Google has announced it will end Chrome support on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 early next year. Chrome 110, which is scheduled for release on February 7th, will not work on either of the operating systems. You'll still be able to use older versions of Chrome on Windows 7 and 8.1, but you'll no longer be able to install newer builds, which will include new features and security updates.

On a support page that revealed the news, Google suggested upgrading to Windows 10 or Windows 11 to keep getting Chrome updates. That might be difficult for those whose systems don't support more recent versions of Microsoft's OS, businesses that are still stuck on Windows 7 or 8.1 and folks who can't afford to buy a new computer. Still, Google had to wind down support at some point. The company pointed out that its timeline matches up with Microsoft ending extended support for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on January 10th. 

As it turns out, however, Google will support Chrome on Windows 7 longer than planned. It previously said it would stop offering Chrome updates for the OS in 2021, then this year.

World's Edge, the Xbox studio that's overseeing Age of Empires these days, held an event to mark the franchise's 25th anniversary. With it came some major news about the future of the series, including its debut on consoles. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition will be available on Xbox consoles and Xbox Cloud Gaming on January 31st. 

The most recent game in the real-time strategy series, 2021's Age of Empires IV, will arrive on consoles and Xbox Cloud Gaming later in 2023. Naturally, both titles will be available on Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This is a big shift for a series that, until now, has only been available on PC. 

There will be crossplay support for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, so you can play with friends whether you're on Xbox, PC or accessing it via the cloud. What's more, the game will support keyboard and mouse inputs on console. In case you'd rather use a gamepad, World's Edge has designed a new controller tutorial, along with a revamped onboarding experience for newcomers to the game. On top of that, the team has added an AI system that's designed to make resource management more efficient and intuitive.

Elsewhere, World's Edge announced a new definitive edition of 2002's Age of Mythology, featuring "beautiful graphics, updated gameplay" and other features. Expect more details in the coming months. And, as is the way of things in the modern era, Age of Empires Mobile is in development, so you'll be able to get your AoE fix wherever you are without having to stream a game from the cloud. That game is coming soon, according to a teaser.

Lyft is once again rethinking its monthly subscription plan, and this time the cost might be easier to justify. The company has re-launched its Pink membership at $10 per month or $99 per year, or about half the previous price. You lose the discounts on all rides. Instead, the focus is on perks that may save you money in the long run. You now get free priority pickups that, according to Lyft, save an average of $3 to $4 per trip. You'll also receive "at least" a 5 percent discount on Preferred, Lux and XL rides, three free cancellations per month, a free bike or scooter unlock each month, free Sixt car rental upgrades, GrubHub+ discounts and roadside assistance for your own car up to four times every year.

The company still hopes you'll pay more. For $199 per year, Lyft Pink All Access includes unlimited 45-minute "classic" bike rides, unlimited e-bike and scooter unlocks (with discounted rates) and three yearly bike or scooter guest passes. If you regularly get around town on two wheels, this could represent a significant savings.

Drivers still get paid the same regardless of your discounts, Lyft says. You'll also receive a discount on rides if priority pickups aren't available when you book. Bike and scooter bonuses aren't available everywhere, however. You'll need to use them in a handful of US cities, including Denver, Los Angeles and New York City.

There's no mystery behind the reasons for the Pink re-do. This is Lyft's answer to Uber One, which costs the same $10 per month and shares the focus on "priority" service. Where Uber splits its attention between ridesharing and food deliveries, though, Lyft concentrates on transportation. Whichever service suits your tastes, the goal is the same — this is meant to ensure your loyalty while providing a recurring boost to the company's bottom line.

Dark Souls 2 players can once again team up and square off against each other on PC after FromSoftware reactivated the servers. The studio and publisher Bandai Namco switched off the online components for all Dark Souls games on PC back in January in order to tackle a security issue that allowed hijackers to take over players' systems. Nine months later, From and Bandai Namco have restored online features for the DirectX 11 version of Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin. The company said it will reactivate the servers for the DirectX 9 version at a later date.

On the downside, don't expect to play the online modes of the Dark Souls: Prepare to Die edition on PC again. "We have determined that we will not be able to support online services for the PC version of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition that was released in 2012, due to an aging system," a statement on the Dark Souls Twitter account, as spotted by Polygon, reads. "We apologize for the long wait and ask for your understanding in this matter." That said, work is ongoing to bring back co-op and player-vs-player modes for 2018's Dark Souls Remastered on PC, but there's no timeline for that as yet.

As for Dark Souls 3, From and Bandai Namco restored the servers back in August. They originally aimed to revive online services for all the Dark Souls games by the time they released Elden Ring in February, but were unsuccessful in their attempts to meet that deadline.

