the Jumanji tie is tenuous at best (they’re in a video game, guys!), it’s a good opportunity for the event to continue growing.

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‘Pokémon Go’ users can add PokéStops and gyms with Niantic Wayfarer

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While Niantic Wayfarer is new to Pokémon Go, the company offered a similar feature in its first AR game, Ingress. By adding places like retail spots and local landmarks to Pokémon Go‘s map, players will have more chances to convene, battle and stock up on eggs and Pokéballs.

On one hand, it feels like Niantic is asking its users to do some heavy lifting for free. On the other, adding relevant locations to the game throughout the globe would be nearly impossible for a single organization. Pokémon Go isn’t quite the craze it was three years ago, but its dedicated fanbase will likely enjoy having a more active world to explore.

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Ford confirms its EV crossover will be named the Mustang Mach-E

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We know that the Mach-E will have a 370-mile range and support fast-charging. Ford has bragged about its acceleration, handling and all-weather ability. The company is clearly hoping this will appeal to both EV enthusiasts and diehard Mustang fans. The fact that this will exist under the Mustang name speaks to the confidence Ford has in the vehicle.

We’ve seen Ford pack a 900-plus horsepower electric motor and six-speed manual transmission into an EV project car, but we’ll have to wait for the reveal event for more details on the Mach-E motor. That event begins Sunday, November 17th, at 9:30PM ET, and the livestream will be hosted by actor Idris Elba. The EV is expected to arrive in 2020.

Ford has also announced the 2020 Ford Escape and Explorer, both of which will come in plug-in hybrid variants. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to invest $850 million in its Flat Rock, Michigan, assembly plant, in hopes of making the plant home to its EV production. It’s also developing a fully electric F-series pickup truck, and it may partner with Volkswagen on commercial vans and pickups.

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Apple might be planning its own subscription bundle

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On one hand, such a variation clause would be fairly common practice given that no company wants to renegotiate all of its deals to offer a tweaked service. And certainly, bundling News+ with either TV+, Music or both, would make good sense as an extra-value add-on. If a bundle did launch, and it is if, it may offer one, two or all three services with some small reduction in charge compared to buying them all individually.

But Bloomberg points out that the move could anger publishers, who would see their fees cut under any further discount. One outlet is said to receive under $20,000 from News+ subscriptions, less than expected and less than it got from Texture, the app Apple bought to rebrand as News+. Apple’s refusal to allow targeted advertising has meant that some publishers initially eager to sign up are starting to get antsy.

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