Weekly News: Game Streaming and Emissions

Game Streaming and Emissions, or Game vs. the environment

The next generation of video game consoles is hitting the shelves this holiday season. An epic marketing battle precedes its launch, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X fighting to get a head start on each other by selling more consoles than the other.

Yet, ironically, this new generation of consoles might be the last. 

Like it happened in other industries, video games are moving away from local hardware in favour of a distributed computing model. Why spent money in a pricey box when you could stream higher-quality video games directly to your TV or phone in real time? 

With companies like Google and Microsoft having already released their proprietary cloud gaming platforms, it’s just a matter of time before most gaming is done this way. But, as convenient as it sounds, this could have severe environmental implications.  

A new report suggests emissions could rise as much as 30% in a future where game streaming was the norm.

BBC

Low-code is coming to Teams

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced it was building a low-code Dataflex solution for Teams that would allow users to easily develop custom applications without leaving Teams. We got more details this week.

Code-named Project Oakdale, the platform will let teams create quick applications based on shared databases. No need for third-party tools to build an HTML or JavaScript feature that runs on Teams. Just install Project Oakdale and use an Access-like table and form creator to get the job done.

Each team will get its dedicated data environment so that team members can exchange actionable insights and access more relevant information. The applications will also be able to connect with the rest of Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Although it has its limitations, Project Oakdale will be included in the Teams subscription — a big step towards democratising low-code development within the enterprise.

TechRepublic

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