Wews! What happened between 29.9 and 5.10 in KW 40 2025.

New week of happiness? