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Xbox One is $50 less through Christmas Eve
Microsoft is following Sony's lead and temporarily dropping the price on the Xbox One for the holiday season. Now through Christmas Eve you can save $50 on all One and One S bundles, which could make grabbing another game or a spare controller a little bit easier on the wallet. Hell, even if you aren't looking for a game console specifically, the Xbox One S makes for an incredibly solid UHD Blu-ray player. A post on Xbox Wire says that the deals are available at places like Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Microsoft Stores and Walmart's website, so maybe call ahead before you sally forth debit card in hand.
Sony revives its $50 PS4 price drop for two weeks
Disheartened that you missed out on a price-cut PlayStation 4 around Black Friday? You're about to get a second chance. In a near-repeat of what happened last year, Sony is resurrecting its $50 discount on the Uncharted 4 slim PS4 bundle between December 11th and December 24th. Yes, you'll still get the console for $250 in the US if you're a last-minute shopper. And Canadians get an extra break -- while the PS4 costs $330 in local currency, they have until December 29th to go shopping. You're stuck if you'd rather buy a PS4 Pro, but this remains a solid deal if you're not interested in 4K and just want to see what all the fuss is about.
Blu's Vivo 6 comes to the UK for £185 on Black Friday
US phone maker Blu (Bold Like Us) has produced a number of feature-rich yet affordable Android handsets over the years, but the company hasn't really made a name for itself in Europe. Now it's looking to do something about it. With Motorola and Wileyfox currently winning hearts and minds with their budget offerings, Blu has today launched the Vivo 6, a stylish 4G mid-range smartphone with an aluminium unibody design and fingerprint sensor. If you act quick, you can grab one at a significant discount.
Steam's first game awards are chosen by you
Valve doesn't want to leave game awards to others any more. The gaming giant is introducing its first-ever Steam Awards, and it's asking the community to decide on both the nominees and the winners. These aren't the usual best-in-category awards, either. It wants you to nominate titles based on everything from their addictive qualities (the "Just 5 More Minutes" award) through to the best mini games ("Game Within A Game"). You'll get experience points and badges for nominating, so you aren't just receiving a pat on the back for your time.
Nintendo offers rare discounts on 3DS and Wii U games
Nintendo isn't known for running many sales on its games (you're more likely to see sales on devices), but it's making a big exception this year. It just kicked off a Cyber Deals eShop sale that offers large discounts on 3DS and Wii U titles -- and these are frequently titles you'd want to play. On the 3DS, you'll see price cuts on big titles like Hyrule Warriors Legends (down to $28), Fire Emblem Awakening ($20) and Monster Hunter Generations ($23). Head over to the Wii U side and you can pick up Twilight Princess HD ($35), Super Mario Galaxy 2 ($10) and Darksiders II ($10). Indie games like Super Meat Boy and Terraria are also on sale, and numerous Lego games (including Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens) are discounted across platforms.
Original Xbox One sale drops the UK price to £180
When the first Xbox One S bundles hit the UK in late September, they were so aggressively priced that the original One looked ready for immediate retirement. But the console has one last hurrah in store. Microsoft announced this morning the "biggest ever sale" of original Xbox One gear, with bundles starting at £180 for a 500GB box and one game. That's on Microsoft's store, anyway, but similar discounts can be found at other retailers like Amazon and Tesco (no reaction from GAME currently).
Twitter could rescue Vine through a sale
When Twitter decided to kill Vine, there was a common reaction: why didn't the company just sell its looping video service instead of reducing it to a memorial? Well, cooler heads might prevail after all. Sources speaking to our TechCrunch colleagues claim that Twitter is looking at "multiple" bids for Vine that flooded in the moment it put the service on the chopping block. There are no definite suitors, but messaging giant Line is rumored to be in the running.
Jack Dorsey calls Twitter the 'people's news network'
One of the reasons that Twitter has struggled with its investors is because nobody, not even its leaders, really knows what Twitter is for. In a memo sent around to employees, CEO Jack Dorsey seems to have stumbled across his vision for the embattled company. The note, which was sent to celebrate a year running the company, describes the site as "the people's news network," with a combination of "news and talk."
Reuters: Twitter seeks a sale decision by October 27th
Twitter's flat growth and falling profits made for a dim outlook until a few weeks ago when sources close to the social media platform said that Google, Salesforce and other tech luminaries were looking to buy it. The company's stock jumped 20 percent that day, and speculation has continued as to which would be the best buyer. But it seems time is of the essence: Twitter wants to conclude sale deliberations before October 27th, the day it reports its third quarter earnings, sources told Reuters.
Bloomberg: Twitter is locked in an internal battle over sale
Something is rotten in the state of Twitter, and it looks as if some of the blame should be laid at the feet of Jack Dorsey. At least, that's the sentiment of a lengthy report from Bloomberg that discusses the company's current malaise. According to sources, there's a three-person battle amongst the firm's leadership over what Twitter should be, and what its future holds. Dorsey reportedly wants to keep running Twitter as an independent company, while co-founder and board member Ev Williams wants to pursue a sale.
