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Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Donald Trump
The nightmare of another Donald Trump presidency is once again a reality following his election win, and everyone, including these tech CEOs, is lining up to kiss the ring of the orange menace expeditiously to ensure they are on his good side.
Donald Trump has not yet taken power, but the ominous cloud of what his 4-year reign will bring looms large over the heads of Americans and corporate Americans as he enacts disastrous policies.
Tech CEOs who weren’t outside with Trump jumping up and down on his rally stages, looking as silly as Elon Musk did for the most part, sat back and kept quiet, awaiting the results of the 2024 presidential election.
Kiss The Ring
Now that the dust has settled and Trump is returning to the White House, the congratulatory messages from the tech giants quickly started rolling in.
“Congratulations President Trump, we’re looking forward to engaging with you and your administration to drive innovation forward that creates new growth and opportunity for the United States and the world,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nedella wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, who Trump hilariously called Tim Apple wrote on X, “Congratulations President Trump on your victory! We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to help make sure the United States continues to lead with and be fueled by ingenuity, innovation, and creativity.”
One time rival of Trump, Jeff Bezos, who told his paper, The Washington Post to not endorse Kamala Harris, definitely seemed very happy in his congratulatory tweet. “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love,” Bezos wrote.
Former Microsoft CEO, Bill Gates wrote on Threads, “Congratulations to President Trump and VP-elect Vance. America is at its strongest when we use ingenuity and innovation to improve lives here in the U.S. and around the world. I hope we can work together now to build a brighter future for everyone.”
Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his app, “Congratulations to President Trump on a decisive victory. We have great opportunities ahead of us as a country. Looking forward to working with you and your administration.”
Well, given Trump is once again one of the most powerful people in the world, these CEOs want to ensure they get a decent piece of the deregulated pie.
It’s already being reported that Trump’s win added a record $64 billion to the wealth of the 10 richest people in the world, Bezos and Musk are on that list.
So, of course, they have a lot to be thankful about regarding Donald Trump. Don’t bet on any of that wealth trickling down to “forgotten working class.”
You can see more congratulatory tweets in the gallery below.
1. Amazon CEO Andy Jass
2. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai
3. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
4. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger
5. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / X
If you thought Elon Musk couldn’t make X, formerly Twitter, any worse than it is, think again. A new take on the block feature has rolled out, and yes, it’s dumb.
Elon Musk first announced the change to the block feature back in September, and now it’s here. The Verge reports that X started launching the controversial change to how blocking trolls work over the weekend.
According to Techcrunch, the change will allow people who were once blocked on X to see your posts, followers, and who you are following.
According to Donald Trump’s newest glazer, Elon Musk, blocking people from seeing your public posts “makes no sense,” and now that all changes under Musk’s leadership will possibly allow people to harass you on the platform continually.
In October, the engineering account for X claimed in its argument for the change that users who blocked individuals could say hurtful or harmful things about the user they blocked without them knowing, and the change allows for “greater transparency.”
Rigggghhhttt.
Still, despite seeing what users can post, blocked users still can’t reply, like, follow, or send direct messages to the user who blocked them.
Some are pointing out how problematic this change to the block feature is and how it may not align with both Google and Apple’s app store policies.
Per The Verge:
But as Tracy Chou, who launched the anti-harassment tool Block Party, said in a post on X, “…the point is that friction matters!! making it easy for a creeper to creep is not a good thing!!”
Another issue is whether the updated block function aligns with the rules in app stores. Apple’s guidelines say that apps with user-generated content must have “The ability to block abusive users from the service.”
Users on X have been slamming Musk and the change to the block feature on his own platform. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Exactly
2. We can only hope
4. Excellent question
5. Howling
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The arrival of UFC 5 in 2023 sparked celebration among mixed martial arts fans and as the only game of its type on the major consoles, that excitement was understandable. Now out for an entire year, UFC 5 has seen a series of patches and tweaks and we look to see how the game has held up.
