Google says its Nearby Share app for Windows PCs is now officially available. A PC version of the app, which makes it a cinch to share files between devices like Android phones and Chromebooks, has been in beta for a few months, but it's now ready for prime time.

More than 1.7 million people installed the beta, Google says. They've used it to transfer more than 50 million files, primarily photos and videos. 

Google has added some new features to Nearby Share for Windows as it officially rolls out the app. You'll now see an estimated time for how long it will take to complete a file transfer. Device notifications will include an image preview to help you make sure you're sharing the correct file. Google plans to add more features and it's working with some PC manufacturers, including HP, to include the app on their systems.

To use Nearby Share for Windows, you'll need to enable your PC's WiFi and Bluetooth functions. Once you're set up, you just need to drag a file into the app or right-click it and select the Nearby Share option to send it to a nearby device. 

If you're logged into the same Google account on PC and your Android phone (or tablet or Chromebook), transfers will automatically be accepted on the receiving device. Either way, devices that you're transferring files between have to be within 16 feet of each other. There are device visibility settings to help prevent spam and unwanted file transfers.

Amid the pending takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft, the former has laid off around 50 employees from its esports division. The company is also preparing for some potential huge changes to the Overwatch League (OWL), which may bring an end to its city-based franchise format.

Employees were informed of the layoffs on Tuesday, according to The Verge. One now-former member of the team told the publication that the layoffs came out of nowhere and suggested that a skeleton crew could close out the OWL and World Series of Warzone seasons. However, they added that "in my eyes, they are completely unequipped to internally support anything esports after that.” Activision Blizzard also laid off around 50 people from its esports teams in March 2021.

The company noted in an earnings report released today that it modified its agreements with Overwatch League team owners last quarter. "According to the amended terms, following the conclusion of the current Overwatch League season, the teams will vote on an updated operating agreement," the report reads. "If the teams do not vote to continue under an updated operating agreement, a termination fee of $6 million will be payable to each participating team entity." The company added that OWL's total revenue accounts for under one percent of its consolidated net revenues. 

Reports recently suggested that the Overwatch League waived its remaining franchise fees, with teams still owning between $6 million and $7.5 million after payments were deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A spot in the league was originally said to cost $20 million, and that reportedly jumped to over $30 million for expansion teams that joined in the second season in 2019.

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Although it got off to a strong start, OWL has been on shaky ground for some time. In its first two seasons, many matches aired on ESPN and other networks and the season-ending Grand Finals were shown on ABC. After two seasons of OWL hosting almost every match from a television studio, the third season was supposed to be when the ambitious grand vision of OWL came together, with players competing in each team's city every week.

However, that was in 2020 and the format only lasted a few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. The forced change to an online-only format in 2020 closed off a key and long-promised revenue stream to OWL team owners, as they were unable to generate income from live events. Live events gradually started returning in 2021.

There have been many other hiccups. When OWL moved from Twitch to YouTube in 2020, viewership dropped substantially. While there have been some significant peaks in viewership over the last few years, the league still appears to be struggling to attract eyeballs. Sponsors such as Coca-Cola, T-Mobile and Kellogg's fled the ship in 2021 following a lawsuit that included allegations of widespread sexual harassment and discrimination at Activision Blizzard.

China has been one of the strongest markets for OWL viewership over the last few years. However, Overwatch 2 and most other Blizzard games are not currently available in the country after a partnership with NetEase, which published the games there, came to an end. That could have impacted interest in the Overwatch ecosystem in the country overall. (In its earnings statement, Activision Blizzard noted that "engagement and player investment in Overwatch 2 declined sequentially" in the second quarter of the year, but hopes a soft relaunch with a major update next month will bring players back.)

Blizzard tried to bolster excitement around OWL this year by opening a pathway for teams from the second-tier Contenders division to compete in the highest level of Overwatch esports for the first time. In June, after failing to field a team in the first half of the season, it emerged that the Chengdu Hunters became the first franchise to leave the Overwatch League for good.

OWL team owners have long claimed that they're not making enough money from the league. Earlier this year, esports journalist Jacob Wolf reported that OWL teams brought in a law firm to negotiate with Activision Blizzard for some kind of economic relief "after years of high operating costs and continually missed promises on revenue." Sports Business Journalnoted that teams receive around $1 million from OWL but it costs between $3 million and $5 million a year to run a competitive team, meaning that most are running at a loss.

