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IMEI Number Registration Becomes Compulsory; Central Government Confirms

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IMEI Number
IMEI Number

HIGHLIGHTS

  • There have been concerns over inability to track lost mobile phones
  • CEIR project only has blocking facilities of stolen or lost mobiles
  • CEIR project is working to resolve the issue of lost mobile phones

How important is smartphone protection? What is IMEI? How relevant is it for keeping your smartphone safe? Find out.

IMEI In Brief

We all know the importance of smartphones in current times because they have become an indispensable part of our lives in more ways than one. Earlier, mobile phones were limited to making/receiving calls and sensing SMSs to friends and family.

IMEI Number

Smartphones are basically ‘smart’ devices that don’t just store contact numbers and messages, but a slew of other things like account details, credit/debit card info, licenses, and many other documents are now available in online format that people also store in their phones.

Losing a smartphone is akin to losing your right hand and once it happens, it is near impossible to get it back unless of course you’ve misplaced it. But if it gets stolen, then things are different as it will come back after a long time or never at all.

Fortunately, things are considerably improving and locating lost smartphones isn’t that difficult either. The credit for it goes to International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI), which is a 15-digit code that identifies the smartphone even if the SIM card has been changed.

Each smartphone has its own 15 digit IMEI number that is exclusive for identifying the device because thieves take care to immediately dispose off the SIM Card the moment they get hold of the phone.

IMEI Number also reveals the country and network that the device hails from, along with date of purchase, warranty info, device specification, carrier information, system version, and all the relevant information about the device that is necessary.

Latest Report

There is good news for mobile phone users as the central government has made registration of IMEI Numbers mandatory on all mobile phones before they begin sales in India based on its anti-counterfeit and lost handset blocking portal, which begins from January 1, 2023.

IMEI

Both local and imported smartphones have to be registered and get IMEI certificates from the Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction portal, which is handled by the Telecom Department.

The new order has been issued under the Prevention of Tampering of the Mobile Device Equipment Identification Number (Amendment) Rules, 2022. Meanwhile, the central government has also launched the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) project for blocking and tracing lost/stolen mobile phones, which is limited only to blocking in current times.

With this new order, now imported devices will also have to register on the ICDR system for obtaining the IMEI number while CEIR project is trying to sort out the matter of lost smartphones by bringing up counterfeit devices.

Also Read: Top Ten Facts About Smartphones

Elon Musk-Twitter War Escalates; Twitter Lawyer Strikes Back

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Elon Musk-Twitter War
Elon Musk Twitter

HIGHLIGHTS

  • It was a struggle to get documents from data scientists
  • The hearing came during a discovery phase
  • Musk’s deposition is set to take place privately in law offices

In Brief

The legal battle between Elon Musk and Twitter seems to have escalated to a whole new level and is showing no signs of slowing down, not now anyway. While people might side with one or the other, it will be interesting to see how things will shape in the next few weeks.

Twitter Elon Musk

To give a brief recap, Elon Musk had struck a deal with Twitter to purchase the platform for a whopping $44 billion, approximately Rs.3,60,140 crore, where he hoped that Twitter shareholders would definitely accept such a lucrative offer, which they did, but while the deal was struck around early 2022, Musk backed out of it in July of that year.

The news left many people shocked, including Twitter shareholders, that how could the Tesla CEO back out after himself bringing up the offer in the first place. Musk’s response was that Twitter had given an undisclosed amount to a whistleblower, who was also a former employee.

Twitter countered back that the payment in no way breached the contract’s terms and conditions and wrote back to the Tesla CEO to reconsider his decision but Musk was firm that his decision was irrevocable and asked the social media platform to terminate the deal once and for all.

Twitter immediately sued Elon Musk to force him to go through with the $44 million deal and has also demanded him to provide evidence and testimony to prove his innocuous reason to back out of the deal, which the company claims is because he has a change of heart and is merely looking for excuses to get out of the deal.

The hearing that took place on September 27, 2022, saw both parties fighting tooth and nail for evidence or clues so as to prevail in the coming trial scheduled for October 17, 2022, in court over Musk’s bid to break his deal.

