A deal to keep Call of Duty on Playstation could further ease concerns surrounding the acquisition’s impact on competition.
Speaking on the agreement, Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a tweet, “Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before.”
The FTC had argued the deal would hurt consumers whether they played video games on consoles or had subscriptions because Microsoft would have an incentive to shut out rivals like Sony Group.
To address the FTC’s concerns, Microsoft had earlier agreed to license Call of Duty to rivals, including a 10-year contract with Nintendo, contingent on the merger closing.
Microsoft initially announced the Activision bid in January 2022. The internet giant wanted to take on rivals Tencent and Sony with the acquisition. Earlier, both companies signed a 10-year licensing deals that will bring Call of Duty to their gaming platform if the Activision deal is approved. However, Microsoft has now decided to let Call of Duty stay on PlayStation. In fact, Spain’s Nware has also signed a 10-year deal to bring Xbox and Activision Blizzard games to the Spanish cloud-gaming platform.
It is to be noted that Brazil, Chile, Serbia and Saudi Arabia have already given an unconditional approval to the deal.
OxygenOS 15 will begin rolling out to eligible OnePlus smartphone and tablet models later this month, according to the company. The Chinese firm has confirmed that its next OxygenOS update, based on Android 15, will arrive with a redesigned interface, multitasking improvements, and smoother animations. The upcoming OxygenOS 15 release will also introduce support for new features powered by artificial intelligence (AI), according to the company.
OxygenOS 15 Release Date Announced by OnePlus
OnePlus confirmed on Thursday that OxygenOS 15 will be released on October 24 during an online event that is scheduled to begin at 9:00pm IST. Last year, the smartphone maker released its Android 14-based OxygenOS 14 update on September 25, and the rollout for eligible devices was completed earlier this year.
Ahead of the upcoming release date, OnePlus has also vaguely teased some of the changes coming to OxygenOS 15. The upcoming software update will introduce a redesigned user interface with improved animations. According to the smartphone maker, OxygenOS 15 will also include several AI features, baked into various apps.
OxygenOS 15 Update Eligible Devices (Expected)
The company offers three variants of OxygenOS globally — India, Global/EU, and North America — based on where its handsets were released. The company’s OxygenOS 15 update is expected to roll out to users in different regions in a phased manner over the coming months.
Croma Republic Sale has kicked off with hundreds of exciting deals and offers on a wide range of electronics products. Croma is offering an instant discount worth 10 percent (up to Rs. 3,000) to ICICI Bank credit and debit card users. This discount is capped at Rs. 750 for mobile phones. You can save up to Rs. 45,000 on top brands. We’ve handpicked some of the best deals and offers you can grab on laptops during Croma Republic Sale 2024.
HP 15s-eq2144AU AMD Ryzen 5
If you’re looking for a new laptop around the Rs. 40,000 price point, the HP 15s AMD Ryzen 5 is down to Rs. 40,499 (MRP Rs. 60,958). The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch full-HD display, and is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, supported by 8GB of RAM. It comes with a 512GB SSD, and runs Windows 11 and Microsoft Office 2019 out-of-the-box.
In case you’re looking to grab a new budget gaming laptop this Republic Day, the Asus TUG Gaming F15 is selling at a discounted price of Rs. 52,990 (MRP Rs. 77,990) during Croma Republic Sale 2024 this week. ICICI Bank credit and debit card users can avail an additional 10 percent instant discount, capped at Rs. 3,000. Asus TUF Gaming F15 is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, supported by 8GB of RAM. There’s an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 graphics card for basic gaming purposes.
If you’re looking for some more powerful, the HP Victus 15-inch gaming laptop is down to Rs. 69,999 (MRP Rs. 88,214) on Croma during the Republic Sale 2024 this week. The gaming laptop comes with a 15-inch full HD IPS display, and is powered by 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, supported by 16GB of RAM. You also get a 512GB SSD with Windows 11 and Microsoft Office 2021 preinstalled.
An interesting option under Rs. 50,000 is the Asus Vivobook 15 15.6-inch laptop. Currently down to Rs. 47,990 (MRP Rs. 70,990), the laptop can be paired with the ICICI Bank credit and debit card offer for an additional Rs. 3,000 discount. Asus Vivobook 15 is powered by the Intel Core i5 (12th Gen) processor, supported by 8GB of RAM. It comes with a 512GB SSD, and runs Windows 11 Home and Microsoft Office 2021 out-of-the-box.
