• WWW.ENGADGET.COM
    In Infinity Nikki, photo mode achieves its ultimate form
    Infinity Nikki is my favorite new release of 2024. It's a cotton candy confection of an open-world game that offers a lot more depth and variety than I expected to find. I enjoy the fabulous wardrobe, the low-key puzzles and the charming side quests. But the most surprising thing about Infinity Nikki was something that I've been ignoring in games for years: the photo mode.I didn't expect this to become a highlight of the Infinity Nikki experience. In fact, when it came up in the long sequence of tutorials during my first session, my initial reaction was, "Oh good, something I can forget about."Anna Washenko / Infold GamesPhoto mode has become a standard feature in single-player AAA games over the past decade. For those unfamiliar, this feature pauses the gameplay to let you pose your protagonist like an action figure, making them mug with a silly expression or hold up a peace sign. You can slap on a filter or make minute adjustments to the focus, aperture and other details to capture a striking image.Over the years, I've seen people capture Nathan Drake, Ellie and Joel, Aloy and many others striking heroic or hilarious poses. I appreciate those images when they cross my social feeds. And as game graphics become ever more photo-realistic, it makes sense that studios want to give players tools to capture beautiful moments when they happen. But every time I've played a game with a photo mode, I've found that after I take the one picture required by the tutorial, I never open the camera again.Anna Washenko / Infold GamesMy issue isn't that these games aren't gorgeous enough to warrant documenting. It's that when I'm in the middle of playing something like The Last of Us, it doesn't occur to me to stop for a snap because I'm so focused on the other gameplay mechanics and goals. Sure, there might be some calmer moments to breathe, but running for your life in a post-apocalyptic wasteland just isn't a time for casually browsing filters. And in other games, taking pics simply doesn't feel like an activity the character would do. Come on, there's no way Kratos would ever take a selfie.Like all its predecessors, Infinity Nikki is a beautiful game. Miraland comprises picturesque towns and charming landscapes, equally lovely in their sweeping vistas and hidden nooks. Everywhere you look are tons of carefully constructed little interactions that serve no purpose other than encouraging you to stage a cute image. You press a button to take a hot air balloon ride or to blow bubbles at a cafe table. It's a step up from most implementations, where the most you might be able to do is sit on a chair or bench.Anna Washenko / Infold GamesWhat fully hooked me on becoming a shutterbug, though, is a system where players are prompted to take pictures of notable locations around Miraland. The first time I found one, it was a lush green grotto where I directed Nikki to sit on a log by an underground lake. It was a pretty spot, sure, but what most delighted me was that my outfit matched the setting perfectly. So I didn't just grab a photo and move on to a more important task. Taking the time to look great is the most important task.There's no single style point of view in Infinity Nikki. A few special ensembles offer contextual in-game abilities, but most pieces are there just so you can look exactly how you want. Nikki can be an absurd anime character from fantasy land in tulle and sparkles. Or she can look exactly like someone you might see streaming the game on Twitch or TikTok in an oversized hoodie. Or she can pair a top hat with jean shorts and thigh-high knit boots if you want. (And yes, I did want.)Anna Washenko / Infold GamesThis game knows you're there at least partly to play dress-up. It also knows that the obvious thing to do when you play dress-up is to immortalize your best fits with a photo shoot. That's why Infinity Nikki's photo mode feels not just enjoyable, but essential. It's a core part of the game loop. When I assemble a new outfit, I want to find a good setting to snap a pic. When I stumble on a striking location, I think about which poses will best showcase it.Most of the time, cameras and photo modes do little to enhance my love of a game. They're the metaphorical cherry on top of the sundae. With Infinity Nikki, though, the photo mode is the ice cream. And it is delicious.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/in-infinity-nikki-photo-mode-achieves-its-ultimate-form-133033817.html?src=rss
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  • WWW.ENGADGET.COM
    X hikes ad-free Premium+ subscription price from $16 to $22