To break the fourth wall a bit, I’m a huge fan of mixed martial arts and the UFC has a roster that features many of the world’s best fighters. In some ways, the latest UFC game from EA Sports puts a lot of pressure on the title to deliver every bit of nuance MMA provides in the real world and mostly holds up to that promise with a deep fighting system, several big-name fighters, and patches over the past year that improved the experience for fans.
Source: EA Sports / EA Sports
The game’s predecessor, UFC 4, had its fair share of fans who enjoyed the gritty realism of the standup game and the career mode but others found the ground game to be difficult at times. UFC 5 largely looks the same but now it employs the Frostbite game engine so there are several visual improvements from the former Ignite engine.
The fifth iteration of the fighting series has four main gameplay modes: Fight Week, Fight Now, Career, and Online.
With Fight Week, real-time UFC fights are at the center of the mode. When updated, there will be opportunities to make fight picks before the actual matches and earn valuable UFC Coins for your created fighter and online store. There are also Fight Week Contracts, daily fights where you take on opponents to earn UFC Coins. There are also challenges to earn player emotes and other rewards.
Source: Screengrab/D.L. Chandler
Fight Now is a mode that puts you right in the middle of action against a computer opponent or a pal on the couch. Here, you can select hundreds of fighters from the UFC roster and slug it out. The mode features Main Card fights, which are three-round matches.
Then there are Main Event and Championship fights, both going five rounds. Backyard fights are five 3-minute rounds where the judges score the fight on how much damage is doled out. Then there is the Kumite event, which is one 25-minute and if it goes until the end, the fight will be called a draw.
Also in Fight Now, you can pick between gameplay styles such as Simulation, which is the purest way to play. Knockout style turns off health regeneration and fighters are granted unlimited stamina and combos. Lastly, Stand and Bang keeps the action standing until one drops.
Source: Screengrab/D.L. Chandler
UFC 4’s Career Mode was one of the top features in the last game and the mode is back with Coach Davis returning to guide you along the way into becoming the G.O.A.T. The path to greatness is a difficult one but this gameplay mode is the best way to learn all of the tricks and tips of the game.
Lastly of the main modes is Online, which also has a career mode, ranked championships where you can take on fighters of the same skill level, blitz battles, and quick fights.
Source: Screengrab/D.L. Chandler
To be honest with folks, the only modes I consistently play are Career and practicing against the computer opponent in the game’s Learn section. Trust me, it’s taken me a long time to learn all of the moves and I’m pretty sure I still don’t know everything. This isn’t like some fighting games where button mashing might lead to a lucky knockout. For me, the best place for most new players to go is the Learn section to get some reality checks about your ability and then dive into the Career mode to get into the meat and potatoes of the game.
I also want to give a major salute to the UFC team for simplifying the ground game. In UFC 4, you had to play a mini-game of sorts to gain or block submissions or switch in and out of ground-and-pound positions. It was way too difficult for even the most seasoned video game player but in 5, the streamlined ground game makes for a better all-around experience. However, if you end up on the ground with a fighter who isn’t traditionally great at fighting from their backs, you’re in for a long night.
While UFC 5 has all of the visuals correct, there are still some in the gaming community who felt it didn’t improve much upon the last game. Even with the improved face damage animations, slow-motion knockouts, and other tweaks, fans felt like this was a retread of UFC 4 with a prettier face. I don’t quite agree as the Career mode is far more involved than before and there are notable improvements to make this a pure simulation-style fighting game.
UFC 5 is built for devout fans of combat sports even as the UFC and MMA overall are firmly in the mainstream with major sports network coverage. It helps to come into this game with some knowledge of the sport and an openness to learning the intricacies of the gameplay. If you can embrace the massive landscape of ways to play, this title is worth picking up the sticks for.
Learn more about UFC 5 here.
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Photo: EA Sports
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Source: picture alliance / Getty / Amazon
Word on the e-streets is that Amazon is looking to open a low-cost storefront to rival Temu. We just hope that if this is true, the products will be of good quality.
