SUMMARY

NEW APPLE PENCIL ANNOUNCED WITH USB-C, HOVER
FUNCTIONALITY & MAGNETIC ATTACHMENT
AMAZON WILL START TESTING DRONES THAT WILL DROP
PRESCRIPTIONS ON YOUR DOORSTEP, LITERALLY
MICROSOFT - ACTIVISION BLIZZARD ACQUISITION
BOOSTING THE FUTURE OF GAMING
EUROPE IS LOOKING TO FIGHT THE FLOOD OF CHINESE
ELECTRIC VEHICLES. BUT EUROPEANS LOVE THEM

08
30
52
86

SONY’S ACCESS CONTROLLER FOR THE PLAYSTATION AIMS TO MAKE GAMING EASIER FOR... 18
MAJOR SOLAR PANEL PLANT OPENS IN US AMID BACKDROP OF INDUSTRY WORRIES ABOUT... 40
MICROSOFT SPENT TWO YEARS TRYING TO BUY ACTIVISION BLIZZARD. FOR XBOX CEO, THAT... 74
US REGULATORS INVESTIGATE GM’S CRUISE DIVISION OVER INCIDENTS INVOLVING... 104
WHAT GOOGLE’S ANTITRUST TRIAL MEANS FOR YOUR SEARCH HABITS 112
AMAZON, TRIPADVISOR AND OTHER COMPANIES TEAM UP TO BATTLE FAKE REVIEWS WHILE... 124
LINKEDIN CUTS MORE THAN 600 WORKERS, ABOUT 3% OF WORKFORCE 132
SAG-AFTRA PRESIDENT FRAN DRESCHER REACTS TO HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS BREAKING... 158
MUSK’S X TESTS $1 FEE FOR NEW USERS IN THE PHILIPPINES AND NEW ZEALAND IN BID TO... 168
CHINESE SEARCH ENGINE COMPANY BAIDU UNVEILS ERNIE 4.0 AI MODEL, CLAIMS THAT IT... 174

MOVIES & TV SHOWS 138
TOP 10 TV SHOWS 148
TOP 10 BOOKS 150
TOP 10 SONGS 152
TOP 10 ALBUMS 154
TOP 10 MUSIC VIDEOS 156

NEW APPLE
PENCIL
ANNOUNCED
WITH USB-C,
HOVER
FUNCTIONALITY
& MAGNETIC
ATTACHMENT

08

09

Today, Apple is bringing more choice to iPad
users with a new, more affordable Apple Pencil.
With pixel-perfect accuracy, low latency, and
tilt sensitivity, the new Apple Pencil is ideal for
note taking, sketching, annotating, journaling,
and more. Designed with a matte finish and
a flat side that magnetically attaches to the
side of iPad for storage, the new Apple Pencil
pairs and charges with a USB-C cable. The new
Apple Pencil will be available beginning in
early November.
“Apple Pencil has revolutionized note taking,
sketching, and illustrating, unleashing endless
possibilities for productivity and creativity,”
said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of
Worldwide Product Marketing. “Combined with
the versatility of iPad, the new Apple Pencil
unlocks another great option to experience
the magic of digital handwriting, annotation,
marking up documents, and more.”

FAMILIAR RESPONSIVENESS AND
ACCURACY
The latest Apple Pencil offers the same low
latency, tilt sensitivity, and overall accuracy
that its expensive counterparts offer. In
addition, the Pencil is optimized for iPadOS
as it supports Scribble, Quick Note, and
collaborating in Freeform.

USB-C CONNECTIVITY
The affordable Apple Pencil features a convenient
USB-C port that you can access by sliding the cap
open. This means you can easily connect it to any
USB-C iPad, including the iPad 10th Gen, the latest
iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini.
10

11

12

The magnetic attachment feature, inherited
from the second-generation Apple Pencil,
securely affixes the Pencil to the side of your
iPad, putting it in a low-power state to conserve
battery life – a small but handy addition.

INTRODUCING APPLE PENCIL HOVER
One intriguing feature that sets the $79
Apple Pencil apart from its first-generation
predecessor is the support for Apple Pencil
hover. This function allows you to preview
certain actions before committing to them,
much like hovering your mouse cursor over
an item.
Previously exclusive to the $129 Apple Pencil
2, this functionality is now accessible in a more
budget-friendly option.
While the new Apple Pencil offers hover and
magnetic attachment, there is a trade-off to
keep in mind here. If you purchase the latest
model, you will sacrifice the pressure sensitivity
offered by the first and second-generation
Apple Pencil. This means that the Pencil will not
excel at simulating a wide range of light and
deep strokes while drawing.
For features like wireless pairing and
charging, double-tap functionality for
switching tools, and custom engraving,
you’ll still need to opt for the high-end
Apple Pencil 2.
The new Apple Pencil with USB-C is
slated to become available in “early
November.” For those who already own a
first-generation Apple Pencil and plan to
upgrade to a USB-C iPad, a $9 USB-C to
Apple Pencil adapter is available.
13

The Apple Pencil USB-C is best suited for
iPad Pro, Air, and mini users, complete with the
convenient hover feature, without the need to
invest in the $129 second-generation model.
Additionally, it’s a cost-effective solution for
10th-generation iPad owners who do not want
to deal with the adapter required to use their
existing first-generation Apple Pencil.
14

15

18

SONY’S ACCESS
CONTROLLER FOR
THE PLAYSTATION
AIMS TO MAKE
GAMING EASIER
FOR PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES

19

Paul Lane uses his mouth, cheek and chin to push
buttons and guide his virtual car around the “Gran
Turismo” racetrack on the PlayStation 5. It’s how
he’s been playing for the past 23 years, after a car
accident left him unable to use his fingers.
Playing video games has long been a challenge
for people with disabilities, chiefly because the
standard controllers for the PlayStation, Xbox or
Nintendo can be difficult, or even impossible,
to maneuver for people with limited mobility.
And losing the ability to play the games doesn’t
just mean the loss of a favorite pastime, it can
also exacerbate social isolation in a community
already experiencing it at a far higher rate than the
general population.
As part of the gaming industry’s efforts to address
the problem, Sony has developed the Access
controller for the PlayStation, working with input
from Lane and other accessibility consultants. Its
the latest addition to the accessible-controller
market, whose contributors range from Microsoft
to startups and even hobbyists with 3D printers.
“I was big into sports before my injury,” said Cesar
Flores, 30, who uses a wheelchair since a car
accident eight years ago and also consulted Sony
on the controller. “I wrestled in high school, played
football. I lifted a lot of weights, all these little
things. And even though I can still train in certain
ways, there are physical things that I can’t do
anymore. And when I play video games, it reminds
me that I’m still human. It reminds me that I’m still
one of the guys.”
Putting the traditional controller aside, Lane, 52,
switches to the Access. It’s a round, customizable
gadget that can rest on a table or wheelchair tray
and can be configured in myriad ways, depending
20

21

on what the user needs. That includes switching
buttons and thumbsticks, programming special
controls and pairing two controllers to be used
as one. Lane’s “Gran Turismo” car zooms around
a digital track as he guides it with the back of his
hand on the controller.
“I game kind of weird, so it’s comfortable for me
to be able to use both of my hands when I game,”
he said. “So I need to position the controllers
away enough so that I can be able to to use them
without clunking into each other. Being able to
maneuver the controllers has been awesome, but
also the fact that this controller can come out of
the box and ready to work.”
Lane and other gamers have been working
with Sony since 2018 to help design the Access
controller. The idea was to create something that
could be configured to work for people with a
broad range of needs, rather than focusing on any
particular disability.
“Show me a person with multiple sclerosis
and I’ll show you a person who can be hard of
hearing, I can show someone who has a visual
impairment or a motor impairment,” said Mark
Barlet, founder and executive director of the
nonprofit AbleGamers. “So thinking on the
label of a disability is not the approach to take.
It’s about the experience that players need
to bridge that gap between a game and a
controller that’s not designed for their unique
presentation in the world.”
Barlet said his organization, which helped
both Sony and Microsoft with their accessible
controllers, has been advocating for gamers
with disabilities for nearly two decades. With
the advent of social media, gamers themselves
22

