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Activision Blizzard and Epic Games halt sales of games in Russia

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Activision Blizzard and Epic Games halt sales of games in Russia

Activision Blizzard is suspending new gross sales “of and in” its video games in Russia, the sport firm’s president Daniel Alegre introduced in a publicly-shared letter to staff (through Eurogamer). The transfer bars Russians from any new transactions with the corporate, which incorporates each the gross sales of its video games and in-game purchases.

The press launch doesn’t specify whether or not the ban consists of each digital and bodily video games. It does, nonetheless, spotlight a number of the contributions the corporate and its staff made to Ukraine, and in addition provides assets to employees affected by the struggle. The disaster in Ukraine comes at a delicate time in Activision Blizzard’s historical past — the corporate continues to face criticism after it was sued for allegedly fostering a poisonous office tradition final 12 months.

“We’re doing every thing attainable to help staff, and their households, who’re being straight affected by this tragedy,” Alegre says within the letter. “If you happen to or a colleague wants help, please don’t hesitate to succeed in out to your supervisor or native HR leaders. I’d additionally wish to remind you that our Worker Help Program is offered to those that want emotional help throughout this troublesome time.”

Activision Blizzard joins a rising listing of recreation corporations which have stopped doing enterprise in Russia. Microsoft, which introduced its plans to buy Activision Blizzard in January, has moved to ban “new” gross sales of its services in Russia and Belarus — a block that not solely consists of Xbox video games, but in addition merchandise related to Home windows, Workplace, Microsoft 365, and extra.

In the meantime, EA Video games eliminated Russian groups from its FIFA and NHL video games, and later minimize off all gross sales to Russia and Belarus. Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Pink has additionally taken comparable steps in barring bodily and digital gross sales to clients in each nations. Activision Blizzard notably hasn’t blocked gross sales to Belarus, Russia’s financial associate. The Verge reached out to Activision Blizzard with a request for remark however didn’t instantly hear again.

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Shortly after Activision Blizzard’s announcement, Epic Video games said that it’s “stopping commerce with Russia” in its video games, and notes that it gained’t ban Russian gamers from accessing them. It’s unclear whether or not the Fortnite developer’s ban on commerce applies to microtransactions, video games, or each.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian vice prime minister Mykhailo Federov called for Xbox and PlayStation to “briefly block” Russian and Belorussian accounts and halt their participation in esport occasions. He later asked numerous builders, together with Epic Video games, Nintendo, Rockstar, and Tencent to halt their video games in Russia.

Disclosure: Casey Wasserman is on the board of administrators for Activision Blizzard in addition to the board of administrators of Vox Media, The Verge’s mother or father firm.

Replace March fifth 5:53PM ET: Up to date so as to add that Epic Video games has additionally banned gross sales in Russia.

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Correction March sixth 9:00AM ET: A earlier model of the story mistakenly referred to Mykhailo Federov because the vice prime minister of Russia, when he’s the vice prime minister of Ukraine. We remorse the error.

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Govee’s smart Christmas tree lights are cheaper than ever

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Govee’s smart Christmas tree lights are cheaper than ever

Ornaments are nice and all, but few Christmas tree decorations are as magical as Govee’s Christmas Lights 2. If you want your tree to truly dazzle this year, then you might want to check out Govee’s 66-foot smart string lights while they’re still available at their all-time low price of $63.99 ($36 off) from Govee and at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon.

Govee’s string lights add a touch of color to your Christmas tree while making it come alive with 200 lamp beads that can dance to the beat of holiday tunes, and over 130 preset lighting effects to set the mood. What really make the lights shine, though, is their level of customizability. Govee lets you exercise your creative muscles, adding shape matching and AI features to design your own custom light displays.

Aside from cool effects, Govee also added other features that make the lights a good investment. They’re IP65 waterproof-rated, which means you can install them indoors or hang them up outside if you prefer. They’re also compatible with Matter, allowing you control them via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and any other major smart home platform.

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How to bulk delete spam and old text messages on iPhone

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How to bulk delete spam and old text messages on iPhone

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Are you tired of scrolling through endless spam and old text messages on your iPhone? 

You’re not alone! Many of us struggle with cluttered inboxes filled with unwanted messages. 

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Well, I’ve got some great news for you. I’m here to show you how to quickly clean up your iPhone’s Messages app and keep those pesky spam texts at bay.