    Elon Musk's X has hiked prices for its ad-free Premium+ subscription service to $22 a month, up from $16 before ($168 to $229 annually), TechCrunch reported. That represents a 37.5 percent increase, the largest since Elon Musk purchased the platform previously known as Twitter back in 2022.One stated reason for the hike is that Premium+ is now "completely ads-free," with X claiming that it's a "significant enhancement" to the previous ad-free experience. It also promised a few other features. "Premium+ subscribers will enjoy higher priority support from @Premium, access to new features such as [X's advanced search tool] Radar, and higher limits on our most cutting-edge Grok AI models," the company wrote in a help page article. X also promised that more subscription revenue would be shared with creators.Premium+ prices are also rising by a similar amount in Europe, the UK, Canada and Australia. Existing users on monthly subscriptions will keep their current rates until January 20th, and price for other tiers (Basic and Premium) remain unchanged.X first introduced the Premium+ subscription tier in October 2023, promising an ad-free experience your "for you" and following timelines, along with existing Premium perks like a blue checkmark. However, users quickly noticed that ads appeared elsewhere on X (profiles, replies, Explore and elsewhere). A further update in August 2024 promised to eliminate those too, but X said that users would still see "occasional branded content in less common areas." Now, it seems, those will be vanquished too.X has reportedly lost 2.7 million active users in the last two months, with rival Bluesky gaining nearly the same number over that period. That has likely led to some loss in advertising revenue, which the platform may be hoping to recoup by raising subscription prices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-hikes-ad-free-premium-subscription-price-from-16-to-22-133016526.html?src=rss
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  • WWW.ENGADGET.COM
    Google could be accused of antitrust practices in Japan
    Around the world, government organizations are calling out Google for monopolistic practices. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) will reportedly announce Google is in violation of the country's antitrust laws in regards to its search engine, Chrome, and issue a cease and desist letter, Nikkei Asia reported. The watchdog started an investigation into Google's practices last October.The JFTC reportedly accuses Google of requiring smartphone manufacturers to sign a contract stating Chrome will be not only pre-downloaded on all devices, but that it will be placed in a certain spot on the screen. The manufacturers are allegedly forced to do this in order to have the Google Play available on their devices.In the US, federal judge Amit Mehta ruled in November that Google "is a monopolist" in the search engine industry. The Department of Justice (DoJ) then called for Google to sell Chrome as it "will permanently stop Googles control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet." The DoJ also called for Google to cease favoring Chrome on Android. Google recently released a proposal to appease the DoJ, but stated it will appeal the judge's ruling before a hearing scheduled for April.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-could-be-accused-of-antitrust-practices-in-japan-130039793.html?src=rss
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  • WWW.TECHRADAR.COM
    Apples rumored Ring video doorbell rival could have a clever Face ID trick
    The Apple HomePod could soon be joined by a smart home lock and doorbell with Face ID.
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  • WWW.TECHRADAR.COM
    Say hello to SetMe: A modern solution for offering remote tech support
    SetMe is a remote support solution for businesses of all sizes that allows IT teams to easily secure a connection to remote computers, allowing for ad-hoc or unattended support that was designed with years of experience in remote support software from the team behind FixMe.IT.
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  • WWW.CNBC.COM
    Mark Zuckerberg went all in on Meta's AI strategy this year. The pressure builds in 2025
    Generative AI technology has become Meta's priority, directly impacting the company's business and potentially paving the road to future revenue opportunities.
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  • WWW.CNBC.COM
    MicroStrategy rides 'red sweep' to 477% gain in 2024, topping almost all U.S. stocks
    Of the 439,000 bitcoin that MicroStrategy owns, more than one-third have been purchased since Trump's election victory last month.
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  • WWW.FASTCOMPANY.COM
    Loneliness isat an all-time high: Can the office save us?
