Microsoft is dipping into the world of self-repair by offering replacement parts for Xbox gamepads, along with downloadable instructions and tutorial videos. The service will cover both the standard Xbox Wireless Controller models and the (pricey) Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller.
They’re not cheap, though. Prices range from $24 for button sets to $60 for a circuit board and motor assembly unit. But that’s still cheaper than replacing the gamepad entirely. I can’t expect every company to take Nintendo’s approach: It’ll repair Joy-Cons for free if they suffer from Joy-Con drift.
– Mat Smith
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The rebrand continues.
TweetDeck is showing signs it’ll not escape Twitter/X’s massive rebranding unscathed. TweetDeck’s landing page, while logged out, now has XPro branding in the upper left corner of the website. That’s pretty much it at the moment – the page still shows the iconic Twitter bird logo, and it still calls TweetDeck a “powerful, real-time tool for people who live on Twitter.” And, yes, its URL is still on Twitter.com.
The company is already working on new technology for mobile devices.
Google wants to revamp its Assistant, and that will include generative AI-powered technology, according to an internal email obtained by Axios. Google Assistant’s VP Peeyush Ranjan and product director, Duke Dukellis, explained their rationale to staffers, stating: “As a team, we need to focus on delivering high-quality, critical product experiences for our users. We’ve also seen the profound potential of generative AI to transform people’s lives and see a huge opportunity to explore what a supercharged Assistant, powered by the latest LLM technology, would look like.”
Relaxing with boxes.
Humble bundle
Humble Games and Witch Beam have confirmed that Unpacking is coming to iOS and Android on August 24th. You can pre-order the iOS version for $10 today. This has been a long time in coming given the game first arrived on consoles and PCs in 2021, but it’s also delightful.