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A woman on her iPhone bulk deleting text messages (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to bulk delete unwanted conversations

Let’s start with bulk deleting those unwanted conversations:

  • Open up your Messages app on your iPhone.
  • Look for that Edit button in the top-right corner and give it a tap.
  • Click Select Messages
  • Now, you can select multiple conversations at once by clicking the round circle next to all those spam threads or old chats you no longer want.
  • Once you’ve made your selections, hit that Delete button in the bottom-right corner.
  • You’ll be asked to confirm your decision by clicking Delete again. Boom, all those spam threads and old chats are gone in seconds.
bulk delete 2

Steps to bulk delete unwanted conversations  (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

OUTSMART SPAMMERS TO FINALLY END UNSOLICITED EMAILS

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How to filter out spam messages on iPhone

But what if you could keep your Messages app free of spam or unwanted messages? Here’s a nifty trick:

  • Head over to your iPhone’s Settings and give it a tap.
  • Tap Apps
  • Then click Messages
  • Scroll down to Message Filtering and toggle on Filter Unknown Senders
bulk delete 3

Steps to filter out spam messages on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

This feature automatically sorts messages from people who aren’t in your contacts into a separate list, making it easier to manage potential spam or unwanted messages. In the Messages App, tap Filters in the upper right corner, and you will see Unknown Senders

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

bulk delete 4

Steps to view unknown senders (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW TO BLOCK A PHONE NUMBER OR TEXT ON YOUR SMARTPHONE

How to set up automatic deletion of older messages

Now, for those who prefer to keep their message history down to a minimum, you can also set up automatic deletion of older messages. This feature is helpful if you’re running low on device storage and sharing a lot of long videos, which can really fill up your storage fast. Plus, some of you might want to do this not just to save space but also to keep your conversations private.

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Here’s how to set it up:

  • Head over to your iPhone’s Settings and give it a tap.
  • Tap Apps
  • Scroll down and click Messages
  • Scroll down to Message History and tap on Keep Messages.
  • You can choose to automatically delete messages after 30 days or 1 year.
  • Just click on either 30 days or 1 year and tap Delete.
  • Then, confirm your decision by tapping Delete Older Messages.

bulk delete 5

Steps to set up automatic deletion of older messages (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

However, be cautious with this last option, as it will permanently delete older messages. If you often need to reference old messages, you may want to keep this setting on Forever to avoid losing important information.

FIND OUT WHY CELLPHONE COMPANIES NOW MUST BLOCK OBVIOUS SCAM TEXTS

Kurt’s key takeaways

Cleaning up your iPhone’s Messages app doesn’t have to be a chore. With these simple tips, you’ll not only declutter your inbox but also enjoy a more organized messaging experience. So go ahead, give these methods a try and reclaim your space.

Have you discovered any unique features or apps that help you keep your messaging organized? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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Ubisoft shooter XDefiant is shutting down and sending refunds to players

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Ubisoft shooter XDefiant is shutting down and sending refunds to players

Despite only officially launching the game in spring of this year, Ubisoft has already announced that it’s ending development and sunsetting its free-to-play team-based shooter XDefiant. Like Hyper Scape before it, XDefiant had high expectations, with Ubisoft touting more than 1 million players in its closed beta last year. Now, it will disappear quickly, as it’s no longer accepting new players as of today and is scheduled to shut off the servers entirely next June.

Despite a delayed launch, Ubisoft said that XDefiant had reached more than 10 million players in its first two weeks and “outperformed expectations thanks to acquisition and strong average revenue per session day.” However, it couldn’t maintain that momentum, and by this fall, rumors of trouble surfaced, with Insider Gaming reporting that concurrent player numbers across all platforms had fallen below 20,000.

Ubisoft states, “The game will remain available to all players who joined XDefiant before December 3rd, 2024. All functionalities, including progression, events, rewards, and achievements, will continue to be available until June 3rd, 2025.” The planned Season 3 content will still launch, and the company is refunding anyone who bought the Ultimate Founders Pack, as well as players who bought VC and DLC in the last month.

Like with Concord developer Firewalk Studios, this shutdown comes with job losses. According to Ubisoft, “difficult consequences” are leading to “the closing of our San Francisco and Osaka production studios and to the ramp down of our Sydney production site, with 143 people departing in San Francisco and 134 people likely to depart in Osaka and Sydney.”

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