    With smartphones and social apps taking over, the way we connect with each other has totally changed. Were always on and somehow still feeling alone. On top of that, with more of us working remotely or in hybrid setups, loneliness is hitting record highs. Theres no getting around it: real, face-to-face connection is essential for our well-being. Period. Maybe its time we take a page from the past and bring back more traditional ways of connecting to fight that feeling of isolation.All signs are pointing to 2025 as the year we head back into the office. Sure, leaving the comfort of your home and rejoining a shared workspace might feel like a hassle at first. But this shift comes with a silver lining. Its our chance to rediscover the everyday social buzz thats so important for our mental health and sense of belonging. Instead of dwelling on how annoying it might be to return to the office, why not focus on how it can actually make your day-to-day life richer and more connected?Why the office still mattersWe are communal creatures at heart, but in recent years, we have lost our access to and sense of community. Along the way, its been fairly easy to forget that our office environments once fulfilled a huge portion of our social lives. But what does it mean to be socialparticularly in an effective and intentional way? It comes down to the three categories of people we tend to interact with at work.The first is our support system, which is usually a group of less than five people in your life who want the best for you with no strings attached, and are available to you for various kinds of support when you need it. Next are the newbies, people who come into our lives, potentially driving some discomfort at first, but challenge us to communicate, grow, or be vulnerable, and may or may not evolve into different or more meaningful relationships. The last group are those with whom we have micro interactions,whether thats a doorman, the cashier at the supermarket, a guest speaker, or a contractor. These exchanges remind us we are a part of something bigger and help reinforceor challengeour belief system.These relationships and interactions are essential to our social health, and are often found when our lives push us out of the confines of our home. It just so happens that work is one of the most obvious and common modalities that can achieve that. Growth rarely happens in a comfort zone. So, while its easy to stay tucked away at home, over time, this can lead to a sense of stagnation and even loneliness.Being around others, even if it feels awkward or inconvenient at first, pushes us out of our bubble and enriches our perspective. Its in these moments of discomfortsharing a meeting room with someone you dont know well or attending a workplace social eventthat we develop resilience and new social skills. Plus, these experiences can make the comfort of home even sweeter when the workday is done.This doesnt mean we have to become best friends with everyone in our department, but sharing a laugh over coffee, collaborating face-to-face, or commiserating about shared challenges can be a surprisingly effective way to combat feelings of isolation. The beauty of these interactions is their simplicity. A casual chat in the break room or a shared lunch can inject a little dopamine into the day and remind us of the humanity behind the emails and Slack messagesand of the fact that we control our attitude and perspective.Making the office work for youMuch of the resistance to return-to-office mandates stems from a sense of obligation: I have to do this. But what if we reframed that mindset to: How do I want to make this work for me? This shift puts us back in the drivers seat. Instead of focusing on whats being asked of us, focus on how we can make the experience more enjoyable and beneficial. Schedule coffee meetups with coworkers, propose a team lunch, or even turn commuting time into a chance to listen to a favorite podcast or audiobook. Viewing the office as an opportunity rather than a chore can transform the entire experience.Lets put it into practice. How do we tangibly embrace work-related opportunities to improve our social wellness?First, start small. You dont need to overhaul your social habits overnight. Begin with small gestures, like saying hello to a coworker in the hallway or complimenting someone on a job well done. These small steps build confidence over time.Next, identify barriers. If the thought of being social at work causes anxiety, take a moment to identify whats holding you back. Is it fear of rejection? Uncertainty about how to start a conversation? Once youve pinpointed the issue, you can work to address it.Lastly, make it work for you. Tailor your interactions to what feels authentic. If large group settings feel overwhelming, focus on one-on-one connections. Set up a coffee date or invite a colleague to lunch. Think of workplace interactions as a chance to expand your personal and professional horizons. Each connection you make could lead to new opportunities or simply make your workday more enjoyable.The power of a Good MorningHeres the big takeaway that probably wont surprise anyonein-person social interaction is the cure to the loneliness epidemic still haunting so many. Workplaces, by nature, provide a readily available avenue to practice these behaviors and attitudes. With that in mind, its time to reframereturn-to-office mandates as opportunities, shifting from viewing them as a burden and instead seeing them as an invitation to connect with others and rediscover the value of in-person collaboration.Being in an office environment is a chance to open ourselves up to the benefits of traditional methods of building community, and to reclaim a sense of belonging in a world where weve become severely isolated from one another. While the idea may seem rudimentaryand maybe even unappealing at firstmaybe when it comes to our own well-being, taking it back to the basics gives us the best shot at happiness.