The Twitter attorney handling the case told the court that it was a tough task to obtain documents from data scientists as Musk claimed that there were many fake accounts masquerading as them on various platforms.

The attorney further claimed that the evidence he got did not back the billionaire investors’ accusation about it being higher than 5%. However, Musk’s attorney countered that Twitter should produce more messages along with other material regarding, what he claimed, monetisable daily activity users and user active minutes.

Even Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder, was summoned to court for producing documents and answer questions related to the case so as to back their points, which made it a highly charged hearing.

Musk has been deposed under oath over the course of two days that begins in the first week of October 2022 in the sessions that will be recorded by ‘stenographic, sound, and visual means’ but his deposition will happen privately in law offices ahead of the trial in court of Chancery in Delaware state, which begins on October 17.

Elon Musk-Twitter War
Elon Musk

Apart from the payment matter to the whistleblower, Musk also accused Twitter of misleading him concerning the number of number of bot accounts on his platform, which will also be addressed during the trial.

Conclusion

All in all, it will be an interesting time during the course of the trial where accusations and counter accusations will go back and forth as both parties put forth their claim and only time will tell which of them will win.

Also Read: Elon Musk Twitter Lawsuit; Tesla CEO to be Questioned on September 26

Hugh Jackman Reprises Wolverine in Deadpool 3; Releases in September 2024

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Deadpool
Deadpool

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Deadpool 3 has a new logo, sporting a slash by the Wolverine’s claws
  • Full circle point for Reynolds, who starred with Jackman in the 2009 film
  • Shawn Levy (Stranger Things, Free Guy) is set to direct Deadpool 3

In Brief

Deadpool is one of the most popular franchises we have today that has given a boost to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which, in any case, was doing very well compared to the mixed responses that DC universe got.

Deadpool 3

Wolverine too is a hugely popular character in Deadpool that has acquired iconic status and a huge credit goes to Hugh Jackman, who portrayed him so beautifully that it became synonymous with the entire franchise.

Marvel Comics have been popular for many decades but when its characters acquired a cinematic representation of their own, they became cult figures that every superhero franchise film tried to emulate across the world.

Deadpool is a spin-off to the X-Men film series with the clawed mutant, Wolverine, being one character whose animalistic instincts made him such a personal favourite of many die hard MCU fans who want maximum entertainment guaranteed.

The good news circulating the tinsel town is that Jackman is returning for Deadpool 3 with Ryan Reynolds, who plays the eponymous character, has confirmed the release date of the film is September 6, 2024, on his official Twitter account.

He has claimed that he could not keep silent on the issue further and made a veiled reference to his character, whose mouth was literally sewn shut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was released in 2009.

Deadpool 3 is quite an emotional project for Reynolds, who also made an appearance in the 2009 movie, which was very well received by critics and audiences alike, thereby becoming one of the highest grossing films of that year.

It is still unclear as to whether Deadpool 3 will belong to MCU Phase 5 or Phase 6 but one  can expect MCU to come out with a specific answer in due course while Jackman’s character is the most looked forward to in the new movie, who also has had a 17 year association with the X-Men universe that has spanned 9 films.

Also Read: Iron Man Game to be Developed At EA Motive Studio; Details Inside

Propaganda Operation from China Spoiled; Meta Takes Drastic Measures

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China Spoiled Meta
Meta

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The network maintained fake accounts
  • The discovery was significant because it suggested a shift
  • Twitter was aware of the information in Meta’s report

In Brief

There are way too many social media platforms out there and it is impossible to keep count on all of them due to which everyone has their own favourites. While the adults prefer Twitter, youngsters tilt towards Instagram, and Facebook is one that is preferable for all age groups.

There was a time when Facebook was the dominant platform for people to interact and chat with, which slowly started losing ground to the likes of WhatsApp and Instagram, which provided a better way for people to correspond via video calls and live chats due to which Facebook, while still relevant, is seen as obsolete when compared to the former two.