Disney is reportedly considering a bid for Twitter
CNBC reported late last week that Google and Salesforce were interesting in buying Twitter. TechCrunch followed that up with its own report that the list of potential buyers included Microsoft and Verizon. The latest company to be mentioned as a potential suitor is Disney. Bloomberg reports that the company is working with financial advisers on a possible bid for the social network.
Google is reportedly interested in buying Twitter
In recent months, Twitter has come in for all sorts of criticism over how it runs the company. With growth flat, profits continuing to fall and negative reactions from users over how it's combating harassment on the platform, some have called for a bigger company to step in and help make those troubles go away. According to CNBC, that could well happen, after sources close to the company said that Google, Salesforce and other technology companies are "engaged in conversations" with the social media giant over a possible sale.
Steam's latest weekend sale slashes VR game prices
Steam tossed some VR experiences into last month's summer sale, but this time, it's throwing a party exclusively for virtual reality enthusiasts. The gaming platform has just announced a VR weekend sale, where it's selling 175 titles for up to 80 percent off. Sure, the selection isn't as extensive, but don't forget that we've only just begun exploring the world of virtual reality. The games and experiences in the list will work with the the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, which, if you'll recall, was a collaboration between the Taiwanese company and Steam's creator Valve.
Lithium-ion pioneer Sony is selling its battery arm
Sony is planning to sell its battery division to Murata, a Japanese firm that makes a diverse variety of products like wireless components and robots. Sony started the battery business in 1975 and was the first company to commercialize lithium-ion batteries back in 1991. The electronics giant has been selling off core businesses and assets in an effort to return to profitability -- it recently unloaded its VAIO PC division, New York and Tokyo Headquarters, and Sony Online Entertainment game division. It also split off its sensor and TV businesses into separate companies.
SoundCloud reportedly wants to find a buyer
SoundCloud's paid Go music service is a hot mess between its clunky interface and poor selection, and that may be leading the company to consider some more drastic ways of making money. Bloomberg tipsters claim that SoundCloud's owners are "exploring strategic options," including a possible sale at a valuation of $1 billion. The discussions are reportedly still young and might not lead anywhere, but the very possibility that it's on the table is notable -- the company may not be confident that it can profit from its legions of listeners.
Verizon is reportedly close to buying Yahoo for $5 billion (updated)
Remember when Verizon bought out AOL (Engadget's parent brand) last year? Then get ready for deja vu: the communications giant is reportedly in closing talks to purchase Yahoo later this year. Sources familiar with the deal have told Bloomberg and Recode that Verizon is offering almost $5 billion to take over Yahoo's core business and real estate holdings. The deal still isn't finalized, but sources say it's close. That's good news for Tim Armstrong, who's been hoping to use the buyout to expand the AOL userbase from 700 million to almost two billion.
Facebook and the folly of self-regulation
There's a whole bunch of content that you aren't allowed to post on Facebook. Threats against public figures and other users, claims of imminent self-harm, harassment and bullying (in theory, at least) and the purchase, sale or trade of regulated goods like drugs and weapons. What's more, Facebook made a subtle change to its Community Standards back in January, effectively banning the peer-to-peer sale of firearms, ammo and explosives. Firearm shops and online retailers are still allowed to promote offline sales on Facebook -- assuming all applicable laws and regulations are met -- but private citizens can no longer offer their own weapons on the site. While this is a commendable policy shift on FB's part, the site's enforcement of the new rules has been spotty at best.
Nextbit Robin 'cloud phone' is going on sale at Amazon
If you want a Nextbit Robin and missed its Kickstarter fundraising campaign in 2015, you may want to check out its Amazon listing. The "cloud-first" Android phone that raised over $1.3 million on the crowdfunding platform, is going on sale starting at 3AM Eastern. It's currently listed for $399 on Amazon and on the company's own website, but from May 4th to 10th, you can get it for its early bird Kickstarter price of $299.
Yahoo asks potential buyers to bid before April 11: WSJ
Despite Marissa Mayer's best efforts, Yahoo is struggling to stay relevant. The company is still worth a lot of money, but most of that can be attributed to its stake in Alibaba, an enormously successful e-commerce firm in China. Now, according to the Wall Street Journal, the ageing technology giant has put itself up for auction. A letter sent to possible buyers, and seen by the broadsheet newspaper, states that Yahoo has asked for preliminary bids by April 11th. These could be for some or all of its business, including Yahoo Japan and web services like Tumblr and Flickr.
Xbox One drops to $299 in Microsoft's spring game sale
If you missed out on last fall's Xbox One sales, you're about to get a second chance. Microsoft is kicking off an Xbox Spring Sale on March 20th that will once again lop $50 off the Xbox One's price. And yes, that applies to any bundle -- the 500GB offerings start at as little as $299, and even that pricey The Division 1TB bundle will fall to a more reasonable $349. A handful of games (including Halo 5) will see a $20 price cut, too. The hardware deals will stick around "for a limited time," so you may want to act quickly if you're eager to play and don't want to wait until June to see what E3 will bring.