23

24

have been able to amplify the message and
address creators directly in forums that did
not exist before.
“The last five years I have seen the game
accessibility movement go from indie studios
working on some features to triple-A games being
able to be played by people who identify as blind,”
he said. “In five years, it’s been breathtaking.”
Microsoft, in a statement, said it was encouraged
by the positive reaction to its Xbox Adaptive
controller when it was released in 2018 and that it
is “heartening to see others in the industry apply
a similar approach to include more players in their
work through a focus on accessibility.”
The Access controller will go on sale worldwide on
Dec. 6 and cost $90 in the U.S.
Alvin Daniel, a senior technical program manager
at PlayStation, said the device was designed
with three principles in mind to make it “broadly
applicable” to as many players as possible. First,
the player does not have to hold the controller
to use it. It can lay flat on a table, wheelchair tray
or be mounted on a tripod, for instance. It was
important for it to fit on a wheelchair tray, since
once something falls off the tray, it might be
impossible for the player to pick it up without
help. It also had to be durable for this same
reason — so it would survive being run over by a
wheelchair, for example.
Second, it’s much easier to press the buttons than
on a standard controller. It’s a kit, so it comes with
button caps in different sizes, shapes and textures
so people can experiment with reconfiguring
it the way it works best for them. The third is
the thumbsticks, which can also be configured
depending on what works for the person using it.
25

Because it can be used with far less agility and
strength than the standard PlayStation controller,
the Access could also be a gamechanger for an
emerging population: aging gamers suffering
from arthritis and other limiting ailments.
“The last time I checked, the average age of
a gamers was in their forties,” Daniel said.
“And I have every expectation, speaking for
myself, that they’ll want to continue to game,
as I’ll want to continue to game, because it’s
entertainment for us.”
After his accident, Lane stopped gaming for
seven years. For someone who began playing
video games as a young child on the Magnavox
Odyssey — released in 1972 — “it was a void” in
his life, he said.
Starting again, even with the limitations of a
standard game controller, felt like being reunited
with a “long lost friend.”
“Just the the social impact of gaming really
changed my life. It gave me a a brighter
disposition,” Lane said. He noted the social
isolation that often results when people who were
once able-bodied become disabled.
“Everything changes,” he said. “And the more you
take away from us, the more isolated we become.
Having gaming and having an opportunity to
game at a very high level, to be able to do it again,
it is like a reunion, (like losing) a close companion
and being able to reunite with that person again.”

26

27

Simply Better Living

SUPERSTEAM+™
BUILT-IN WALL OVEN
SSC2489DS

The Sharp® SuperSteam+ Built-In Wall Oven is the start of
a cooking revolution. With Wi-Fi enabled IoT features, the
innovations within this steam oven are a perfect match
for modern cooking needs.
While regular steam only reaches 212°F, the SuperSteam+
oven can create superheated steam up to 485°F. Steam
this hot can roast meats and caramelize sugars so your
food can be brown and crispy on the outside, tender and
juicy on the inside. With the Sharp SuperSteam+ Oven,
you can grill without smoke, roast without drying, and get
the roasty-toasty, tasty results you desire.

SEE FOR
YOURSELF

Get started right away with built-in recipes and
download the Sharp SuperSteam+ Oven app* to
enable the smart features and access custom
recipes powered by SideChef.

The new Sharp SuperSteam+ Built-In Wall Oven
features Steam Bake for superior breads, and Water
Bath for cheesecakes, custards and puddings.

www.sharpusa.com | simplybetterliving.sharpusa.com
*Mobile Application and Home Assistant Skill available upon commercial release. © 2020 Sharp Electronics Corporation. All rights reserved. Sharp, Supersteam™ Oven
and all related trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sharp Corporation and/or its affiliated entities. Product specifications and design are subject to
change without notice. Internal capacity calculated by measuring maximum width, depth and height. Actual capacity for holding food is less.

AMAZON WILL
START TESTING
DRONES THAT
WILL DROP
PRESCRIPTIONS
ON YOUR
DOORSTEP,
LITERALLY

30

31

32

Amazon will soon make prescription drugs
fall from the sky when the e-commerce giant
becomes the latest company to test drone
deliveries for medications.
The company said this week that customers in
College Station, Texas, can now get prescriptions
delivered by a drone within an hour of placing
their order.
The drone, programed to fly from a delivery
center with a secure pharmacy, will travel to
the customer’s address, descend to a height of
about four meters — or 13 feet — and drop a
padded package.
Amazon says customers will be able to
choose from more than 500 medications,
a list that includes common treatments for
conditions like the flu or pneumonia, but not
controlled substances.
The company’s Prime Air division began
testing drone deliveries of common
household items last December in College
Station and Lockeford, California. Amazon
spokesperson Jessica Bardoulas said the
company has made thousands of deliveries
since launching the service, and is expanding
it to include prescriptions based in part on
customer requests.
Amazon Prime already delivers some
medications from the company’s pharmacy
inside of two days. But pharmacy Vice President
John Love said that doesn’t help someone with
an acute illness like the flu.
“What we’re trying to do is figure out how can
we bend the curve on speed,” he said.
Amazon Pharmacy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Vin
33

Gupta says the U.S. health care system generally
struggles with diagnosing and treating patients
quickly for acute illnesses, something that was
apparent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Narrowing the window between diagnosis and
treating makes many treatments more effective,
he said.
Amazon is not the first company to explore
prescription deliveries by drone. The drugstore
chain CVS Health worked with UPS to test
deliveries in 2019 in North Carolina but that
program has ended, a CVS spokesman said.
Intermountain Health started providing drone
deliveries of prescriptions in 2021 in the Salt
Lake City area and has been expanding the
program, according to Daniel Duersch, supply
chain director for the health care system.
Intermountain is partnering with the logistics
company Zipline to use drones that drop
packages by parachute.
Companies seeking to use drones for
commercial purposes have faced hurdles from
regulators who want to make sure things are
operating safely. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos
had predicted a decade ago that drones would
be making deliveries by 2018. Even now, the
e-commerce giant is only using the technology
in two markets.
Lisa Ellman, the executive director of the
Commercial Drone Alliance, an industry group
that counts Amazon as one of its members, said
to date, regulatory approvals have been limited
to specific geographic areas and “in terms of
their scope and usefulness to companies.”

34

35

36

That said, she noted regulators have also been
issuing more approvals. Last month, the FAA
gave the OK for Zipline and UPS to fly longerrange drones.
Walmart has also been working to expand its
own drone deliveries.
Amazon says its drones will fly as high as
120 meters, or nearly 400 feet, before slowly
descending when they reach the customer’s
home. The done will check to make sure the
delivery zone is clear of pets, children or any
other obstructions before dropping the package
on a delivery marker.
The company said it hopes to expand the
program to other markets, but it has no time
frame for that.
Amazon has been growing its presence in health
care for a few years now.
Aside from adding a pharmacy, it also spent
nearly $4 billion to buy primary care provider
One Medical. In August, the company added
video telemedicine visits in all 50 states.

