It turns out Blizzard employees weren’t the only ones to express frustration with their company and CEO Bobby Kotick after The Wall Street Journalpublished an explosive report on the ongoing sexual harassment scandal at the publisher. In an email obtained by Bloomberg, Sony Interactive CEO Jim Ryan critiqued Activision’s response to the article. Ryan linked Sony employees to the report, and said he was “disheartened and frankly stunned to read” The Journal’s findings.

“We outreached to Activision immediately after the article was published to express our deep concern and to ask how they plan to address the claims made in the article,” Ryan says in the message. “We do not believe their statements of response properly address the situation.”

As the company that makes the PlayStation 4 and PS5, Sony is one of Activision’s most important partners. Their close relationship is highlighted by the fact Sony has first dibs on some Call of Duty content. The fact Ryan’s email leaked shouldn’t come as a surprise given that it was an all-hands message.

Broadly, The Wall Street Journal report claims Kotick was not only aware of many of the allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment at the company, but that he may have also intervened to protect some of its worst offenders, and that he mistreated women himself. In a statement to Engadget, a spokesperson for the publisher said the article presents a “misleading view of Activision Blizzard and our CEO.” Shortly after it started circulating widely on social media, Blizzard employees announced they would stage a walkout. Hours later, Activision Blizzard’s board of directors issued a statement expressing its continued support of Kotick’s leadership.

TikTok has pledged to do more to combat the spread of hoaxes and dangerous challenges. Many TikTok challenges are harmless and fun. Others are riskier, such as this year's milk crate challenge, which led to a spate of injuries. But well-intentioned parents and other adults who want to warn others about dangerous challenges can inadvertently raise awareness of them — even if those challenges are fake.

The company commissioned a survey of more than 10,000 teens, parents and teachers in several countries, including the US and UK. It found that 31 percent of teens had taken part in some kind of online challenge.

Teens were asked about the risk level of a challenge they'd seen online recently, not necessarily on TikTok. Around 48 percent said the challenge was safe, 32 percent said it had a little risk and 14 percent described it as risky or dangerous. Respondents said three percent of challenges were "very dangerous," while 0.3 percent said they'd taken part in a challenge they categorized in that way.

The study found that 46 percent of teens want more information and help to understand the risks of challenges, while 31 percent said they "felt a negative impact" from hoaxes related to self harm and suicide. Recognizing and dealing with hoaxes isn't necessarily easy. Thirty-seven percent of the adult respondents say they find it difficult to discuss self-harm and suicide hoaxes without drawing attention to them.

TikTok says it already removes hoaxes and takes action to limit their spread, but it's planning to do more. It will take down "alarmist warning" videos about fake self-harm challenges. "The research showed how warnings about self-harm hoaxes — even if shared with the best of intentions — can impact the well-being of teens since they often treat the hoax as real," TikTok said. "We will continue to allow conversations to take place that seek to dispel panic and promote accurate information."

The Momo Challenge, for instance, was an infamous viral hoax that a lot of people fell for a couple of years ago. Its spread was exacerbated by those sounding the alarm about the "challenge," which many falsely claimed was urging kids to harm themselves.

Other safety improvements TikTok has made include expanding "technology that helps alert our safety teams to sudden increases in violating content linked to hashtags." Whenever a user searches for content linked to a hoax or dangerous challenge, they'll see a warning label.

The company worked with a clinical child psychiatrist and a behavioral scientist to improve the language of the label. Users who search for hoaxes and harmful challenges will be encouraged to visit TikTok's Safety Center to learn about how to recognize them. If the search is connected to a hoax linked to suicide or self harm, they'll see resources such as contact details for the National Suicide Prevention Helpline.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), 686868 (Canada), or 85258 (UK). Wikipedia maintains a list of crisis lines for people outside of those countries.

