Kalakshar US

The long-promised deal to “save” TikTok remains elusive even as the US and China seem to be inching toward an agreement. On Friday, President Donald Trump did little to clarify where the deal currently stands following a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said both that the two had “made progress” on “approval of the TikTok Deal” and that he “appreciate[s] the TikTok approval.” Trump also told reporters in the Oval Office that “he approved the TikTok deal,” Reuters reported.

But Chinese state-run media reported the call a bit differently, according to The New York Times, saying that Xi conveyed that the government “respects the wishes of the company in question and is glad to see business negotiations in line with market rules and a solution that conforms to Chinese laws and regulations and takes into account the interests of both sides.”

TikTok owner ByteDance did little to clear things up when it issued the following statement. “We thank President Xi Jinping and President Donald J. Trump for their efforts to preserve TikTok in the United States. ByteDance will work in accordance with applicable laws to ensure TikTok remains available to American users through TikTok U.S.”

This week, there have been multiple reports that the two sides were reaching the final stages of negotiations. The proposed terms reportedly include a brand new app for TikTok’s US users that will continue to use ByteDance’s technology for its algorithm, US investor control and a multibillion-dollar payday for the Trump Administration.

When all of that will be made official, though, is still anyone’s guess. Trump also granted TikTok an extension on a full-on ban for a fourth time, so the two sides now have until December to figure it out.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/us-and-china-agree-to-agree-on-a-tiktok-deal-231254041.html?src=rss 

Starting on October 3, Microsoft says Xbox consoles will be getting yet another price bump, this time ranging anywhere from a $20 increase on the company’s entry-level model to $70 for a special edition model with 2TB of storage. If all of this sounds familiar, there’s a good reason, the last time xbox prices were raised was only a few months ago in May.

The price increases breakdown as follows:

Xbox Series S (512GB): $400, up $20 from $380

Xbox Series S (1TB): $450 up $20 from $430

Xbox Series X Digital: $600, up $50 from $550

Xbox Series X: $650, up $50 from $600

Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition: $800, up $70 from $730

Those are fairly significant increases, especially when you start comparing Microsoft’s higher-end Xbox Series X consoles to the competition. For example, the Series X Digital (which doesn’t have a disc drive) now costs $50 more than a PS5 Digital Edition. For the $800 Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition price comparisons are even worse. It’s now more expensive than the $750 PS5 Pro, and at least Sony’s console gets you better performance for its high price.

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-is-making-xbox-consoles-even-more-expensive-in-the-us-192443699.html?src=rss 

The upcoming Football Manager 26 will include the officially licensed Barclays Women’s Super League and National Women’s Soccer League, among other women’s competitions, marking the first time that women’s soccer has featured in the long-running management sim. This means you’ll be able to select a women’s team to manage, complete with accurate player imagery, club logos and kits.

The debut of women’s soccer was actually announced way back in 2021, and was supposed to feature in Football Manager 2025. That game was eventually cancelled, with developer Sports Interactive shifting its attention to Football Manager 26, which arrives on November 4.

When the developer first discussed the prospect of adding the women’s game to its various game modes, it said it would only do so once it was able to offer the same level of depth and authenticity as it does for men’s soccer. Since making that initial statement, the popularity of women’s soccer has grown enormously, and Sports Interactive says in FM26 it has created a “single ecosystem” in which you’re not limited to exclusively managing a men’s or women’s team on a single save. To ensure its virtual recreation of women’s soccer is as realistic as it can be, the studio consulted real-life players, managers, clubs and organizations.

At launch, the latest entry will feature 14 playable leagues that span 11 nations and three continents, with leagues in Germany, France, Japan, Australia and more represented alongside England and the US. The FM26 database currently consists of more than 36,000 players, and the studio now has a 40-strong team of researchers working exclusively on building it out further, with additional playable competitions planned.

The off-the-field differences between the men’s and women’s game are also reflected, taking into account the typically shorter contracts in women’s soccer, and fewer release clauses that can be activated in the transfer market. Sports Interactive also used real-world data to inform the average recovery rates for various injuries where they might differ between men and women.

For a full rundown of all the new additions, click here. Football Manager 26 launches November 4 on Xbox and PS5, with a mobile version via Netflix arriving on the same day, and FM26 Touch for Nintendo Switch releasing digitally a month later.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/football-manager-26-will-feature-womens-soccer-for-the-first-time-145658807.html?src=rss 

Right now, you can get one year of Starz streaming service for just $24 when you prepay for the entire year. That’s $46 less than the usual annual cost. There’s also a month-to-month option, which is offering the first three months for $4 per month instead of the usual $11; that’s a 64 percent discount.

Starz may not be one of the most prominent streamers, but it still makes our list of best streaming deals when it’s offered at such a great value. The service offers a deep catalog of recognizable titles as well as original series like Outlander, Spartacus and Ash vs. Evil Dead. The TV shows are almost exclusively Starz originals, with some old western shows mixed in.

A Starz subscription supports streaming on up to three devices simultaneously and offers a live stream of its cable channels for subscribers via the website. The Starz app and streaming service do not offer a 4K streaming option.

There are a ton of great streaming services to choose from these days, though many of them have been repeatedly raising prices. For would-be cord-cutters, subscribing to enough streamers isn’t that much cheaper, if at all, than a cable bill. That’s where more value-minded offerings like Starz fit in.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/one-year-of-starz-is-on-sale-for-just-24-151553382.html?src=rss