Steam will hold another 'Game Festival' to give indie titles exposure

Image: Steam

With conventions and gatherings like GDC and Indie Megabooth getting cancelled because of COVID-19 concerns, a lot of independent developers have lost a way to get their games showcased. Valve is hoping to help these developers out by hosting a spring edition of its Steam Game Festival. It offers indie developers a digital space to turn the spotlight on their games. Steam will feature over 40 games during the event starting March 18, Wednesday, and might last for 48 hours, like the last Game Festival held in December. Steam hasn't released the games and demos that will be available, but these will show up on the Steam store this Wednesday.

Source: Polygon

Apple rumoured to release a 5.5-inch, entry-level iPhone

Review: Apple iPhone 8 Plus

Aside from reportedly launching a 4.7-inch iPhone featuring the iPhone 8's design, there's supposedly a 5.5-inch model coming out as well, which will presumably reuse the iPhone 8 Plus' design. The new iPhones will reportedly have a solid-state home button similar to the original iPhone 8 devices while relying on Touch ID instead of Face ID. The handsets will also reportedly come with Apple Pay's Express Transit feature, which allows you to hold your phone near a transit terminal to pay for your ride. The new rumoured iPhones will also be able to scan NFC tags without needing to open an app, a feature that's only available on the iPhone XS, XR, and iPhone 11.

We don't know what the price for the 5.5-inch model will be, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the 4.7-inch model will have a starting price of US$399 (around CA$563). It will reportedly come with either 64GB or 128GB of storage and will come in grey, silver, or red. If we base it off Apple's usual pricing, then the 5.5-inch will cost $100 more. The 4.7-inch model is expected to come out at the end of March, so this rumoured model is presumed to launch then as well.

Source: The Verge

Microsoft guarantees the Xbox Series X won't be bigger than fridge

When Microsoft first announced the Xbox Series X, some people compared its design to a refrigerator. The company concedes that it might look like one, but it won't be as big as one. Microsoft tweeted a photo that shows the console's dimensions beside an actual fridge. The tweet shows the Xbox Series X standing at 301mm, while a refrigerator is about 1,778mm tall. While it is still bigger than usual game consoles, the good news is you wouldn't need to leave that big of a space for it.

Airbnb extends its no-charge cancellation policy

With the COVID-19 pandemic, Airbnb saw it fit to implement updates to its Extenuating Circumstances policy. This change means hosts and guests who cancel eligible reservations made on or before March 14, 2020, with check-in dates between March 14 and April 14, 2020, will not be charged or penalized. It applies to both places to stay as well as Airbnb Experiences around the world. The company assures its hosts that they will help those who are affected economically by the circumstances.

Airbnb said in a statement, “We will be working in the days and weeks ahead to identify tools and initiatives to support our hosts during these very challenging times.” The company promised it will not collect fees or benefit from any cancelled reservations. 

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