The Day Before was a much-hyped zombie shooter game which, after multiple delays, launched on Steam on December 7th, only to be widely criticized for failing to deliver an MMO (massively multiplayer online) experience as advertised, let alone its bugginess, lack of originality and seemingly intentional slow in-game progress. Four days later, Fntastic, the studio behind this controversial title, abruptly announced its closure as this $40 game "has failed financially," despite having apparently sold over 200,000 copies before refunds, according to PC Gamer. 

"We did everything within our power, but unfortunately, we miscalculated our capabilities," added Fntastic, which has since removed all of its over-promising trailers from its YouTube channel.

Gamers who paid for the disastrous early access are understandably livid. Fortunately, Steam does offer a two-week window for refund requests, so long as the game has only been played for less than two hours. Even if you, for some reason, have already played The Day Before for more than two hours, it's likely that Steam will still honor your refund, as suggested by an announcement from publisher Mytona. A handful of comments also seem to confirm that those players were able to get their refunds, despite having worked their way through the disappointing title for over two hours. 

Head over to Steam Help, go to "Purchases," click on The Day Before, then under the "What problem are you having with this product?" section, pick whatever reason you deem suitable (probably "Gameplay or technical issue," in this case) to proceed with your refund request. Good luck.

Epic Games' lawsuit against Google has had a much different turnout from its courtroom battle with Apple. A federal jury has sided with the video game developer and has found Google to be in violation of US antitrust laws when it comes to how it runs the Play Store. According to The Verge, the jury has unanimously agreed that Google held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices. Further, it found the company's distribution agreements with other video gaming companies, as well as its deals with device manufacturers to pre-install its apps on Android devices, to be anticompetitive. 

In its complaint, Epic said that Google had silently paid game developers hundreds of millions of dollars to make their titles downloadable from the Play Store in an initiative that was originally known as "Project Hug." It alleged that the company had paid Activision Blizzard $360 million to abandon its plans of creating a competing app store, which the game developer subsequently denied. Google, which Epic said came up with the incentive program after it released Fortnite outside of the Play Store, also reportedly inked deals with Nintendo, Ubisoft and Riot Games. 

The jury has come to the conclusion that Epic Games has been negatively affected by Google's actions, but we've yet to know how its victory will change the latter's practices. In a statement posted on X, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said the court will start "work[ing] on remedies" in January. Judge James Donato, who's overseeing the case, will be making the decision whether to order Google to give developers the freedom to introduce their own app stores and billing systems for Android devices. In the case of Epic's lawsuit against Apple, the court ruled that the iPhone-maker didn't violate US antitrust laws, but it ordered the company to allow App Store developers to direct customers through third-party payment systems. 

Google, however, doesn't intend to go down without a fight. Wilson White, Google VP for Government Affairs and Public Policy, told Engadget that the company plans to challenge the verdict. "Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform," White said. "The trial made clear that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles. We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem."

Alongside iOS, iPadOS and watchOS updates, Apple has rolled out the latest version of tvOS. The main change this time around is a redesign of the core Apple TV app.

You'll now see a sidebar that blends content from Apple's own services (such as Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass and a Store where users can buy and rent popular movies) with access to third-party channels and apps such as Disney+ and Max. It seems that Apple is aiming to improve navigation and discoverability without straying too far from the industry standard tile browsing format on the homepage.

On living room devices (i.e. Apple TV hardware and the eponymous app on smart TVs and other devices), the sidebar will include profiles. Apple says this will allow you to swiftly switch between users for more personalized recommendations across the app and in the Up Next section. Meanwhile, Watch Now has been rebranded as Home.

Apple

The Apple TV app's Store tab is where you'll want to go to buy or rent movies and TV shows. Starting today, the iTunes Movies and TV Shows apps on Apple TV 4K and HD devices will redirect users to the Apple TV app's Store tab to find and manage their purchases. The same goes for the iTunes Store app on iPhone and iPad.

Meanwhile, you'll now be able to answer FaceTime calls directly on Apple TV 4K devices. Apple has added support for FaceTime audio calls as well.

Arc, a formerly Mac-only internet browser from The Browser Company, is coming to Windows. In a post on X, the company today announced that its first Windows beta invites are already hitting inboxes. This comes after months of requests from Windows users who want to give Arc a shot. Back in September, the company said it already had over 500,000 signups on the Windows waitlist, and that number is expected to grow as the waitlist remains open for new users looking to check out the Arc experience.

According to TechCrunch, The Browser Company plans to continue its onboarding process throughout the month before “rapidly” increasing invitation roll-outs in the new year. While the company didn’t say whether the Windows version will have all the same standout features of the Mac, we do know features like Peek (which lets you preview a link before opening it in its own tab) and Little Arc (a lightweight browser window meant for quickly viewing something) are currently being ported. Since the Windows version is still in beta, users may notice several missing features but those will likely come with updates along the way.

