Ubisoft’s Massive offers voluntary buyouts as RedLynx restructures, raising questions for Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar Ubisoft is initiating another round of cost-cutting and team realignment. Massive Entertainment — the studio behind The Division, Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora — is offering employees a voluntary buyout program as it refocuses on The Division franchise, the Snowdrop engine and Ubisoft Connect. What’s changing at Massive Voluntary buyouts: Presented as a “voluntary career transition program” with financial and career assistance for eligible staff. Who/when: The program is open to Massive’s Malmö, Sweden team through December 13, primarily targeting employees between projects awaiting new assignments. Refocus areas: The Division, core tech (Snowdrop) and services (Ubisoft Connect). Notably absent from the roadmap mention: Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.…

Ubisoft’s Massive offers voluntary buyouts as RedLynx restructures, raising questions for Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar Ubisoft is initiating another round of cost-cutting and team realignment. Massive Entertainment (the studio behind The Division) is offering a voluntary buyout program as it “realigns” and focuses on The Division franchise, the Snowdrop engine and Ubisoft Connect. Separately, Helsinki-based RedLynx announced a proposed restructuring that could affect up to 60 roles. What’s changing at Massive Voluntary buyouts: Framed as a “voluntary career transition program” with financial and career assistance for eligible staff. Where/when: Massive’s Malmö, Sweden team can volunteer through December 13, primarily targeting employees between projects awaiting new assignments. Focus areas: The Division series, core tech (Snowdrop) and services (Ubisoft Connect) were highlighted. Notably, Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora…

Ubisoft’s Massive offers voluntary buyouts as RedLynx restructures, raising questions for Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar Ubisoft is initiating another round of cost-cutting and team realignment. Massive Entertainment (the studio behind The Division) is offering employees a voluntary buyout program as it “realigns” and focuses on The Division franchise, the Snowdrop engine and Ubisoft Connect. Separately, Ubisoft’s RedLynx studio in Helsinki announced a proposed restructuring that could affect up to 60 roles. What’s changing at Massive Voluntary buyouts: Framed as a “voluntary career transition program” with financial and career assistance for eligible staff. Timing/location: Massive’s Malmö, Sweden team can volunteer through December 13, primarily targeting employees between projects awaiting new assignments. Focus areas: The Division series, core tech (Snowdrop) and services (Ubisoft Connect) were highlighted. Notably, Star Wars Outlaws and…

Best streaming deals right now: Spotify 3 months free, Audible $1/mo, Starz $30/yr and more Streaming prices keep creeping up, but there are solid promotions you can grab today. Below are the best current deals we found, plus tips to avoid auto-renew surprises and save more with bundles or annual plans. Top deals to consider Spotify Premium (Individual): 3 months free for new/eligible users. Auto-renews at the standard monthly rate afterward. Check eligibility. Audible: $1/month for 3 months (then $15/mo). Includes monthly credits and access to the Audible catalog. See the offer. Starz: $30 for one year (or $5/mo for the first 3 months if you prefer monthly). Ad-free with offline viewing. Get Starz. Fubo Pro: $55 for the first month (intro discount), then standard pricing. Includes 200+ channels, unlimited…

Tabstract 2.0: Safari tab sessions now get Apple Intelligence integration Tabstract, a popular Safari extension that began as a simple way to save and restore open tabs, has released version 2.0. Created by developer Paul Maiorana and initially built for personal use before landing on the Mac App Store, the tool focuses on giving Safari users a clean, organized way to manage research and multi‑window workflows. What’s new Apple Intelligence integration: Version 2.0 adds support for Apple’s new on‑device intelligence features in the latest macOS/iOS releases. While details will evolve, the integration is aimed at making session management smarter and more context‑aware without compromising privacy. Core focus remains sessions: Tabstract continues to make it easy to save a snapshot of all current tabs/windows and restore them later, so you can…

UK CMA designates Apple and Google with “Strategic Market Status” The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has placed Apple and Google under expanded oversight by designating them with Strategic Market Status (SMS). Similar in spirit to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, the UK’s SMS regime (under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024) lets the CMA’s Digital Markets Unit set tailored conduct requirements for firms with entrenched “gateway” power. What SMS can mean in practice Conduct rules: Obligations to prevent anti‑competitive behavior (e.g., self‑preferencing) and ensure fair dealing with business users. Interoperability & access: Potential requirements to open up key functionality/APIs and data on fair, reasonable terms. User choice & neutrality: Measures impacting defaults, app distribution and in‑app payments to increase switching and choice. Pro‑competitive interventions: Targeted remedies…

UK CMA designates Apple and Google with “Strategic Market Status” The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has placed Apple and Google under expanded oversight by designating them with Strategic Market Status (SMS). Similar in spirit to the EU’s Digital Markets Act framework, the SMS regime under the UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 empowers the CMA’s Digital Markets Unit to impose tailored conduct requirements on firms with entrenched, gateway power. What SMS can mean in practice Conduct requirements: Rules to curb anti-competitive behavior (e.g., self-preferencing) and promote fair dealing with business users. Interoperability and access: Potential obligations to open up key functionality or data on fair, reasonable terms. Choice and neutrality: Measures around defaults, app distribution and in-app payments to ensure user choice and developer freedom. Pro-competitive…

Samsung’s Galaxy XR: Polished hardware, thin apps — can Android XR catch up? Samsung has introduced the Galaxy XR, the first major Android XR headset to hit the market. Priced around $1,800, it pairs a sleek, ski‑goggle design with dual micro‑OLED displays and hand‑gesture interaction via multiple cameras and sensors. The pitch: an AI‑native device that leans on Google’s Gemini for multimodal features. What’s notable Premium optics and build: Dual micro‑OLED panels and a refined form factor echo the high‑end approach we’ve seen in rival headsets. Hands‑free control: Camera‑driven hand tracking and pinch/gesture inputs reduce reliance on controllers. AI angle: Samsung frames Galaxy XR as an “AI‑native” device, tapping camera and voice for Gemini‑powered assistance. Early limitations App drought: Aside from Google apps (e.g., Maps, Photos) and YouTube 360° video,…

UK CMA classifies Apple and Google as market‑dominant (SMS): what expanded oversight under the DMCC means The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has placed Apple and Google under expanded oversight by designating them with Strategic Market Status (SMS) under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC). Similar in spirit to the EU’s DMA but tailored by firm, the SMS regime is designed to keep key digital markets open and competitive. It is not a finding of wrongdoing; rather, it enables the CMA to set proactive conduct rules and, where needed, order pro‑competitive interventions. What “Strategic Market Status” means Legal basis: The DMCC empowers the CMA to set conduct requirements for firms with substantial, entrenched power and strategic significance, and to mandate pro‑competitive interventions where appropriate. Covered ecosystems:…

UK CMA designates Apple and Google as market-dominant (SMS): what expanded oversight means under the DMCC The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has formally placed Apple and Google under expanded oversight by designating them with Strategic Market Status (SMS) under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC). The move mirrors parts of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) approach, but lets the CMA tailor firm-specific rules. It’s not a finding of wrongdoing; it enables proactive regulation of key mobile platform bottlenecks. What SMS means Legal basis: DMCC 2024 empowers the CMA to set conduct requirements and, where needed, order pro‑competitive interventions. Who is covered: Apple’s iOS and App Store; Google’s Android and Play Store, plus related services. Duration: Designations are typically time‑limited (e.g., up to five years)…