YouTube is further backing away from original productions. Business chief Robert Kyncl has revealed that YouTube is shrinking its Originals program. From now on, the unit will only finance projects that are part of its Black Voices and YouTube Kids Funds. The company will respect commitments for shows in progress, but you shouldn't expect other new productions.

The company is making the shift due to a combination of strategy and a key departure. YouTube believed it could have a "greater impact" on creators by funding Shorts, the Black Voices Fund and Live Shopping. At the same time, Originals global lead Susanne Daniels is leaving YouTube on March 1st. Now may have been a prime opportunity to rethink the program, in other words.

The change isn't a shock. YouTube initially had ambitions of competing with paid streaming services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix with shows like Cobra Kai. While it had some success, it didn't pose a significant threat and eventually made Originals free. The new strategy lets YouTube fund more creators while giving it a better chance of competing with TikTok, Instagram and other short-form video rivals.

Twitter's experiment with misinformation reporting is now available in more countries. As TechCrunchreports, Twitter has expanded the "it's misleading" reporting test to Brazil, Spain and the Philippines — a significant rollout when the option was previously available only in Australia, South Korea and the US. The rollout should continue throughout 2022.

The tool has been popular, at least. Twitter said it received over 3.7 million reports since the misinformation test went live in August 2021. While site integrity head Yoel Roth said the "vast majority" of misinformation responses were either automated or proactive, the user reports have already helped the company detect patterns. It was especially useful for spotting links and media beyond Twitter, Roth said.

The leader cautioned that reports had their limitations so far. Only about 10 percent of them merited action versus 20 to 30 percent for other categories (such as abuse). Some people were prone to merely flagging off-topic tweets as misinformation. The experimentation will give Twitter a chance to "filter and prioritize" reports, according to Roth, and to improve the functionality for non-English languages.

Along with the Birdwatch fact-checking program, the expanded reporting test represents a partial shift toward crowdsourcing as part of Twitter's efforts to fight falsehoods. We wouldn't expect Twitter to rely primarily on users given the sheer volume of posts. These initiatives might help Twitter catch misinformation it would otherwise miss, however, and could prevent bogus claims from gaining significant traction.

You won't have to wait as long for Netflix's Cuphead show as you did for the video game. Netflix has revealedThe Cuphead Show premieres February 18th, and has offered a trailer to show just what you can expect. At first glance, fans of the difficult-but-loveable side-scroller don't have much to worry about — Studio MDHR's signature 1930s art style and characters have successfully made the leap, even if this is still a modern cartoon in many respects.

The trailer shows Cuphead and his easily-persuaded brother Mugman getting into plenty of trouble by visiting the "Carnevil," among other hijinks. They'll have to contend with the Devil and King Dice as well as friends that include Ms. Chalice (from the game's upcoming Delicious Last Course DLC), Elder Kettle and the pig shopkeeper. You can also see several of the game's lesser bosses make cameo appearances in the clip.

The series stars voice acting veterans Tru Valentino and Frank Todaro as Cuphead and Mugman respectively, with Wayne Brady as King Dice. It's too early to say if The Cuphead Show will be as popular as some of Netflix's other video game endeavors, but the influence of Studio MDHR creators Chad and Jared Moldenhauer (who helped executive-produce the show) is clear. This appears to be a sincere nod to what made the game special, not just an attempt to milk its success and widen its audience.

Microsoft's bid for Activision Blizzard may be the highlight of the day, but the company also revealed a major milestone for its Game Pass service in the process. The all-you-can-play offering now has over 25 million subscribers, a nearly 39 percent jump over the 18 million it had a year earlier. The company didn't say how many of those customers were using the service on Xbox consoles, Windows PCs or both.

It's a significant figure for the service, if not as big as the company would have liked. As Axiosnoted, Microsoft missed its Game Pass growth target for the fiscal year that ended in June 2021 — it hoped for a 48 percent year-over-year jump in members, but 'only' managed 37 percent. While this was still strong and preceded the release of Halo Infinite, the company is clearly eager to improve Game Pass' performance.

That, in turn, explains one of the reasons for the Activision Blizzard deal. Microsoft has made clear that it intends to offer Activision Blizzard games through Game Pass. The $10 or more you're asked to pay each month might become far more compelling if you know you'll always have the latest Call of Duty or World of Warcraft release on top of Game Pass' other titles. Although the merger might not complete until 2023, it could preserve Game Pass' momentum and help fend off looming competition from Sony.

Fortnite may be on to a new chapter, but Epic Games is keen to bring back the past in more ways than one. To begin with, the developer has added decidedly Toothless-like climbable monsters (Klombos) that traverse the map. You can use the blowholes on their heads to fly away from pursuing rivals, and feed them fruit (Klomberries) to get items. They're normally peaceful, but can be provoked into a frenzy.

The latest update also revives Tilted Towers, arguably Fortnite's best-known location. While there appear to be some cosmetic changes, you'll have the chance to revisit the sniper-friendly clock tower, scour restaurants for items and otherwise take a nostalgia trip. While we'd expect this to be a hot drop zone for at least a little while (i.e. don't expect to last long), it might be worth a visit to see an iconic area that hasn't been available for two years.

Whatever your travel plans, you'll want to be aware of a couple of smaller gameplay-related updates. The grenade launcher has returned with more direct firing and rounds that explode after their first bounce. And if you're skilled enough to earn more than 99 Crowned Victory Royales, the matching Crowning Achievement emote now displays that number. Your bragging rights remain intact, and you might just have the weapon needed to back them up.