37

MAJOR SOLAR
PANEL PLANT
OPENS IN US
AMID BACKDROP
OF INDUSTRY
WORRIES ABOUT
LOW-PRICED
ASIAN IMPORTS

40

41

42

A South Korean company has begun production
at a huge new solar panel factory in Georgia
even as industry leaders say surging Asian
imports could dampen efforts to make more
solar components in the United States.
Qcells, a unit of South Korea’s Hanwha Group,
said that it can now turn out enough solar
panels to generate 5.1 gigawatts of power yearly
at a two-factory complex in the northwest
Georgia city of Dalton. That’s almost 40% of U.S.
solar panel capacity, according to figures from
the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Qcells’ opened its first factory in 2019 and
an even larger plant in phases since, what
the company describes as the largest solar
investment in American history.
“It’s another milestone as we as a company
really strive to become a global leader and a
U.S. leader in solar manufacturing,” said Scott
Moskowitz, Qcells head of market strategy and
public affairs.
The company says its new plant is the first solar
module factory in the U.S. to begin production
since passage of President Joe Biden’s signature
climate legislation. Qcells’ $208 million
investment again shows how federal incentives
are spurring a nationwide boom in renewable
energy and electric vehicles.
Industry jitters about a flood of cheap solar
panels from overseas show how dependent on
federal policy the solar industry remains. That’s a
threat in part because former President Donald
Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican
nomination, is hostile to renewable energy.
Qcells leaders say the new plant showcases
more efficient equipment and processes, part of
43

a much larger investment intended to bring key
steps in solar manufacturing to the U.S. A solar
panel, or module, is assembled from solar cells
most commonly made from wafers cut from
ingots of polysilicon.
Today, the company’s solar cells are imported
from Asia. But 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of
Dalton in Cartersville, Qcells is building a $2.3
billion complex to take polysilicon refined in
Washington state and make ingots, wafers and
solar cells — in addition to 3.3 gigawatts of solar
modules. That plant is scheduled to open in
phases starting next year.
Currently, no silicon ingots or wafers are made
in the U.S. But Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act,
besides offering a extra tax credit on Americanmade solar equipment, lets manufacturers earn
incentives for every unit of polysilicon they
refine and every wafer, cell and module they
make. For example, Qcells earns a tax credit
of 7 cents per watt for every panel it makes in
Dalton, or $34.30 for every 490-watt residential
panel made.
Even with that boost, solar industry leaders
warn, factories will struggle to compete with
a new spike in cheap Asian imports. They’re
again urging federal officials to investigate
whether solar panels are being dumped at
unfairly low prices. Previous investigations have
led to anti-dumping tariffs on panels made in
China and Taiwan.
U.S. officials shouldn’t regard the spike as
a normal market fluctuation, said Mike
Carr, executive director of the Solar Energy
Manufacturers for America Coalition, a group
that includes Qcells. He argues Chinese
44

45

46

component makers are pushing out cheap
modules from southeast Asian factories, tanking
panel prices to ensure Chinese dominance and
smother U.S. manufacturing.
“This is likely to be the No. 1 new energy source
in the 21st century,” Carr said. “It’s already
cheaper than pretty much anything else to
install. It is the path to meeting our climate
goals. So I think it becomes a real national
security kind of concern. The way OPEC is in
oil markets, we don’t want to allow China to
become that same controller of supply in solar.”
Qcells sees current low prices as a “near-term
challenge” in achieving economies of scale and
serving a long-term market, Moskowitz said.
Beyond trade policy, he said, requiring federal
agencies to buy American-made products and
promoting panels produced with fewer carbon
emissions could bolster Qcells.
Politics envelops the solar industry. Vice
President Kamala Harris visited the plant earlier
this year. At the state level, Republican Gov.
Brian Kemp has wrestled with Democratic U.S.
Sen. Jon Ossoff over political credit for electric
vehicle and renewable energy investments
flowing to Georgia.
“Out of all the places Qcells could have gone,
they chose to operate and expand here in
Georgia because of our unrivaled assets and the
competitive package we put together,” Kemp
said in a statement.
Ossoff and fellow Georgia Democratic Sen.
Raphael Warnock note they authored the
component incentives that benefit Qcells,
emphasizing federal policy.

47

“Our state is emerging as the advanced
energy capital of the nation, thanks to federal
infrastructure and manufacturing policies that
are benefiting Georgia more than any other
state,” Ossoff said in a statement.
Qcells, for its part, praises both state and
federal assistance.
“To build these markets up and to have them
work, you need a whole government approach,”
Moskowitz said.

48

49

52

®

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
ACQUISITION BOOSTING
THE FUTURE OF GAMING

53

54

Microsoft has completed its $68.7 billion
acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the makers
of iconic gaming franchises such as Call of
Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush.
This historic deal, initially blocked by the UK’s
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA),
represents a new era for the gaming industry
and a further consolidation of tech giants.

55

THE MICROSOFT ACTIVISION
BLIZZARD DEAL
The merger between Microsoft and Activision
Blizzard has been along-awaited, with the
technology behemoth eventually taking
control over Activision Blizzard for a recordbreaking $68.7 billion, marking it the most
significant acquisition in video game history.
With this takeover, Microsoft will now control
illustrious game franchises like Call of Duty,
Diablo, and World of Warcraft. This merger is
an enormous boon for Xbox, particularly its
Game Pass subscription service, and stands
to augment its content library dramatically.
It also offers Microsoft the possibility to
make any Activision Blizzard titles Xbox
exclusives which could prove a major blow for
the PlayStation brand, although with certain
pre-existing exclusivity deals respected. What’s
perhaps most interesting about this, though, is
that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has confirmed
he’d “love” to get rid of console game exclusives
on Xbox but blamed PS5 maker Sony for
“defining the market and competition”.
Originally, Microsoft’s acquisition met with
a number of regulatory challenges. In the
United Kingdom, the CMA cited concerns that
Microsoft could potentially monopolize the
cloud gaming market. The deal was revised
to appease regulatory bodies, involving
French video game publisher Ubisoft gaining
the rights to distribute Activision’s games
on consoles and PCs via the cloud. Finally,
the CMA approved the revised deal, stating
it would “preserve competitive prices” in
the gaming industry. One of the significant
points of contention has been the potential
56

57

58

59

60

for Microsoft to monopolize the gaming
industry. This concern isn’t unfounded.
Microsoft had previously acquired Bethesda
in 2021 for $7.5 billion and with Activision
Blizzard now in its portfolio, it wields enormous
influence over the gaming world and could
change the fortune of small gaming studios
and larger players, too.
While it’s true that such acquisitions give
Microsoft a competitive edge, we must
consider its market share in relation to
competitors. Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith,
stated that Sony controls 70% of the global
console market compared to Microsoft’s 30%,
even after its series of high-profile acquisitions,
suggesting that there’s nothing close to a 50/50
split between Xbox and PlayStation users.

THE GAMING WARS
The acquisition undoubtedly puts fuel to the
fire of the ongoing console wars. Both Xbox
and PlayStation may now be more incentivized
to produce exclusive titles to outperform the
other, which, while competitive, could limit
consumer choices significantly. On the flip side,
Microsoft has shown interest in expanding
its reach in mobile gaming We only have to
look at the recent announcement that the
next Resident Evil title will also be available
to play on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max devices
to see how far we’ve come in terms of mobile
gaming technology. With Activision Blizzard’s
mobile titles like Candy Crush, Microsoft could
also considerably strengthen its position in this
sector and unlock new opportunities across a
range of sectors.

