Author: dailyguardian.ae

Microsoft is reportedly planning to add buy now, pay later (BNPL) support to the Xbox storefront, with code spotted on the Xbox website pointing to upcoming integrations with Klarna and PayPal. Splitting the cost of Xbox purchases The code snippet, shared by Better xCloud on X (via Windows Central), reveals that Xbox users will be able to spread the cost of purchases across weeks or months either with or without interest, depending on the duration. Both Klarna and PayPal are listed as BNPL providers in the code, though Microsoft has yet to announce the feature or share a launch date.…

Strengthening retirement systems can mobilise domestic capital at scale, supporting UAE’s capital markets, economic diversification and sustained domestic investment Clear demand for retirement reform and workplace solutions that could significantly improve preparedness and convert saving intent into better outcome Over 90% of UAE nationals and expats find defined contribution workplace savings schemes appealing and a similar amount would consider participating if such schemes were made available Dubai, 11 June, 2026: A new BlackRock report finds the Middle East at a defining moment in how individuals prepare for retirement, with strong financial confidence today contrasting with preparedness for the future, and…

Xbox is reportedly closing Ninja Theory, the Cambridge, England-based studio behind the Hellblade series, according to The Verge. Sources familiar with the matter said the studio’s staff were informed about the closure on Monday, just over a week after the studio appeared at the Xbox Games Showcase to announce Senua, a new entry in the franchise. Part of a wider Xbox reset The reported closure extends beyond Ninja Theory, with Bloomberg revealing that Double Fine, the San Francisco studio known for Psychonauts, and Montreal-based Compulsion Games, maker of South of Midnight, are also in active negotiations to spin off from…

24 Dubai-based companies join trade mission to South Africa as part of ‘New Horizons’ initiative Dubai Chamber of Commerce organises 674 B2B meetings in Johannesburg to strengthen trade ties between companies in Dubai and South Africa Salem Al Shamsi: “The rapid growth in trade between Dubai and South Africa reflects the depth of our growing economic partnership and underlines the strong connections between our markets.” Non-oil trade between Dubai and South Africa reached AED 29.2 billion in 2025. A total of 873 South African companies were registered as active members of Dubai Chamber of Commerce by the end of March…

Facebook has rolled out a batch of AI-powered features, with the headliner being AI Mode, a new way to get answers to questions directly inside the app using Meta AI. An AI layer on top of Facebook Search In a blog post, Facebook explains that the new AI Mode works from both the Feed and the search bar, pulling answers from public content across Meta’s apps, including Groups and Reels, to surface what real people are saying rather than returning a list of links. The feature is powered by Meta AI, which runs on the company’s Muse Spark model. The…

Google has been slowly phasing out Manifest V2, the older framework that powers many Chrome extensions, since October 2024. For most users, ad blockers like uBlock Origin stopped working by default well over a year ago. Power users found technical workarounds that kept them alive a little longer, but Chrome’s next update removes the last of those loopholes for good. The last flag falls A recent Chromium code commit, spotted by CyberNews (via 9to5Google), removes the kExtensionManifestV2Disabled flag, which developers had been using as a backdoor to keep Manifest V2-based extensions running in Chrome. Google describes the flag as “dead…

Fox is making its biggest streaming move yet. The media giant announced plans to acquire Roku in a deal valued at roughly $22 billion, bringing together one of television’s largest collections of sports, news, and entertainment programming with one of the most widely used streaming platforms in the world. Under the agreement, Fox will pay Roku shareholders a mix of cash and stock, valuing the company at $160 per share. The transaction is expected to close during the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. Why own a show when you own the screen? The deal…

Modern travel runs on connectivity. From navigating unfamiliar cities and booking transportation to translating conversations and managing reservations, a reliable data connection has become just as important as a passport and boarding pass. Yet staying connected abroad hasn’t always been simple. International travelers have traditionally faced a choice between expensive roaming packages and the inconvenience of purchasing a local SIM card after arrival. Both options get the job done, but neither feels particularly well suited to the way people travel today. The rise of eSIM technology is changing that. As smartphones increasingly embrace eSIM support and move toward digital-first connectivity,…

YouTube has an AI slop problem, and its crackdown is catching legitimate creators in the crossfire. Faceless channels, where no human host ever appears on screen, have existed for years and are not inherently AI-generated. Many are run by solo creators who simply prefer to stay anonymous. The problem is that AI tools made it easy to flood the platform with low-effort faceless content at scale, and YouTube’s algorithm is now penalizing the format as a whole. How bad is the AI slop problem on YouTube? A Kapwing study found that roughly 21% of the first 500 videos recommended to…

Considering all the Android 16 QPR updates and the new ones announced at The Android Show and Google I/O 2026, Android 17 is definitely shaping up to be one of the most ambitious updates the company has shipped in years.  Between Gemini Intelligence that gets things done on your behalf, the new security features, and productivity-based features like App Bubbles, there’s a lot to unpack. The stable update is expected in June or early July 2026, but plenty of the upcoming features are already live on the Android 17 Beta version for compatible Pixel devices.  Here’s everything we know so…