Lisa Morgan, Freelance WriterFebruary 18, 20257 Min ReadZoonar GmbH via Alamy StockData governance is still a challenge at some organizations. Operational silos among departments, a lack of strong data governance leadership, and the ever-increasing glut of data are factors, as is a failure to understand the universe of data.Some elements of sound data governance involve understanding the various data types that you may have. Once you understand the types, you can start looking at the sensitivity level of the data, classify that information, and determine how best to protect and manage it, says Erich Barlow, head of information security - Americas | global IT security professional at standards and certification organization BSI Americas. Having a clear vision of the business context for collecting and storing data is also an element of a sound governance strategy. Developing this vision allows information to be governed in a manner consistent with current established standards and regulatory requirements, while also providing an outline of a potential data governance strategy.A sound data governance strategy needs to address the ethical use of data -- to avoid issues such as illegal discrimination -- or face consequences, such as fines, potential litigation, and reputational harm."Establishing data ownership and stewardship is also a crucial element of a sound data governance strategy, says Barlow. This process helps improve data control and ensures that only reliable sources are used and managed.Related:Arunkumar Thirunagalingam, senior manager data and technical operations at healthcare company McKesson, says to empower data sovereignty, organizations should formulate policies that include data definitions, access rights and data protection, compliance processes, data quality standards and performance metrics to ensure adherence to standards. Organizations should also be able to adapt to new regulations and business needs.Common Challenges Organizations FaceAdam Ennamli, chief risk andsecurity officer at General Bank of Canada, says approaching data governance as an IT or compliance initiative is the most fundamental mistake organizations make.[A] sound data governance strategy must be driven by the business, for the business, focusing on how data acts as an input to decisions, says Ennamli. If governance is pushed down as a technology, security or regulatory project, the business users may see it as a burden rather than a value driver, says Ennamli.Another mistake is trying to do too much at once.Too many organizations try to govern all their data at once, creating elaborate frameworks-on-slides that look impressive on paper but wont last a week in execution, says Ennamli. Instead, pick a critical business product or process, which can then lend you their influence across their organization, establish governance there, show tangible benefits and then expand.Related:Governance is also an ongoing process, not an event.[G]overnance isnt a project with an end date. Its an ongoing hygiene exercise that requires continuous attention and focus, says Ennamli. You dont have to build an army if you did the initial work right, just a diverse team of experts that understand the business dynamics and have foundational data knowledge.McKessons Thirunagalingam warns that its also possible to imagine starting from the wrong end, having ignored the needs of certain key stakeholders until late in the game. The result of that is resistance to the adoption of solution and misaligned policies for the governance of the business with its operational requirements.Do a bit and then build up. Make things simple at first [to] quickly deliver business value, such as increasing data accuracy or [enabling] more effective compliance, says Thirunagalingam. Promote accountability by embedding governance into business outcomes and encouraging ownership of data stewardship to all employees.Related:BSI Americass Barlow says some organizations dont understand how much data they possess, which can hamper the implementation of an effective data management program. Similarly, they may not fully grasp what regulations they must comply with or what data is specifically collected.This is especially true if the data collected is metadata from websites or applications. Some of this information is under regulatory control, so the business may need to apply additional control measures to comply with these requirements, says Barlow. Another challenge is finding the proper framework to fit the needs of the business and that of its clients and customers. Many standards exist, but some standards are suggestive and provide guidelines, while others are prescriptive, state-specific requirements that need to be adopted. This, in turn, means that the control measures required by a specific standard may be costly for the business to implement.When organizations arent aware of the data they possess and what controls may be required to comply with a given standard. The misunderstanding then snowballs into an ineffective program that does not meet the business's needs. It also puts the data at risk since the control measures are ineffective."Organizations in highly regulated industries such as healthcare and finance, dont have a good handle on the data they collect, says Barlow. Typically, the organization will collect an overabundance of data that is not needed for their services, [and] because they collect it, they must manage it. Some of these businesses are unaware that this information can be sensitive and require specialized care such as [at]-rest or [in]-transit encryption, so they spend more than budgeted.Who Should Spearhead Data GovernanceMany different types of roles are assigned to head governance because organizations approach it