61

62

63

While Microsoft’s deep pockets can easily
bear the brunt of the hefty $68.7 billion
price tag, questions have been raised on
whether this financial burden might trickle
down to consumers in the form of increased
subscription costs or game prices. While these
are valid concerns, it’s worth noting that the
industry at large has been grappling with the
rising costs of game development, separate
from this merger. Microsoft has already said
that it does not plan to increase prices. “Game
Pass prices will not increase as a result of the
Merger, and certainly will not increase to a
point that offsets the substantial benefits of
Activision titles coming to Game Pass on a
day and date basis,” the company wrote in a
statement. “This is especially so given Game
Pass will continue to be constrained by B2P
[buy to play].”
Arguments can be made for both sides as
to whether the new deal is good or bad for
the wider industry. On one hand, Microsoft’s
considerable resources could enable better
developments and richer content for Activision
Blizzard’s franchises. Phil Spencer, the head
of Xbox, has reassured gamers that the new
arrangement will “unlock a world of possibilities
for more ways to play.” On the other hand, the
acquisition does raise legitimate concerns
around market competition and consumer
choice, despite regulatory clearances. Exclusive
titles might restrict gamers to specific
platforms, potentially limiting the openness
that has characterized the gaming world for
years, but with Microsoft unlikely to want to
cause controversy, we expect that titles won’t

64

65

66

67

68

be exclusive in the years ahead, aside from preexisting title agreements.
In essence, the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard
acquisition is a double-edged sword. It
promises to bring more robust resources and
better gaming experiences but also raises
concerns about market monopolies and
restricted consumer choices. The real impact of
this merger will unfold over time, setting either
a concerning precedent or a transformative
milestone in the gaming industry. Either way,
gamers can rest assured that there will be more
amazing games and titles coming to a console and perhaps an iPhone - near you.
69

Whether you’re a casual gamer or a
die-hard console loyalist, this deal
is poised to affect your gaming
experiences one way or another.
As regulators tussle over market
dynamics, all eyes will be on how
this merger shapes the contours of
an industry beloved by millions.
70

71

MICROSOFT
SPENT TWO
YEARS TRYING TO
BUY ACTIVISION
BLIZZARD.
FOR XBOX CEO,
THAT WAS THE
EASY PART

After two years co-piloting the biggest
acquisition in video game history past an
onslaught of challenges, Xbox CEO Phil
Spencer now moves on to his next quest:
making Microsoft’s takeover of Activision
Blizzard worth the hassle.
Microsoft, which owns the Xbox gaming system,
closed its $69 billion deal to buy game-maker
Activision Blizzard after fending off global
opposition from antitrust regulators and rivals.
It marks a career-defining moment for Spencer,
who first joined Microsoft as an intern in 1988
74

Image: Richard Vogel

75

Image: Noah Berger

76

and has helmed Xbox since 2014. After years
of lagging behind rival Sony’s PlayStation,
acquiring Activision’s collection of popular game
titles gives Microsoft a rare chance to catch up.
“His job really just starts today,” said analyst Gil
Luria, technology strategist at D.A. Davidson,
after the deal’s closure. “All he’s been doing is
preparing for today where he actually gets to
integrate the business.”
And it marks the end of an era for Activision
Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who’s led the
Southern California maker of Call of Duty and
other blockbuster franchises since 1991 after
helping to buy it from bankruptcy. Kotick said
he’s assisting with the transition until the
end of the year.
Activision Blizzard was still reeling from
worker protests, lawsuits and government
investigations over allegations of workplace
harassment against women and unequal pay
when Microsoft privately reached out about
buying the company in 2021.
When the companies announced a planned
merger in January 2022, Microsoft CEO Satya
Nadella made clear it would be “critical for
Activision Blizzard to drive forward” on its
commitments to improve its workplace culture.
That was just the start of Microsoft’s challenges
in bringing home the deal. After negotiations
with Spencer faltered, top rival Sony brought its
concerns about losing access to the Call of Duty
franchise to regulators around the world. The
strongest opposition came from U.S. antitrust
enforcers emboldened by President Joe Biden’s
administration to take a tougher look at big
tech deals, as well as their counterparts in
77

78

Image: Richard Drew

79

the United Kingdom who finally relented in
approving the deal only after Microsoft agreed
to make concessions.
“Microsoft didn’t have a choice. If they wanted
to be long-term competitive with Sony and the
PlayStation platform, they need to have a much
more robust content offering,” Luria said.
But, “in retrospect, they should have read
the writing on the wall in terms of the
difficulty of closing the deal,” Luria said. “They
needed to do the deal to stay competitive,
but knowing what they know now, they might
have done it differently.”
A key moment came in June, when a federal
judge weighed the U.S. Federal Trade
Commission’s attempt to block the merger
while it awaited further review. In an unusual
move for a CEO that telegraphed the deal’s
importance, Spencer spent the better part
of two weeks at the defendant table of a San
Francisco courtroom conferring with Microsoft’s
lawyers. The judge eventually dismissed the
FTC’s request, though the agency is still seeking
to unwind the deal.
Microsoft’s success in integrating Activision’s
business is “not guaranteed, especially as its
track record with acquisitions has been a mixed
bag,” said George Jijiashvili, senior principal
analyst at research and advisory firm Omdia.
Last year, Microsoft spent $7.5 billion to acquire
ZeniMax Media, the parent company of video
game publisher Bethesda Softworks, maker of
Elder Scrolls and Fallout.
Microsoft’s two key game launches this year
from its Bethesda merger, Redfall and Starfield,
have “been met with mixed reactions at best,”
80

Image: Sergei Elagin

81

Image: Peter Morgan

82

Jijiashvili said. “However, with globally popular
game franchises such as Call of Duty now under
its wing, the company is strategically much
better positioned.”
Another challenge for Microsoft will be
overcoming the workforce challenges that
dogged Activision before the takeover.
As of late last year, Activision Blizzard had
13,000 employees, about 72% in North America,
according to a regulatory filing. Microsoft has
already pledged it will stay neutral if the nearly
10,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada seek
to organize into a labor union, part of a 2022
agreement with the Communications Workers of
America meant to address U.S. political concerns
about the merger’s effects.
“It is a new day for workers at Activision
Blizzard,” said CWA President Claude Cummings
Jr. in a statement.
“Over two years ago, workers at Activision
Blizzard’s studios captured the country’s
attention through walkouts and other protests
over discrimination, sexual harassment, pay
inequity, and other issues they were facing on
the job,” Cummings Jr. said. “Their efforts to form
unions were met with illegal retaliation and
attempts to delay and block union elections.
Now these workers are free to join our union
through a fair process, without interference
from management.”
In a welcome email to Activision employees,
Spencer said he wanted to “reiterate that we
hold ourselves to a high bar in delivering the
most inclusive and welcoming experiences for
players, creators, and employees.”

83

EUROPE IS
LOOKING TO
FIGHT THE FLOOD
OF CHINESE
ELECTRIC
VEHICLES.
BUT EUROPEANS
LOVE THEM

When Laima Springe-Janssen was looking to
replace her French-made gasoline-powered SUV
with an electric car, she considered models from
Volvo and Nissan.
The Volvo extras she wanted would have
busted her budget, while the Nissan lacked
the “wow factor.” The Copenhagen, Denmark,
resident ended up buying a compact SUV from
China’s BYD.
“I really, really love the car,” Springe-Janssen
said. For the equivalent of about $50,000,
the Atto 3 SUV came with “all these goodies”
86

87

88

like a 360-degree dash cam, two years of free
charging and an extra set of winter tires.
Her husband likes it so much he’s considering
buying another BYD to replace their other car,
from Volkswagen’s Skoda brand.
“I’m sorry, Europe. Go home,” she said. “China
has a better offer.”
Her enthusiasm underscores how Chinese
automakers are winning over drivers as they
make major inroads into Europe’s electric
vehicle market, challenging long-established
homegrown brands in an industry that’s key to
the continent’s green energy transition.
The competitive threat has spurred the
European Union to launch an investigation into
Beijing’s support for its EV industry. That adds
to tech-related tensions between the West and
China, which is one of Europe’s biggest trading
partners and the world’s biggest auto market.
China’s EV onslaught, along with massive U.S.
clean energy funding that has drawn investment
away from Europe, shows how the 27-nation
bloc is caught in the middle of the global race
for green technology.
Chinese EV makers are drawn to Europe because
auto import tariffs are just 10% versus 27.5%
in the U.S., independent auto analyst Matthias
Schmidt said. Europe also has the world’s
second-biggest EV battery market after China.
Nevermind the geopolitics. Climate-conscious
car buyers in Europe who are grappling with an
increased cost of living rave about how Chinese
EVs are affordable yet packed with features and
stylish design. Concerns about the threat to local
carmakers and jobs just aren’t a factor for them.
89

