Microsoft's Ignite conference will be an in-person event this year

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft will be holding its first in-person event since the coronavirus pandemic began. Its Ignite conference will take place in Seattle between October 12 and 14. Microsoft notes the "space will be limited" for the annual event for developers and IT professionals. It comes back during a significant milestone for the company. The event will take place a few days before the 10th anniversary of the Surface line.

The company plans to open registration for Ignite in late August. You can also join the conference for free virtually. Microsoft also plans to hold in-person events in cities worldwide, with the Ignite conference at the Seattle Convention Center as its main event. You can expect "highly interactive and immersive activities" at the venue. Microsoft hasn't shared its plans yet for how to limit attendees' exposure to COVID-19 or whether masks and vaccinations will be required.

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Instagram is not going to pivot away from videos

You might not be happy with Instagram's recent attempt at becoming a TikTok competitor. Unfortunately, that isn't going away. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has confirmed it'll keep moving away from its photo roots. And while the app will continue to support photos, he said the move away from them is driven by user behaviour, claiming sharing and viewing videos is growing, and they are "gonna have to lean into that shift."

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'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic' remake's development is reportedly on pause

Source: Aspyr Media

If you've been waiting for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake, you might be waiting for a while. Bloomberg reported that the game's art director and design director were fired earlier this month after the development team showed a demo of the game to Lucasfilm and Sony.

The Knights of the Old Republic remake for the PlayStation 5 and PC was first announced last September. But developer Aspyr Media hasn't shared a release timeframe for the title. Work on the remake has been ongoing for three years, with initial plans to launch by the end of 2022. Right now, the "realistic target" seems to be 2025. Developers haven't commented on the report.

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Steven Spielberg shoots his first music video using an iPhone

If you're wondering if you can use your iPhone to shoot a music video, Steven Spielberg is showing you how. He directed his first music video for Mumford and Sons' Marcus Mumford and his new single Cannibal. They shot it in a school gymnasium in New York. 

Spielberg worked with his wife Kate Capshaw as the producer, art director, and dolly grip. Some behind-the-scenes footage shared by Mumford shows Spielberg being pulled along by Capshaw in a wheeled chair to achieve some of the shots. If you've been waiting for the signal to make your own music video/film, here's your sign to know it's possible to do it with your phone. (We don't know what iPhone model Spielberg used, though.)

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