differently. It could be the head of compliance or privacy, the CISO, an existing risk function, the CIO or CTO, or another role. BSI Americas Barlow believes CISOs are the best choice.Information security officers are well placed in many organizations to address specific issues that may arise in handling or storing data, says Barlow. Additionally, InfoSec teams can help organizations understand the various requirements pertaining to their businesss data. The Information security team will have hands-on knowledge of how to implement the various security measures required by specific data management standards.If organizations have a data security officer or a data protection officer, they too should be involved in developing the methodology and management of data because they understand the complexity of the data and how to adhere to various international standards and local regulations. He also recommends having the legal team involved since litigation is the reason why some companies developed data management standards when they did.General Bank of Canadas Ennamli says while voluntary or designated data stewards are a decent idea on paper, it rarely workout out due to competing priorities and loyalties.You want dedicated, focused people that will look at the data, the processes, the operations, and build critical bridges between technology assets, informational assets, and business value units, translating requirements and emerging a clear, pragmatic mapping in both directions, says Ennamli.McKessons Thirunagalingam says strong data governance leadership comes solely from the chief data officers, and similar high-level executive sponsors expected to ensure cross-departmental collaboration.The person guarantees that data governance strategy is implemented towards the business goals and that top management endorses the strategy, says Thirunagalingam. Collaboration is of the utmost importance -- businesspeople, IT teams, data stewards, lawyers, etc., all are essential. There is a governance committee for which members are recommended on a cross functional basis to ensure policies are holistic in terms of addressing and meeting technical, legal, operational and other organization objectives.Tips for SuccessGiven the ever-increasing reliance on data for analytics, AI, and to inform business strategy, organizations that have not yet defined and implemented a data governance strategy should do so now.Taking control of your data will be crucial for when businesses begin developing or utilizing new and emerging data-driven technologies like AI and quantum computing, says BSIs Barlow. Addressing security issues early on will also help to ensure the information is available for use by emerging technologies in the future. Taking control of your data and addressing security issues will benefit both your business and customers, so the information must be accurate and readily available to be included in various models and training algorithms.General Bank of Canadas Ennamli underscores the need for simplicity.The most successful governance tip is to focus on making governance digestible, meaning, practical, jargon-free and useful for end users, says Ennamli. The minute governance becomes an obstacle to getting value creation work done, people will inevitably find ways around it, so be pragmatic and realistic in your approach.And dont forget the importance of cross-functional collaboration. Without strong data governance leadership and the right people involved, organizations risk inadvertent use or outright exploitation of data in a manner thats harmful to the organization and its stakeholders.About the AuthorLisa MorganFreelance WriterLisa Morgan is a freelance writer who covers business and IT strategy and emergingtechnology for InformationWeek. She has contributed articles, reports, and other types of content to many technology, business, and mainstream publications and sites including tech pubs, The Washington Post and The Economist Intelligence Unit. Frequent areas of coverage include AI, analytics, cloud, cybersecurity, mobility, software development, and emerging cultural issues affecting the C-suite.See more from Lisa MorganNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first,sign up here. While DOGEs efforts to shutter federal agencies dominate news from Washington, the Trump administration is also making more global moves. Many of these center on China. Tariffs on goods from the country went into effect last week. Theres also been a minor foreign relations furor since DeepSeeks big debut a few weeks ago. China has already displayed its dominance in electric vehicles, robotaxis, and drones, and the launch of the new model seems to add AI to the list. This caused the US president as well as some lawmakers to push for new export controls on powerful chips, and three states have now banned the use of DeepSeek on government devices. Now our intrepid China reporter, Caiwei Chen, has identified a new trend unfolding within Chinas tech scene: Companies that were dominant in electric vehicles are betting big on translating that success into developing humanoid robots. I spoke with her about what she found out and what it might mean for Trumps policies and the rest of the globe. James: Before we talk about robots, lets talk about DeepSeek. The frenzy for the AI model peaked a couple of weeks ago. What are you hearing from other Chinese AI companies? How are they reacting? Caiwei: I think other Chinese AI companies are scrambling to figure out why they havent built a model as strong as DeepSeeks, despite having access to as much funding and resources. DeepSeeks success has sparked self-reflection on management styles and renewed confidence in Chinas engineering talent. Theres also strong enthusiasm for