Image: Sjoerd Janssen

90

91

British retiree John Kirkwood replaced his
Volkswagen Passat three years ago with an
MG5 station wagon because the 30,000-pound
($36,000) price tag “wiped the floor” with its
nearest rival — a Kia that cost thousands more.
“It’s nice. It’s quiet, it’s refined” and very quick,
Kirkwood said, adding that he had few qualms
about British brand MG’s Chinese ownership.
MG — owned by SAIC Motor, China’s biggest
automaker — is the largest Chinese EV player
in Europe. BYD, backed by billionaire investor
Warren Buffett, is growing fast. There’s also
Geely, which owns Sweden’s Volvo and a stable
of EV brands including Polestar, Lynk & Co. and
British sportscar maker Lotus.
Behind them are a slew of startups, like
NIO and Xpeng.
Their combined sales are a sliver of the 9.2
million vehicles sold in Europe every year, but
they have been gobbling up a piece of the
smaller EV market at an astonishing pace.
Chinese automakers account for only about
3% of Western Europe’s overall car market but
8.4% of the EV market, up from 6.2% last year
and almost nothing in 2019, according to
Schmidt’s data.
The surge is stoking fears about Europe’s
automotive industry, an economic powerhouse
centered in France and Germany that employs
millions of workers, staying competitive as it
transitions from fossil fuels to electricity.
European Commission President Ursula von der
Leyen says “global markets are now flooded with
cheaper Chinese electric cars,” with prices “kept
artificially low by huge state subsidies.”
92

Image: John Kirkwood

93

94

95

The commission, the EU’s executive arm,
formally opened its investigation this month,
saying it would take up to 13 months and could
result in import duties.
Beijing voiced “strong dissatisfaction” and vowed
to “firmly safeguard” Chinese companies’ rights.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry said the EU
probe is based on “subjective assumptions,” lacks
enough evidence and goes against World Trade
Organization rules.
Complicating matters, global automakers build
vehicles in China and have exported 164,300 this
year to Europe, including BMW’s iX3 SUV made
in northeastern Shenyang and Tesla’s Model
3 and Y produced in Shanghai, according to
Schmidt’s data. That means one in every five EVs
sold in Europe is a Chinese import.
A commission spokesman said the
investigation is looking at China’s EV exports
“regardless of the brand.”
Stellantis, which owns French auto brands
Peugeot and Citroen as well as Italy’s Alfa
Romeo and Fiat, is vowing to fight back against
China’s EVs. In a recent earnings call, CEO
Carlos Tavares said the world’s No. 3 automaker
is responding to a “Chinese invasion in a
European market” with a new Citroen e-C3
cheap compact.
Stellantis faces added pressure from a union
strike in the U.S. over EV battery plant jobs.
Executives at Shanghai-based Aiways, a startup
headed by Volvo’s former China sales chief,
rejected accusations that Beijing provides a
helping hand.

96

97

98

“We’re not selling inside China, we’re not being
subsidized in China,” said Alexander Klose,
vice president of overseas operations. “Yes,
we obviously have some subsidies for putting
a plant somewhere, which is, I think, what
everybody has in Europe.”
Aiways is focusing on Europe and Israel instead
of China, where the auto market is so crowded
that “we don’t think it makes sense to compete
right now,” Klose said.
The EU should be working on getting to a
green future “rather than keeping competition
out,” he said.
One reason Chinese companies can offer
high-quality cars at affordable prices stems
from the rules to enter the Chinese market.
Global automakers had to team up with local
companies, providing them crucial automaking
knowhow.
“They were kind of like the sous chefs to the
Western companies,” said Schmidt, the auto
analyst. “The situation now is those sous chefs are
opening up their own restaurants and, in some
cases, better than their masters’ restaurants.”
Also helping level the playing field is batterypowered motors being less complex to build
than internal combustion engines and requiring
fewer workers. That’s a problem for European
brands with big workforces that will need years
to revamp operations, Schmidt said.
Chinese EV makers, meanwhile, are trying to
stand out in a crowded field.
SUV maker Great Wall Motors’ EV sub-brand
Ora is targeting women, with cars it says are
designed for their body sizes and daily needs.
99

100

The Ora Funky Cat, with throwback round
headlights, an exclamation mark on its hood
badge, and a 32,000-pound ($38,600) price tag,
appealed to British scriptwriter Justin Nicholls,
who bought one for his wife.
“The looks are awesome, and the tech great. It’s
so easy to drive, yet feels like a lot larger car and
feels premium,” he said.
It also appealed to Nicholls because it’s different
from the Volkswagens, Peugeots and BMWs
common on British roads: “I think it is a lot more
quirky than European cars.”

101

US REGULATORS
INVESTIGATE
GM’S CRUISE
DIVISION OVER
INCIDENTS
INVOLVING
PEDESTRIANS
IN ROADWAYS

U.S. regulators are investigating General Motors’
Cruise autonomous vehicle division after
receiving reports of incidents where vehicles
may not have used proper caution around
pedestrians in roadways.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration said that the reports involve
automated driving system equipped vehicles
encroaching on pedestrians present in or
104

105

106

107

entering roadways, including crosswalks.
This could raise the risk of a vehicle striking a
pedestrian, which could result in severe injury or
death, according to the NHTSA.
The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation
said that it’s received two reports involving
pedestrian injuries from Cruise vehicles. It’s also
identified two additional incidents from videos
posted to public websites. The office said the
total number of relevant pedestrian incidents is
unknown. It opened an investigation this week.
“Cruise’s safety record over 5 million miles
continues to outperform comparable human
drivers at a time when pedestrian injuries
and deaths are at an all-time high,” Cruise
spokesperson Hannah Lindow said in a prepared
statement. “Cruise communicates regularly with
NHTSA and has consistently cooperated with
each of NHTSA’s requests for information ––
whether associated with an investigation or not
–– and we plan to continue doing so.”
The ODI said its investigation is being opened
to help determine the scope and severity of
the potential problem, including causal factors
that may relate to ADS driving policies and
performance around pedestrians, and to fully
assess the potential safety risks.
In August General Motors’ Cruise unit agreed to
cut its fleet of San Francisco robotaxis in half as
authorities investigated two crashes in the city.
The state Department of Motor Vehicles asked
for the reduction at the time after a Cruise
vehicle without a human driver collided with an
unspecified emergency vehicle.

108

109

WHAT GOOGLE’S
ANTITRUST TRIAL
MEANS FOR YOUR
SEARCH HABITS

If government regulators prevail against
Google in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a
quarter century, it’s likely to unleash drastic
changes that will undermine the dominance
of a search engine that defines the internet for
billions of people.
As the 10-week trial probing Google’s business
practices nears its midway point, it’s still too
early to tell if U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta
will side with the Justice Department and try
to handcuff one of the world’s most dominant
tech companies.
112

113

If Mehta rules that Google has been running
an illegal monopoly in search, the punishment
could open up new online avenues for
consumers and businesses to explore in pursuit
of information, entertainment and commerce.
“The judge can compel Google to open the
floodgates so more startups and third-party
competitors can put greater competitive
pressure on Google, which will create higher
quality online services,” said Luther Lowe, senior
vice president of public policy at Yelp. The online
business review site has been one of Google’s
harshest critics while spending more than a
decade railing against a strategy that favors its
own services in search results.
Google’s search engine earned its huge market
share by almost instantaneously presenting
people with helpful information culled from the
billions of websites that have been indexed since
former Stanford University graduate students
Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed the
technology during the late 1990s.
In addition to its technological wizardry, Google
also pays billions of dollars each year to ensure
its search engine is the default choice for
answering queries entered in the world’s most
popular smartphones and web browsers.
These agreements don’t preclude users from
switching to a different search engine in their
settings, but it’s a tedious process that few people
bother to navigate. This reality is why Google is
willing to pay so much for the privileged position,
according to the Justice Department.
Google’s payments for preeminent search
placement — including an estimated $15 billion
to $20 billion per year to Apple alone —
114