As promised, Ken Block has released his first Gymkhana video with an electric car — and this time, the vehicle is almost as important as the hooning. The "Electrikhana" sees Block drift around Las Vegas landmarks in a one-of-a-kind Audi S1 Hoonitron. It borrows design cues from the well-known Sport Quattro S1 while using a dual-motor system (with an 800V architecture), a carbon fiber shell and FIA-grade safety measures. Think of it as a souped-up cousin to the E-tron GT. Audi is shy on the exact performance figures, but it's safe to say they're enough for donuts around hotel lobbies and boxing rings.

And the video itself? It brings Ken Block's signature antics to Sin City, including drifts in tight spaces and plenty of tire smoke. The lower center of gravity inherent to EVs certainly hasn't affected the handling, as Block has no problems maneuvering in some tricky situations. However, what's most notable is what you don't hear — the switch to an EV means the noises are largely limited to tire squeal and the S1 Hoonitron's strange motor whine.

The video is a not-very-subtle plug for Audi's lineup and racing heritage, and you certainly won't be recreating these feats away from a track. However, it represents a milestone for the cultural acceptance of EVs. Where electric cars used to be associated mainly with eco-conscious drivers, they're quickly becoming the machines of choice for performance-minded enthusiasts thanks to their instant torque and supercar-beating low-end acceleration. Block's Electrikhana helps show that EVs are viable for twists and turns, too.

Sony's LinkBuds S offer a more traditional true wireless fit as opposed to the open wear design of the original model. The company debuted the follow-up back in May, filling out the features list with active noise cancellation (ANC) and a host of other handy items from Sony's premium audio products. Like the first LinkBuds, the S model was built to wear all the time, thanks to they're small size, comfy fit and capable transparency mode. LinkBuds S were already being made with recycled plastics from automobile parts, but today the company has announced an Earth Blue variant made from even more reclaimed materials. 

Sony says the body and case for this version of the LinkBuds S are made from "factory-recovered plastic and reclaimed water bottles." The recycled materials are what give the exterior surfaces a marble pattern. The company explains that the idea originally came from design exploration around new uses for recycled water bottles. Of course, the earbuds aren't entirely make from reclaimed substances, but the main shell of the buds and the case have the swirl look from the process. Like the existing LinkBuds S colors, the packaging for this new version uses no plastic. 

The $200 LinkBuds S feature ANC and transparency mode that allow you to tune out or tune into the world as you see fit. Sony added a tool called Auto Play to these earbuds that allows you to set up certain times audio will begin automatically — like after a video call or when you're on the go. The company's Adaptive Sound Control from other earbuds and headphones is here too, automatically changing sound modes based on your location or activity. You can expect up to six hours of battery life on a charge with ANC enabled and another 14 hours in the case. IPX4 protection also means you can wear these during workouts without fear of sweat damage and a handy Speak-to-Chat feature pauses audio when you begin to talk to assist with quick conversations. 

The new Earth Blue variant will be available at the end of October from Sony, Amazon and other retailers, joining the black and white options in the LinkBuds S lineup. We've seen these earbuds for as low as $148, although you might have to wait a while for a deal on this new version. 

Sony

Nothing only just released its first phone months ago, but that isn't stopping the company from establishing a physical retail presence. The company is opening its first Nothing Store on 4 Peter Street in London's fashion-oriented Soho neighborhood sometime "before Christmas" this year. The company is promising a "boutique" rather than the usual tech shop experience, and touts design flourishes inspired by classic chains like Italy's Olivetti.

The store will offer all of Nothing's currently small lineup, including the Phone 1, Ear 1 and upcoming Ear Stick. To no one's surprise, there will be incentives to line up for opening day — you can get free merch and buy one of 100 limited edition Ear Sticks.

The store is a gamble for a two-year-old startup competing against heavyweights in audio and mobile, some of which (such as Apple and Samsung) have much larger retail presences. While Nothing's store won't be big, it's also sitting in one of the posher parts of London. Where the average retail rent in the city is about £64 per square foot, Soho's is estimated at just under £150. That's a lot to spend when it's unclear how customers will respond.

This strategy is familiar, mind you. Apple has long focused on opening stores in high-traffic (and sometimes iconic) locations to catch the eyes of shoppers who wouldn't otherwise browse technology, and other companies have used similar approaches. Nothing Stores could theoretically make the brand more recognizable, not to mention reinforce its style-oriented image.

The BBC and Disney have announced future seasons of Doctor Who will stream on Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland. It’s the validation of a longstanding rumor that the UK’s public broadcaster was looking to move the show from its traditional distribution network.

