Sandhya Gupta

Is Starfield coming to PS5 or PlayStation?

Starfield, the upcoming game from Bethesda Softworks, will not be available on PlayStation consoles at launch or in the future. The game is being developed as an exclusive for Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, as Bethesda is now a part of the Xbox family of studios.

While other Bethesda games like The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 are still supported on PlayStation, Starfield is a new IP that is designed as a single-player experience and is intended to be an Xbox console exclusive.

Although there might have been plans for a PlayStation version of Starfield earlier in its development, those plans have been abandoned. Bethesda’s acquisition by Microsoft means that future games from Bethesda and its studios are likely to be exclusive to Xbox and Windows PC platforms.

This is exemplified by Starfield, a high-profile single-player game that is built from the ground up as an Xbox console exclusive. There are no indications that it will be released on other platforms like the PS5 or previous PlayStation consoles.

While this news may disappoint PlayStation gamers who are fans of Bethesda, it is the reality of the situation. However, it’s important to note that not all Bethesda-published titles will be exclusive to Xbox.

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Xbox has stated that exclusivity will be evaluated on a “case-by-case” basis, considering factors such as a franchise’s history on other platforms or the potential benefits of cross-platform support. Starfield, however, is not expected to fall into this category.

It’s worth mentioning that Starfield will not only be exclusive to Xbox consoles but will also be available on Windows PC through platforms like Steam and the Microsoft Store on its launch day. This means that even if players don’t own an Xbox Series X|S console, they can still experience Starfield by playing it on a powerful gaming PC.

Additionally, players have the option to access Starfield through Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, which offer a subscription-based approach to gaming. This allows subscribers to enjoy all the latest Xbox exclusives, including Bethesda games, without needing to purchase each game individually at full price.

Starfield is set to release on September 9, 2023, and preorders are now open. Players who preorder the Premium Edition can gain early access to the game, along with additional in-game bonuses.

While PlayStation users may be disappointed, Starfield is shaping up to be an exceptional game for Xbox, promising to deliver an immersive and expansive RPG experience.

In conclusion, Starfield will be exclusive to Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, with no plans for a PlayStation release. Bethesda’s acquisition by Microsoft has solidified this exclusivity, and although other Bethesda-published titles may still be considered for multiplatform releases on a case-by-case basis, Starfield is not expected to be one of them.

Despite the disappointment for PlayStation gamers, Starfield remains highly anticipated as one of the standout Xbox games of the year, offering an ambitious and immersive RPG experience.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Binance, SEC strike deal to keep US customer assets in country

Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange globally, and its U.S. affiliate, Binance.US, have reached an agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to keep U.S. customer assets within the United States until the resolution of an ongoing lawsuit.

This information was disclosed in court documents filed on Friday and is pending approval from the federal judge overseeing the case. The agreement aims to prevent U.S. customer assets from being moved offshore and limits access to these assets solely to Binance.US employees.

The SEC filed a lawsuit on June 5 against Binance, its CEO Changpeng Zhao, and Binance.US’s operator, accusing Binance of activities such as artificially inflating trading volumes, diverting customer funds, failing to restrict U.S. customers, and misleading investors regarding market surveillance controls.

This lawsuit, along with a separate one filed by the SEC against U.S. exchange Coinbase, represents an intensified regulatory crackdown on the cryptocurrency industry.

While the agreement does not resolve the SEC lawsuit, it includes measures to ensure that Binance.US officials do not have access to private keys for wallets, hardware wallets, or root access to Binance.US’s Amazon Web Services tools.

The SEC stated that the emergency relief order obtained for Binance.US customers will safeguard their assets and enable them to continue withdrawing those assets.

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Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC’s enforcement division, emphasized the necessity of these restrictions, citing concerns about Binance and Changpeng Zhao having control over customer assets and potentially mishandling or diverting them.

Binance responded through a spokesperson, expressing satisfaction that the disagreement over the SEC’s emergency relief request was resolved on mutually acceptable terms while reiterating the commitment to ensuring user funds’ safety on all Binance-affiliated platforms.

“Given that Changpeng Zhao and Binance have control of the platforms’ customers’ assets and have been able to commingle customer assets or divert customer assets as they please… these prohibitions are essential to protecting investor assets,” said Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC’s enforcement division, in a statement.

In a statement on Saturday, a representative for Binance said, “Although we maintain that the SEC’s request for emergency relief was entirely unwarranted, we are pleased that the disagreement over this request was resolved on mutually acceptable terms. User funds have been and always will be safe and secure on all Binance-affiliated platforms.”

The proposed agreement also entails Binance.US creating new crypto wallets inaccessible to employees of the global Binance exchange, providing additional information to the SEC, and agreeing to an expedited discovery schedule.