building various applications on top of DeepSeeks models. Your story looks at electric-vehicle makers in China that are starting to work on humanoid robots, but I want to ask about a crazy stat. In China, 53% of vehicles sold are either electric or hybrid, compared with 8% in the US. What explains that? Price is a huge factorthere are countless EV brands competing at different price points, making them both affordable and high-quality. Government incentives also play a big role. In Beijing, for example, trading in an old car for an EV gets you 10,000 RMB (about $1,500), and that subsidy was recently doubled. Plus, finding public charging and battery-swapping infrastructure is much less of a hassle than in the US. You open your story noting that Chinas recent New Year Gala, watched by billions of people, featured a cast of humanoid robots, dancing and twirling handkerchiefs. Weve covered how sometimes humanoid videos can be misleading. What did you think? I would say I was relatively impressedthe robots showed good agility and synchronization with the music, though their movements were simpler than human dancers. The one trick that is supposed to impress the most is the part where they twirl the handkerchief with one finger, toss it into the air, and then catch it perfectly. This is the signature of the Yangko dance, and having performed it once as a child, I can attest to how difficult the trick is even for a human! There was some skepticism on the Chinese internet about how this was achieved and whether they used additional reinforcement like a magnet or a string to secure the handkerchief, and after watching the clip too many times, I tend to agree. President Trump has already imposed tariffs on China and is planning even more. What could the implications be for Chinas humanoid sector? Unitrees H1 and G1 models are already available for purchase and were showcased at CES this year. Large-scale US deployment isnt happening yet, but Chinas lower production costs make these robots highly competitive. Given that 65% of the humanoid supply chain is in China, I wouldnt be surprised if robotics becomes the next target in the US-China tech war. In the US, humanoid robots are getting lots of investment, but there are plenty of skeptics who say theyre too clunky, finicky, and expensive to serve much use in factory settings. Are attitudes different in China? Skepticism exists in China too, but I think theres more confidence in deployment, especially in factories. With an aging population and a labor shortage on the horizon, theres also growing interest in medical and caregiving applications for humanoid robots. DeepSeek revived the conversation about chips and the way the US seeks to control where the best chips end up. How do the chip wars affect humanoid-robot development in China? Training humanoid robots currently doesnt demand as much computing power as training large language models, since there isnt enough physical movement data to feed into models at scale. But as robots improve, theyll need high-performance chips, and US sanctions will be a limiting factor. Chinese chipmakers are trying to catch up, but its a challenge. For more, read Caiweis story on this humanoid pivot, as well as her look at the Chinese startups worth watching beyond DeepSeek. Now read the rest of The Algorithm Deeper Learning Motor neuron diseases took their voices. AI is bringing them back. In motor neuron diseases, the neurons responsible for sending signals to the bodys muscles, including those used for speaking, are progressively destroyed. It robs people of their voices. But some, including a man in Miami named Jules Rodriguez, are now getting them back: An AI model learned to clone Rodriguezs voice from recordings. Why it matters: ElevenLabs, the company that created the voice clone, can do a lot with just 30 minutes of recordings. Thats a huge improvement over AI voice clones from just a few years ago, and it can really boost the day-to-day lives of the people whove used the technology. This is genuinely AI for good, says Richard Cave, a speech and language therapist at the Motor Neuron Disease Association in the UK. Read more from Jessica Hamzelou. Bits and Bytes A true crime documentary series has millions of views, but the murders are all AI-generated A look inside the strange mind of someone who created a series of fake true-crime docs using AI, and the reactions of the many people who thought they were real. (404 Media) The AI relationship revolution is already here People are having all sorts of relationships with AI models, and these relationships run the gamut: weird, therapeutic, unhealthy, sexual, comforting, dangerous, useful. Were living through the complexities of this in real time. Hear from some of the many people who are happy in their varied AI relationships and learn what sucked them in. (MIT Technology Review) Robots are bringing new life to extinct species A creature called Orobates pabsti waddled the planet 280 million years ago, but as with many prehistoric animals, scientists have not been able to use fossils to figure out exactly how it moved. So theyve started building robots to help. (MIT Technology Review) Lessons from the AI Action Summit in Paris Last week, politicians and AI leaders from around the globe went to Paris for an AI Action Summit. While concerns about AI safety have dominated the event in years past, this year was more about deregulation and energy, a trend weve seen elsewhere. (The Guardian) OpenAI ditches its diversity commitment and adds a statement about intellectual freedom Following the lead of other tech companies since the beginning of President Trumps administration, OpenAI has removed a statement on diversity from its website. It has also updated its model specthe document outlining the standards of its modelsto say that OpenAI believes in intellectual freedom, which includes the freedom to have, hear, and discuss ideas. (Insider and Tech Crunch) The Musk-OpenAI battle has been heating up Part of OpenAI is structured as a nonprofit, a legacy of its early commitments to make sure its technologies benefit all. Its recent attempts to restructure that nonprofit have triggered a lawsuit from Elon Musk, who alleges that the move would violate the legal and ethical principles of its nonprofit origins. Last week, Musk offered to buy OpenAI for $97.4 billion, in a bid that few people took seriously. Sam Altman dismissed it out of hand. Musk now says he will retract that bid if OpenAI stops its conversion of the nonprofit portion of the company. (Wall Street Journal)