Given the financial implications, it would not be surprising if OWL teams vote to end their agreement with the league. While that would certainly end the Overwatch League in its current format, Activision Blizzard is still planning to support Overwatch esports.

“I want to be clear on one thing in particular, that Overwatch remains committed to a competitive ecosystem in 2024 and beyond,” OWL commissioner Sean Miller told The Verge. “And we’re building toward a revitalized global scene that prioritizes players and fans.” Miller noted that Blizzard was looking at various options for the future of Overwatch esports and added he was very optimistic: "We are doing all we can to make the player experience and the fan experience one that people want to return to, want to be a part of and get excited about to turn on.”

All the same, the Overwatch esports ecosystem could look very different next year. This year's Grand Finals in Toronto could be the end of OWL as we know it.

After 18 months of battling their way through regulatory red tape, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are closer than ever to making their merger happen. However, with some issues still to smooth out in the UK, the companies weren't able to neatly tie things up in time for their initial July 18th deadline. As such, they've agreed to extend their merger agreement by three months to get the $68.7 billion acquisition over the line.

"Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have jointly agreed to extend the merger agreement deadline from July 18th, 2023 to October 18th, 2023, to allow for additional time to resolve remaining regulatory concerns," Microsoft said in a statement. 

If they hadn't agreed on new terms and either side walked away (which they could have done as of today), Microsoft would have been on the hook for a $3 billion breakup fee. That termination fee will increase to $3.5 billion if the merger hasn't closed by August 29th and $4.5 billion if it's not a done deal by September 15th. The fee will only be paid if the acquisition doesn't close. In addition, they agreed that Activision can give its shareholders a dividend of $0.99 per share.

"Microsoft and Activision Blizzard remain optimistic that we will get our acquisition over the finish line, so we have jointly agreed to extend the merger agreement to October 18th, 2023," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wrote in a note to employees. "While we can technically close in the United States due to recent legal developments, this extension gives us additional time to resolve the remaining regulatory concerns in the UK."

The Competition and Markets Authority, the UK's antitrust regulator, initially blocked the deal in April based on concerns over its impact on the cloud gaming market (deals Microsoft signed with third-party cloud gaming platforms were enough of a remedy for the European Union to approve the merger). Microsoft appealed the CMA's decision but with just days to go before the deadline, the CMA said it would be willing to review a modified merger proposal.

The CMA, Microsoft and Activision submitted a joint proposal to an appeals tribunal to delay their litigation by two months in an attempt to resolve the regulator's concerns amicably. The appeals tribunal granted that request on Monday. The CMA has also given itself an extra six weeks, until the end of August, to review Microsoft's new proposal. However, it hopes to do so as quickly as possible.

It's not quite clear when this might all be wrapped up one way or the other, but the CMA and both companies are aiming to do so very soon and certainly well before October 18th. One key date to look out for is August 2nd. That's when an evidentiary hearing in the Federal Trade Commission's administrative proceeding in an attempt to block the deal is scheduled to start. The FTC was unsuccessful in its efforts to obtain an injunction to stop the merger from happening in the meantime. However, if the deal hasn't closed by August 2nd and the FTC's administrative trial begins, things could get more complicated for Microsoft and Activision.

Fervo Energy says it has achieved a breakthrough in geothermal technology. It carried out a 30-day well test at its site in northern Nevada and says it was able to achieve a "flowrate of 63 liters per second at high temperature that enables 3.5 megawatts of electric production." The company says the test resulted in flow and power output records for an enhanced geothermal system (EGS) and that it was completed without incident.

A megawatt can power around 750 homes at once. Fervo is expected to connect its Project Red site to the grid this year. It will be used to power Google data centers and some of the company's other Nevada infrastructure. Google and Fervo signed an agreement in 2021 to develop a "next-generation geothermal power project."

This is the first time an energy company has shown that an EGS can work on a commercial scale, according to Bloomberg. It's been a long road to reach this point, as scientists have been trying to make EGS a reality since the 1970s.

For a natural geothermal system to produce electricity, it needs a combination of heat, fluid and rock permeability, as Bloomberg notes. In many areas, the rock has the required levels of heat, but not enough permeability for fluid to flow through it.

