Steam to halt Windows 7, 8 support in 2024

Image: Valve

Steam will officially stop supporting Windows 7 and Windows 8 (and Windows 8.1) starting January 1, 2024. According to Valve, the newest features in Steam need an embedded version of Google Chrome, which no longer works with these older versions of Windows. Plus, future versions of Steam will need Windows features and security updates available in Windows 10 and above. So, if you haven't made the shift to the newer Windows operating system yet and use Steam, now is the time to switch.

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Apple officially rolls out iOS 16.4

Image: Emojipedia

If you've been waiting for the Apple iOS 16.4 update, your wait is over. Apple has officially released updates for all of its major platforms (including MacOS 13.3, iPadOS 16.4 and WatchOS 9.4 updates). It introduces some more emojis and the pulled new HomeKit architecture is reintroduced with this update, among other new features. There's also a new accessibility feature that can dim the screen when it detects flashing lights or strobe effects in video content. You can now try out the new OS by heading to your device's settings app to update.

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Microsoft halts its $1 Xbox Game Pass trial offer

Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is stopping its $1 trial offer for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. This offer has been available for years, with brief periods where it wasn't available. But now, Microsoft says it's considering other promotions in its place. This $1 trial allowed users to sign up for Xbox Game Pass for a month before the full Xbox Game Pass subscription kicks in. It costs CAD 11.99 per month for the console and PC subscription and CAD 16.99 monthly for the Ultimate membership for console and PC, EA Play, Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Microsoft currently offers a Friends & Family plan for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in some markets. It benefits up to four other friends or family members, with pricing starting at EUR 21.99 per month in Ireland (around CAD 32).

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Some of Twitter's source code was reportedly leaked on Github

Photo: Jorge Urosa/Pexels

Things continue to work against Twitter as a court filing published on Friday revealed portions of the social media site's source code (the programming that makes it possible) have been leaked online. According to the filings, Twitter claimed copyright infringement to have the offending code taken down from Github's collaborative programming network. The code was removed the same day. But it's unclear how long it was left up and the scope and depth of the leak.

Twitter is also asking the US District Court for the Northern District of California to order Github to reveal the identity of the user who posted the code and those who accessed and downloaded it. Based on the New York Times reports, Twitter executives strongly suspect it's the work of a disgruntled former employee who left "withing the last year." The executives who spoke to NYT primarily worry the stolen code could empower future hacking efforts.

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