In response to the SEC’s request to freeze Binance.US’s assets, the U.S. affiliate suspended dollar deposits and set a June 13 deadline for customers to withdraw their dollar funds.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

HPE to offer cloud computing service for artificial intelligence

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Sandhya Gupta

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (HPE) announced the launch of a cloud computing service intended to support artificial intelligence (AI) systems similar to ChatGPT.

While the service is currently being used by a few customers, it is expected to be more widely available in North America by the end of this year and in Europe next year.

This move puts HPE in direct competition with major cloud computing providers such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, as they all strive to adapt their data centers to the growing demand for AI-based services like chatbots and image generators.

The increasing focus on AI is reshaping the cloud computing market, as data centers must be designed differently to handle AI workloads. Traditional cloud computing data centers divide a single physical server into multiple virtual machines for rental to customers.

However, AI data centers take a different approach, aiming to connect hundreds or thousands of computers together to create a unified, powerful computing system.

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HPE has been working on such technologies for years, particularly in the development of supercomputers like the Frontier supercomputer, currently the world’s fastest.

Justin Hotard, Executive Vice President and General Manager of HPE’s high-performance computing and artificial intelligence unit, stated that the company will leverage its expertise in supercomputers to offer a service specifically tailored to large language models, which underpin services like ChatGPT.

Hotard emphasized that HPE’s offering is distinct from its cloud competitors, being neither easily accessible nor trivial in nature.

HPE’s entry into the cloud computing service for artificial intelligence (AI) places the company in direct competition with major industry players like Amazon.com, Microsoft, and Alphabet Inc’s Google.

These technology giants are all striving to adapt their extensive data centers to meet the increasing demand for AI-powered services such as chatbots and image generators, which have gained immense popularity and attracted millions of users.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is a global technology company that provides a wide range of enterprise solutions and services. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) already had a presence in the cloud computing market with its HPE GreenLake platform.

One of its prominent offerings, this platform is a hybrid cloud service that allows organizations to consume IT resources on-demand while maintaining control over their infrastructure.

HPE GreenLake is designed to provide a flexible and scalable cloud computing experience, allowing customers to leverage a variety of workloads and technologies. This includes traditional enterprise applications, virtualized environments, big data analytics, and more.

By adopting a consumption-based model, GreenLake offers a pay-per-use pricing structure, where customers only pay for the resources they actually consume.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Is Europe in Danger of Losing EV Battery Race?

Leave a Comment / Story, Tech Story / By Sandhya Gupta

According to a report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), Europe is at risk of losing the global battery race due to various challenges.

These include limited access to raw materials, increasing costs, and tough competition. The report highlighted that the European Union’s efforts to achieve its climate goals, which heavily rely on the adoption of electric vehicles powered by batteries containing metals like cobalt, nickel, and lithium, may be hindered.

The ECA, an independent external auditor of the EU, stated that nearly 20% of new cars registered in the EU in 2021 were electric.

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With an estimated 30 million zero-emission vehicles expected on European roads by 2030 and a ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, the demand for batteries will soar. However, the EU’s strategy has not adequately addressed its ability to meet this growing battery demand.

Annemie Turtelboom, who led the ECA audit, expressed concerns about the EU’s ambition to become a global battery powerhouse, emphasizing that the odds of success are not favorable.

Turtelboom warned that if the EU fails to produce enough batteries domestically, it may either miss its emissions goals for 2035 or rely heavily on imported batteries, which could harm European industry and come at high costs from other countries.

The EU’s reliance on a few countries for raw materials poses a significant risk. The ECA highlighted that, on average, the EU imports 78% of five key materials. This concentration of supply brings geopolitical risks and potential shortages.

Turtelboom emphasized that the EU should avoid becoming as dependent on batteries as it is on natural gas from Russia.

The report revealed that a significant portion of the world’s cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, while China dominates global battery production capacity and supplies 40% of natural graphite.

The EU relies entirely on imports of refined lithium. Although extraction in Europe is possible, it will take considerable time, with Portugal, holding the bloc’s largest lithium reserves, not expecting production to begin until 2026.

Furthermore, the ECA identified that the EU lags behind in terms of cost competitiveness, partly due to high energy prices. The EU Commission’s data was found to be outdated and incomplete, and public funding for battery projects remains uncoordinated, leading to overlaps and inefficiencies.

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In summary, the report from the European Court of Auditors raises concerns about Europe ability to become a global battery powerhouse. Limited access to raw materials, rising costs, intense competition, and an inadequate strategy pose challenges to the EU’s ambitions.

The report warns that failure to address these issues could result in missed climate goals or heavy reliance on imported batteries, which would harm European industry and come at a high price.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

What happens to the smaller VC firms in a conservative market?

Leave a Comment / Story, Tech Story / By Sandhya Gupta

In the dynamic world of venture capital (VC), market conditions play a significant role in shaping the fortunes of firms. When confronted with a conservative market, characterized by risk aversion and cautious investor sentiment, smaller VC firms face unique challenges. This blog explores the potential consequences and strategies available to navigate such circumstances.

