Aaaaand we’re back. Kind of. This space has been empty since November, for a number of reasons. Some of it was a bit of burn out of trying to keep this up twice a week, three times when I include product reviews, while working a full time job, some of it was personal. While all of the personal stuff isn’t over, I’m ready to get back to this on at least a semi-regular basis. I fully intend to to resume twice weekly roundups, though I may miss one or two on occasion. Life happens, and I’m not going to stress if I miss one or two updates in the future.
I missed a lot of news, and I’m not going to go back over everything that happened. CES alone would require its own thing, and I’m just not going to do that. So, with that being said; here’s some tech news.
Microsoft Intends to Buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 Billion USD
This didn’t happen within the last few days, but is such a seismic event that I did feel like highlighting it. This would be the biggest tech company deal ever, by a wide margin. Activision Blizzard is the company behind game franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and... Candy Crush. (admittedly, I didn’t realize that at the time either). The deal isn’t expected to close until sometime in early to mid 2023, so it will be some time before the effects of this are felt. If the deal goes through, the gaming industry could look very different 5 years from now than it does today.
Sony to Purchase Bungie for $3.6 Billion USD
In a move that was probably in the works before the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard deal was announced, Sony is purchasing Bungie for $3.6 Billion. Bungie was the original developer of the Halo franchise, before spinning off of Microsoft and creating the Destiny franchise. The market consolodation in the gaming industry continues.
https://www.theverge.com/22910846/sony-bungie-acquisition-playstation-destiny-halo
MLB The Show 22 comes to Nintendo Switch
In 2021, MLB The Show released on the Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles for the first time, after exclusivity on Sony’s Playstation platforms dating back decades. Sony still develops the game, so we had a situation wihere there was a Sony logo on a game on a Microsoft console. Now, that is expanding to the Nintendo Switch. On April 5th, MLB The Show 22 will release on Playstation 4, 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and the Nintendo Switch.
The game had better be good, as it might be the only baseball we get for some time......
https://www.destructoid.com/mlb-the-show-22-switch-playstation-xbox-shohei-ohtani-cover-april/
The New York Times Buys Wordle
Wordle, the puzzle sensation that is clogging Twitter timelines across the globe, has been purchased by The New York Times. Wordle was developed by one person as a gift to his wife, and was made available to the public in 2021, eventually finding an audience and going viral. The New York Times is purchasing the game for a number in “the low seven figures” and will integrate it into it’s daily game platform. The New York Times says that Wordle will “initially remain free” so epect in the future for the Times to start charging for access to Wordle, and then Wordle never being heard from again.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/31/22911274/wordle-new-york-times-free-word-game-acquisition
Apple Will Allow Unlisted Apps in the App Store
This doesn’t sound like a huge deal, but could have a pretty significant impact on the App Store. There are a significant, but unknown number of apps that are buitl for specific uses, in some cases specific companies. A company may build an app that is only for employees of said compay, but due to App Store policies, it has to be listed in the public app store, meaning anyone can download it.
Under a new policy from Apple, Apps can be unlisted in the app store, meaning they can be hidden from search, catalog, etc. The only way to access these apps would be with a direct link to the listing. This could have a huge impact on cleaning up apps that the public has no reason to see In the app store, and may improve the overall experience.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/30/22909367/apple-unlisted-apps-app-store
Google is Making the Same Mistake with Gmail that Microsoft Made with Outlook 20 Years Ago
Google has decided that Gmail is going to be its one stop shop for users. Gmail on the web has long stopped being aa simple email client, with chat functionality built into it for years, but over time the gmail interface has become more cluttered with more functionality that most people don’t need. Now, Google is leaning even harder into that by turning Gmail into 2022’s version of Outlook. Starting in February, (hey, that’s now), the company is beginning to roll out a new Gmail design that integrates Google’s Chat, Meet, Spaces interfaces into Gmail, as well as making the sidebar that features calendar, tasks, and google keep much more prominent. This interface is geared more towards businesses using Google’s paid Google Workspace suite, but will be rolling out to all Gmail users in Q2.
When Gmail launched in 2004 it included a nearly unthinkable (at the time) 1GB of email storage, but also a very simple user interface that was significantly easier to navigate than competing products of the time. Fasst forward 18 years, and Gmail is committing the sin of not learning from the past.