Technology
Walmart bought Vizio
After announcing plans to acquire Vizio in February, Walmart officially owns the company after the $2.3 billion transaction closed on Tuesday. The retail giant says the acquisition will help bolster its advertising business, as Platform Plus — the TV-maker’s advertising and data division — “accounts for all the company’s [Vizio’s] gross profit.”
The deal has raised concerns among privacy advocates, as Vizio has gotten in trouble over advertising and data tracking in the past. In 2017, it paid a $2.2 million fine to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit that accused it of tracking viewers without their consent.
An acquisition by Walmart could help Vizio compete with other budget-friendly TV brands that rely on advertising as a significant source of revenue. Roku, which started selling its own TVs last year, made $908.2 million in advertising sales and subscriptions in the third quarter of 2024, with an average revenue per user of $41.10, while Vizio’s last earnings report showed it was making about $37.17 per user.
Despite the acquisition, Walmart and Vizio will continue operating independently “for the foreseeable future.” Vizio CEO William Wang will also remain in his position.
“VIZIO has also expertly changed their business over time, like building and quickly scaling a profitable advertising business,” Seth Dallaire, the executive vice president and chief growth officer of Walmart US, said in the announcement. “Pairing it with Walmart Connect will be impactful and allow us to invest in our business even further on behalf of our customers.”
Technology
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.
Technology
How to bulk delete spam and old text messages on iPhone
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.
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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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.
OUTSMART SPAMMERS TO FINALLY END UNSOLICITED EMAILS
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
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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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Technology
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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