In a conservative market, investors tend to gravitate towards safer, established companies with proven track records, often overlooking riskier early-stage startups.

This reduced appetite for risk impacts smaller VC firms, which primarily focus on early-stage investments. As a result, these firms may struggle to attract sufficient capital, making it challenging to deploy funds and support new ventures.

With limited investor interest, smaller VC firms may face difficulties in raising the necessary funds to sustain their operations. The conservative market environment often leads to decreased commitments from existing limited partners and makes it more challenging to attract new investors.

Consequently, smaller VC firms may experience a decline in their available capital, hindering their ability to participate in lucrative investment opportunities.

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Conservative markets tend to have a ripple effect on portfolio companies within the VC firm’s investment ecosystem. As startups face reduced funding options, they may encounter difficulties in securing subsequent financing rounds.

Smaller VC firms may be forced to allocate more resources to support existing portfolio companies rather than making new investments. Consequently, the overall growth and success of the portfolio may be limited, potentially affecting the firm’s reputation and ability to attract future investments.

To adapt to a conservative market, smaller VC firms may need to adjust their investment focus. They may shift towards industries or sectors that are more resilient in such conditions, such as healthcare or essential services.

Additionally, they might concentrate on later-stage investments or seek out more established startups that demonstrate stability and a clear path to profitability.

By adapting their investment strategy, smaller VC firms can increase their chances of generating returns even in a conservative market.

In a conservative market, smaller VC firms face significant challenges due to limited investor appetite, funding constraints, and portfolio company struggles.

However, by adapting their investment focus, exploring alternative funding sources, and providing extensive support to existing portfolio companies, these firms can navigate the conservative landscape and position themselves for success in the long run.

B. Pagles Minor, a first-time fund manager who established DVRGNT Ventures seven months ago, has encountered challenges in the fundraising landscape.

Contrary to expectations, limited partners are demanding more extensive metrics and data, resulting in unexpected expenses. Additionally, emerging managers like Minor are facing financial burdens as certain insurances, previously not commonly required, are now being requested.

Another emerging trend is limited partners seeking concessions such as waiving certain management fees or requesting lower carry in the fund. These circumstances further strain fund managers’ ability to establish and effectively run their funds.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

Netflix Tudum 2023: Everything Announced

Leave a Comment / Story, Tech Story / By Sandhya Gupta

Netflix recently held its annual Tudum event where it made several exciting announcements.

They revealed Season 3 of Extraction, starring Chris Hemsworth, and concluded with Heart of Stone featuring Alia Bhatt, Jamie Dornan, and Gal Gadot. In between these announcements, they showcased a glimpse of what was to come.

One of the highlights was a spinoff show centered around Berlin, a beloved character from Money Heist (La casa de papel), played by Pedro Alonso.

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The teaser introduced a new cast for the spinoff. Additionally, they unveiled The Archies, a teen musical drama set in India’s 1960s, providing a desi twist to the popular series Riverdale. Another upcoming series is 3 Body Problem, created by the showrunners of Game of Thrones. Lastly, there was a sneak peek at the highly anticipated live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

During the Netflix Tudum event, Chris Hemsworth and director Sam Hargrave announced the third movie in the successful Extraction franchise.

The cast of Squid Game, including Lee Jung-Jae, Lee Byung-Hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo, will be returning for the highly anticipated second season, joined by new cast members Yim Si-Wan, Kang Ha-Neul, Park Sung-Hoon, and Yang Dong-Geun.

The Netflix Tudum event also showcased a teaser for The Archies, a musical drama set in 1960s India, featuring an all-Indian cast including Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Dot, and Vedang Raina. Netflix unveiled the first trailer for Heart to Stone, an upcoming movie starring Gal Gadot, Alia Bhatt, and Jamie Dornan.

Netflix is taking the popularity of Squid Game to the next level by creating a reality show based on the series. The show will feature 456 participants competing in schoolyard games across 10 episodes, with a chance to win a whopping $4.56 million prize.

While the games will resemble those in Squid Game, there won’t be any life-or-death elimination. In other news, Lily Collins will be returning for the fourth season of Emily in Paris, as shown in a teaser where Emily prepares for a Roman holiday.

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Unfortunately, fans of Stranger Things will have to wait longer for Season 5, as filming has been delayed due to a writers’ strike. However, Netflix offered a glimmer of hope by announcing that Linda Hamilton, known for her role in Terminator, will join the cast for the show’s fifth and final season.

Other announcements made during the event included Lift, an action-comedy, Love is Blind Season 5, the hiatus of Cobra Kai Season 6, Heartstopper Season 2, All the Light We Cannot See, images from Bridgerton Season 3, Elite Season 7, and You.

Sandhya Gupta

I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.

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