Microsoft just made one of the largest-ever bids for a game studio. The company has announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $95 per share, valuing the all-cash deal at an enormous $68.7 billion. The deal would make the combined entity the "third-largest" game company by revenue, according to Microsoft, and would put titles like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft under the company's wing. Microsoft plans to add Activision Blizzard games to Game Pass as part of the deal.

Developing...

Subaru is still new to EVs, but that isn't stopping it from unveiling more ambitious projects. Electrekreports the automaker has introduced two concept EVs at the Tokyo Auto Salon, including its first all-electric race car. The STI E-RA Concept hints at Subaru's upcoming track vehicle with 1,073HP of total power from its four Yamaha motors, extensive downforce and all-wheel drive mated to a "unique" torque vectoring system that maximizes grip and stability.

While the 60kWh battery is relatively small, Subaru is confident the E-RA can thrive on the track. It's hoping to set a Nürburgring lap time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds at some point in 2023. That's not as quick as VW's ID.R (6 minutes 5 seconds), but it's comfortably ahead of road cars like Tesla's Model S Plaid (7 minutes 35 seconds). The company plans to test the E-RA at Japanese racing circuits later in 2022.

Subaru

The brand also unveiled a Solterra STI Concept (at middle) that, as the name implies, is a sportier version of the upcoming crossover. Subaru didn't discuss under-body changes, but the upgraded Solterra has a roof spoiler, skirt spoilers and other customizations to signal its performance ambitions.

However much the E-RA represents Subaru's motorsport plans, it's also serving as a declaration of intent. Like VW's racer, it shows the company is serious about EVs and can produce high-performance cars in addition to everyday people haulers. The challenge is to translate lessons learned from concepts like this to regular vehicles. Subaru is late to EVs compared even to incumbents like VW, Mercedes and GM, and it may need to move quickly if it wants to counter the electrification efforts of its rivals.

Apple device users appear to be vulnerable to a significant browser privacy flaw. According to 9to5Mac, FingerprintJS has disclosed an exploit that lets attackers obtain your recent browser history, and even some Google account info, from Safari 15 across all supported platforms as well as third-party browsers on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. The IndexedDB framework (used to store data on many browsers) is violating the "same-origin" policy that prevents documents and scripts from one location (such as a domain or protocol) from interacting with content from another, letting appropriately coded websites deduce Google info from signed-in users as well as histories from open tabs and windows.

The flaw only compromises the names of the databases rather than the content itself. However, this would still be enough for a malicious site owner to grab your Google username, discover your profile picture and otherwise learn more about you. The history could also be used to piece together a rudimentary profile of the sites you like. Private browsing won't defeat the exploit, FingerprintJS said.

We've asked Apple for comment. FingerprintJS said it reported the issue on November 28th, however, and that Apple hadn't yet addressed it with security patches honoring same-origin policy. Until then, the only solution may be to either use a third-party browser on Macs or block all JavaScript, neither of which is necessarily an option.

Walmart apparently doesn't want to be left out of the crypto rush. CNBC has learned Walmart filed several trademark applications with the USPTO in late December for selling virtual goods, and in another filing said it would provide a cryptocurrency as well as NFTs. While the documents don't necessarily guarantee action, trademark attorney Josh Gerben told CNBC the trademarks were highly detailed — Walmart was clearly thinking about how it would tackle digital currencies and products.

We've asked Walmart for comment. The company was purposefully all-encompassing with its virtual goods trademark, effectively giving it the option to sell NFT counterparts to the physical items it sells.

It wouldn't be strange for Walmart to dip into cryptocurrencies or NFTs. After Facebook changed its name to Meta and signaled its intention to foster metaverses, there has been a rush among major brands to enter the space with currencies, NFTs or both. Adidas, Nike, Gap and other well-known names have started selling NFTs and hinted at intentions to create virtual spaces. Walmart might not want to risk missing out if this trend lasts, even if it's not in a hurry to join early adopters.

Samsung's long-rumored 14-inch Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra might be close to launch — and could have more to offer than its screen size. WinFuture has obtained what it says are leaked official images and specs for the Ultra (pictured above) and its more modestly-sized counterparts. The Ultra would unsurprisingly revolve around its 14.6-inch, 2,960 x 1,848 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and S-Pen support, but it would come with as much as 16GB of RAM and 512GB of expandable storage. If you don't mind the display notch built to hold dual 12MP front cameras, this might be the ultimate Android tablet.

All Galaxy Tab S8 models would reportedly have Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, dual rear cameras (13MP main, 6MP ultra wide), Dolby Atmos-capable quad speakers and optional 5G. The differences would mostly come down to screens, memory and storage. The 12.7-inch Tab S8+ would carry a 120Hz, 2,800 x 1,752 AMOLED panel, one 12MP front camera, 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of expandable storage. The 11-inch regular Tab S8 would 'just' include a 120Hz 2,560 x 1,600 LCD but otherwise offer features similar to the mid-tier model.

The release date and pricing weren't mentioned in the Galaxy Tab S8 leak. However, WinFuture expects Samsung to introduce the range at its rumored February 8th Unpacked event. If so, the presentation could be one of Samsung's most important to date when the Galaxy S22 is also expected to make an appearance.