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(Image Courtesy: Microsoft) Microsoft has completely redesigned the interface of its communications client Skype, giving it a visual overhaul and introducing some new features. There are now colourful headers, and a ton of themes to choose from that support both light and dark modes. The set-up process has also received a do-over with new illustrations and animations. Microsoft is also introducing more accessibility options with updated colour themes for low-vision users. The calling experience on the mobile app has been bought in line with the updates rolled out on desktop. Mobile users will now be able to see custom backgrounds and light themes during a call. The Redmond-based technology giant says it has also streamlined the experience by making technical improvements for mobile. Read More Microsoft will update the video call experience more in the future, allowing video to scale seamlessly despite the number of people on a call. There is now a … [Read more...] about Microsoft updates Skype with new look, real-time translation and more

(Image Courtesy: Reuters) Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring the gaming title "Call of Duty" to Nintendo platforms, the chief executive officer of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, said in a post on Twitter on Wednesday. The agreement will bring the popular first-person shooter series from Activision Blizzard to Nintendo game consoles for the first time. Nintendo said the Microsoft announcement was true but declined to comment further. The announcement comes after Microsoft's planned $69 billion acquisition of the "Call of Duty" maker raised concern among regulators that the deal could stifle competition. Microsoft competes with Sony Group Corp and Nintendo in the global video game industry, which saw strong growth in recent years with people spending more time at home because of the coronavirus pandemic. Read More … [Read more...] about Microsoft in 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo

(Image Courtesy: Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix) After staying online for two-and-a-half years, Marvel's Avengers, the troubled superhero game published by Square Enix and developed by Crystal Dynamics, will finally be dormant from March 31, 2023. The game's developers, Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics, put out a blog post announcing that the game will not receive any updates or new content after March 31. They also said they would be ending support on September 30, 2023. The live-service superhero action game garnered some positive reviews on launch but has been mired by controversies since. Crystal Dynamics said that update 2.7, which added Winter Soldier Hero and Cloning Lab Omega-Level Threat, will be the final content drop for the game. They also announced a final balance patch (update 2.8), which will be rolled out in March. The studio will also be turning off the cosmetics marketplace, and when update 2.8 goes live, it will no longer be accessible. The … [Read more...] about Marvel’s Avengers won’t receive new content after March 31

The Federal Open Market Committee will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 1, to determine the direction of U.S. monetary policy. What will the Fed do? Since March 2022, it has already raised the fed funds rate by 4.25 percentage points, the largest one-year increase in four decades. When it comes to speculation over the direction of the fed funds rate, the financial press is filled with musings from Fed watchers and assorted wags. That is just background “noise.” (RELATED: EJ ANTONI: Wokeness Is Slowly Hollowing Out The Fed) There is only one objective measure of where the fed funds rate is heading — in other words, the “signal,” rather than the “noise.” It’s the Chicago Mercantile Exchange FedWatch Tool , which translates the prices of trades on fed funds futures contracts (read: market prices) to put a probability on where the fed funds rate will go. As Friedrich Hayek taught us long ago in his classic 1945 article, “ The Use of Knowledge in Society ,” an article that landed him … [Read more...] about STEVE HANKE And CALEB HOFMANN: The Fed Is Asleep At The Wheel And Americans Are Feeling The Consequences

Ole Miss won’t play Texas A&M as scheduled this upcoming Saturday. The SEC announced Monday morning that the game between the Rebels and Aggies is postponed because of “the continued quarantine of individuals within the Texas A&M FB program.” (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football) It’s the second straight game the Aggies have had postponed. NEWS | The Ole Miss at Texas A&M FB game of Nov. 21 is postponed due to the continued quarantine of individuals within the Texas A&M FB program. The action is consistent with SEC COVID-19 management requirements. — Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 16, 2020 The SEC continues to burn thanks to coronavirus, and there’s a real chance this won’t be the last game that gets postponed. I really don’t know what the solution is here, but the SEC needs to figure it out sooner than later. Time is running out. View this post on … [Read more...] about Ole Miss Vs. Texas A&M Postponed Because Of Coronavirus

