Technologies

Under Pressure From Roblox, Fortnite Allowing Creators to Sell In-Game Items

For one year, at least, creators will also get a larger cut of the revenue.

Creators who make content for Fortnite can start monetizing their virtual goods in December.

The free-to-play online game’s publisher, Epic Games, announced that those in its Creator program will earn revenue from the sale of in-game items they’ve made and money they already earn from engagement payouts for Epic-created items.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Before platform and store fees, those creators ordinarily will earn 50% of the value of V-Bucks earned (V-Bucks are the platform’s virtual currency). But from December until the end of 2026, Epic is boosting that revenue cut to 100 percent — again, before fees. Fees vary from 12% to 30%, depending on whether players buy items directly from the Epic Games Store or from platforms such as the PlayStation Store or the Xbox Store.

Epic has been involved in ongoing legal battles with Apple and Google over app store fees. This year, Fortnite returned to the iOS platform in Europe and to Android devices after being pulled over the disputes.

One reason that Fortnite is sharing the wealth with community developers is that its biggest competitor, Roblox, has been growing with multiple hit games on its platforms. This month, Roblox boasted that its creators earned more than $1 billion in revenue for 2024.

Roblox has been dealing with other problems, however, including complaints from parents and child-advocacy groups about safety on the platform. These issues have prompted Roblox to introduce more monitoring and filtering features.

Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Might Come in 5G and 4G Cellular Models

If the rumor proves true, the 5G Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 that debuted last fall.

Samsung’s next high-end Galaxy Watch could support faster 5G speeds, but if this leak is true, it will depend on where you live. The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might come in 5G and 4G cellular models, with availability for each smartwatch depending on the country.

According to the Dutch website Galaxy Club (and spotted by SamMobile), Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled editions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra, which would succeed the original model that debuted in 2024.

A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Galaxy Club website speculates that the 5G edition would be sold in the US and Korean markets, while the 4G edition would sell in the rest of the world. In the US, a 5G version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which debuted last fall. The 4G edition would have broader compatibility worldwide, since the earlier network is far more established.

It will likely be a few months until we hear anything official about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Samsung typically unveils its new watches in the summer alongside its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldable phones. Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but otherwise left the prior 2024 Ultra in the lineup for those looking for a larger 47mm smartwatch.

Technologies

2 Cases Show Supreme Court Isn’t Holding ISPs Responsible for Piracy

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 8, #1032

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for April 8, No. 1032.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. The purple category is a fun one, once you see the connection. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: In the group.

Green group hint: Appearance details.

Blue group hint: Often found in gyms.

Purple group hint: They help you see.