Microsoft’s deal to buy Activision Blizzard is facing another major threat. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued to block the deal.

The commission concluded that the purchase of such a large player would make Microsoft too strong, and the company could quickly suppress competitors.

The Federal Trade Commission is trying to block tech giant Microsoft from acquiring top video game developer Activision Blizzard and its blockbuster gaming franchises like Call of Duty, arguing that the $69 billion deal, the largest in Microsoft history and the largest in video game industry history, would allow Microsoft to crack down on competitors to its Xbox game consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud gaming business.

In a complaint released today, the FTC pointed to Microsoft’s experience in acquiring and using valuable game content to stifle competition from rival consoles, including the acquisition of ZeniMax, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks (an established game developer). Microsoft has decided to make several Bethesda games, including Starfield and Redfall, exclusive to Microsoft despite assurances it has given European antitrust authorities that it has no incentive to deny games for competing consoles.

By having control over Activision’s blockbuster franchises, Microsoft would have both the means and motive to harm competition by manipulating Activision’s prices, reducing the quality of Activision’s games or the quality of the gaming experience on competing consoles and game services, changing the terms and conditions of access to Activision content, or denying content from competitors, which harms consumers

Thus, the commission has two main arguments: firstly, Microsoft will become too strong after buying Activision Blizzard due to the huge influence of a number of its franchises on the market, and secondly, the company has already deceived the regulators once before buying Bethesda, initially claiming that Microsoft has no intention of restricting any other platforms, and then officially announcing the exclusivity of Starfield and Redfall. Recall that Phil Spencer also clearly hinted that the new parts of the cult franchises Fallout and The Elder Scrolls will also be exclusives.

Microsoft has already shown that it can and will hide content from its gaming competitors

Of course, the FTC lawsuit is not yet a verdict for the deal, but it is a very serious obstacle.

Chevrolet has unveiled the all-new 2024 Chevrolet Aveo in Mexico, now available as a hatchback. The manufacturer claims a new design, as well as increased comfort and safety.

“At Chevrolet, we continue to find new ways with vehicles that meet the needs of our customers. The new Aveo hatchback will offer more value within the subcompact offering to retain current customers in the segment and win over more Mexicans,” said Wilberto del Angel, Chevrolet marketing manager.

Chevrolet Aveo 2024 is built on a chassis with a semi-independent rear suspension and is equipped with a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine with 110 hp, which works in conjunction with a manual or automatic transmission.

The 2024 Chevrolet Aveo received a new body style, a new grille, alloy wheels with a two-tone design and new headlights with daytime running lights. The driver and passengers are waiting for a new spacious interior, as well as a trunk that stands out for its spaciousness. The rear seats fold to form a flat floor. There is also a lighting lamp for the cargo area.

The Chevrolet Aveo 2024 received new disc brakes, an ABS system, 6 airbags, a seat belt warning system in all places and parking sensors.

The new Chevrolet Aveo Hatchback will go on sale in Mexico in the first half of 2023. Detailed information about versions and prices will be announced later.

Google has released an update for the proprietary Chrome browser, which will be very useful to many users.

Chrome is known for being “gluttonous” and Google has made many attempts to fix this shortcoming. In the new version of Chrome 108, another such attempt is being made. Users have access to memory saving and power saving modes. As planned by the developers, they will be able to improve the performance of the browser and extend the battery life of the device, respectively.

Settings has a new Performance menu in the sidebar. Memory saver mode is described as “frees up memory from inactive tabs” so that active websites get “the smoothest possible experience” and other running applications get “more computer resources”. A more detailed description is:

Your inactive tabs will remain visible. When you reopen an inactive tab, it automatically reloads.

In the address bar on the right, Chrome will mark when Memory Saver is enabled with a dedicated icon. It also tracks how many KB of memory have been freed up for other tabs. According to Google, “Chrome uses up to 30% less memory” as a result. By clicking on this icon, you can also disable the option – not everyone will like the fact that tabs have to be constantly reloaded. In addition, under the settings switcher there is a list “Always keep these sites active”.

The second new option on the Performance tab is Energy Saver. It is implemented by limiting background activity and image capture rate. Visual effects such as animation, smooth scrolling, and video frame rate will also be reduced. “Energy saving” is also marked with an icon in the address bar and can be turned on and off at any time. Settings are also available to turn on only when the battery level is 20% or less, and when the computer is unplugged.

The new modes will be available to all Google Chrome 108 users on macOS, Windows, and ChromeOS worldwide “over the next few weeks.” You can also activate them manually now using the flags on the links:

• chrome://flags/#battery-saver-mode-available
• chrome://flags/#high-efficiency-mode-available