ownership Archives

AppWizard

March 31, 2025

Signal vs. WhatsApp — what’s the difference between these messaging apps?

Signal and WhatsApp both offer end-to-end encryption but differ significantly in ownership and data practices. WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which collects metadata about user interactions, while Signal is a nonprofit that collects minimal metadata and prioritizes user privacy. WhatsApp has a more user-friendly interface with features like chat history backups, group video calls, and business tools, whereas Signal focuses on privacy with features like "Sealed Sender" to hide sender identity and options to blur faces in photos. Users prioritizing privacy may prefer Signal, but practicality depends on their contacts' app usage. Users can choose to use both apps for different types of communication.

AppWizard

March 29, 2025

It still makes me uneasy that my hundreds of Steam games can’t be passed on when I die, at least not without violating the EULA

Shoot Many Robots was delisted from Steam at the request of its publisher, but it remains in the owner's Steam library. Steam's terms of service classify bequeathing an account as account sharing, limiting legitimate access for others. The gaming industry is experiencing volatility with frequent shutdowns of live service games, leading to calls for prioritizing game preservation, exemplified by the 'Stop Killing Games' campaign. GOG offers DRM-free titles and allows users to bequeath their libraries to heirs with proof of death, but acknowledges the lack of legal guidance on video game preservation. There is a growing demand for more robust frameworks governing game ownership and sustainable digital alternatives for future generations.

AppWizard

March 27, 2025

Daily Update: AEW-Minecraft, Adam Copeland, Maria Kanellis

The latest issue of the Wrestling Observer includes updates on the John Cena/Cody Rhodes interview and WrestleMania plans, WBD's interest in UFC, a recap of the New Japan Cup, the announcement of the 2024 Gaspard/Huber award winners, ratings analysis, insights into CMLL’s upcoming event, a report on AAA champion's suspension, details on a WWE superstar's drug test failure, retirement notes regarding Homicide, updates on El Hijo del Santo’s retirement tour, news from Border City Wrestling, Mandy Rose's business aspirations, updates on AEW Dynasty, a lawsuit involving Ryan Nemeth against AEW, WWE's strategies against AEW, Lex Luger's Hall of Fame candidacy, evaluations of Dwayne Johnson’s ownership stake in TKO, Vince McMahon’s ownership valuation, injury updates, and developmental news. AEW's Dynamite will feature "A Minecraft Movie" as the presenting sponsor, with promotional content produced with The Outrunners. Adam Copeland expressed no regrets about joining AEW and emphasized his focus on the company's needs. Saraya discussed her departure from AEW on Busted Open Radio. Matt Hardy highlighted the importance of mentoring young talent. Maria Kanellis-Bennett announced a recent medical procedure. Tom Pestock has joined Busted Open Radio as a host. Cedric Alexander will appear on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. Ultimo Guerrero will participate in MLW Battle Riot VII on April 5. House of Glory is expanding its wrestling academy with a new training school in Orlando, Florida, opening in May.

AppWizard

March 26, 2025

Here’s why CD Projekt isn’t using gen AI for Witcher 4

CD Projekt has decided not to integrate generative AI into The Witcher 4 or any upcoming projects due to concerns over intellectual property rights and the complexities of the technology. Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski stated that generative AI poses challenges regarding originality and trademark issues. However, the company is exploring other AI solutions for future products and has established a dedicated team for this purpose, focusing on customized AI models rather than generative AI.

AppWizard

March 23, 2025

Assassin’s Creed Shadows hits 2 million players, putting it on track to be the series’ most successful game yet

Assassin's Creed Shadows has gained over 2 million players just three days after its launch, surpassing the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey. It reached 1 million players within the first 24 hours, breaking the record previously held by AC Valhalla. Currently, Shadows has around 60,000 concurrent players, nearing Odyssey's record of 62,069. Ubisoft is in discussions with Tencent for a potential investment in a new intellectual property unit that includes the Assassin's Creed franchise. The game has received approximately 81.7% favorable reviews on Steam, with PC Gamer rating it at 80%.

Winsage

March 16, 2025

7 forgotten Windows apps that somehow still exist

WinAmp, foobar2000, and RealPlayer were once essential media players but have seen a decline in popularity due to improvements in Windows Media Player and the rise of streaming services. Foobar2000 and RealPlayer still appeal to a niche audience. Napster, originally a peer-to-peer file sharing service, has transformed into a legitimate music streaming service after facing legal challenges. TeamSpeak, once favored in the gaming community for voice chat, has been overshadowed by Discord but remains operational with ongoing updates. Netscape Navigator was a leading web browser that declined with the rise of Internet Explorer and was discontinued in 2008, but has been reintroduced as a Chromium-based browser by AOL. WordPerfect was a dominant word processing software in the late 80s and early 90s but lost market share to Microsoft Word; it continues to exist as an office suite. WinZip, once the preferred file compression tool, has seen its relevance decline due to native ZIP support in Windows and free alternatives like 7-Zip; it is now owned by Corel. WindowBlinds, a customization tool for Windows, has been updated for Windows 11 but lacks the popularity it once had, reflecting a trend towards less customizable operating systems.

BetaBeacon

March 13, 2025

Niantic announces $3.5 Billion sale of its game division to Scopely

Niantic has confirmed the sale of its game division to Scopely for .5 billion dollars. The agreement includes most of Niantic's current titles and mobile apps, as well as the entire Niantic Games team. The acquisition will need regulatory approval before being finalized. Scopely was interested in teaming up with Niantic because of their world-class mobile game developers and ability to cultivate highly engaged game communities.

AppWizard

March 12, 2025

LEGO is bringing games development in-house

LEGO is shifting towards developing its own video games, as announced by CEO Niels Christiansen. The company aims to enhance its creative capabilities in the digital space, offering engaging experiences for children in both digital and physical formats. LEGO plans to make strategic investments aligned with its long-term vision, rather than overextending into new areas. Historically, LEGO has worked with external developers like TT Games but is now taking a more hands-on role in game development, while still potentially maintaining some partnerships, such as with Epic Games for LEGO Fortnite.

AppWizard

March 6, 2025

Tencent increases Kadokawa stock holding

Tencent has increased its stake in Kadokawa to 7.97 percent by acquiring an additional 1.11 percent of shares through its subsidiary, SixJoy Hong Kong Limited. Sony has also invested in Kadokawa, securing a 10 percent stake and becoming its largest shareholder. Kadokawa's CEO, Takeshi Natsuno, expressed optimism about the alliance with Sony, highlighting the potential to enhance IP creation capabilities and global expansion.

Winsage

March 6, 2025

Firefox users slam Mozilla over controversial data privacy update — while ironically using “the biggest data-mining operating system in the world (aka Microsoft Windows)”

Mozilla faced backlash from Firefox users over an update to its developer's Terms of Use, which included a clause allowing Mozilla to utilize user data. Users expressed concerns about data privacy due to the language stating a "nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license" for user content. In response, Ajit Varma, VP of Firefox Product, clarified that the license was necessary for basic functionalities and did not imply ownership of user data. Despite attempts to address concerns, users remained unsettled, particularly due to changes in the FAQ section that altered Firefox's stance on selling personal data. Some users speculated that the changes might relate to Mozilla's potential AI initiatives, while Mozilla also criticized Microsoft for its promotion of Edge over other browsers.