Author: Anna Galvez

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Tech

PlayStation 5 Mentioned For The First Time by A Games Developer

With a PS4 console that is still dominating the market, Sony Interactive Entertainment has no interest in mentioning or revealing more details about the future PS5. However, PlayStation 5 got cited for the first time by a games developer in a job ad. We’re talking about a former game developer at Square Enix, the studio that develops Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts series, among others.

Now, at the opposite pole of Sony, there is Microsoft which made it clear at the E3 2018 that it was working on the successor to the Xbox One, the so-called Xbox Scarlett. Moreover, with the acquisition of multiple studios (inXile Entertainment and Obsidian Entertainment, just to mention a few), the famous software developer indicates that it has big plans with its next-generation video games console.

PlayStation 5 Mentioned for The First Time By A Game Developer

In short, PlayStation 5 got mentioned for the first time by a game developer. It’s all about Tomohiro Tokoro who now works at Luminous Productions. Indeed, the man in charge of character modeling at the before-mentioned studio informed via his LinkedIn CV that he worked on an AAA game for PlayStation 5 plus a mobile game for the Chinese market. Of course, he hastened to remove the compromising clue, but screenshots have emerged online.

What is interesting is that Tokoro uses the term “PS5” which could hint that Sony would not change the name of its future console, holding on the traditional branding.

Some rumors emerged a few months ago, saying that Sony would plan on changing the console’s name. The reason for those uncertainties was Kenichiro Yoshida, CEO of Sony Corporation, who indicated that it was necessary for the company to develop a “next-generation machine.” Some had then begun to imagine a new name for the console, as Microsoft named its current-gen console Xbox One and planned to name the next one Xbox Scarlett.

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Tech

Netflix Will Offer Low-Cost Subscription Plans for Developing Countries

In order to expand its reach and win subscribers in developing countries, Netflix is expected to launch a low-cost subscription plan in the near future. This cheaper version of Netflix service will only be available in certain countries, with a focus on the countries across Asia.

Netflix will focus on Asian countries

According to Bloomberg, Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, said in an interview that he wanted to experience a new subscription plan with different movies and TV series content, but at a lower rate than the present monthly plans, the streaming service is offering.

The cheapest subscription plan is now $7.99, and it allows users to view content on one device. It can go up to $13.99 to access four screens simultaneously.

While the CEO of the streaming service has not disclosed anything about where and when this test would be carried out, there is every reason to believe that some Asian countries should enjoy the new low-cost subscription plan.

Having arrived on the before-mentioned continent three years ago, Netflix has since invested heavily in projects in India, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan. According to estimates by Media Partners Asia, cited by Bloomberg, the company has not yet reached 2 million subscribers in Asia, while it has 130 million worldwide.

Netflix is increasingly popular worldwide

Worldwide, Netflix claims about 130 million subscribers and does not intend to stop there. The video streaming service is notably present today all over the world and allows its users to watch hundreds of movies and TV series.

However, many other companies launched their own video streaming services to compete with Netflix directly. Amazon Prime, for example, is one of them and it also offers vast movies and TV series content, but it can’t yet compete with Netflix in this regard.

Additionally, in 2019, Disney will also launch its own video streaming service which could be the fiercest competitor for Netflix.

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Tech

Microsoft Re-launched Windows 10 October 2018 Update With Bug Fixes And Improvements

Microsoft has re-launched Windows 10 October 2018 Update after fixing the bugs that caused the update’s withdrawal twice and the delay in its deployment. At the time of launch, Microsoft’s vice president for Windows OS has promised to improve software quality and delivery of these seasonal updates.

The new Windows 10 October 2018 Update will roll out gradually and, for the time being, only for users who manually update their operating system or those who downloaded the media creation tool and/or ISO.

If all goes well and severe bugs would not be reported again, Microsoft will gradually offer the upgrade to a broader market of Windows 10 users in the upcoming weeks, until a global deployment would be implemented via Windows Update.