If you’re looking for a compact laptop, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 14-inch laptop is down to Rs. 63,990 (MRP Rs. 88,090) during Croma Republic Sale 2024. The laptop is powered by the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, supported by 16GB of RAM. It comes wit ha 1TB hard drive, and runs Windows 11 Home and Microsoft Office 2021 out-of-the-box. Croma is also offering EMI payment options and a discount of Rs. 3,000 additional to ICICI Bank credit and debit card users.
During the Weekend Ka Vaar episode of Bigg Boss 18, Bollywood superstar and host Salman Khan addressed his viral video from 1998. In the said video, he was in a police station in Jodhpur over the ongoing infamous blackbuck poaching case and was given the tag of being “arrogant”. It was his body language and its interpretation by spectators that got him the tag.
Salman Khan clarifies about viral police station video
During the Weekend Ka Vaar episode, Salman recalled the moment while having a conversation with Rajat Dalal, over the contestant’s body language in the show. Talking about his old video, Salman said, “If you have seen my old clips, it might seem like, `Look at Salman Khan, how arrogantly he is sitting at a police station`. But mera koi involvement tha hi nahi toh main vaha par jaake daru kyu? (There was no involvement of mine in that, so why should I be scared?)”
The `Dabangg` star said that now when he looks back, he realises he should have respected the uniform irrespective of his involvement in the blackbuck poaching case. “When an official or senior person arrives, you stand up and respect their badge and their uniform. Today, when I see those old clips, I don`t feel good about the incident myself. Woh bachpane mein kya harkat kar gaya main (That was juvenile behaviour),” he said.
“I have a style of walking, a body language, which I cannot change now, but people think that`s arrogance. No, it`s not.”
The star was then seen schooling Rajat for talking about “connections” in the outside world. “We all have bid goodbye to our past life when we were 17-18. I had gone and apologised to everyone. Bhai jitne jhagde the, chhod diya, hero bann raha hoon (We had fights, left all of that, I was becoming a hero). And everyone supported me in the journey. That is how it should be if you want to start work in this industry.”
About the blackbuck poaching case
Salman Khan and other actors including Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam Kothair were accused of hunting down two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur. The actors were in the city for the shooting of the film Hum Saath – Saath Hain in the late 90s. Salman has been in the limelight for the case since the past 20 years. The case has been making news again owing to the involvement of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi who has threatened to kill the superstar for allegedly hunting down blackbuck, an animal considered sacred in the Bishnoi community.
Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 is now available for Phone 2 and Phone 2a users, the company has announced. Users can experience the new Android 15-based operating system (OS) before its public rollout in December and try out more features such as shared widgets, smart drawer enhancements, refined animations, and camera improvements. This release builds upon the rollout of the Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 1 update that was introduced earlier this month.
Notably, the beta program was first launched in October with the Phone 2a and will be available for other devices, such as the CMF Phone 1, later this year.
Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 Features
In a community post, Nothing announced that the OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 update adds more features to the already expansive list of introductions with the first beta. This includes a Shared Widgets feature which lets users see another user’s widgets displayed on their home screen and interact with them through reactions. This feature is exclusive to interactions between Nothing smartphones. Animations for Quick Settings have been refined, including those for Bluetooth, tile resizing, swiping interactions, and tile transitions.
The Carl Pei-led company introduced a Smart Drawer powered by artificial intelligence (AI) with the Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 1 which can automatically arrange apps in separate category folders based on usage. The Open Beta 2 is said to bring enhanced accuracy to this feature, while also adding an auto-sort feature.
Nothing Phone 2 and Phone 2a users will also be able to take advantage of camera enhancements with the update. It is claimed to deliver improved stability when switching between camera modes, an upgraded HDR algorithm for better picture quality, an optimised portrait mode, and enhanced brightness when using the Ultra HDR Mode.
Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 2 brings other visual and performance updates. There is now an AI-powered selection and prioritisation of the frequently used apps, support for a refresh rate of up to 90 frames per second (fps) in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, an onboarding guide for first-time Pop-up view users, and other general bug fixes and performance improvements.
Microsoft said on Friday that Chinese hackers misappropriated one of its digital keys and used a flaw in the company’s code to steal emails from US government agencies and other clients.
The company said in a blog post that the hackers were able to use the key – which they acquired under undisclosed circumstances – and take advantage of “a validation error in Microsoft code” to carry out their cyberespionage campaign.
The blog provided the most fulsome explanation yet for a hack that rattled both the cybersecurity industry and China-US relations. Beijing has denied any involvement in the spying.