The Browser Company describes Arc as a much better way of using the internet. The goal is to provide a cleaner, calmer experience that helps users to better organize their time online. Arc definitely has a few features that sets it apart from other browsers like Safari, Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Among its unique features is one launched this spring that lets you customize (or vandalize) any website. There’s also a sidebar that holds your bookmarks and tabs. We’re all guilty of having a million tabs open at once and Arc helps to prevent clutter by archiving. That means you’ll always have a fresh and tidy space to work from. You also have the option to create spaces to store research for individual projects. And patient Windows users will finally get to try it, once they get picked from the waitlist anyway.

Free Radical Design, the company tasked with making a TimeSplitters reboot, has closed its doors, according to employee statements acquired by Eurogamer. Additionally, the developer’s official website now redirects to a 404 error, along with text reading “company not found” and a sad face. Ex-staffers have also taken to social media to announce the closure.

The company was reformed back in 2021 specifically to develop new games based on the long-defunct TimeSplitters franchise. However, parent company Embracer Group has been on a cost-cutting spree these past few months, reducing its overall headcount by more than 900 people. At that time, we noted that Free Radical Design was likely in trouble, putting the TimeSplitters reboot in limbo.

Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors addressed the closure in an email to staffers, expressing “gratitude” for the “remarkable work” the team has done. Wingefors went on to say that the parent company looks to support laid-off employees “as much as we can during this transition.” There are no details, however, regarding severance pay or anything like that. It looks like more than 50 people lost their jobs due to the closure, which is a monumental bummer.

Another bummer is that this likely means the death of the TimeSplitters franchise for the time being, though maybe another company will snap up the IP at some point. The original incarnation of Free Radical went bankrupt in 2008 before being temporarily revived to handle the reboot.

This isn’t the only company that Embracer sent packing this year. It abruptly closed Saints Row developer Volition back in August and is reportedly looking to sell Borderlands developer Gearbox. Embracer previously acquired Gearbox for around $363 million as part of a larger deal valued at $1.4 billion.

Arturia just launched a massive firmware update for its MiniFreak hybrid hardware synthesizer. Firmware version 2.0 brings a host of improvements and new features for avid fans of Arturia’s weird-but-powerful instrument. The biggest news here is a brand-new wavetable sound engine, boasting 32 wavetables and 64 patches. However, the engine’s only available on one of the oscillators, which does slightly decrease sound design options. Still, more engines are never a bad thing.

There’s also a new Super Unison effect, which is basically a souped-up chorus that increases stereo width by stacking up to six copies of a sound on top of the dry signal. The MiniFreak has some high-quality effects, so this should be fun to fool around with. Arturia says this effect will “transform a simple patch into a supersaw monster.”

LFO modulation has gotten a bit more useful with this update. Users can now adjust the LFO rate to correspond to a single step or even the entire curve, encouraging more “nuanced, evolving and expressive modulations.” For those with active sound design aspirations, Arturia is adding an easily-accessible favorites panel to the MiniFreak to store and bring up custom-made patches.

MiniFreak owners can now also access a dedicated store to purchase sound banks. There are three free banks at launch, with 32 patches, and two paid banks, with 64 patches. These sound packs are available for both the hardware MiniFreak and the affiliated software plugin. Arturia-branded sound packs typically cost $10 to $15. The company promises this is just the beginning, with more MiniFreak sound packs to come.

Other minor enhancements include more control over the Macro Edit mode and increased volume options. MiniFreak Firmware 2.0 is available now as a free update to current owners.

Apple will reward record labels and artists who offer their music in spatial audio, a relatively new audio format that is more immersive than regular stereo. According to a Bloomberg report, artists who release their music in spatial audio will receive “added weighting” starting next year. That, Bloomberg speculates, could mean higher royalties.

Nearly all of Apple’s audio hardware such as AirPods, HomePod, the iPhone and the upcoming Vision Pro headset, support playback in spatial audio, so the company’s move to incentivize artists is almost certainly to ensure that most music available on Apple Music is available in a format that Apple has positioned as a selling point. Notably, Bloomberg notes that Apple Music listeners wouldn’t necessarily have to stream a song in spatial audio for artists to be rewarded. Simply having their music available in the format would be enough.

Apple added spatial audio, which is powered by technology from Dolby Atmos, to Apple Music in 2021. Most of the company’s original shows and movies on Apple TV+ are also offered in the format. Artists also have the option of mixing their older music in the new format, something that bands from all decades are already doing. Mixing music in the format isn’t wildly expensive, according to Bloomberg; if true, this push could help get independent musicians and smaller acts on board.

Some Apple Music competitors like Amazon Music and Tidal also offer spatial audio on their services. But Spotify, Apple’s biggest music stream rival, is a notable exception, even though rumors about a high-quality music format on the service have swirled for years.

A battle to bring iMessage access to Android is not yet over, even though Apple recently closed a loophole that seemingly allowed Beeper and other third-party apps to tap into the service. The latest version of the Beeper Mini app for Android once again allows users to send and receive messages.