Spotify's growing podcast ambitions now include a pact with a big studio before it truly gets started. The streaming music service has struck a multi-year deal that gives it "first look" access to podcasts from J.J. Abrams' new Bad Robot Audio unit. The move lets Spotify snap up exclusives from Bad Robot's planned mix of fiction and non-fiction shows.

Bad Robot Audio hasn't yet detailed its releases, but it will have an experienced leader. Christina Choi will helm the new outfit after directing content partnerships at Audible, and before that a creative development executive at Spotify. She played an important role in Spotify's early podcast efforts, and is unsurprisingly eager to collaborate with her former employer in her field of expertise.

The move could be a coup for Spotify if Bad Robot's podcast group fares as well as its better-known video team. Spotify has numerous major exclusives from narrowly-focused partners like WWE, the Obamas and Dax Shepard, but alliances with general studios on this level are decidedly less common. This arrangement might produce top shows in a wider variety of genres, and could include some well-known voices in the bargain.

For Bad Robot, this is part of a broader expansion into the digital realm. J.J. Abrams' company has been shifting toward streaming shows, and last year branched out to gaming with Bad Robot Games. There's a clear effort to create a media empire that reaches well beyond conventional video, and podcasts represent a significant next step.

Following a limited test in September, Microsoft has begun rolling out cloud gaming support to additional Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles. While the feature is still in beta, it’s now available to select Xbox console owners in 25 markets. Over the coming weeks, the company plans to scale the service to all Xbox systems in those regions. As before, you’ll need a Game Pass Ultimate subscription to use the service, but it’s no longer necessary to take part in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha Insider programs.

Microsoft envisions a handful of scenarios where the ability to stream a game will be helpful. To start, it’s a way for people to try a Game Pass title without downloading it first. In much the same way, it also allows you to jump into a multiplayer game with your friends, even if you don’t have that title installed. Lastly, for Xbox One owners, it’s a chance to play Xbox Series X/S titles like The Medium and The Riftbreaker. For the best possible experience, you’ll still want to download your favorite games to your console. You’ll know if you can stream a Game Pass title if it has a cloud icon.

Microsoft has built a new media playback app for Windows 11 to supplant both Windows Media Player, which hasn't really changed since 2009, and the Groove Music app. Windows Insiders can start testing the creatively named Media Player for Windows 11 now.

The app is designed for both music and video playback. If you've been clinging onto the Groove Music app to manage your library of tracks, even after Microsoft axed Groove Music services in 2017, you'll be able to update it to the new Media Player. Your library and playlists will automatically migrate over, as Gizmodo notes.

Microsoft

Microsoft says users will be able to quickly browse their library to find what they want to listen to, and create and manage playlists. During playback, you'll see album art and "rich artist imagery" in both full screen and mini-player modes. The app will add files from your PC's music and video folders too. Through the settings, users can tell Media Player where else to look for things to bring to the library.

There are accessibility-focused options in the app too. Microsoft says those include "improved keyboard shortcut and access key support for keyboard users and with other assistive technologies."

Media Player currently has a couple of issues, Microsoft notes, including ones that affect playback from some network locations, editing album metadata and library content with accented characters. You'll still be able to access the old version of Windows Media Player through Windows Tools.

Of course, the Media Player design reflects the clean aesthetic of Windows 11. The app looks nice and it's the cherry on top of a long, long-awaited overhaul of Windows Media Player. It's a bit of a shame that Microsoft chose such a boring name for the new app, but at least users shouldn't be confused about what it does.

Nissan is finally ready to offer pricing and other tangible details for its electric Ariya crossover. The automaker has started taking reservations for the Ariya beginning at $45,950 for the Venture+ model. That's more than the $40,000 ballpark from before, but still brings the price down to $38,450 with a federal tax credit. The Venture+ may be the best model for long drives, too. You'll have only a 238HP motor with front wheel drive, but you'll get the longest estimated range at 300 miles. The higher-capacity 87kWh battery is standard on all currently announced models.