Later this month, Intuitive Machines, the private company behind the first commercial lander that touched down on the moon, will launch a second lunar mission from NASAs Kennedy Space Center. The plan is to deploy a lander, a rover, and hopper to explore a site near the lunar south pole that could harbor water ice, and to put a communications satellite on lunar orbit. But the mission will also bring something thats never been installed on the moon or anywhere else in space beforea fully functional 4G cellular network. Point-to-point radio communications, which need a clear line of sight between transmitting and receiving antennas, have always been a backbone of both surface communications and the link back to Earth, starting with the Apollo program. Using point-to-point radio in space wasnt much of an issue in the past because there never have been that many points to connect. Usually, it was just a single spacecraft, a lander, or a rover talking to Earth. And they didn't need to send much data either. They were based on [ultra high frequency] or [very high frequency] technologies connecting a small number of devices with relatively low data throughput, says Thierry Klein, president of Nokia Bell Labs Solutions Research, which was contracted by NASA to design a cellular network for the moon back in 2020. But it could soon get way more crowded up there: NASAs Artemis program calls for bringing the astronauts back to the moon as early as 2028 and further expanding that presence into a permanent habitat in 2030s. The shift from mostly point-to-point radio communications to a full-blown cell network architecture should result in higher data transfer speeds, better range, and increase the number of devices that could be connected simultaneously, Klein says. But the harsh conditions of space travel and on the lunar surface make it difficult to use Earth-based cell technology straight off the shelf. Instead, Nokia designed components that are robust against radiation, extreme temperatures, and the sorts of vibrations that will be experienced during the launch, flight, and landing. They put all these components in a single network in a box, which contains everything needed for a cell network except the antenna and a power source. We have the antenna on the lander, so together with the box thats essentially your base station and your tower, Klein says. The box will be powered by the landers solar panels. During the IM-2 mission, the 4G cell network will allow for communication between the lander and the two vehicles. The network will likely only work for a few days the spacecraft are not likely to survive after night descends on the lunar surface. But Nokia has plans for a more expansive 4G or 5G cell network that can cover the planned Artemis habitat and its surroundings. The company is also working on integrating cell communications in Axiom spacesuits meant for future lunar astronauts. Maybe just one network in a box, one tower, would provide the entire coverage or maybe we would need multiple of these. Thats not going to be different from what you see in terrestrial cell networks deployment, Klein says. He says the network should grow along with the future lunar economy. Not everyone is happy with this vision. LTE networks usually operate between 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz, a region of the radiofrequency spectrum that partially overlaps with frequencies reserved for radio astronomy. Having such radio signals coming from the moon could potentially interfere with observations. Telescopes are most sensitive in the direction that they are pointingup towards the sky, Chris De Pree, deputy spectrum manager at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) said in an email. Communication satellites like Starlink often end up in the radio telescopes line of sight. A full-scale cell network on the moon would add further noise to the night sky. There is also a regulatory hurdle that must be worked around. There are radio bands that have been internationally allocated to support lunar missions, and the LTE band is not among them. Using 4G frequencies on or around the moon is a violation of the ITU-R radio regulations, NRAOs spectrum manager Harvey Liszt explained in an email. To legally deploy the 4G network on the moon, Nokia received a waiver specifically for the IM-2 mission. For permanent deployment well have to pick a different frequency band, Klein says. We already have a list of candidate frequencies to consider. Even with the frequency shift, Klein says Nokias lunar network technology will remain compatible with terrestrial 4G or 5G standards. And that means that if you happened to bring your smartphone to the moon, and it somehow survived both the trip and the brutal lunar conditions, it should work on the moon just like it does here on Earth. It would connect if we put your phone on the list of approved devices, Klein explains. All youd need is a lunar SIM card.