115

116

are at the head of the Justice Department’s case,
making it probable the judge would prohibit
them if he rules against Google.
Should that happen, experts believe the most
likely remedy in the U.S. would be a requirement
for smartphones and web browsers to display
a palette of different search engines during the
setup process. That’s something already being
done in Europe, where all indications, so far, are
that most people are still opting for Google.
That could be because they believe Google truly
is the best search engine — as Google argues
in their defense — or they just trust the brand
more than rival options such as Microsoft’s Bing
or the privacy-focused DuckDuckGo.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella asserted Google
has an almost hypnotic hold on users while
testifying earlier this month during the trial.
“You get up in the morning, you brush your
teeth and you search on Google,” Nadella said.
He then added that the only way to break the
habit is by changing the default choice.
As long as a ruling doesn’t exclude Google’s rivals
from paying to be the automatic search engine
on smartphones and web browsers, Microsoft
could buy the default position for Bing — an
opportunity Nadella indicated he would seize.
“There’s defaults — the only thing that
matter in terms of changing search behavior,”
Nadella testified.
Florian Schaub, associate professor of
information at the University of Michigan,
believes the fairest outcome in the trial would an
across-the-board ban on all default agreements
between two companies.
Image: Steve Marcus

117

118

“The current environment is being shaped by
an architecture that’s designed by the
big companies that control the space,”
Schaub said. “What the government can do
is inject some neutralism into this and give
consumers some actual choices. If people
still choose to use Google, that is at least a
consumer choice, which would better than
having people stick to a default because they
are conditioned to that default.”
In his testimony during the trial, Apple executive
Eddy Cue said the company has embraced
Google as the preferred search engine on the
iPhone and other products because it provides
the best experience for its customers. That
stance has raised speculation that if Apple is
blocked from using Google as the default search
engine on the iPhone, it might flex its muscle as
the world’s richest company to develop its own
search technology.
However, a blanket ban on default search
agreements that have been highly profitable
for Apple and other companies such as wireless
provider Verizon could trigger unintended
consequences, such as raising prices on other
popular products.
“If Google is no longer paying big bucks to
Apple and other companies, they might raise
the prices for their devices,” said David Olson,
an associate professor for the Boston College
Law School who is following the antitrust trial.
“I don’t think they will be big, but we could
see some price increases because Google has
essentially been subsidizing the cost of devices
like the iPhone.”

119

Image: Daniel Grizelj

120

Another offshoot of a ban on default search
agreements is that Google still could have
a dominant advantage in search if people
continue to proactively choose it and the
company would have billions of dollars more
to spend in other areas that it once devoted to
deals that it really didn’t need at all.
“Google must think they getting a great benefit
from those default agreements, but maybe
they’re really not worth that much,” Olson said.
“Maybe their cost/benefit analysis is off and
they will wind up more money and just as much
dominance. That would be ironic.”
Although the trial is focused on Google’s search
engine, a government victory could have more
sweeping consequences across the technology
industry if Mehta decided all default settings
are anti-competitive and outlaws all defaults
in the settings.
“If one of the outcomes of the trial is that there
needs to be more neutral choices, it wouldn’t
just affect Google on Android phones, it could
also affect Apple and the iPhone,” Schaub said.
“Does it mean Google phones might have
to offer (Apple’s virtual assistant) Siri as an
alternative to the Google Assistant? Or would
Apple devices have to offer Google Assistant?”
A decision like that would open a crack in the
digital wall that Apple has built around the
iPhone to give its own software and certain pet
products such as Siri exclusive access to the
device’s more than 1 billion users, setting the
stage for another potential legal battle.

121

AMAZON,
TRIPADVISOR
AND OTHER
COMPANIES TEAM
UP TO BATTLE
FAKE REVIEWS
WHILE FTC SEEKS
TO BAN THEM

Some of the most used platforms for travel and
online shopping said they’re going to team up
to battle fake reviews.
Amazon, reviews site Glassdoor and Trustpilot
as well as travel companies Expedia Group,
Booking.com and Tripadvisor said in an
announcement they’re launching a coalition
that aims to protect access to “trustworthy
consumer reviews” worldwide.
124

125

126

The companies said the members of the group,
which will be called Coalition for Trusted
Reviews, will look for best practices for hosting
online reviews and share methods on how to
detect fake ones. That will include developing
standards for what constitutes a fake review
and sharing information about how bad
actors operate.
Phony reviews have long plagued online
marketplaces despite their efforts to eradicate it.
Much of the problem is fueled by brokers who
solicit fake customer reviews through social
media platforms, encrypted messaging apps
and other channels in exchange for money,
free items or other benefits. Brokers can solicit
positive reviews to boost sales for businesses or
sellers. They can also also post negative reviews
for competitors in order to tank their sales.
Last month, Amazon said two review brokers in
China were sentenced to two-and-a-half years
in prison and three years of probation after
using messaging apps to advertise and sell
fake reviews to Amazon selling accounts. The
company has filed a flurry of other lawsuits in
the past year against operators that it says were
doing similar things. Last year, it also sued the
administrators of more than 10,000 Facebook
groups that it alleged were coordinating bogus
reviews in exchange for money or free products.
Facebook groups trading reviews for Google and
Trustpilot, which allows users to leave feedback
for businesses, were also discovered earlier
this year by the British consumer watchdog
group “Which?”
Federal regulators have also been aiming
to crack down on bogus reviews aiming to
127

128

129

130

deceive consumers. In June, the Federal Trade
Commission proposed a new rule that, among
other things, would prohibit businesses from
selling or obtaining fake reviews, suppressing
honest reviews and selling fake social
media engagement.
Businesses would also be prohibited from
creating or controlling a website that claims
to provide independent opinions about its
products and employing other practices like
“review hijacking,” which makes reviews for
one product appear like they were written
for different ones. If the proposal is adopted,
violators can be face penalties.
Becky Foley, Tripadvisor’s vice president for Trust
& Safety, said in a statement included in the
news release that combating operators behind
fake reviews will be “an immediate area of focus”
for the coalition.
“These actors often operate outside of
jurisdictions with a legal framework to shut
down fraudulent activity, making robust
cooperation even more important,” Foley said.
The companies said the coalition is a result
conversations that came out of a “Fake Reviews”
conference that was organized by Tripadvisor
and held last year in San Francisco. They said
they will meet in early December at a second
conference that will be organized by Amazon
and held in Brussels.

131

LINKEDIN CUTS
MORE THAN
600 WORKERS,
ABOUT 3% OF
WORKFORCE

132

133

134

LinkedIn said this week it is laying off hundreds
of employees amounting to about 3% of the
social media company’s workforce.
The Microsoft-owned career network is cutting
about 668 roles across its engineering, product,
talent and finance teams.
“Talent changes are a difficult, but necessary
and regular part of managing our business,” the
company said in a statement.
The job cuts follow another more than 700
layoffs LinkedIn announced in May, as well as
thousands more this year from parent company
Microsoft, which has owned the professionalnetworking service since buying it for $26 billion
in 2016.
LinkedIn keeps growing and said its annual
revenue surpassed $15 billion for the first time
in the fiscal year that ended in June. The service,

135

headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, makes
money from advertisements on the platform
as well as from users who pay to subscribe for
premium features.
LinkedIn reports having about
19,500 employees.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft as of
July had a global workforce of 221,000 full-time
employees, with more than half of those in
the U.S.
It’s adding thousands more as part of its
$69 billion acquisition of California video
game-maker Activision Blizzard. As of late
last year, Activision Blizzard reported having
13,000 employees.