The $48,950 Evolve+ builds on that formula with an "around view" monitor and a powered moonroof, albeit with a shorter 285-mile range. The reservation-only Premiere trim starts at $53,450, but gives you access to the Ariya's signature "Sunrise Copper" color, hands-off highway driving from ProPilot Assist 2.0 and ProPilot Park. If you want all-wheel drive, you'll currently have to splurge on the $58,950 Platinum+ variant with 389HP, a hands-free liftgate, Nappa leather and a reduced 265-mile range.

All models are due to arrive in fall 2022. You'll need to place a $500 refundable deposit and choose a preferred dealer, but you can complete the final purchase online and have the Ariya delivered to your home. You won't have to wade through the usual hassles of in-person dealership sales.

The price slots the Ariya between the $39,995 Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla's Model Y (currently $53,940), with the in-between range and features to match. It may face tough competition as a result. However, that might be the precise appeal — this is a middle-of-the-road EV from a well-known badge. Where the Leaf was aimed at early adopters (and lately the cost-conscious), the Ariya promises to be a thoroughly mainstream vehicle that reaches more first-time EV owners and helps Nissan electrify the rest of its lineup.

Most portable recorders come with an array of physical buttons, switches and toggles. It’s part of what makes them practical and charming to use. But with its new Portacapture X8, Tascam wants to make the case for a touchscreen interface.

The X8 isn’t the first portable recorder to go down the smartphone route. Zoom’s H8 has a touchscreen display too, but it’s smaller and the interface isn’t as modern as the one offered by Tascam. The X8’s software has an emphasis on presets that the company says help to simplify the process of picking the optimal settings for a specific situation. You can also control the device remotely with your smartphone if you purchase Tascam’s AK-BT1 Bluetooth adapter.

The Portacapture X8 features two 14.6mm condenser microphones that support 32-bit float point recording. Since you can detach the microphones from the device, there’s the possibility Tascam will release optional capsules down the road. It’s possible to reposition the microphones in either an A/B or X/Y orientation. With four XLR/TRS inputs (and two mix tracks), you can use the X8 to record up to eight tracks simultaneously. You’ll also find a dedicated headphone jack on the device, in addition to external in and line-out connections. A built-in USB-C port also allows you to use the device as an audio interface.

Tascam hasn’t said how much the X8 will cost. But as an H8 competitor, we imagine it will fall somewhere in the $400 range. That’s a lot to spend on a portable recorder, but for prosumers, it comes with a lot of desirable features.

One of the most memorable survival horror games of recent years is coming to smartphones and tablets. Feral Interactive will bring Alien: Isolation to iOS and Android on December 16th.

Feral, which also handled the Nintendo Switch port of the 2014 game, claims it has replicated the "stunning AAA visuals, arresting narrative and terrifying atmosphere of Creative Assembly’s award-winning sci-fi masterpiece" for mobile devices "without compromise." It added customizable touchscreen controls, though you can connect an external controller. The game, which costs $15, includes all seven DLC packs.

Alien: Isolation is set 15 years after Ridley Scott's classic sci-fi horror film Alien. Players take on the guise of engineer Amanda Ripley, who attempts to get to the bottom of her mother Ellen Ripley's disappearance. 

Creative Assembly did a great job of replicating the terrifying atmosphere of the original movie. The first-person perspective certainly adds to the feeling of dread as you try to evade a xenomorph. Whether Alien: Isolation feels as immersive on mobile as it does on consoles and PC remains to be seen, though the Switch port was well-received.

Meanwhile, as of Tuesday, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can play another classic survival horror game on their phone. Dead Space is now part of the cloud gaming library, thanks to Microsoft's partnership with EA Play. Alien: Isolation is also available on Game Pass, albeit only on console and PC, not through the cloud.

Cryptocurrency will soon be inescapable in Los Angeles, at least for a while. AEG has signed a 20-year rights agreement that will rename LA's Staples Center to the Crypto.com Arena. Yes, the Clippers, Lakers, Kings and Sparks will all play in a building named after a crypto platform — more forward-thinking than office supplies, but still a bit strange in 2021. The deal will make Crypto.com the official cryptocurrency partner for the Lakers and Kings, too.