Microsoft Re-launched Windows 10 October 2018 Update With Bug Fixes And Improvements

Besides the known bug fixes and security updates that cover the last two months, there are no relevant new features beyond those of the original Windows 10 October 2018 Update. Also, some stability improvements have been implemented.

Many users complained about the lack of quality control within the Insider testing program of the initial Windows 10 October 2018 Update. In accordance, Microsoft has promised to update the Feedback Hub tool so that the testers can report the level of bugs’ severity.

Some testers reported, before the Windows 10 October 2018 Update release, some of the most severe bugs in this version, but none of the reports received too many affirmative votes. Most users complained about poor interface performance or customization.

Along with the re-launch of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Microsoft’s vice president Michael Fortin has posted an official blog entry titled “Windows 10 Quality Approach to a Complex Ecosystem. Basically, it promises to improve the quality of software and the delivery of these updates.

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Tech

Tinder Updates Its App For India, Allowing Indians To Choose Between More Gender Options As Usual

Tinder has introduced more gender options in India. Until now, Tinder users in this country could only be identified as men or women. Now, the range of possibilities regarding the gender of the users is unlimited, since in their profile they can select “I am” and add a word that fits the gender identity that each user feels.

Currently, Tinder offers the same feature in the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom, which received this functionality in an update dating back in November 2016.

“Tinder extends its function of choosing gender identity to India, a country with great user growth in apps and social networks,” the app’s representatives stated.

Tinder Updates Its App For India, Allowing Indians To Choose Between More Gender Options As Usual

That has always been a problematic issue for the Tinder app, which has repeatedly acknowledged that it has not always had the right tools in terms of gender identity. There have been cases in which Tinder users have been quit using the application as a result of other people mistakenly reporting them for their gender.

Tinder has communicated that it wants these users to use the platform again and that is why it is carrying out these changes. On the other hand, the company, which belongs to the Match Group, which has four other similar apps, has reported that it will educate its staff on LGTBQ community issues to make the application as inclusive as possible.

Even so, the option to choose gender identity is not available in all the countries in which Tinder operates, but it is to be expected that it will be extended little by little. India is one of the fastest growing countries in social networking and is also one of the nations outside the Western states that are thrilled to use mobile applications that are popular across Europe and North America.

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Crypto News

Qtum (QTUM) Launched Its Second Blockchain Node In Earth’s Orbit

Qtum (QTUM), in collaboration with the SpaceChain Foundation, has put into Earth’s orbit the second node of its blockchain, which will allow multiple signature transactions and execute smart contracts directly from a satellite in space. The device was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China’s Xinzhou Province in October.

However, only a few days ago the company confirmed that its satellite entered the designated orbit without any problems, allowing the first transactions to be carried out without setbacks and monitoring its orbit around the planet. The node is incorporated in a cube on the outside of the CZ-AB spacecraft’s ring.

Also, according to data from the Qtum (QTUM) press release, the satellite brings with it a SpaceChain OS operating system payload, which will allow processing all the operations performed from this satellite in the Qtum blockchain. The launchers verified that the incorporated hardware and software would remain operational at the time of entry into orbit, an objective that has been achieved in Qtum’s simpler functions – such as performing transactions – but that will be subjected to much more complex tests.

Qtum (QTUM) Launched Its Second Blockchain Node In Earth’s Orbit

In addition to Qtum (QTUM) and SpaceChain, the Chinese companies Tibet Zezheng Information Technology and Beijing Xinhua Science and Technology also participated in the launch. Similarly, in the social networks, users suggested that the government of China also must have been involved in the launch since it required an approval.

Thanks to this recent launch, Qtum (QTUM) already has two nodes of its blockchain orbiting in space in just one year. Last February, the platform had celebrated the launch of its first node, an event that has given it experience in the middle.

However, Qtum (QTUM) is not the only blockchain initiative that has reached Earth’s orbit, as the exchange house Blockstream also decided to launch its own satellite to process Bitcoin (BTC) transactions around the world, in a project undertaken since August 2017.

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