Microsoft and US officials said on Wednesday night that Chinese state-linked hackers had been secretly since May accessing email accounts at around 25 organizations. US officials said those included at least two government agencies: the State and Commerce Departments.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, in a meeting in Jakarta on Thursday that any action that targets the US government, US companies or American citizens “is of deep concern to us, and that we will take appropriate action to hold those responsible accountable,” according to a senior State Department official.
Microsoft’s blog post did not explain how the hackers got their hands on one of the company’s digital keys, leading some experts to speculate that Microsoft itself had been hacked ahead of the thefts.
The company did not immediately respond to questions about the key.
The breach has thrown Microsoft’s security practices under scrutiny, with officials and lawmakers calling on the Redmond, Washington-based company to make its top level of digital auditing, also called logging, available to all its customers free of charge.
Microsoft said in a statement late on Thursday that it was taking the criticism on board.
“We are evaluating feedback and are open to other models,” the company said, adding that it was “actively engaged” with US officials on the matter.
Will the Nothing Phone 2 serve as the successor to the Phone 1, or will the two co-exist? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Abhishek Bachchan is the son of Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan.(Instagram)
Abhishek talks about Jaya and Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa
Abhishek said, “I’ll tell you a very personal story. After many years away from the camera, my mother did a film in the 90s called Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa with Govind Nihalani. She came back home and I was an assistant director back then. She looked very disturbed, so I asked her what happened. She said, had to do a scene where ‘I had to go and identify the body of my son’. I didn’t understand.”
‘Imagine Abhishek is lying over there’
He added, “So, Govind ji had given a very specific interesting direction to shoot the scene. He said, ‘Imagine that’s Abhishek lying over there’. This sounds really harsh, but that’s what actors go through. Even if he had not said that, that’s what she would have imagined to make that emotion real. You bring a lot of your personal stuff into your work.”
About Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa
Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998) is directed by Govind Nihalani. The film also stars Anupam Kher, Milind Gunaji, Seema Biswas, Joy Sengupta and Nandita Das. The film marked Jaya’s return to acting after 18 years of hiatus. The film also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.
Jaya’s upcoming film
Jaya is all set to feature in a film titled Dil Ka Darwaaza Khol Na Darling alongside Siddhant Chaturvedi and Wamiqa Gabbi. A romantic-comedy, it is set to be directed by Vikas Bahl. The film is scheduled to be released in theatres in 2025. She was last seen in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in 2023.
Abhishek’s recent film
Abhishek stars in I Want to Talk, directed by Shoojit Sircar. The film also stars Johny Lever, Ahilya Bamroo, Banita Sandhu, and Pearle Maaney, among others. It released in theatres on November 22.
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News/Entertainment/Bollywood/ ‘Imagine Abhishek Bachchan is lying over there’: What Jaya Bachchan was told during a scene on identifying son’s body
ColorOS 15 — the new operating system (OS) for Oppo and OnePlus smartphones — was unveiled on Thursday. Based on the latest Android 15, the update introduces enhanced visual elements with texture interpretation, detailed animations, and new themes. It also enables easy file transfers between Oppo and iPhone models, courtesy of the O+ interconnection app. ColorOS 15 supports artificial intelligence (AI) features in its Xiaobu assistant and users can now hold natural language conversations, in addition to taking advantage of its on-screen awareness capabilities.
ColorOS 15 Features
According to Oppo, ColorOS 15 brings a refreshed user interface (UI) with new dynamic effects, natural light and shadow elements, and iconography. It uses the Aurora and Tidal Engines to run app animations in parallel, improving the multitasking experience. Courtesy of optimisations, the company claims its latest update results in 18 percent improved app responsiveness and 26 percent faster app installations.
Another notable addition is the O+ interconnection app which makes transferring files between Oppo devices and iPhone models easier. Users can share photos, videos, and documents in a matter of seconds.
ColorOS 15 also brings AI features. This includes new capabilities in its Xiaobu assistant which can now understand natural language and can hold conversations. Additionally, it has on-screen content awareness, can respond to questions, and provide recommendations such as travel itineraries. The Notes app can format and summarise text, while the document scanner also gets summarisation and translation features. Oppo has also enabled AI functionality in the voice recorder which can transcribe and summarise recordings.
There are AI features in the Photos app too. Oppo says users can now take advantage of features like one-touch person and reflection removal, blur removal for portraits, and image upscaling. Furthermore, electronic image stabilisation (EIS) is now supported by Live Photos.
Other ColorOS 15 features include new gestures for the smart floating window, reversible photo album editing, separate notification and control centres, and automatic OTP deletion.