136

137

138

IN ‘ANATOMY OF
A FALL,’ A SHARP
COURTROOM
DRAMA THAT
WILL END
RELATIONSHIPS

139

140

Of all the ways that a relationship can end, a
fundamental disagreement about a work of art
is in some ways extremely silly. And yet, a film
or a book exposing an irreparable rift in a love
that perhaps wasn’t as compatible, as symbiotic
or as caring as one might have thought is also,
somehow, as good a reason as any. Maybe it will
even, eventually, provide a funny story.
Another, more excruciating, way for a relationship
to end is with one party falling off the roof of a
house to their death, followed by a humiliating
public trial to determine the fault or innocence
of the other, as happens in Justine Triet’s Palme
d’Or-winning “Anatomy of a Fall.” And just like “The
Corrections” before it, it seems that “Anatomy of
a Fall” might be the new litmus test for modern
relationships. See it with a romantic partner at
your own risk. But, from my perch, this is one that’s
worth the debate(s) it provokes.
Sandra Hüller, the German actor known for “Toni
Erdmann” and, soon, “ The Zone of Interest,” is
Sandra, a writer living in a chalet in the French Alps
with her husband, Samuel (Samuel Theis), and
11-year-old son, Daniel (Milo Machado Graner).
Triet thrusts the audience into a tense and stressful
atmosphere, introducing us to Sandra in the midst
of an interview with a grad student, a woman,
which will become significant later. Sandra is a
little prickly and sipping a glass of red wine while
deflecting questions back at her interviewer. It is
hard to focus on what they’re saying, however, as
an instrumental version of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” blares
through the household on a deafening, constant
and maddening loop. Samuel’s choice, apparently.
The student leaves, Sandra waves goodbye from
a balcony, 50 Cent still playing, glass of red still
in hand and Daniel, who is blind, heads out for
141

142

a walk with his dog. He returns to find his father
on the ground outside, dead and bleeding out.
Sandra’s lawyer, Vincent (Swann Arlaud, a calming
presence), later analyzes the fall trajectory and
finds the cause of death “inconclusive.”
Sandra Hüller’s burdens of proof, in ‘Anatomy of a
Fall’ and ‘Zone of Interest’
“Stop,” Sandra says. “I did not kill him.”
“That’s not the point,” Vincent responds.
It’s one brief exchange that could sum up the
150-minute film, which is a smartly constructed
and wholly engaging whodunit, courtroom
thriller, marriage drama and, at some points,
satire. This is not really a tearjerker, but a visceral
dismantling of a life that’s either happening in
the wake of a tragedy or a murder. Either way, it’s
uncomfortable to watch Samuel’s sharp, merciless
advocate (Antoine Reinartz) grill Sandra about
their marriage troubles and why, in his mind, that
makes her a likely suspect. She’s also accused of
doing it for material for her books.
Hüller makes the audience squirm along with
her as she plays the tricky game of knowing
when to take the insults and when to push
back (without seeming “unlikable,” of course),
and she’s doing this all in two languages that
aren’t the character’s own (French and English).
It’s exhausting, illuminating and triggering to
be reminded of the internalized misogyny that
still exists and even thrives in marriages that
look evolved and equal on paper. But it’s hard
to fight back when parties can hide their own
culpability behind therapy-speak.
For Daniel, the trial and his part in it plays out like
a vicious divorce proceeding, in which his parents’
characters are dissected and annihilated. He
143

144

ANATOMY OF A FALL - Official Trailer

145

146

bears witness to their fights, their infidelities, their
insecurities and all manner of speculation made
by prosecutors, therapists and judges about the
private matters of this couple, the complexities
of which are far too great for a child burdened
with the loss of one parent and the possible
imprisonment of another.
And, of course, Samuel is unable to speak for
himself — not really at least. His therapist has
some insights and assumptions, his lawyer has
many, and there is one brutal argument that
we’re all privy too, since he himself recorded it
in secret to inspire his own writings. For some
audiences, this might be the biggest and most
egregious injustice of all, coating everything with
an uncertainty that will never be resolved. At a
certain point, you might even forget that it’s a
murder trial you’re watching.
“Anatomy of a Fall” may not be a film with many
concrete answers, ultimately, but the truths it
uncovers are irrefutable.

“Anatomy of a Fall,” a Neon release in theaters, is rated R by the Motion
Picture Association for “sexual references, violent images and some
language.” Running time: 150 minutes. Four stars out of four.

147

Rick and Morty

148

HOW POOPY GOT HIS POOP BACK

Rick and MoRty

CONNECTICUT-ING THE DOTS

the Real housewives of new yoRk city

PETE DAVIDSON - OCTOBER 14, 2023

satuRday night live

BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN

sisteR wives

PARTY FOWL

southeRn chaRM

TAKE IT TO THE BRIDGE

Below deck MediteRRanean

STARRY NIGHTS

when calls the heaRt

103

the golden BacheloR

STRIP STEAK

JeRsey shoRe: faMily vacation

903

BacheloR in PaRadise

149

Rachel Maddow

150

THE EXCHANGE

John gRishaM

HALF BAKED

denise gRoveR swank

PREQUEL

Rachel Maddow

WORTHY

Jada Pinkett sMith

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

david gRann

TWO TWISTED CROWNS

Rachel gillig

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY

Bonnie gaRMus

JUDGMENT PREY
John sandfoRd

BLOOD LINES

nelson deMille & alex deMille

REALM OF MIDNIGHT: A PARANORMAL...

J.a. culican, elise knight, aManda MaRin…

151

Taylor Swift

152

CRUEL SUMMER

tayloR swift

LIL BOO THANG

Paul Russell

I REMEMBER EVERYTHING (FEAT...)

Zach BRyan

PAINT THE TOWN RED

doJa cat

WHITE HORSE

chRis staPleton

LOSE CONTROL

teddy swiMs

SAVE ME (WITH LAINEY WILSON)

Jelly Roll

IT TAKES A WOMAN

chRis staPleton

THINKIN’ BOUT ME

MoRgan wallen

...READY FOR IT?

tayloR swift

153

Bad Bunny

154

NADIE SABE LO QUE VA A PASAR...

Bad Bunnyv

LOVER

tayloR swift

SET IT OFF

offset

REPUTATION

tayloR swift

RED (TAYLOR’S VERSION)

tayloR swift

AND THEN YOU PRAY FOR ME

westside gunn

BREATH OF FRESH AIR

gucci Mane

THE SURFACE

BeaRtooth

SOMETHING TO GIVE EACH OTHER

tRoye sivan

FEARLESS (TAYLOR’S VERSION)

tayloR swift

155

Troye Sivan

156

IN THE ROOM (FEAT. TASHA COBBS...

MaveRick city Music, naoMi Raine & chandleR MooRe

YET (FEAT. ASHLEY HESS & THE KING...)

MaveRick city Music, naoMi Raine & chandleR MooRe

GOOD NEWS (FEAT. TODD GALBERTH)

MaveRick city Music, naoMi Raine & chandleR MooRe

WHATTA MAN (FEAT. EN VOGUE)

salt-n-PePa

TK421

lenny kRavitZ

ONE OF YOUR GIRLS

tRoye sivan

PAINT THE TOWN REDV

doJa cat

ATOMIC CITY

u2

3D

Jung kook & Jack haRlow

3D

Jung kook & Jack haRlow

157

SAG-AFTRA
PRESIDENT FRAN
DRESCHER REACTS
TO HOLLYWOOD
STUDIOS BREAKING
OFF NEGOTIATIONS

158

159

Fran Drescher has steered the actors guild
through its monthslong strike. On the heels
of Hollywood studios abruptly breaking off
talks with the Screen Actors Guild-American
Federation of Television and Radio Artists this
week, the actor and union president says she’s
baffled and disappointed.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television
Producers announced last week that they had
suspended contract negotiations, saying the gap
between the two sides was too great to make
continuing worth it and characterizing their offer
as good as the one that recently ended the writers
strike. Drescher told in an interview that she did
not understand why negotiations collapsed but
that her union’s resolve has not weakened.
The interview has been edited for clarity
and brevity.

