Is Sony planning to release a new PS5 with a detachable disc drive?

Photo: Sony

Sony has not confirmed anything, but a new PlayStation 5 console may be coming soon. The rumours of a redesigned PS5 have been around for almost a year. One insider says he knows the release date. Sony usually makes mid-generation consoles. For example, the PS4 Pro and the PS4 Slim came after the PS4. The PS5 is three years old now, so people are wondering: What's next?

Some insiders say the new PS5 has a detachable disc drive. This means Sony only needs to make one base console. Players can choose to buy the disc drive or not. Reports claim it could come out sometime in September after an August launch. This is still a rumour, so don't get too excited. But it's hard to ignore when so many are going around.

Source

Grab 'The Elder Scrolls Online' for free on Epic Games Store

Image: Bethesda

If you're looking for a way to pass the time until The Elder Scrolls VI comes out, you might want to check out the Epic Games Store. For a limited time, you can get The Elder Scrolls Online for free and enjoy hundreds of hours of quests, exploration, and combat.

The free version of The Elder Scrolls Online includes the base game and all the updates, but not the expansions. If you want to access more areas, stories, and features, you'll need to buy them separately. However, even without the expansions, there's plenty to do and see in the game. 

Click to read more ...

Google says its working on an AI tool to help journalists

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski/Unsplash

Google is developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help journalists write headlines and stories. The company says it wants to support journalists' work and productivity, not replace them. The company is working with media outlets, particularly with small publishers, to offer AI-powered tools that give journalists "options for headlines or different writing styles."

However, some fear AI could take over human jobs in a financially troubled industry. The media itself has been decimated recently by successive layoffs. There are also doubts about the quality and accuracy of AI-generated information.

Click to read more ...

FTC drops administrative challenge against Microsoft-Activision deal

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has dropped its administrative challenge that aimed to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The FTC tried to stop the USD 68.7 billion deal in two ways: by filing this case last December before its own administrative judge, who was supposed to hear it on August 2, and by seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction from a US federal court. However, a US federal judge denied the injunction request earlier this month, while an appeals court also refused its request to put an emergency hold on the acquisition. The FTC is still appealing the preliminary injunction denial.

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have not finalized the deal yet. They have extended their deadline until October 18. The FTC could still re-file its administrative case, while Microsoft continues to face scrutiny from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. However, Xbox head Phil Spencer supposedly told employees he is optimistic that the deal will go through soon.

Source