China Spoiled Meta

However, the more popular any media platform becomes, the greater risk it is at of being in the hit-list of unscrupulous elements especially from other countries and when it threatens to jeopardize the national security of the country, things escalate to a whole new, but dangerous, level.

Meta Platforms Inc. has claimed in a recent report that the first ever known influence operation based in China has set its sights on the US mid-term elections scheduled for November 2022 where it hopes to influence the netizens so that they vote to the political party that will favour China’s interests.

Meta has claimed that there are several fake accounts being created on several social media platforms on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, which have a minuscule following but it was important to bring it out in public domain as it points towards a direct interference from China in US domestic politics, which is not the first time.

Meta’s officials have claimed that China wants to propagate the ‘America Bad, China Good’ message whilst the newer operations devised propagandas aimed directly at Americans on both sides with divisive issues like Gun rights and abortion.

While Meta has taken immediate steps to expose China’s treachery, it also made it clear that the evidence to pinpoint at the mastermind behind the operation was not enough due to which it the company is still investigating everything from the scratch.

Twitter has leaped into action and banned many fake accounts prevalent on the application that tend to divide voters via political and religious issues so that the results are polarized in the upcoming midterm elections.

Many of the fake Chinese accounts posed as conservative and liberal Americans in many of the 50 states and posted many a political meme and lurked consistently in the comments’ section of many common as well as influential users since October 2021.

Apparently, the network has very deep roots as many fake accounts have been busted in the Czech Republic as well that have not just criticized but outright abused the Czech government over its approach to China, and most of those posting offensive stuff have been taken down.

Also Read: Meta &YouTube to Expand Research Policies to Tackle Online Extremism

Conclusion

Given the grave scenario, all Meta Platforms have been notified to immediately take action against all the fake accounts that have been designed to create a negative influence in the upcoming midterm elections by dividing users so as to get polarized results that will suit China’s interests, which also includes tech news from social media handles.

China Spoiled Meta

Samsung Galaxy S-series Images Leaked; Similar Designs Noticed

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Samsung Galaxy S 23
Samsung Galaxy S 23

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Samsung Galaxy S23 series is expected to launch early next year
  • Upcoming phones could pack Exynos 2300 SoC
  • Samsung Galaxy S23+ is tipped to feature a 4,700mAh battery

In Brief

Samsung has a lot of expectations riding up its shoulders because all other tech giants have rolled out topnotch gadgets this year be it Apple, OPPO, Vivo, and many others so one can expect how difficult it would be for Samsung to work things out.

Luckily, Samsung too has an impressive track record as most of its devices have been well received, which is why it has become a norm for tech experts to analyze the upcoming device right down to the hilt and add their two cents on whether it will become a success or not.

Samsung is rolling out two new brand new smartphone models in the S-series, Samsung Galaxy S23 and Samsung Galaxy S23+, which has unleashed a wave of excitement from users and tech experts alike.

Samsung Galaxy S23

Both these smartphones were subjected to a recent leak and are now available in public domain when actually they were supposed to be launched around early 2023 although Samsung is yet to reveal the official date of launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series.

Among the leaked models, Samsung Galaxy S23+ and Vanilla Galaxy S23 have surfaced online that has given rise to many discussions and speculations on many social media platforms where common users and gadget savvy experts have devised theories on what the features and specifics will be about.

You can always rely on tipsters to bring out authentic information on leaked devices because they have inside sources that work in the company or the project that provide them with regular details on the devices that come out.

Features & Specifications

The device reveals shades of black from all angles while Galaxy S23+ features a triple rear camera setup along with an LED Flash while the speculations are ripe that the upcoming model may have a different rear camera setup in comparison to Galaxy 22+.

Samsung Galaxy S23

The rear camera panel has individual camera lenses that are seen out of the body with rings circled around the rings, which makes it distinctly similar to Galaxy S22 Ultra while the power and volume buttons can be seen on the right hand side of the device with the charging port and speaker grille at the bottom.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ will come with a 6.6 inch AMOLED display screen while the vanilla S23 model will come with a 6.1 inch AMOLED display screen, which will apparently be slightly larger in size compared to Galaxy S22 Ultra, which debuted in early 2022.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Comes with Same Setup Camera

90+ Videos Related To Gta 6 Are Leaked, Making It The Biggest Leak In The Gaming Industry

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Gta 6

Everybody eagerly awaits GTA 6 and is hungry for any official update, but on the 18th of September, some bad events for rockstar games took place. 18th September is celebrated as the anniversary of GTA 5, but on that day, more than 90 videos about GTA 6 were leaked.