An EGS creates this permeability artificially by drilling deep underground and injecting fluid to create fractures in the rock. That approach can vastly increase the number of potential sites for a geothermal power plant.

Fervo says it's the first company to "successfully drill a horizontal well pair for commercial geothermal production, achieving lateral lengths of 3,250 feet, reaching a temperature of 191°C, and proving controlled flow through rigorous tracer testing."

One of the major advantages of geothermal power plants is that they're entirely carbon free — Google aims to run all of its offices and data centers on carbon-free energy by 2030. These plants can also operate at any time (unlike solar and wind), making geothermal energy a compelling source of renewable power. However, cost reductions and regulatory red tape are barriers to making EGS more broadly available, according to Fervo CEO Tim Latimer.

The company is hoping to replicate its success at a site in Utah. If Fervo sees similar results there and it successfully implements design upgrades to maximize output, the site is expected to generate enough electricity to power 300,000 homes simultaneously, Latimer said. That's around a quarter of all homes in Utah.

“Achieving our goal of operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy will require new sources of firm, clean power to complement variable renewables like wind and solar,” Michael Terrell, Google's senior director for energy and climate, said in a statement. “We partnered with Fervo in 2021 because we see significant potential for their geothermal technology to unlock a critical source of 24/7 carbon-free energy at scale, and we are thrilled to see Fervo reach this important technical milestone.”

Someone with deep pockets has snapped up a piece of tech history after forking over $190,000 for a first-generation iPhone from 2007. That's around 300 times the device's original price.

Don't expect to fetch anything close to this kind of windfall by selling a 16-year-old smartphone you have stuffed in a drawer somewhere. This was a factory sealed device in "exceptional condition," according to the listing. Auctioneer LCG Auctions noted that the consignor of the lot was part of Apple's engineering team when the iPhone debuted. "Collectors and investors would be hard pressed to find a superior example," the auction house wrote.

The lot drew interest from multiple parties as 28 bids were lodged, including five that were over $100,000. In recent months, LCG Auctions has sold two 8GB variants of the first-generation iPhone for $39,000 and $63,000. But what helps this item stand out is that it's a rare 4GB model. Apple only produced this model for two months as consumers overwhelmingly preferred a version with double the storage.

It's unlikely that the buyer will actually open the package up and use the phone, since breaking the seal would send its value nosediving. If they did, though, they'd be tinkering with a device that probably wouldn't even be able to make a phone call, since 2G networks have shut down in many parts of the world. FaceTime would be a no-go, since there's no front-facing camera and the OG iPhone can't even run a version of iOS that supports the feature. The vast majority of other apps won't work on it.

Even so, the original iPhone may still make for a decent iPod. It even had a headphone jack. Remember those?

Microsoft and the UK's antitrust regulator have conditionally been granted a two-month pause on their legal battle as the company looks to resolve the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) concerns over its proposed $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Judge Marcus Smith of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which hears appeals on the CMA's decisions, wants proof from the watchdog that this is the right course of action, but still paused the legal battle for now.

Smith wants the CMA to justify its adjournment application by providing evidence that shows a material change in circumstances or "special reasons" for delaying the litigation. He also wants the regulator to detail any new consultation process it plans to undertake "so that everybody is clear as to how it will work," according to Reuters. The judge asked the CMA to submit evidence on Thursday.

Microsoft appealed the CMA's decision in April to block the merger over cloud gaming concerns. The CAT was due to hear that case starting on July 28th. However, shortly after the Federal Trade Commission lost an attempt to stall the acquisition in the US last week, the CMA said it would consider a modified merger agreement from Microsoft. The CMA, Microsoft and Activision all asked the CAT for more time and the tribunal has granted the request.

CMA lawyer David Bailey told the CAT that the FTC's court loss "formed no part of the CMA's thinking" in terms of its willingness to review a new proposal from Microsoft. "Based upon the discussion to date, both sides — Microsoft and the CMA — have confidence that Microsoft notifying a restructured transaction is capable of addressing the concerns that the CMA has identified," he said.