ColorOS 15 Release Timeline, Compatible Models
Oppo says ColorOS 15 will be available out-of-the-box on the upcoming Find X8 series and OnePlus 13 in China. It will be rolled out starting November in China. The entire release timeline and list of models compatible with the update is as follows:
Ranveer captioned his post, “जाको राखे साइयाँ, मार सके न कोय (He who is in the care of God, can be hurt by none).” The photos show Ranveer in a white shirt, wearing a saffron headscarf with his head bowed in reverence. Golden Temple can be seen behind him. Another picture showed him and Aditya in prayer, with their backs to the camera.
Fans of the actor were happy about his new project. “This is so beautiful,” wrote a fan. “Love you sir,” wrote another.
In July, Ranveer had announced the multi-starrer project. “This one is for my fans, who have been so patient with me, and been clamouring for a turn like this. I love you all, and I promise you, this time, a cinematic experience like never before. With your blessings, we embark on this great, big motion picture adventure with spirited energy and pure intent. This time, it’s personal,” he wrote with black and white pictures of the all-male star cast.
The cast includes Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan and Arjun Rampal. Reportedly, drawing inspiration from real-life covert operations led by India’s current National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval.
Ranveer’s other projects
Apart from this, Ranveer will also headline Farhan Akhtar’s Don 3 in the coming months. The actor will also star in Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again alongside Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, and Shweta Tiwari. He was last seen in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani along with Alia Bhatt and in a special appearance in November 1’s Singham Again.
RFK Jr has pledged to tackle ultra-processed foods, food dyes and additives
Robert F Kennedy Jr has set his sights on changing how Americans eat and drink.
From the dyes in Fruit Loops cereal to seed oils in chicken nuggets, Kennedy – who is President-elect Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) – has long spoken out against ingredients that he says hurt Americans’ health.
“We are betraying our children by letting [food] industries poison them,” Kennedy said at a rally in November, after he had ended his independent presidential bid and backed Donald Trump.
But if Kennedy hopes to target junk food, he will first have to shake up the country’s food regulations – and run up against Big Food.
“What he’s suggesting is taking on the food industry,” said former New York University nutrition professor Marion Nestle. “Will Trump back him up on that? I’ll believe it when I see it.”
The former environmental attorney – who still must face confirmation by the Senate – is considered by many to be a controversial pick, given his history of making baseless health claims, including that vaccines can cause autism and that wifi technology causes cancer.
Yet some of his ideas around reforming the FDA have found support from health experts, lawmakers and concerned consumers alike – including some Democrats.
Kennedy “will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA”, Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis wrote on social media this week, welcoming his nomination. After receiving public backlash for praising him, Polis qualified his endorsement, writing on social media that “science must remain THE cornerstone of our nation’s health policy”.
Making America Healthy Again
Leading up to the election, Kennedy – a former Democrat – offered several ideas for tackling chronic diseases under his slogan “Make America Healthy Again”.
He has frequently advocated for eliminating ultra-processed foods – products altered to include added fats, starches and sugars, like frozen pizzas, crisps and sugary breakfast cereals, that are linked to health problems like cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
He has taken aim primarily at school lunches, telling Fox News: “We have a generation of kids who are swimming around in a toxic soup right now.”
Part of Kennedy’s new mandate will include overseeing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has over 18,000 employees.
The agency is in charge of ensuring the safety of pharmaceuticals and the US food supply, but has come under fire in recent years from some lawmakers and consumer groups, who have accused it of a lack of transparency and action on food safety.
The 70-year-old has pledged to take a sledgehammer to the agency, and fire employees he says are part of a “corrupt system”.
“There are entire departments, like the nutrition department at the FDA … that have to go, that are not doing their job,” Kennedy told MSNBC this month.
He has also pushed for getting rid of food dyes, including Red No. 3, and other additives banned in other countries.
The former Democrat has also singled out more controversial health issues, including fluoride in drinking water, which he says should be banned altogether, and raw milk, which he believes has health benefits despite the increased risk of bacterial contamination.
He’s also come after seed oils, writing on social media that Americans are being “unknowingly poisoned” by products like canola and sunflower oil that are used in fast foods.
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Kennedy wants to ban ultra-processed foods from school cafeterias
What the evidence says
Several public health experts stand behind Kennedy’s goal to tackle ultra-processed food, which they say the US eats at much higher rates than many other countries.
“It is just thrilling to hear somebody argue for doing something about chronic disease,” Ms Nestle said.
Kennedy’s aim to get rid of certain food additives and dyes also could be beneficial, said Dr Peter Lurie, executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit group that advocates for food safety.