As sources claim the videos were about the gameplay of the upcoming game and revealed some big secrets, today we will be talking about the relevancy of the videos and the leaks of the game.

Female Protagonist

Bloomberg, at the start of the year, claimed that GTA 6 would have two playable characters, and one of them would be a female. This was the first time rockstar introduced a female protagonist in the GTA series.

Also Read: Microsoft May Have Revealed the Release Date of GTA 6

The leaked videos confirmed the news and showed that most games would be played through the female character. The videos featured gameplay in which the female protagonist did most of the missions.

Vice City Map

Many users of Twitter claimed that in the leaked footage, they were seeing parts of Vice City which sites that the game might be set in vice city, and even in the past, many reports said that the game would be based in the virtual Miami city that is the Vice City.

Early viewers of the leaked videos of GTA 6 said that many vehicles had “Vice City” engraved on them, and a clip of a restaurant getting looted was also shared in the leaked footage of GTA 6. Also, some billboards in the game had “Vice City” text.

The Origin of Leaked Videos of GTA 6

After airing all the leaks related to GTA 6, many viewers and readers would question where the GTA 6 leaked videos came from. Then the simple answer to the question is that the leaked videos came from the official development cell of the studio.

Also Read: Announcement of GTA 6 is likely to happen this year

The viewer of the leaked videos of GTA 6 said that the videos are from an early development stage because the graphics of the videos are not good, and the texture is also rigid and is not completed fully.

Viewers even noticed that the videos don’t have any dates mentioned on them and some people also commented that the videos may be from 2020.

Gta 6

Are The Videos Relevant?

Now let’s talk about whether the videos are real or fake; Rockstar corporation hasn’t given any denial on the videos and also hasn’t accepted the leaks. This signifies that the leaked videos are highly likely to be authentic, which is the biggest leak in the gaming industry till now.

Jason Schreier, a reporter for Bloomberg, has said that the leaks are accurate, and the leaked videos of GTA 6 can result from the Work From Home program introduced by rockstar corporation because much vital information was being shared on the cloud.

The Leak Is Going On

The leak is the biggest in the gaming industry till now, and after 12 hours of the leak, the mastermind behind it messaged Rockstar to close a deal so that they can be prevented further leaks. In the message, the person said, ” I am looking to negotiate a deal”. Officials are saying that the person might have control over the source code file of GTA 6, which is perilous, and if the file is shared, then Rockstar might delay the release of GTA 6.

People are citing that this is the same hacker responsible for the Uber data leak last week.

Final Words

The leaked videos of GTA 6 were shared on the 18th of September and are a big shock to the gaming industry and the community. The article shared information about the leak and talked about the relevancy of the leaked videos.

Some other information related to the leak is also shared in the article, like information about hackers and the leak’s origin. So this was all about the leaked updates, and we hope you liked the article.

Also Read: GTA 6: Release Date, Gameplay, Map, Characters, Leaks, and More

Vi Partners with OnePlus for 5G Device Ecosystem

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vi partners with oneplus for 5g
Vi

Vi is the leading telecom operator in the country that has achieved a lot in a short period of time. The latest buzz doing the rounds is that it has entered into a partnership with OnePlus, a global premium technology brand in itself of high repute.

The aim is for driving the 5G device ecosystem in India while the partnership announcement came ahead of the largest tech event in the country, India Mobile Congress 2022, which is from 1st to 4th October 2022 in New Delhi.

vi partners with oneplus for 5g

In Brief

OnePlus is the leading body when it comes to Android based 5G devices among smartphone users in the country, which is why it continues to hold fort among other brands in this department.