It emerged during Monday's hearing that Microsoft has yet to submit an amended proposal to the CMA, even though the deadline for the merger is tomorrow, July 18th. It seems unlikely that everything will be resolved by then. If not, Microsoft and Activision will either have to agree to an extension of their current agreement (the most likely outcome given how eager they are to get the deal over the line) or renegotiate terms. Otherwise, Activision can walk away from the deal with a fat $3 billion breakup check from Microsoft in its pocket.

Reports have suggested Microsoft may sell some cloud gaming rights in the UK to satisfy the CMA's concerns. Microsoft has signed deals with third-party cloud gaming companies to offer its games on their platforms, which was enough for the European Union to approve the merger.

Meanwhile, the FTC is still slated to hold its own evidentiary hearing over the acquisition starting on August 2nd. The agency sued to block the merger and it sought a preliminary injunction to prevent Microsoft and Activision Blizzard from closing the deal until it could bring the case to trial, but it was unsuccessful.

As such, Microsoft and Activision will surely be eager to seal things up by the beginning of August. There were suggestions that they'd try to close the merger by the initial deadline despite the CMA dispute and find a workaround to keep doing business in the UK, but with all parties willing to find an amicable resolution, that seems unlikely at this point. The CMA has given itself an extra six weeks, until August 29th, to make a final decision on the case.

Ford is shaving up to $10,000 off the cost of an F-150 Lightning across all variants, bringing the electric truck somewhat closer to its initial pricing. The base F-150 Lightning Pro is dropping by nearly $10,000 to $49,995. Savings are more modest at the other end of the scale, with the company cutting just over $6,000 from the top-end Platinum Extended Range model's price. That trim now has an MSRP of $91,995.

The automaker says upgraded plant capacity, its ongoing efforts in scaling cost and production and improved battery raw material costs are helping it to bring prices back down. Its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan is closed for now while it upgrades the facility in the aim of producing 150,000 F-150 Lightning trucks there each year. The company says there will be greater availability of the EV as early as October.

Ford increased the price of every trim last August and again for the base model in December and March due to supply issues and increased material costs. For the last few months, the F-150 Lightning Pro has cost around 50 percent more than its initial pricing.

The company hasn't been able to bring the F-150 Lightning back to its original starting price of $40,000 just yet, though these price cuts will be welcome news to those who have been on the fence about getting one. Folks who place an order for a XLT, Lariat or Platinum trim by July 31st will get a $1,000 bonus, while Ford notes that buyers will be eligible for as much as $7,500 in tax credits. Orders are now open to everyone.

The price of the F-150 Lightning is dropping just after Tesla started production of the Cybertruck over the weekend. Tesla has cut prices of its EVs several times this year to help it increase delivery figures and make it more competitive in an increasingly crowded market. As it happens, F-150 Lightning owners will be able to top up their vehicle's battery at more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the US and Canada starting in early 2024.

The Federal Trade Commission has been unsuccessful in its last-ditch effort to pump the brakes on Microsoft completing its $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to grant the agency an emergency stay of a ruling that allowed the deal to proceed in the US.

A temporary restraining order was put in place last month to prevent Microsoft and Activision from closing the acquisition until Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley ruled on the FTC's request for preliminary injunction. When Corley rejected the FTC's injunction request this week, she ruled that the agency had until 11:59PM PT on July 14th to obtain an emergency stay from the appeals court. Otherwise, Microsoft and Activision would be free to close the deal in the US after that time.

Corley determined the FTC didn't prove its arguments that the merger would harm consumers. The FTC on Wednesday filed a notice that it planned to appeal Corley's decision. On Thursday, it asked the district court that ruled on the preliminary injunction in the first place to block the merger pending a decision from the appeals court. Hours later, Corley denied that motion.

Back in December, the FTC sued to block the deal on the grounds that it would harm competition. An administrative hearing is set for early August. The agency sought a preliminary injunction to prevent the companies from closing the merger until the antitrust trial takes place. However, the merger deadline is July 18th.

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are evidently confident of closing the deal by their Tuesday deadline. Activision’s stock will be delisted from the Nasdaq-100 index before the stock market opens on Monday, so the companies may finally seal the deal around that time. 

Microsoft and Activision have yet to resolve issues with a UK regulator, which had blocked the deal over cloud gaming concerns. The companies and the Competition and Markets Authority agreed to put their legal battle on hold to try and resolve the regulator's concerns. The CMA said Microsoft and Activision were welcome to restructure the deal but warned that move may trigger a fresh merger investigation.