Beeper says its team has been working around the clock to restore iMessage functionality after Apple shut down the app's access to the service. Now, Beeper cofounders Eric Migicovsky and Brad Murray say the team has found a solution. There's one key caveat, however: phone number registration isn't working and you'll need to sign in with an Apple ID. You'll send and receive iMessages via your email address instead of your phone number. The Beeper team says it's working on a phone number fix.

In the meantime, the team says it's not comfortable with charging users while its service remains in flux. As such, Beeper is free to use for the time being. "As soon as things stabilize (we hope they will), we’ll look at turning on subscriptions again," Beeper wrote in a blog post.

Migicovsky and Murray added that, despite Apple's assertions to the contrary, messages sent via Beeper Mini are end-to-end encrypted and secure. In fact, they suggest that Beeper is a more secure way for iOS and Android to communicate with each other than regular SMS. Apple does not yet support the more secure RCS standard Google has embraced, but it plans to start doing so in 2024.

After several weeks of testing the latest version of its iPhone operating system in public, Apple is now rolling out iOS 17.2 to all compatible devices. In addition, iPadOS 17.2 and macOS 14.2 Sonoma, which boast many of the same features, are here as well. Finally, watchOS 10.2 is also available for download. The biggest change this time around is the introduction of a new core app called Journal.

Apple's hope with the app is to help "iPhone users reflect and practice gratitude through journaling." It differs from third-party offerings like Day One, as Apple is able to offer suggestions for journal entries based on activity in other apps. Your iPhone might suggest logging a trip populated by photos from your camera roll, accompanied by a writing prompt such as "what will you remember most about your day out?" Your device might also suggest creating a journal entry after a workout or even to note a podcast episode you listened to.

Third-party developers can tap into a Suggestions API to nudge users to create journal entries based on activity in their apps. Apple says the Journal app is end-to-end encrypted and all information is stored locally (though you can sync everything to iCloud if you wish). Users will have control over which apps can offer Journal suggestions too.

The Journal app isn't all that's new in iOS 17.2. You'll be able to set up the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to act as a quick translation tool for spoken phrases. You could even use it to have a conversation with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you.

Apple is rolling out support for Qi2 charging on all iPhone 13 models and iPhone 14 models (it's already present on iPhone 15 models). Qi2-certified chargers are said to match the 15W wireless charging speeds of MagSafe. As Qi2 chargers become more widespread, it should be easier for both iPhone and Android users to top up their phones' batteries quickly.

Elsewhere, iPhone 15 Pro users can capture spatial video that can be viewed in 3D in Apple Vision Pro's Photos app (once you're eventually able to try out the headset, that is). You'll now be able to access and log Health data with your voice thanks to a Siri update. The Apple Music, Messages and Weather apps are getting a few new features too, while an AutoFill upgrade for PDFs and other forms could prove very useful.

Microsoft has agreed to union contract language regarding its use of artificial intelligence, which should give workers a voice when challenging how the technology’s deployed, as reported by Bloomberg. This is the first US instance of collective bargaining in Microsoft’s history and could be a huge step for those employed with the tech giant.

This came to pass as part of negotiations with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union and involves contract language that covers a few hundred staffers at Microsoft’s game studio ZeniMax, which includes well-known subsidiaries like Bethesda and Arkane, among others.

The gist here is that the contract language incorporates Microsoft’s previously-announced AI principles, sort of a ten commandments type deal. The language dictates that AI systems will “treat all people fairly” and “empower everyone.” To that end, it will give employees covered under the contract an avenue of recourse should they feel that Microsoft isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. Microsoft even hired dozens of ZeniMax contract workers as full-time employees, potentially as a show of good faith.

“The goal is to ensure tools and technologies benefit rather than harm workers,” the contract states. The language stipulates that Microsoft must inform the CWA whenever AI or related automation technology is implemented in a way that could impact workers. If requested, the company must enter into good-faith negotiations regarding the change. This is a big first step, considering Microsoft’s massive play into the AI space via integration with OpenAI products.

This would be news on its own, given Microsoft’s former hesitance to engage with unions in any way, shape or form. However, there’s more. The company also entered into a partnership with the AFL-CIO, the country’s largest federation of unions. The entities struck a deal that ensures Microsoft will remain neutral in efforts by unions to encourage workers to join up.

The partnership also creates an “open dialogue” to discuss AI and how it impacts workers. The AFL-CIO calls this team-up the “first of its kind between a labor organization and a technology company.” Microsoft has committed to share information with labor leaders regarding impactful AI trends and consider “worker perspectives” when developing new technologies.

Why the about face? There’s a whole lot of uncertainty out there regarding artificial intelligence and how it will impact workers across multiple industries. It looks like Microsoft is setting itself up to be the “adult in the room” when compared to rival entities. It’s worth noting, though, that Microsoft shareholders rejected a proposal last week that would slow down AI spending until a risk-assessment project could be conducted.