Website The Information (yes, that is the actual name) has seen internal information sent to Amazon merchants detailing the price caps of some of the products for the new low-cost storefront.
According to the website, prices are $8 for jewelry, $9 for bedding, $13 for guitars, and $20 for sofas. Everything under this new “Low-Cost Store” ships from its fulfillment center in Guangdong, China.
While you will be getting items for the low-low, don’t expect them to come at the breakneck delivery speeds you have grown accustomed to from Amazon. The Information reports that the new storefront will have slower shipping timelines of nine to 11 days, but sellers will be charged lower fulfillment fees.
Per Engadget:
A seller would be charged between $1.77 and $2.05 to ship a 4-8 ounce item through the Low-Cost Store, compared with a $2.67 to $4.16 charge for an item of that weight shipped under Fulfillment by Amazon from a domestic warehouse, according to The Information.
Amazon has not set price limits on its eponymous online storefront, so this new platform will be a markedly different strategy from its usual approach. It’s more in line with the pricing policy followed by Temu, which launched in 2022.
In its two years of existence, Temu has earned a reputation for selling items of poor quality; Amazon can swoop in and take control of another market if it delivers the same goods but with better quality.
We shall see what happens.
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Source: ODD ANDERSEN / Getty / Elon Musk
Elon Musk is currently out here stumping for Trump and giving money to those who sign up for his Super PAC. Due to a new lawsuit, he may have to dig even deeper into his pockets.
Spotted on The Verge, one of the production companies behind the 2017 film Blade Runner 2049, feels Elon Musk, who is honestly just the Donald Trump of tech, ripped off the movie for his robotaxi event.
On Monday, October 21, LA-based production company Alcon Entertainment slapped Phony Stark, his company Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging the use of an AI image generator to create promotional art for the We, Robot event that resembles stills from Blade Runner 2049.
According to Alcon, who also owns the copyright to Blade Runner 2049, WBD and Tesla decided to slide them a request to use imagery from the film just hours ahead of the We, Robot event on October 10 that conveniently took place on the Warner Bros. lot in California.
The website notes that because this event was live-streamed internationally, Alcon directly had to provide clearance for the images, even though Warner Bros. owns some licensing rights to Blade Runner 2049.
Per The Verge:
“Any prudent brand considering any Tesla partnership has to take Musk’s massively amplified, highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech, into account,” Alcon’s suit explains. “Alcon did not want BR2049 to be affiliated with Musk, Tesla, or any Musk company, for all of these reasons.”
Despite Alcon’s refusal, however, Tesla allegedly decided to feed shots from Blade Runner 2049 into an AI image generator to create “a lightly stylized fake screen still screen” which was displayed prominently during the We, Robot presentation.
The Verge also reports that Musk mentioned Blade Runner while describing sci-fi interpretations of the future. The live stream cut to a photo of a man wearing a trench coat standing in front of a dusty apocalyptic cityscape, basically the entire look of Blade Runner 2049.
This is not the first time Elon Musk and his company have been accused of copying someone else’s style. During the same event, the director of I Robot, Alex Proyas, accused Musk of swagger-jacking his designs, a claim many people on X, formerly Twitter, quickly made.
So, these latest accusations don’t shock us at all.
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Source: SOPA Images / Getty / Amazon October Prime Day
It’s Prime Day again, specifically for Amazon Prime members. Luckily, we are here to help you find some tech-related deals.
Amazon is looking out for Prime members and wants to help you get a leg up on your holiday shopping lists, specifically for the techie and gamer in your life.
Beginning on October 8 and ending on October 9, Amazon slashes prices on headphones, earbuds, gaming headphones, smart televisions, and games. So, the last two days have definitely been good days to be an Amazon Prime member, and if you’re not, it’s not too late to become one to take advantage of the deals we are about to list below.