Also Read: Divided By Jio And Airtel Plans, United By 5G Network

The company has numerous flagship devices such as the latest OnePlus 10T, OnePlus 10 Pro, and OnePlus 10R, along with the Nord 2T, Nord CE 2 Lite, and Nord CE 2, all of which have been tested on 5G spectrum bands acquired by Vi in Delhi.

If the Counterpoint India channel share tracker for Q2 2022 is anything to go by, OnePlus has emerged as the leading 5G smartphone brand throughout numerous online channels in the Rs.20,000 – Rs.30,000 segment in the first half of 2022.

Vi and OnePlus will join forces in working together in a bid to make 5G technology more accessible to smartphone users in the near future, which is a tough task as there are many things to be considered before going ahead.

Vi is coming up with an exciting experience offer for OnePlus users at IMC 2022 from Saturday, 1st October to Tuesday, 4th October at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Both postpaid and prepaid users of Vi that own eligible OnePlus models can visit the Vi booth at Hall 4; Booth no. 4.15 to gain first hand knowledge about the 5G tech experience.

Vi customers visiting the Vi booth at IMC 2022 will also be able to experience a wide range of India-specific 5G technology solutions and use cases along with several other souvenirs that will come in handy.

Meanwhile, Vi plans to continue its partnership with numerous OEM brands so as to enable its 4G customers to upgrade their handsets for 5G ones so that they are ready to try it out when it releases.

Also Read: Airtel 5G Rolled Out in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, & Imphal- List of Cities

NASA Spacecraft Crashes Into Asteroid; Defense Test Affected

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NASA spacecraft
NASA spacecraft

Highlights

  • NASA Spacecraft Issue
  • Dart Craft crash lands on Asteroid
  • Scientists Work Out Speculations

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the largest space agency in the world that comes under the US Federal Government and has accomplished many space missions up until now.

The space organization regularly conducts space programs and tests before going ahead with a huge space mission that will set a new benchmark and as of now, there is a spacecraft test going on for a secret mission that they haven’t revealed any details about.

However, there was a buzz that did not look good as reports are suggesting that NASA Spacecraft, currently undergoing tests, has crashed into an asteroid.

But, upon further examination, it was revealed that it was an unprecedented test to check whether the asteroid could be knocked off course or not.

NASA

In Brief

The grand slam collision occurred at an asteroid that was 7 million miles away from the earth and there’s nothing to worry about as the rock was utterly harmless. The Dart Spacecraft, as it is called, rammed into the massive space rock at a speed of 14,000mph.

Scientists in charge of the mission have claimed that the impact would was huge and would have definitely carved out a massive crater that would have sent out enormous chunks of dirt and rocks into space.

The scientists are also hoping that the collision would have altered the asteroid’s orbit as they feel it will release rock particles and maybe even rich minerals that they can study about upon further examination.

However, NASA would not know much about it as the dart spacecraft nudged at the asteroid for a couple of months. Although further details regarding the matter are yet to be revealed, scientists have high hopes that the mission would prove to be fruitful in the long run.

Also Read: NASA gears up for Satellite Mission, SunRISE in Tow

TikTok to be Penalized for a Whopping $29; Details Inside

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TikTok
TikTok

Highlights

  • TikTok App Appeal
  • $29 Penalty
  • Security Threat

Brief Summary

TikTok is one of the most popular applications in the world especially for children and has gone on from being a mere video-hosting service to a balls-to-the-wall platform where users can share pranks, jokes, dances, jokes, political or religiously offensive stuff, along with many others.

TikTok

TikTok was launched in September 2016 in the Chinese market and made its way to Android and iOS smartphones in 2017 at a global level where it quickly paved its way to the top and left all other video sharing apps behind in terms of popularity.

However, over the years, TikTok has been mired in controversies as many people have accused it for becoming a platform for unscrupulous and malicious elements that deliberately spread misinformation, inappropriate and obscene content, user privacy violation, etc.

It has also been accused of having a negative impact on young children by polluting their minds with filth and addicting them to such content that involves vulgar things like nude images, addiction, along with other vices.