Back in July, Bloomberg reported that Disney was looking for “established” brands to bolster its streaming platform. The world’s longest-running science-fantasy series, with its own global fanbase, certainly counts as a big draw for any global streamer.

Naturally, new series of Doctor Who will continue to air on the BBC’s own channels and streaming platform, iPlayer, in the UK and Ireland. The series will return in November 2023 with a run of specials to celebrate the show’s 60th anniversary, followed by a new series in 2024.

At the same time, the BBC has announced a new logo and branding that will feature on the show when it returns in 2023, as well as its vast catalog of merchandise. The new logo is a 21st century update of the classic “diamond” logo, designed by Bernard Lodge in 1973.

It's one of the most recognizable images in the show's long history, and while the diamond's shelf-life in the series proper stretched from 1973 to 1980 (for all but one year of Tom Baker's Tenure) — it was also plastered on merchandise from the early '70s all the way through to 1996. (Ironically, it was supplanted by a revamped version of the show's 1969-1974 logo.)

Back in 2018, the BBC recruited branding agency LittleHawk to revitalize the show’s image with a look covering both its Classic and New Series eras. The fact that, so quickly afterward, the show has opted to switch back to an older look stands as a repudiation of LittleHawk’s work. Not to mention the fact it’ll cause much consternation to the buyers of the show’s flagship Collection Blu-Ray boxsets. Who will, once again, have to deal with an inconsistent run of spines running along their shelves and are, arguably, the real victims in all of this.

Google is on the hook for another nine-figure fine after India’s antitrust agency said the company abused the dominant position of the Play Store. The regulator told Google to pay 9.36 billion rupees ($113.5 million) and to allow Play Store developers to use third-party payment systems for app and in-app purchases.

After a lengthy investigation, the Competition Commission of India said Google's requirement for Play Store developers to use its billing system “constitutes an imposition of unfair condition,” as TechCrunch reports. The regulator found that Google didn't use the billing system for its own apps, which it said constituted an “imposition of discriminatory conditions.”

The agency has ordered Google to open up the Play Store to third-party payments within three months. It said Google can't impose any anti-steering provisions on app developers and mustn't hinder them from promoting apps and services to users. Likewise, the company can't restrict users from accessing developers' services and features.

The Competition Commission also stated that Google must be fully transparent with Play Store developers and that it can't impose any condition on them "which is unfair, unreasonable, discriminatory or disproportionate to the services provided to the app developers." Furthermore, Google will need to have a clear and transparent data collection policy, and it will not be allowed to use "competitively relevant transaction/consumer data of apps generated and acquired" through the Google Play Billing System to its competitive advantage.

The regulator has determined that Google has a dominant position in the spheres of licensable smartphone operating systems, app stores, web searching, video hosting platforms and "non-OS specific" mobile web browsers. Last week, the Competition Commission fined the company $161.9 million after finding that Google abused Android's dominance. It said smartphone makers shouldn't have to preinstall Google's apps and that the company shouldn't withhold Play Services APIs and monetary and other incentives from other parties.

Google reportedly has a 97 percent smartphone market share in India, while Google Play is one of the most popular payments services. India is the company's largest market in terms of user numbers. Google told TechCrunch that its legal team was reviewing the most recent ruling.

Shutterstock is eager to embrace AI-generated art. As The Vergereports, the photo provider has widened its deal with OpenAI to begin selling stock images built using the DALL-E 2 AI generator. The approach will offer "direct access" to DALL-E through the Shutterstock website, and compensate creators whose pictures played a role in developing the technology through a new Contributor Fund. The company also plans to pay royalties to artists when the AI uses their work.

OpenAI licensed Shutterstock pictures and data to train DALL-E's text-to-image generation models in 2021. The expanded deal represents one of the first practical uses of the tech through OpenAI's programming kit.

The DALL-E integration will be available sometime in the "coming months." Crucially, Shutterstock will also ban AI-generated art that wasn't produced through OpenAI's platform. That will protect the companies' business models, of course, but it will also ensure that Shutterstock can identify the content used and pay the producers accordingly. Payments will arrive every six months and include revenue from both training data and image royalties.

This is the first major compensation-based deal of its kind, and could help settle questions of whether or not AI-generated art is borrowed or stolen. Other companies have been more cautious. Shutterstock rival Getty Images has completely banned AI-made images over copyright concerns, and is even using filters to stop that content from getting through. Google, meanwhile, is keeping its Imagen tool private until (and unless) it can find a "responsible" way to make the system available to the public.

There are lingering issues. It's not clear just how Shutterstock will pay creators. Artists will likely earn less from these AI-licensing payments than if customers pay for the original images DALL-E uses to create its amalgamations. While this deal is a step toward harmony between AI and the creative world, it's not the definitive solution.