Telecom Bill 2023: Lok Sabha gives assent, provides for govt control of communication network in emergency

Activision-Blizzard has been the centre of a lot of controversy over these past few years. After a lawsuit went public, detailing «numerous complaints about unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation» and a «frat boy» culture, plus claims from former CEO Bobby Kotick that the whole thing was just an «aggressive labour movement,»  the company finally settled last year.

An unnamed former Activision executive is taking the Call of Duty publisher to court in California, accusing the company of age discrimination and violating the state's whistleblower protection law. Said executive is a 57-year-old who worked at the company from 2014; apparently, he and six other men aged 47 or older were cut from a team of 200, as part of broader Activision Blizzard restructuring efforts last August.

AI Roundup: Several notable developments took place in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) today, January 4. Microsoft launched the Copilot key, a key that can summon Microsoft's AI chatbot at just a press of a button. Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday said that AI will be one of the two key issues for Italy during its one-year presidency of the G7. Nearly 58 pct of the researchers think that AI could have catastrophic effects, according to a new survey. All this, and more in today's AI roundup.

Vizio has agreed to pay out $3 million to settle a 2018 California class action lawsuit that accused the company of misleading consumers over the refresh rates of its TVs. Vizio had been claiming that black frame insertion technology increased the «effective refresh rate» of its TVs from 60Hz to 120Hz.

Since Final Fantasy 7 Remake launched in 2021 and given how events played out, everyone has had the same question regarding a particular character’s fate Speaking to Game Informer, director Naoki Hamaguchi and creative director Tetsuya Nomura talk about how the team approached. Spoilers follow for Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the original game, so be warned.

Samsung has likely laid out its plans for 2024, with its paramount focus being to regain lost global market share to various rivals, including Apple. The Korean giant is expected to initiate its New Year resolution with the Galaxy S24 launch, which is rumored to be held on January 17. However, before the official announcements take place, the company will send out official invites to various media outlets and YouTube personnel to be a part of Galaxy Unpacked 2024, with one rumor claiming that those invites will be sent out on January 2.

This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.

Whether you got a new gaming PC, a Steam Deck, or an Asus ROG Ally for the holidays, or you just want more kindling for your backlog, Fanatical is selling some stellar Steam games at bargain prices, beating the sale prices of Steam’s very own Winter Sale. You can build a bundle containing two games for $14.99, three for $21.99, five for $34.99, or a whopping seven games for just $47.99.

Lawrence Sullivan, also known as the Florida Joker, has issued a "final warning" to Rockstar Games and is demanding $5 million for the parody of him in the GTA 6 reveal trailer.

It has hardly been an easy journey for Apple CEO Tim Cook ever since he succeeded Steve Jobs as the head of the now trillion-dollar company, but for all his efforts, the Chief Executive has been rewarded financially for it. According to the latest data, Cook is currently worth $2 billion and has a few million Apple shares to his name, which are equivalent to millions in monetary value.

The Indian Telecommunications Bill 2023, also known as the Telecom Bill 2023, was tabled by the Union Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw earlier today, and it has been passed by the Lok Sabha. The bill, which seeks to supersede the existing regulations, was presented and cleared during the Winter Session of Parliament. The new legislation is intended to serve as a replacement for three existing Acts: the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act of 1950. The bill grants the government more power over telecom services in the interest of national security. Let us take a look at the major highlights of the bill and how it may shape the telecom industry in the coming years.

Activision Blizzard has agreed to pay more than $54 million (and an additional $47 million for affected employees) to settle a lawsuit filed by California’s Civil Rights Department in 2021. The lawsuit was filed over accusations of sexual and gender harassment, along with discrimination, including pay disparities.