Judge says campaigners have raised arguable grounds to challenge approval of 200m schemeAllies & Morrisons proposals for the 8,000-seat showcourtAllies & Morrisons plans to treble the size of the Wimbledon Championships grounds have been thrown back into limbo by the High Courts decision to allow a judicial review of the schemes planning consent.Campaign group Save Wimbledon Park launched a legal challenge at the beginning of January against the Greater London Authoritys approval of the 200m plans, arguing that it had made errors of law and planning policy.The court has now accepted all three of the groups grounds for a judicial review, with Justice Lang saying this week that the bid had raised arguable grounds which merit consideration at a full hearing.Aerial view of the proposals, showing the existing tournament grounds on the left with the expanded site on the rightThe proposals, the largest expansion in the grand slam tournaments history, would add 38 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat show court on Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) neighbouring the All England Lawn Tennis Clubs (AELTC) main site in Wimbledon.> Also read:Relief for Wimbledon as City Hall overturns local councils rejection of 200m expansion plansBut the scheme has been bogged down by planning disputes since autumn 2023 when Wandsworth council, which covers around 10% of the site, voted to refuse the application due to concerns over the loss of public land. The remaining 90% of the site is located within Merton council, which had approved the scheme two weeks earlier.The scheme was then thrown a lifeline in January 2024 when the application was called in by City Hall and finally approved by deputy mayor Jules Pipe in September following a series of design changes intended to increase public access to the site from the neighbouring Wimbledon Park.But Save Wimbledon Park argued in its judicial review bid that the decision had failed to take into account restrictive covenants on the land which the group said would prevent the proposed development.The group is also claiming that a proposed private tennis entertainment complex is not an alternative sports and recreational provision as required by planning policy.The site, which is currently occupied by a golf course, comprises the western half of the remnants of an 18th century landscaped garden designed by Capability Brown.The AELTC had argued that scheme would include heritage benefits by removing the golf course and partially restore of the landscaped park.However, Save Wimbledon Park countered that that the golf course development was in planning policy terms deliberate damage to this historic heritage asset, such that the rectification of such damage should not count as a benefit.Jeremy Hudson, speaking on behalf of the campaign group, said legal action had been launched because the community feel strongly that this precious, historic and highly protected environment should be preserved from inappropriate development, be allowed to remain accessible, and continue to be available for community use for sport and recreation.He added: This step is not just for our local community but also important for many other Metropolitan Open Land spaces under threat of development.The court will now set a date for the hearing.The AELTC said: Our plans to transform land that was formerly a private members golf club into beautiful new publicly accessible parkland, as well as securing the future of The Championships for generations to come, has been extensively discussed and analysed over the past three years.We are confident in the process undertaken during this time, including the GLAs decision to grant planning permission at a public hearing in September.The deputy mayor concluded in the September hearing that the scheme would provide very significant public benefits that would clearly outweigh any harm done to public land.Pipe had also argued that, while the development would be inappropriate on MOL, in practice the land, which has been the site of a golf club, has been extremely constricted for the past century, principally to fee-paying golfers.The AELTC has said the expansion is needed to maintain the global prestige of Wimbledon, which is currently the only grand slam tournament which is unable to hold qualifying rounds on its own grounds.

