News

US Judge removes Xiaomi from Trumps China blacklist

Americans can again invest in the company

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A US Federal Judge has asked the government to remove Chinese phone maker Xiaomi from a blacklist that bars American investment. The blacklist was President Trump’s final attempt at restricting Chinese companies in the country via targeted blacklists.

The Defense Department placed Xiaomi on a list of companies with alleged links to the Chinese military. Xiaomi has always vehemently denied the accusation and moved court against the government’s decision. The restrictions come into effect next week, but thanks to the judge’s ruling, Xiaomi is safe.

The company, in late January, filed a complaint in a Washington court seeking to be removed from the list, calling its inclusion “unlawful and unconstitutional.” Xiaomi, along with many other state-owned and private companies, was tagged as a “CCMC”, which means Chinese Communist Military Company.

Following the ruling, Xiaomi said in a statement that “it is a widely held, publicly traded, independently managed corporation that offers consumer electronics products solely for civilian and commercial use.”

It plans to continue to request that the court declare the designation unlawful and permanently remove it. Huawei is also trying to fix its relationship with the US as Chief Ren Zhengfei last month called for a reset under President Joe Biden.

The Chinese phone makers aren’t the only ones facing the brunt, though. The US has also pursued bans on popular Chinese-owned apps like WeChat and TikTok, invoking national security threats.

Gaming

Horizon Steel Frontiers is an MMO set in the Horizon universe

The game is built for mobile but will have cross-play gameplay with PC.

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A few months ago, Sony sued Tencent for copying design elements from the Horizon series for the latter’s upcoming game, Light of Motiram. Though the game has been relatively silent since the kerfuffle, was Tencent on to something? Today, Sony and a Korean studio named NCSoft have officially announced Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMO set in the Horizon universe.

It’s not just a simple announcement either. The title now has an official 10-minute video to preview the upcoming title. Right now, the trailer has nothing but cinematics, pre-alpha footage, and developer interviews. However, it’s a clear commitment to bringing the MMO to life.

Both the cinematics and the pre-alpha footage show off the familiar mechanical beasts of the series. The main goal of the title is to team up with other players and take down colossal beasts.

The game is set in the Deathlands, a new region inspired by Arizona and New Mexico. Players will have the entire state to play with. And, instead of Aloy, they can create their own personalized characters.

Horizon Steel Frontiers is built for smartphones. However, Sony and NCSoft are working towards cross-platform gameplay for the PC.

Right now, especially since the released footage is from pre-alpha development, we don’t know when the MMO will launch. However, it does look extremely exciting for fans of the original duology.

SEE ALSO: Sony announces adaptations of Horizon Zero Dawn, Tsushima

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Gaming

Elden Ring Nightreign is getting a DLC update this December

The update introduces two new Nightfarers and bosses.

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After Shadow of the Erdtree concluded the Elden Ring saga, FromSoftware kept the fire going with Elden Ring Nightreign, a multiplayer-focused standalone roguelike set in the same universe. It was a unique experience that breathed new life into the studio’s tough-as-nails dynamic. Now, before the year ends, FromSoftware has announced The Forsaken Hollows, a new DLC coming for Nightreign.

Even from launch, it was apparent that FromSoftware had content updates in store for Nightreign. The studio promised new maps and Nightfarers for the multiplayer game.

Yesterday, an earnings report hinted that the DLC was shipping out potentially early next year. Today, the studio dispelled all speculation and said that the DLC is definitely coming before the year ends.

The announcement expands the already-meaty game with two new playable Nightfarers: the arcane-wielding Scholar and the strength-slash-faith-focused Undertaker. Both characters, featured in the trailer, will introduce their special set of skills in the continuous battle against the Nightlord.

Besides the two new characters, two new bosses are coming to Limveld. We don’t know much about the two bosses. However, knowing FromSoftware, the studio is likely keeping them under wraps, so they can stomp on us harder.

Finally, the update introduces a new Shifting Earth area called The Great Hollow. The area is filled with “exotic ruins and temples; sacred towers denoting the remains of an ancient people; and crystals that exude a cursed, life-draining miasma.”

The Forsaken Hollows is a paid DLC coming to Elden Ring Nightreign on December 3. Though the DLC can be purchased separately, it’s already included in the Deluxe Edition and the Collectors Edition. It’s also available for those who purchased the Deluxe Edition Upgrade.

SEE ALSO: New Elden Ring Nightreign patch will make it easier for solo players

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Apple reportedly shelved the iPhone Air series indefinitely

The delay is because of low sales.

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On its own, the iPhone 17 Air is a mighty device. However, if you consider that the vastly superior iPhone 17 Pro series is only a hundred bucks away from the Air series, the thinner iPhone model becomes less attractive. Based on actual sales, it looks like Apple users think the same way. In response to low demand, Apple has reportedly shelved the next iPhone Air indefinitely.

Since the series launched a few months ago, numerous reports have speculated that the iPhone 17 Air isn’t performing as Apple expected. Given how Apple held out a lot of hope for the iPhone 17’s new designs, the Air’s failure to meet expectations is a big blow. Soon after the first reports trickled in, Apple reportedly dialed back on production to balance out the lower demand.

Now, as reported by The Information, Apple has reportedly delayed the next iPhone Air model indefinitely. Previously, the company was scheduled to release a new model next year alongside the iPhone 18 series. That’s not happening now.

Right now, there is no timeline for the next Air, if it is coming. That said, it’s still likely that Apple is still working on a new Air. It just might take some time while the company figures out how to make the next model pop.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone Air Review

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