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At the end of last month, Ubisoft workers in the publisher’s native France threatened to strike in the wake of sweeping layoffs and cost-cutting measures. This week, they made good on those threats. According to GamesIndustry.biz, union members confirmed that at least 1,200 staff participated in the three-day strike, which was due to run from February 10 to February 12.

While the strike action primarily took place in France, GamesIndustry.biz was told that Ubisoft’s Milan office also took part. The union Solidaires Informatique, which represents French workers from a number of companies in the video game sector, including Blizzard and Ubisoft, had previously called for strikes to take place on January 27. Their demands included a 10 percent increase on all salaries and the implementation of a 4-day work week.

Some striking employees held up signs outside Ubisoft’s Paris headquarters, with one (pictured) wearing a Rabbids mask to hide their face. Their grievances are wide-ranging. As well as reportedly laying off hundreds of employees already in 2026, Ubisoft also introduced a mandate for its staff to return to work on site for five days a week. One employee who publicly voiced their disapproval of the new policy was reportedly fired for doing so.

Ubisoft has had a rocky start to 2026 on the software side too. The long-awaited Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake was among six games canceled by the struggling publisher last month, when it also confirmed several studio closures as part of the company’s organizational restructuring.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/1200-ubisoft-workers-went-on-strike-in-response-to-company-restructuring-and-mandatory-return-to-work-policy-163714986.html?src=rss 

Apple’s long-delayed AI-powered Siri redesign may not be rolling out this year, at least in the way the company had planned. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple found problems with its software upon testing, such as the virtual assistant taking too long to accomplish tasks or even not processing queries properly altogether. Siri’s new version was also reportedly so sluggish during testing that its developers believed Apple would have to push back its launch by months. Instead of releasing the redesigned assistant in March as was previously reported, Gurman says Apple will roll out its capabilities piecemeal over future software updates.

The company originally unveiled the redesigned Siri back in 2024, promising an AI-powered assistant that can do tasks for you, such as finding specific photos or tracking details, adding information to contact cards, editing photos and sharing note summaries to be sent as emails. It was slated to make its way to iOS users in 2025, but Apple announced that year that it was going to be delayed. “It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year,” the company said. Bloomberg reported back then that the new AI-infused Siri was going to be included in a planned iOS 26.4 update due in March instead. Based on this latest report, however, we might only get a portion of Siri’s new capabilities next month. More capabilities could be released with iOS 26.5 in May and with iOS 27 later this year.

In January this year, Apple confirmed reports that Google’s Gemini models will help power the new Siri. “After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google’s Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users,” the company said in a statement. The revamped assistant is expected to behave like an AI chatbot, similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, when it does become available.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apples-siri-relaunch-is-reportedly-behind-schedule-125347471.html?src=rss 

MasterClass is offering 50 percent off its annual memberships right now, cutting the cost of its plans in half for a limited time. That brings the Premium tier down to $10 per month when billed yearly, while the Plus and Standard plans are also discounted to $8 monthly and $5 monthly, respectively. Each tier unlocks the full catalog of classes, with the main differences coming down to how many devices can stream at once and whether offline viewing is included.

There are more than 200 classes on MasterClass now, and many are led by big names at the top of their fields. Depending on your interests, you might pick up cooking tips from Gordon Ramsay, learn storytelling from Margaret Atwood, explore business strategy with Richard Branson or get insights into performance and mindset from athletes and entertainers. The catalog spans everything from film and TV to wellness, music, science, leadership and photography, so it’s easy to dip in and find something that holds your attention.

Over the years, MasterClass has expanded into a broad learning platform that feels like part streaming service and part educational library. The catalog spans categories like food, film, music, wellness, sports and entrepreneurship, with lessons designed to be short and easy to follow. Since every plan includes access to the full course library, the choice mostly comes down to convenience. The Standard tier supports one device and doesn’t include offline mode, the Plus plan allows streaming on two devices with downloads, and the Premium tier increases that to six devices with offline access as well.

Classes are structured to be approachable whether you want to learn a new skill or just explore a topic out of curiosity. Lessons are broken into bite-sized segments, so it’s easy to watch one or two at a time on a commute or in the evening. Members also get access to a global community, occasional newsletters and the ability to switch between video and audio listening on supported classes.

If you’ve been considering trying MasterClass, this deal makes it a more affordable way to see if it works for you. A subscription can also double as a thoughtful gift, which is one reason it has appeared in Engadget’s roundup of the best subscription gifts to send to loved ones. With the current 50 percent discount applied across all tiers, it’s a relatively low-cost way to get access to a large library of professionally produced courses that you can watch at your own pace throughout the year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-deal-get-half-off-subscriptions-ahead-of-presidents-day-130500563.html?src=rss 

Amazon is launching a feature that will add a new artificial intelligence layer to its writing tablets. “Send to Alexa+” is rolling out to the current generation of Kindle Scribe and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft devices. This concept was announced when Amazon first debuted the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft last fall, but the company said that the feature wouldn’t be available until this year.

As the name implies, “Send to Alexa+” lets users share their notebooks and documents from their supported Kindle with the Alexa+ AI assistant, making their information accessible on other Amazon platforms, including Alexa.com and the Alexa app. Prime members and Alexa+ subscribers will also be able to reach their Kindle documents on Echo and Fire TV devices. Alexa+ will be able to perform additional tasks such as summarizing notes, creating to-do lists and adding either calendar items or reminders.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/amazons-send-to-alexa-feature-arrives-on-kindle-scribe-and-scribe-colorsoft-140000093.html?src=rss 

After warnings from lawmakers last year, WhatsApp has been blocked in Russia for as many as 100 million users, the Financial Times reported. Russian authorities removed the app from an online directory, effectively wiping it from Russia’s internet. The government has previously said that it wants users to switch to an app called Max, an unencrypted WeChat clone. 

“Today the Russian government has attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive users to a state-owned surveillance app,” Meta told the FT in a statement. “Trying to isolate over 100 million people from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia.”

The Russian government deleted WhatsApp rival Telegram yesterday, while also erasing Meta apps Facebook and Instagram. YouTube access was also reportedly degraded, though it’s not clear if the app has been completely removed. 

In July 2025, a Russian lawmaker who regulates the IT industry said it’s very likely that WhatsApp would be placed on a list of restricted software. Parent Meta has been designated as an extremist organization in Russia, and last year Vladimir Putin issued a directive for the nation to further restrict communication apps originating from “unfriendly countries” that have sanctioned Russia. 

The state has said that an in-house app would protect citizens from fraud and terrorism, given the large number of scammers on WhatsApp in the nation. However, restrictions on Telegram haven’t gone over well domestically, even among Putin’s allies, as residents along Ukraine’s borders have relied on it for drone and missile alerts. “I am concerned that slowing Telegram could affect the flow of information, if the situation deteriorates,” said the governor of one of those regions.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/whatsapp-is-now-fully-blocked-in-russia-110953485.html?src=rss