You'll see the internal signage and some other branding when the Lakers play the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas Day, although the arena operators won't fully replace external signs until June 2022. You'll also see "designations" at other properties, such as LA Live and the Microsoft Theater, and there will be Crypto.com experiences at the entrance, main concourse and LA Live campus.

AEG chief Dan Beckerman characterized the deal as focusing on "the future," both for innovation as a whole and the community. That's somewhat ironic when cryptocurrency has been accused of hurting the environment, but Crypto.com has pledged to be carbon negative by late 2022 (if only through offsets).

The 20-year deal makes clear this isn't just a temporary marketing stunt. Even so, this is something of a gamble for both AEG and Crypto.com. They're betting that cryptocurrency is here to stay, and that Crypto.com will play an important role in the long term. Both are distinct possibilities when mainstream companies like AMC and Twitter are exploring uses of digital money, but a lot can change in the space of two decades.

Tidal is adding a free, ad-supported tier as it seeks to expand its user base. The option, which is only available in the US for now, includes access to Tidal's entire library of 80 million songs as well as playlists. The service noted on Twitter that it's introducing the free tier to "remain competitive" with its rivals, eight months after Square bought a majority stake in the company. Tidal says the plan is rolling out on Android and "will be available on all devices in the coming days."

There are some trade-offs beyond occasional ads, of course. The audio quality tops out at 160 kbps, there's no offline listening option and it doesn't appear that you'll have unlimited skips. The later feature is mentioned explicitly as part of the revamped $10/month Tidal HiFi plan.

Tidal says users on that plan can now listen to music in HiFi quality — up to 1,411 kbps. There are no ads and you'll gain access to more than 350,000 videos. Users can listen to music in HiFi quality on connected devices through Tidal Connect, and they'll be able to track and share what they're listening to via a new activity feed.

In addition, there's a $20/month HiFi Plus plan. It includes everything from the HiFi tier, as well as master-quality audio at up to 9,216 kbps. The plan also offers immersive, spatial audio formats, such as Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, and early access to upcoming features. Both HiFi plans are available in all countries in which Tidal operates.

What's more, the HiFi Plus tier has a couple of new features centered around artists. One of those is direct-to-artist payments, which Tidal is rolling out today. Every month, 10 percent of a HiFi Plus user's subscription fees (i.e. $2) will go to the artist they listen to the most. That's on top of regular streaming royalties. It's another way for users to support their favorite artists.

Starting in January, Tidal will roll out a revamped artist payment system called fan-centered royalties. Every time a HiFi Plus user listens to one of their songs, they'll receive a "significantly higher" per-stream payment than other music streaming services' payouts. Apple Music pays a penny per stream, while artists have long been asking Spotify for a similar rate.

Tidal says "royalties attributed to HiFi Plus subscribers will not be aggregated." Payments will be tied to each individual user's listening activity, but only on that tier. HiFi Plus users will be able to see how those payments are divvied up through their activity feed.

In addition to revamping the payment model, Tidal is aiming to ensure "quick and seamless" payouts to artists around the world. It's working with Square, Cash App and PayPal to facilitate those.

These are bold, but perhaps necessary moves by Tidal as it aims to become more competitive with larger music streaming services. Tidal was one of the first major proponents of lossless audio, but as rivals started offering that option at no extra cost, it more or less had to bring that option to the $10/month plan.

Apple Music added lossless and Dolby Atmos spatial audio features in June. Amazon Music Unlimited dropped the premium fee for HD and Ultra HD streaming in May. It too offers spatial audio as part of the regular plan.

Meanwhile, many of Tidal's rivals have long offered ad-supported free streaming options, including Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer and YouTube Music. At the opposite end of the scale, Spotify announced plans in February to roll out a CD-quality audio plan, also called HiFi, in select markets at some point this year. It has yet to do so.