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  • WWW.FASTCOMPANY.COM
    Idris Elba is ServiceNows secret agent man
    Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! Im Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages ofInc.andFast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you cansign up to get it yourselfevery Monday morning.During his prolific acting career, Idris Elba has played a homicide detective, a drug lord, an all-seeing Marvel superhero, and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. But the British actor, who also runs a production company and has cofounded a creative agency and a skincare line, appears particularly at ease playing a CEO in a new marketing campaign for ServiceNow, the cloud-based software company.A new commercial, debuting on Christmas Day, features Elba as a fictional chief executive walking through his company, highlighting all the different ways ServiceNows artificial intelligence (AI) technology is supporting employees in human resources, IT, and customer service. The campaign is the latest product to come out of a partnership Elba has forged with the tech company and CEO Bill McDermott, which also includes a commitment to work together to bring energy and clean water resources to Sherbro Island off the coast of Sierra Leone.From introduction to actionIn an interview with Modern CEO, Elba underscored that hes not merely a spokesperson for the product. When the [ServiceNow] team came to my offices, I said, I need to use the product, he recalls. I have a small workforce across various different verticals. And I needed to understand the product so that I can be a part of a genuine partnership. So, Im integrating it into IE7 and the Akuna Group, which are my parent companies, so that when Im in these commercials I have a much better sense of what Im saying and why Im saying it.[Photo: ServiceNow]The collaboration between Elba and ServiceNow reflects the changing nature of the relationship between celebrities and brands. Actors, athletes, and even influencers dont just endorse products, they are frequently customers and shareholders in the brands they representand they often seek support from those brands for their charitable endeavors. LeBron James was an early role model, investing in bicycle maker Cannondale in 2007 and securing donated bikes for an annual charity bikeathon. Travis Kelce is an investor in Kodiak and joined forces with the food company to donate meals to school children in Kansas City.Aligned in purposeElba and ServiceNows McDermott quickly bonded over Elbas work to develop Sherbro Island in West Africa as an eco-friendly, self-sustaining community. The Elba Hope Foundation has announced plans to build a wind farm on the island to provide electricity and collect data to support additional renewable energy projects. The project aligns with ServiceNows efforts to bring infrastructure to parts of Africa in the hope of stoking economic development. ServiceNow also has a partnership with GivePower, a sustainable energy nonprofit, which aims to provide clean water to up to 600,000 Kenyans for 20 years. Its like magic when were together, McDermott says of spending time with Elba. Were both purpose-driven people, and ServiceNow is a purpose-led company. Bill McDermott [Photo: ServiceNow]The new marketing campaign attempts to bring to life McDermotts push to turn ServiceNow into the control tower for AI transformation from its humble roots as an IT service management company. The ads featuring Elba highlight ServiceNows AI agents, which use generative AI to identify and automatically solve problems. ServiceNow, which integrates with major AI players such as Google and Microsoft, promises to help AI agents collaborate across departments.A life-changing golf gameMcDermott was a surprise pick to run ServiceNow in 2019 after a 17-year career at software giant SAP. (ServiceNows annual sales at the time were $3.5 billion, compared to SAPs 2019 annual revenue of about $27.5 billion.) McDermott recalls playing golf with ServiceNows then-CEO John Donahoe, who asked if hed ever leave SAP. Donahoe subsequently announced that he was becoming CEO of Nike, and ServiceNow named McDermott as Donahoes successor. (Donahoe retired from Nike in October after a rocky tenure at the sporting gear maker.)After he was approached for the ServiceNow job, McDermott put together a five-year plan for the company. He recently celebrated his five-year anniversary in the role. The plan I shared is the plan weve executed, he says. Analysts expect the company to report 2024 revenue of nearly $11 billion, and the companys market capitalization of about $220 billion makes it the second most valuable software-as-a-service company, behind Salesforce.McDermott says Elba, who has long been a fan favorite to play the next James Bond, is the ideal person to be the face of ServiceNows AI latest initiative. Its his presence and his persona, he says. Hes our secret agent man.Your brand as a personWho personifies your brand? What marketing campaigns have done a good job communicating another companys products as well as its values? Send your favorite spots to me at stephaniemehta@mansueto.com. Id love to feature your top picks in a future newsletter.Read more: beyond celebrity endorsementsMeet the L.A. investor advising LeBron James and Billie EilishHow Shaquille ONeal made himself bigger than everKim Kardashians Skims is an Inc. 5000 company
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