It seems that troubles just won’t end for the Chinese application as it has now been fined for a whopping $29 million for failing to protect children’s privacy for which a prior warning had been send to the app but it seems makers paid no heed to it.

As a result of which, the exorbitant fine has been labelled on TikTok as there are many circulating reports that the app has processed sensitive and delicate information of young children without seeking permission from their parents between May 2018 and July 2020.

There are many other allegations levelled on the platform like becoming an online ‘porn hub’ for small children aged between 8 to 10 years for posting vulgar videos and dance moves with provocative gestures and spoiling their future.

This isn’t the only thing that TikTok is entangled in as it has also been banned in India by the central government citing national security threats. The government banned around 59 Chinese apps in January 2021, including big ones like WeChat, Club Factory, Baidu, Alibaba’s UC Browser, BIGO Live, among others.

However, six months prior, the government had temporarily censored these apps when many videos circulated on platforms where young girls danced in sensual outfits along with religious content that was so offensive that it would have created unrest in the country.

As 2020 drew to a close, Indian government had banned more than 270 Chinese applications, which included the huge popular mobile game, PUBG, even though it is owned by a South Korean developer, a part of the shares in the game was owned by a Chinese company.

TikTok

Conclusion

It seems that TikTok is really going through a rough patch as its troubles just don’t seem to end while its owners are completely baffled as to how to get out of the sticky situation they’re in, not to mention certain legal issues as well.

Also Read: Instagram testing full-screen feature like TikTok for the home feed

Netflix to Launch Own Video Game Studio; Inside Details

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Netflix Video Game
Netflix

Highlights

  • Netflix Video Game Studio
  • Netflix Goes a Notch Up
  • Next Games

Will Netflix succeed in Becoming a Gaming Hub? Will the efforts pay off? How will the Gaming Studio gambit prevail?

In Brief

Platforms like Netflix have a lot riding up their shoulders as they need to constantly live up to the expectations of the audience by bringing out new content similar to like a new smartphone brand that needs to keep upgrading its features and specifications in order to cater to the new generation.

Netflix Gaming Studio

You can find some of the best movies from different film industries in the world on Netflix that provide you with a good leisure time of 3 hours and prove your money’s worth for a long time.

Netflix has acquired an iconic status that few can match up to it in terms of popularity and content, which was also seen during the OTT revolution in India when the web-series, Sacred Games, was released on Netflix and quickly became popular all around.

This paved way for westerners to look at Indian content with a little more respect as earlier they ridiculed Indian movies as melodramatic with silly musical numbers and over the top action sequences.

But the credit goes to Netflix and other OTT platforms for bursting the myth as viewers all over the world got to witness the kind of work going on in India and immediately took to it like fish to water.

Today, in 2022, Netflix has become the de facto streaming platform although there are many others out there but if you look at the benchmark effect, it is Netflix that takes the cake.

It looks like Netflix wants to go even further as there are reports that it will start its own Netflix Video Game studio in a bid to take over the gaming industry as well. The headquarters will be based in Helsinki, Finland, and will be led by Marko Lastikka, former Zynga and Electronic Arts executive.

The streaming giant has already purchased gaming companies like Oxenfree developer Night School Studio and is now in the process of a brand new studio so that the project takes of as early as possible.

Amir Rahimi, Vice-President of Netflix Game Studios, has plans for creating a new game studio of world class structure where there will be a slew of engaging and intriguing games that are completely original with a variety of genres.

Conclusion

Netflix has planned everything out beforehand as it purchased Next Games, which is based in Helsinki, in March 2022 as it has business relationship with the renowned game developer that made Stranger Things, a mobile game based on the popular Netflix series of the same name.

Netflix Video Game

The reason Netflix has chosen Helsinki for the task is because they know that the development culture in the city is quite civil and easy-going where things can work out just fine without any kind of hassles.

Also, Netflix is in close talks with Ubisoft, which will give rise to two new projects, a mobile game exclusively made by Netflix, and live-action Assassin’s Creed Television series, which has been in the pipelines for quite some time now.

Also Read: Netflix’s love for games getting intense: The streaming platform has snapped another independent gaming studio: Boss Fight Entertainment