Auburn is preparing to play Tennessee as scheduled this upcoming Saturday. The Tigers didn’t play Mississippi State last weekend because of coronavirus issues with the Bulldogs , but head coach Gus Malzahn is prepping the team for action against the Volunteers, according to the Montgomery Advertiser . (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football) NEWS | The Auburn at Mississippi State FB game of Nov. 14 is postponed due to positive tests & subsequent quarantine of individuals within the MSU FB program. The action is consistent with SEC COVID-19 management requirements. The game is tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12. — Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 9, 2020 However, it’s not all good news. Malzahn informed the media on Monday that the Tigers expect to be without some players because of positive coronavirus tests and contact tracing. View this post on Instagram … [Read more...] about Auburn Is Preparing To Play Tennessee, Tigers Expect To Be Missing Players Because Of Coronavirus

Miami has postponed multiple football games because of coronavirus. The Hurricanes announced late Monday afternoon that their games against Wake Forest, North Carolina and Georgia Tech have all been pushed back because of “positive tests and subsequent quarantining of student-athletes within the Miami football team.” The Hurricanes are the latest team to be impacted in a big way by coronavirus . (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football) Miami will play the Demon Deacons December 5, the Tar Heels December 12 and the Yellow Jackets December 19. Update – Miami has rescheduled three football games. More: — Canes Football (@CanesFootball) November 16, 2020 Another day passes in the world of college football , and we have more bad news when it comes to scheduling. At this point, I just expect to wake up and read about more cancelations and postponements. For about the past 10 days, it’s just been brutal … [Read more...] about Miami Hurricanes Postpone 3 Football Games Because Of Coronavirus

Auburn vs. Mississippi State won’t be played as scheduled this weekend. The game between the Bulldogs and Tigers had been scheduled for this Saturday, but the SEC announced Monday that it’s been postponed because of coronavirus issues at MSU. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football) The game will now be played December 12 if nothing else changes. NEWS | The Auburn at Mississippi State FB game of Nov. 14 is postponed due to positive tests & subsequent quarantine of individuals within the MSU FB program. The action is consistent with SEC COVID-19 management requirements. The game is tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12. — Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 9, 2020 What the hell is going on with the SEC right now? They’re getting destroyed by coronavirus. The conference has problems all over the place. LSU has issues , Texas A&M has issues, Sam Pittman has tested positive and Mississippi … [Read more...] about Auburn Vs. Mississippi State Postponed Because Of Coronavirus

Auburn’s football team has more coronavirus problems. According to Justin Ferguson, two more players tested positive for coronavirus and five starters were held out of practice this past week. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football) A total of 10 players had to miss practice. Auburn previously had to call off practices because of coronavirus . Auburn football had two new positive COVID-19 tests this week, and 10 players — five of them starters — sat out practice this week. — Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) September 12, 2020 Well, this isn’t the kind of news we want to be hearing at all. In fact, it’s literally the last kind of news we want to be hearing. The SEC starts football in two weeks. That’s not much time at all, and Auburn had five starters miss practice time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Auburn Football … [Read more...] about Auburn’s Football Team Has More Coronavirus Issues, Multiple Starters Miss Practice

Auburn has halted football activities because of coronavirus. According to Justin Ferguson, head coach Gus Malzahn informed the media Tuesday that the team has 12 cases in the program, and practice is paused for the time being. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football) Auburn football has had nine players and three staff members test positive for COVID-19, according to HC Gus Malzahn. The Tigers are pausing all practices and workouts. — Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) November 10, 2020 It’s worth noting that the Tigers had gone seven weeks without a positive coronavirus case, but they’ve now joined a long list of SEC teams struggling. Auburn football hadn’t had a positive COVID-19 test in the last seven weeks. Now it’s had 12 in the off week as positives are rising across the SEC. — Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) November 10, 2020 Auburn HC Gus Malzahn said the program can’t trace this amount … [Read more...] about Auburn Pauses Football Activities After 12 Cases Of Coronavirus