iWorld
Microsoft’s Xbox One aimed at greater linkage between PC and live TV
NEW DELHI: Microsoft has created an extensive video walkthrough of the Xbox One dashboard, taking one through the general UI and how to access video games, apps and the new integration with live TV.
The 12-minute tour by Microsoft’s Marc Whitten and Yusuf Mehdi is a thorough and accurate representation of the general Xbox One user experience. The pair show what is available on the Home tab, as well as how to save favourite content in the Pins area over on the left-hand edge.
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Visually, it does not look too different from the Xbox 360 but the customisation option and personalisation offered by the Xbox One appears impressive, says thewebnext.com. The dashboard will change automatically depending on who is signed in; the updated Kinect will identify who is in the room and then adjust the on-screen tiles and pins accordingly.
It does not matter which console is being used as all preferences will carry over as soon as one logs in with an Xbox Live account. If multiple players are logged-in simultaneously, one can also switch between custom dashboards using the phrase: “Show my stuff”.
App switching also looks snappy and responsive. Whitten calls out a series of oral commands to alternate between Hulu, Netflix, Internet Explorer and live TV, and the Xbox One appears to handle it all with only a minimal amount of lag.
The video walkthrough also shows how notifications will be presented over live TV. One can be completely removed from the dashboard experience, but the Xbox One will give an alert whenever Skype or multiplayer requests come through on the system.
Most of the focus and media coverage around the Xbox One has concerned its launch line-up, hardware specs and controversial DRM policies (all of which have now been reversed). As Microsoft ventures further into the casual market however, it’s increasingly important that the Xbox One offers an accessible, stress-free user experience. If owners are frustrated or confused by the new dashboard, the chances of them using their Xbox One as the default input for all of their games, streaming and live TV will be nil.
iWorld
Meta signs multiyear AI deal with News Corp
Agreement worth up to $50 million annually covers WSJ, New York Post and UK titles.
MUMBAI: Meta just bought itself a front-row seat to the newsroom because when AI needs facts, even Zuckerberg is willing to pay the subscription fee. Meta Platforms has signed a multiyear artificial intelligence content licensing agreement with News Corp that could be worth up to $50 million (£39 million) a year, The Wall Street Journal reported on 25 February 2026. The deal, expected to run for at least three years, grants Meta access to News Corp’s US and UK content including The Wall Street Journal and New York Post for training AI models and powering real-time information retrieval in its products.
Australian mastheads such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun are not included. News Corp CEO Robert Thomson revealed the arrangement during a Morgan Stanley technology conference in San Francisco, describing news organisations as a vital “input company” in the AI ecosystem. “We’re essentially an input company,” he said. “The great threat in the age of AI is going to be to what you might call output companies.”
Thomson emphasised the value of reliable journalism as foundational infrastructure for AI systems, noting regular conversations with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg via Whatsapp and ongoing talks with OpenAI’s Sam Altman. He added that News Corp is in “advanced stage” negotiations for additional deals, promising further announcements soon.
The agreement follows News Corp’s 2024 five-year partnership with OpenAI (reportedly worth more than $250 million) and reflects Meta’s broader push to secure content licences. The company has already confirmed deals with People Inc, USA Today, CNN and Fox News, though financial terms remain undisclosed.
Publishers remain divided, some pursue partnerships for revenue, while others litigate. News Corp subsidiaries have sued Perplexity over copyright infringement, The New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, yet the same NYT struck a separate AI licensing deal with Amazon reportedly worth $20–25 million annually.
Thomson summed up the dual strategy as “woo or sue” seeking commercial agreements where possible, legal action when content is used without permission.
In an AI race where data is oxygen, Meta isn’t just training models, it’s buying the raw material for tomorrow’s answers, one headline at a time.