If you've been counting down the days until the release of Obsidian's Avowed, the wait is over. And Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now dive into and explore the Living Lands of Avowed.Xbox Game Pass Ultimate -- a CNET Editors' Choice award pick -- offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, PC and mobile device for $20 a month. A subscription provides access to a large library of games, with new titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 added every month, plus benefits such as online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.Read more: Microsoft's Developer Direct Proved Game Pass Is Xbox's New NormHere are all the games Microsoft added to Xbox Game Pass in February so far. You can also check out other games Microsoft added to the service in January, like Sniper Elite: Resistance. AvowedFrom the developers of Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds comes a new adventure in a place called the Living Lands. A mysterious plague is creeping throughout the land and spreading chaos. You're sent to investigate, and what unfolds is a tale riddled with war, intrigue and ancient mysteries. Wield magic and steel as you carve your own destiny and uncover the truth.Madden 25The Super Bowl marked the end of football season, but you can keep it going with Madden 25. The latest installment of the popular sports franchise brings a newphysics-based tackling systemto the game, and it reengineers the Hit Stick so you can deliver bigger, more accurate hits. So get ready to play and watch some hard-hitting football all yearlong. Another Crab's Treasure (console) You know what they say: One man's trash is another crab's treasure, or something like that. Microsoft brought this game to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in April 2024, and now the company is bringing it to Game Pass Standard subscribers. This game is like a cross between Elden Ring and the classic game Ecco the Dolphin. You play as a hermit crab who sets off on a quest to buy back your repossessed shell. You'll have to use the trash of the ocean to protect yourself against huge enemies, and you'll also learn why the ocean is so polluted with garbage to begin with. And who knows, maybe you'll see Ariel with her collection of thingamabobs down there. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (console) If you're a Game Pass Standard subscriber, get ready to gather your friends and allies for this action JRPG. You have to create a party of six heroes out of over 100 -- it's in the name, after all -- as you set off on an adventure across the war-torn continent of Allraan. You can also manage a small town and play mini-games along the way. Starfield (Xbox Series X/S) Game Pass Standard subscribers can explore this expansive sci-fi RPG from the same studio that made The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. You play as a miner who finds an alien artifact, and this sets off a chain reaction across the stars. While the main story follows you as you try to unlock the secrets of this artifact, you can go off and explore more than 1,000 planets, interact with colonies and outposts, and create your own story. Kingdom Two Crowns (cloud and console) Microsoft removed this game from Game Pass a few years ago, and now the company is bringing it back to the service. In this 2D adventure strategy game, you have to build up your kingdom during the day to secure it from a threat called the Greed that attacks at night. You'll then conquer far-off lands in order to put a stop to the Greed threat once and for all. Games that left Game PassWhile Microsoft is adding those six games to different tiers of Xbox Game Pass, the company also removed seven other games from the service. So if want to finish your campaign or any side quests in these games, you'll have to buy them separately. For more on Xbox, check out other games available on Game Pass Ultimate now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you. Watch this: Everything We Expect in Gaming in 2025 05:01

Math equations aren't everyone's strong suit, and that's all right. With thisiOS 18trick, you don't have to open your Calculator app to solve tricky equations, and you won't have to open Google to look up a conversion rate, either. Instead, you can just use your Messages app. CNETPrior to iOS 18, if you wanted to figure out how to split a bill with your texting group from afar, you'd have to use your calculator app or Spotlight and then switch back to Messages. With iOS 18 you can perform multistep calculations in Messages -- as well as convert things like currency and temperature -- without switching apps.Read more:iOS 18 Brings These New Features to Your iPhoneHere's how to make Messages perform calculations.How to solve math problems in Messages Apple/Screenshot by CNETIn order to solve a math equation in Messages, type the problem into your text field, add the equals sign (=) and the solution will appear in the predictive text field over your keyboard. Tap the solution to add it to your text.Messages can solve simple equations -- like "2+2=" -- by typing them into the text field. The app can also solve equations that use more complex formulas, like the trigonometric functions of sine, cosine and tangent. You need to include the equals sign (=) at the end no matter what.How to convert values in MessagesConverting values in Messages works similar to solving math problems in the app. Type the value into your text box with the appropriate value marker -- like F for Fahrenheit or lbs for pounds -- and then type the equal sign (=), and the predictive text field above your keyboard will show you the conversion. Apple/Screenshot by CNETIf you don't indicate what to convert to, predictive text will choose what to convert to. Don't worry -- it won't try to convert pounds to minutes. Messages will show conversions to other similar units, so Fahrenheit will convert to Celsius and pounds will convert to kilograms.You can choose what to convert to by typing something like "60hr to min=" and Messages will display the conversion in the predictive text field -- that's 3,900 minutes.For more on iOS 18, here's what you need to know aboutiOS 18.3.1andiOS 18.3. You can also check out ouriOS 18 cheat sheet. Watch this: Apple Invites Is Here: Tips for Using Apple's Party Invitation App 06:24

