Windows 11 will introduce advertisements to its Start Menu, the gaming industry sees a dip in revenue, and the FCC unveils updates to broadband maps.
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That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Tuesday November 22, and I’m your host, Ashee Pamma.
With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft will be turning the Start Menu into a delivery system for advertisement. The company is testing a few additions to the Start Menu that will introduce advertisements to it. According to a report from ghacks, two new updates include website listings under recommended, and an ad in the account menu when users activate it to switch user or sign-out. The updates will be used to promote Microsoft services, especially those linked to subscriptions or the sharing of data as well as third-party services. In one example, provided by Microsoft, the websites Etsy and Twitter were promoted as “common websites” under the recommended section of the Start Menu.
A new report by Newzoo reveals that the number of people playing games around the world is up by 4.6 per cent in 2022. However, even with player increase, the video game industry did see a decline in revenue for the first time in 15 years. The $184 billion figure is now down by about four per cent year over year. But TechSpot reported that the gaming industry has managed to get through 2022’s economic instability much better than other industries. About 50 per cent of the revenue generated came from mobile games and about 28 per cent came from console games. Almost half of all global game revenue came from the Asia-Pacific region while North America delivered about a quarter.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took two major steps toward providing broadband users with more accurate availability and pricing information The FCC released the National Broadband Map update based on detailed data that the commission has collected from ISPs. Users can go to an updated map site to search for their home and see a list of fixed and mobile providers with the offered speeds. They can also use that page to submit challenges of both address or availability information. In addition, the FCC updated its speed test app with an option to use test results to challenge the accuracy of mobile coverage data. However, Ars Technica reported this update still has ways to go. This first version will need to correct errors, as the FCC has indicated that there may be some inaccuracies.
Australian company Gilmour Space has almost completed building a rocket that it plans to launch into space in April 2023. This will be Australia’s first homegrown orbital spacecraft—if the launch goes to plan. The rocket is named Eris and will be 23 metres tall and weigh more than 30 tonnes. In addition it will be powered by five hybrid engines that contain a solid fuel and a liquid oxidiser. The company expects to finish building the rocket in March and aims to test launch in April. If the launch is successful, Australia will be the 12th country in the world to send one of its own orbital rockets into space.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Ashee Pamma.