Q: CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED IN YOUR NEGOTIATIONS
WITH THE AMPTP?
DRESCHER: They had given us a proposal
package. We worked for like 36 hours on it. We
brought it back to them. We walked them through
it and they left and then called a few hours later
and said, “We’re breaking negotiations.” So it’s
not only baffling but wholly disappointing and
counterproductive.
I’ve never really met people that actually don’t
understand what negotiations mean. Why are you
walking away from the table? To what end do you
hope that that will accomplish anything?
And actually, my members are more pumped
up than ever. They feel so insulted by this, so
degraded by this and dishonored by this that it’s
160

161

like, “Fran, do not cave. Remain strong. Hold onto
your resolve because this can’t be for nothing.”

Q: CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE MOOD
OF THE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE THEY
BROKE OFF? WAS THERE A SENSE THAT
TALKS WOULD BE SMOOTHER AFTER
THE STUDIOS REACHED A DEAL WITH
THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA?
DRESCHER: With the writers guild also, they
broke negotiations with that too. So now that a
contract has been agreed upon, everybody’s all
warm and fuzzy. But at the time, I think it was
very contentious. They don’t like to give away
ice in winter.
So I’ve never really dealt with this kind of affront,
of indignation and a need to get their own way. I
think that they’re very used to getting their own
way. I think that the idea that we want to go into
a pocket to compensate for the lack of income
that we cannot get for our working members in
a streaming model is just so repugnant to them.
And they just feel like, “Who are we to want to get
compensated the way we used to be? Who are we
to think that we deserve to make an honest wage
that meets inflation? Who are we to challenge
them in any way? We should be so lucky to get
whatever they want because they’re the bosses.”
And I keep pointing out to them that that kind
of business practice is unsustainable nowadays.
It was maybe something that people bought
into in the 20th century. But that “dog eat dog,
the bottom line is the bottom line,” it just doesn’t
pan out. And we can’t think that way anymore.
You can’t go into a whole new business and
not question how this is going to impact the
162

163

164

foundational contributors to your business. And
that’s exactly what they did. And now they’re like
annoyed at us for pointing out the problem.
It’s really like an alternate universe. I can’t even
believe it. And I keep trying to put it into a global
context that they have a responsibility to workers.
They’re leaders in the industry. They should set the
example for industries around the world. This is
their opportunity as well to raise the bar on how
employers deal with workers. How they thank
them, how they include them, how they treat
them like people.

Q: THIS WILL OFFICIALLY BE THE
LONGEST STRIKE IN YOUR GUILD’S
HISTORY NEXT WEEK. WHAT ARE YOUR
THOUGHTS ON HOW WE GOT HERE?
DRESCHER: Well, I think it’s indicative of the fact
that they stopped talking to us back on July 12
and didn’t come back until less than 10 days ago.
You know, we’ve only met with them a couple of
times. That was what they were available for. Then
this past week, it was Monday and a half a day on
Wednesday. And then “Bye bye.”
I don’t even know what they’re thinking. But I
did say to them, “With all due respect, we have
been waiting for you to come back.” We wanted
to avert a strike. We extended an unprecedented
extension and we called them in the eleventh
hour. ... They don’t really want to negotiate. They
just want us to like what they want us to like.
They don’t want us to have a mind. They don’t
want us to have a thought. They don’t want us to
have feelings or complain that we can’t make a
living and we can’t support our families and we’re
having problems paying the rent.
165

166

They don’t want to hear about it because they
keep giving us this huge inflated number of
how much they’re spending on production and
how much they’re paying out to our union in
salary. But it’s all divided up amongst so many
thousands of people that it doesn’t add up to
anything except for our highest paying earners,
which I have zero problem with. And we’re
fighting for them as well with AI. They’re very
concerned about their likeness, their essence
of being. The thing that makes them a star is
going to be ripped off, going to be turned into
something that’s hardly even recognizable.

Q: SO, WHAT NOW?
DRESCHER: Well, they called and said, “We’re
walking away. We’re breaking negotiations.”
Now, we’re in the midst of a serious negotiating
committee meeting. Everybody went out on the
picket lines. The resolve is very strong.
So I think that they think that we’re going to
cower, but that’s never going to happen because
this is a crossroads and we must stay on course.

167

MUSK’S X TESTS
$1 FEE FOR NEW
USERS IN THE
PHILIPPINES AND
NEW ZEALAND
IN BID TO
TARGET SPAM

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has begun
charging a $1 fee to new users in the Philippines
and New Zealand, in a test designed to cut down
on the spam and fake accounts flourishing on
the site formerly known as Twitter.
The company said that it has started trying out
the annual subscription method for new and
unverified accounts. The program, dubbed Not a
Bot, won’t apply to existing users.

168

169

170

171

It’s not clear why it only applies to New Zealand
and the Philippines or why those countries
were chosen.
“This new test was developed to bolster our
already successful efforts to reduce spam,
manipulation of our platform and bot activity,
while balancing platform accessibility with
the small fee amount,” the X support account
tweeted. “It is not a profit driver.”
Since Musk bought X a year ago, he has
introduced a slew of changes such as renaming
the platform and gutting its workforce —
including its content moderation team.
Outside watchdog groups say the changes
have allowed misinformation to thrive on the
platform, a problem that exploded after the
Israel-Hamas war erupted.
Musk previously turned to premium
subscriptions as a tactic to boost the financially
struggling platform’s revenue.
One of his first product moves was to shake
up the site’s blue check verification system by
launching a service granting checks to anyone
willing to pay $8 a month. A flood of impostor
accounts forced the service’s temporary
suspension days after launch.
Under the test, new subscribers will get access
to basic functions like posting content, liking or
bookmarking posts, and reposting, quoting or
replying to posts from other accounts.
The platform said new users who don’t
subscribe will only be able to read posts, watch
videos and follow other accounts.

172

173

174

CHINESE
SEARCH ENGINE
COMPANY BAIDU
UNVEILS ERNIE
4.0 AI MODEL,
CLAIMS THAT IT
RIVALS GPT-4

Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence
firm Baidu this week unveiled a new version
of its artificial intelligence model, Ernie 4.0,
claiming that it rivals models such as GPT-4
in the U.S.
Baidu’s CEO Robin Li demonstrated Ernie 4.0 at
the company’s annual Baidu World conference
in Beijing. He said the model has achieved
comprehension, reasoning, memory and
generation, which uses algorithms to produce
and create new content.
175

Image: Giles Sabrié

176

Li said that Ernie 4.0 was able to understand
complex questions and instructions and
apply reasoning and logic to generate
answers to questions.
“It is not inferior in any aspect to GPT-4,” Li
said, stating that the latest model was
“significantly improved” compared to its
original Ernie Bot model.
In a live demonstration, Li prompted Ernie 4.0
to generate advertising materials including
advertising posters and a marketing video. He
also asked Ernie 4.0 to come up with a martial
arts novel complete with characters with
various personalities.
Baidu is a frontrunner among a slew of Chinese
companies racing to come up with artificial
intelligence models, after OpenAI’s ChatGPT
took the world by storm last year. Beijing sees
artificial intelligence as a key industry to rival
the United States and aims to become a global
leader by 2030.
177

Beijing-based Baidu started off as a search
engine firm and over the past decade has
invested heavily in artificial intelligence
technology such as autonomous driving and
more recently, generative AI to stay competitive.
The company’s Hong Kong-listed shares fell
1.7% following the announcement.
Baidu introduced its Ernie Bot in March. In August,
it made the model available to the public.
Ernie 4.0 is not yet available to the general public
but some people have been invited to try it.
Li said Baidu plans to incorporate artificial
intelligence technology into its search engine,
maps and cloud drive services, and its business
intelligence offerings for enterprise customers.
He did not give a timetable for that.
The technology can transform how certain
products work. Baidu’s search engine might
generate a customized answer to a query
instead of just providing a list of results and links.
China has recently sought to regulate the
generative AI industry, requiring companies to
carry out security reviews and obtain approvals
before publicly launching their products.
Companies that provide such AI services must
also comply with government requests for
technology and data.
The U.S. does not have such regulations.

178

179