The former FDA official said several food dyes, including Red No. 3 – which is banned in California – should also be blocked by the US government because of concerns about carcinogens.
The FDA has pushed back on Kennedy’s claim that the US allows thousands of additives that are banned in the European Union. A spokesperson said it was necessary “to dig deeper and understand the context behind the numbers” when comparing regulations in the US and EU, which use different methodologies.
But public health experts and former officials said a number of Kennedy’s goals were not worthwhile – and in some cases, harmful.
For instance, drinking raw milk that has not been pasteurized – a process that helps kill bacteria – can make people sick or even kill them, research has found.
“There’s no evidence of any nutritional benefit of any magnitude that we know that comes from non-pasteurizing of milk,” said Dr Lurie.
Kennedy’s proposal to remove fluoride from drinking water also could be problematic, because fluoride, in the low levels found in water, has been proven to improve dental health, said Ms Garner.
Removing it from the water supply would also be out of his jurisdiction, because fluoride levels are controlled by states.
And his claim that seed oils are helping drive the obesity epidemic is not based in science, either, Dr Lurie said.
“We see no evidence for that. In fact, they seem like important products to the extent that they substitute for saturated fats” such as butter, he said.
Taking on Big Food
Food reforms, while long part of the public health conversation, could also simply be unrealistic both politically and bureaucratically, some experts said.
“It’s a good deal more complicated than he lets on,” said Dr Lurie. “These are real challenges, and you will encounter industry opposition at every turn.”
For one, the FDA does not have authority over the catch-all of “ultra-processed foods”, several former officials told the BBC.
Instead, they said, the process is more complicated. Both the US Department of Agriculture and the FDA regulate the food industry. The FDA does not make the rules – it carries out policies passed by Congress and works to limit unhealthy foods by enforcing limits and labelling on certain nutrients, like sodium and saturated fat.
Kennedy’s comments “make for great political rhetoric”, Ms Garner said. “In my view, I don’t see how that could be feasible without drastic changes in other policy and infrastructure.”
He will also face industry backlash for proposals to ban pesticides and genetically modified organisms commonly used by American farmers, former FDA officials said.
“The businesses will complain,” said Rosalie Lijinsky, a former FDA official of 33 years.
The industry is used to limited oversight from both Democrats and Republicans – including under Trump’s first term – while many of Kennedy’s goals would involve even more rulemaking.
Several food industry groups met with lawmakers before Kennedy’s appointment this month to lobby against him, Politico reported last month.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, said this week that he planned to meet Kennedy before his confirmation hearing and “spend a lot of time educating him about agriculture”.
Kennedy’s position also puts him at odds with President-elect Trump, a longtime lover of fast food who worked to roll back stricter health requirements for school lunches during his first term.
“You get some ideas that make a certain amount of sense, but they are exactly the kind to which this administration is hostile,” Dr Lurie said.
In a statement to the BBC, the Food Industry Association, which represents food retailers, producers and manufacturers, like General Mills, said it looked forward to working with Trump’s team to “ensure food and drug policy continues to be grounded in science, to reduce regulatory complexity”.
The industry complaints about Kennedy’s agenda do not come as a surprise, said Jeff Hutt, a spokesperson for the Make America Healthy Again political action committee, which is urging Republican lawmakers to confirm Kennedy.
The goal of the health movement, Mr Hutt said, is “prioritising the wellness of America over corporate profits”.
“Even if the idea of banning ultra-processed food is not possible politically, it’s a conversation that we need to have,” he said.
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Pathway to change
Kennedy still could work within existing US regulatory frameworks to improve America’s food systems, former officials said.
Ms Nestle said Kennedy could take on ultra-processed foods by altering the US Dietary Guidelines, which set nutritional standards for the industry and federal government programmes, including school lunches and military meals.
“They have an enormous impact on the food industry,” Ms Nestle said. “That would make a big difference.”
The guidelines are updated every five years by the US Department of Agriculture and DHHS, which has previously said there is not enough evidence against ultra-processed foods.
Still, officials and nutrition experts raised concerns about the means by which Kennedy has proposed to enact his agenda, including firing the FDA’s nutritionists.
The move would have large ramifications for food safety, said Ms Lijinsky. “If you lose your top experts, you’re going to have problems,” she said.
Ultimately, Ms Garner said it is difficult to disentangle some of Kennedy’s more reasonable food-improvement goals with the false health claims he has spread.
“There’s an opportunity here,” Ms Garner said.
“But I think there’s rightful concern based on other issues and how his approach to those issues might play in here.”
