FTC appeals judge’s ruling on Microsoft-Activision deal

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it is challenging a judge’s approval of Microsoft’s USD 69 billion Activision Blizzard deal. Microsoft vowed to fight back and said the FTC had a weak case. The judge had dismissed the FTC’s claim that the deal would hurt consumers by giving Microsoft exclusive access to popular games like Call of Duty. The FTC could ask the appeals court to halt the deal by Friday. 

Meanwhile, Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority said a revised deal could ease its worries, pending a new probe. 

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WhatsApp tests new login method that doesn’t need a QR code

WhatsApp's desktop app lets you chat with your friends and family on your PC with ease. You can also use the same account on two phones with WhatsApp's improved multi-device support. But to link your primary WhatsApp account to another device, you need to scan a QR code. What if you can't scan the code because your phone's camera is broken? Don't worry, WhatsApp is working on a new login method that uses an eight-digit code sent to your phone.

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What you need to know about the Nothing phone (2)

Photo: Nothing

The Nothing Phone (2) is the latest smartphone from the London-based company, with a sleek and symmetrical design. Its looks don't stray too far from its predecessor. But it comes with a few improvements to the rear panel, particularly its Glyph interface. 

The Glyph interface consists of several LED segments that can be customized and used for different purposes. For example, you can use it as a visual countdown, to check delivery progress, or see the volume level on the back of your phone. You can also enable Essential Glyph Notifications, which will keep one LED on until you check an important message. You can also make your Nothing phone (2) more personal by choosing different lights and sounds for your contacts and apps. 

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Meta’s Threads breaks records, crosses 100 million sign-ups in 5 days

Meta's new app Threads, a rival to Elon Musk's Twitter, reached 100 million sign-ups in just five days, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Monday. This makes it the fastest-growing online platform ever, beating ChatGPT's record of two months. Threads has seen a surge of users since its launch on Wednesday, with many celebrities, politicians and influencers joining the platform that analysts view as the first serious threat to Twitter. Zuckerberg said in a Threads post that the app's growth was mostly organic and that they had not done much promotion yet.

Twitter, which had about 240 million daily active users as of July last year, has seen its web traffic decline since Threads' launch, according to web analytics firms. Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino tweeted on Monday that the platform had its "largest usage day" since February, but did not give details. Other competitors to Twitter, such as Mastodon, Bluesky, Truth Social and T2, remain relatively small and niche at this point.

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