Wireless Headphones & Earbuds
Source: Apple / Beats / Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Are you looking for a new pair of wireless headphones or buds? There are plenty to choose from right now. Here are some of the best deals on Amazon.
Gaming Headsets
Source: SteelSeries / SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Headphones
Outside of controllers, televisions, and monitors, gamers need headsets to lock in and secure the W. Thankfully, there are some great options available on Amazon at great prices.
Video Games
Source: EA Sports / Tiburon / EA Sports Madden NFL 25
There aren’t many games getting that Prime Big Day Deal treatment, but there are some bangers worth adding to the gamer in your life or your personal collection.
Smart TVs
Source: JUNG YEON-JE / Getty
Now is a better time than ever to get a new smart television. Below are some hot deals.
Happy shopping.
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Source: JIM WATSON / Getty
Elon Musk continues to make a complete fool out of himself.
The billionaire tech exec who desperately wants to be like Tony Stark has made it no secret where he stands politically, but on Saturday, he made it very clear that he is MAGA, or as he put it, “Dark MAGA,” whatever the hell that means.
Phony Stark, aka Elon Musk, happily jumped his way onto the stage during Trump’s latest rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, yup, the same place of the first assassination attempt on former disgraced president Donald Trump back in July.
The Tesla and SpaceX Chief got on the stage and, in front of the microphone, spewed the same ridiculous rhetoric that Trump does daily, whether it’s on his bootleg social media platform where his loyal deplorable followers feel safe.
Elon Musk Is Proudly “Dark MAGA”
Musk said, “This will be the last election” if the orange menace doesn’t win while wearing an official new Klan Hood, a “Make America Great Again” cap.
“As you can see, I am not just MAGA — I am Dark MAGA,” he continued.
He also spewed the lies that Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz are coming “to take away your freedom of speech, they want to take away your right to bear arms, they want to take away your right to vote, effectively.”
Musk also criticized California for its effort to ban voter ID requirements, one of the many voter suppression ideas that would primarily affect voters of color.
Musk’s appearance yesterday at Trump’s rally marked the first time he has appeared alongside Trump during one of his rallies.
He already has formed a super political action committee, which is spending a lot of money to help get out the vote efforts to get the divider-in-chief back in office.
He also held a Spaces event for him on X, during which Donald Trump did a lot of meandering and talking about nothing, which is basically what he does best.
Trump has said that if he does win, he will appoint Musk to lead a government efficiency agency because he loves to “hire the best people” for jobs.
Phony Stark Is Getting Clowned On His Own Sh*t
Musk’s glazing of the man who once called him a phony and failure is getting him clowned on his platform, and deservingly so.
Lol.
We are always here for Phony Stark getting dunked on.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. TEARSSSSSS
2. Never forget
3. Looking absolutely stupid
6. Champion of misinformation
12. Again, never forget
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Source: Gilbert Flores / Getty / Kerry Washington
Spill, the Black-owned alternative to Elon Musk’s floundering platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has a big backer in Kerry Washington.
Tech Crunch reports that actress Kerry Washington is now an investor in the Black-owned social media platform Spill. The news comes as the platform celebrates its second year in existence.
Spill is the brainchild of Alphonzo Terrell, a former global head of editorial at Twitter who was laid off by the company following Musk’s reluctant acquisition of the platform, which he stupidly rebranded as X.
When Spill was created, he raised a $2 million seed extension and grew the app’s user base to around 200,000. One of those users was Emmy-Award-winning actress Kerry Washington.
Washington’s presence on Spill was very loud. She hosted Tea Parties, the platform’s name for live video conversations, and actively engaged in discussions with other users, encouraging people to vote.
Speaking with Tech Crunch, Terrell spoke about Washington’s presence on the platform.
“She’s incredibly accessible and knowledgeable, especially around these topics, and is not scared in any way, shape, or form about really engaging with people directly,” Terrell told the website. “I think it really does represent the kind of environment we want to cultivate on Spill … We’re all human here, too. Let’s connect.”