Sony has updated its Last Chance To Play collection on PS Plus, listing games leaving the service next month. Read more

Developer Rockstar allegedly has its eyes on creating the next metaverse-style gaming experience, and has been in discussions with "top" Fortnite and Roblox creators, as well as dedicated GTA content creators, about designing custom experiences within Grand Theft Auto 6. Read more

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Fortnite has dominated the gaming industry for more than seven years. The video game has received hundreds of updates during this period, and that is a big reason for its popularity. Due to this, we expect Epic Games to keep developing it, making it better for all players. Adding new Fortnite servers is a surefire way to improve the game, and that is exactly what the developer is doing.Earlier this year, there were reports of Fortnite testing new servers. Fortunately, Epic has made some progress with this, as a new data center was just enabled.New Fortnite servers are now liveOn Monday, Epic Games enabled a new data center in Mexico. This is a sub-region of the NA-Central server and will improve the gameplay experience for millions of players. Before this, players from Central and South America were able to pick between the servers in Brazil and the United States. However, that is no longer the case. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. According to Hypex, the new servers are located in Quertaro, a state located north of Mexico City. However, its important to note that this data center is not listed separately in the game. To connect to it, players will need to set their region to NA-Central. Once the matchmaking starts, the game will automatically pick the most optimal server in this region.Epic Games is working on adding new Fortnite servers. Image by VideoGamerAn earlier report indicated that Epic was planning to introduce seven new servers for the game, including one in Mexico. Currently, the Fortnite developer is testing six additional servers in locations such as Indonesia and South Africa. Some of these servers may go live with the launch of the new season on Friday, February 21. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now As Epic expands its server network and improves the experience for countless Fortnite players across the globe, the games future looks even more promising. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Grand Theft Auto 6 is the most anticipated game of all time, let alone this year. Right now, the release date is still on course for Fall 2025, but we are yet to get trailer 2 or any other official news directly from Rockstar. While the lack of anything from Rockstar is disappointing, a significant leak has just surfaced, revealing plans for GTA 6 to become the next big metaverse platform after Fortnite and Roblox.GTA 6 leak reveals Fortnite and Roblox influenceThere is a leak that claims Rockstar are taking influence from Fortnite and Roblox, with the intent to make GTA 6 the next big metaverse platform. This leak comes courtesy of outlet digiday, and they claim Rockstar has been in discussions with top Roblox and Fortnite creators, as well as dedicated GTA content creators.As for what these discussions are about, they involve the potential for these creators to build custom experiences inside the upcoming game. Reportedly, These experiences would allow creators to modify the games environment and assets to bring their own intellectual property and potentially their brand sponsors into GTAs virtual sandbox. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. Rockstar did not respond to requests for comments from digiday, and the outlet states that these discussions have been revealed to them by three industry insiders with knowledge of these meetings, who requested anonymity in order to protect business relationships.Lastly, its reported that these conversations have remained relatively open-ended, meaning nothing is official and set-in-stone. There are also no specifics on how creators would benefit from bringing their IP into Grand Theft Auto 6 beyond just exposure. Although not confirmed, the most likely benefit is Rockstar selling virtual items similar to Fortnite and Roblox, which would allow creators to make money by sharing revenue with Rockstar. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Again, this is only a leak rather than anything official. All we have officially heard from Take-Two Interactive recently is that they understand the importance of a PC release, and that they are not worried about the tired rhetoric concerning video game violence.In other GTA 6 news, the game is predicted to be the biggest entertainment launch in history with over $1 billion in pre-order sales alone.Grand Theft Auto 6Platform(s):PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, Action AdventureRelated TopicsSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share