This story is developing, refresh for updates.

It's the dawn of a new era for EA's flagship soccer series and the company has revealed when the first installment of the rebranded franchise will arrive. EA Sports FC 24 will hit PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on September 29th. EA's long-standing partnership with FIFA ended after FIFA 23, prompting the name change. 

Rumors suggested the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions would cost $80, but those were not true. The game still costs $70 on those platforms. However, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players will need to pay that much as well. EA is selling it as a "dual entitlement" cross-generation title. EA Sports FC 24 also costs $70 on PC, while it's $60 on Switch.

The $100 Ultimate Edition includes Ultimate Team perks, 4,600 FC points and up to seven days of early access. Notably, those who opt for the standard version won't have access to an Ultimate Team Campaign mode, though they'll still be able to play the regular version of Ultimate Team — EA won't want to lock any players out of one of its biggest cash cows. Meanwhile, EA is adding women to Ultimate Team for the first time, meaning men and women will be playing with and against each other on the same virtual pitch.

The release date and pricing details emerged as EA showed off the game proper for the first time and announced some of the new features. The series formerly known as FIFA is gaining two new women's leagues: Spain's Liga F and Frauen-Bundesliga, the highest level of competition in Spain and Germany, respectively.

EA has been securing agreements with various leagues and organizations in the aim of keeping the series as true to life as possible. More than 19,000 authentic players, 30-plus leagues and more than 100 stadiums will be represented in EA Sports FC 24. The company has also secured exclusive deals with the English Premier League and UEFA to use their branding and to retain access to competitions like the Champions League.

The Frostbite engine is still in play this time around, though EA says it's using an enhanced version. This is also the first installment of the series to use Frostbite on Switch, according to its eShop listing.

EA has upgraded its HyperMotion tech as well. HyperMotionV (which will be available on the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC versions) taps into volumetric data from more than 180 high-level men's and women's professional games. "This unlocks authentic full-team movement as well as 1,200 signature run styles so fans can experience the unique ways that top players move," EA says. It added that this tech can help it create new animations for EA Sports FC within just a few days.

Another new feature called PlayStyles taps into real-world data from Opta and other sources to make players more unique. EA says this will impact gameplay and give players distinct capabilities. In Ultimate Team, "PlayStyles+ enhance those signature abilities to world-class standard — think [Erling] Haaland’s Power Shot — reflecting elite players’ abilities to play at a level that few others can reach," the company added.

Crossplay will be available between PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, as well as between PS4 and Xbox One. The Clubs, Co-Op Season, Volta Football and Ultimate Team Co-Op modes will support crossplay for the first time. However, the Switch version of FC24 won't include crossplay.

Sony has revealed when PlayStation 5 players will be able to snap up its new accessibility-focused controller and just how much the peripheral will cost. The Access controller will be available worldwide on December 6th. It costs $90 and preorders will open on July 21st. Folks in Canada will need to pay $120 CAD for the peripheral. It costs £80 in the UK, €90 in Europe and 12,980 yen in Japan.

The highly customizable controller comes with four 3.5mm aux ports, enabling players to connect external buttons, switches and other accessories. The box includes 19 button caps and three stick caps to help users find a configuration that works best for them. For instance, they might prefer a button cap that takes up two button sockets or a dome-shaped stick cap instead of the standard one. In addition, Sony is including 23 swappable button cap tags to help players identify which input they map to each button.

Players can set up as many as 30 profiles for the Access controller with different button mappings and stick settings for each. There's the option to disable certain buttons to prevent accidental pressing and users will be able to toggle commands on or off.

As Sony previously revealed, folks can pair up to two Access controllers and one DualSense together to create a "single virtual controller." That means two or even three people could control the same character, granting friends and family members the option to lend a helping hand when needed. 

Isabelle Tomatis, Sony Interactive Entertainment's Brand, Hardware and Peripherals vice-president, wrote in a blog post that the company has been working on the controller for five years with the help of accessibility organizations and experts. The aim was to develop a kit that "enables gamers with disabilities to play more comfortably and for longer periods, empowering more players to share in the joy of gaming."