Washington, who is no stranger to making investments, added, “In a digital world where marginalized groups, especially Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA folks, rarely feel prioritized, Spill stands out. I’m proud to be part of this community as both a user and an investor.”
Spill Is Offering A New Space For Black & Brown Users To Be Creative On Social Media
Since Musk took over Twitter, users, specifically Black users, have sought a new platform to express their creativity. Spill, BlueSky, and Instagram Threads were among those options.
Spill has made significant strides in keeping people engaged on the platform. One reason is that it has found success in that area thanks to launching a live multiplayer Spades game.
We hope Spill continues to make a splash in the social media space.
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Source: Serato / Serato
Serato Scratch Live shifted DJ culture, and probably saved millions of dollars in future chiropractor bills. To celebrate its 25 anniversary, Serato just released a special limited-edition reissue of its original Serato Scratch Live Control Vinyl.
Source: Serato / Serato
The OG Digital Vinyl System (DVS) helped the art of the DJ become digital yet maintain its analog roots of manipulating vinyl physically. Think DJ’s like Jazzy Jeff being able to scratch and mix their digital files instead of lugging around heavy crates of records. Instead, all you needed was a pair of control vinyls and a hard drive full of music (and software and hardware but that’s another story).
Originally released in 2004, 20 years later only 1,500 units are available for sale for $49 USD. That gets you the “Serato Scratch Live Control Vinyl – 25th Anniversary Edition” package that includes a pair od 12” 140g control vinyls tucked into a commemorative jacket. The reissue arrives in five colors (black, transparent red, transparent blue, orange, and gray marble). However, you won’t see what color you get until you unwrap your purchase.
“At Serato’s core is a passion for music and technology, and we’ve built our foundation on the ongoing commitment to creating best-in-class products for DJs and music producers,” said Nick Maclaren, Serato’s Chief Strategy Officer, and a DJ himself, in a statement. “When Serato Scratch Live was first introduced, it reinvented what was in the realm of possibilities for DJs at the time. As we celebrate 25 years of empowering artists through Serato’s advanced technology, we’re excited for our community to experience the magic of this innovation once again with the reissue of the Serato Scratch Live Control Vinyl.”
Find out where to get the Serato Scratch Live Control Vinyl – 25th Anniversary Edition set right here.
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Source: CHRIS DELMAS / Getty / Disney Plus
The days of your homie, cousin, or boo thang sharing your Disney+ account for free are coming to an end.
Disney Plus is following Netflix’s example by cracking down on account and password sharing. Its new “paid sharing program” is rolling out to subscribers in the US and other territories.
The paid sharing program was teased during earnings calls earlier this year and is now a reality, with subscribers getting options from which they can choose.
The idea of the program is to convert those using other people’s accounts into paid subscribers.
Per THR:
The paid sharing program has a couple of options for users, per a blog post published Wednesday: People sharing an account with someone outside their household can add that person as an “Extra Member” for $6.99 per month for Disney+ Basic, or $9.99 for Disney+ Premium, both discounts to the normal retail price. Only one Extra Member will be allowed per account, and it is not available as part of the Disney Bundle.
In addition, users sharing an account can also subscribe to Disney+ themselves, and can transfer an eligible profile to the new account to keep their watch history and settings.
According to the Disney+ help center, “Disney+ will automatically detect and establish your Household based on your subscription activity, linked devices, and internet connection among other factors.” If it thinks you are watching outside your household, you may need to enter a one-time password to verify that you are adding a location to your household, or that you are traveling away from home.
Nobody Is Feeling This Decision From Disney Plus
As you can imagine, subscribers are not feeling the idea, especially since they are subject to annual price hikes.
“This is why people pirate bc of you dumbass companies not letting password sharing,” one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Another user noted, “This is why I stick to Blu Rays and DVDs.”
Disney+ isn’t winning anyone with this decision; you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Lol, well damn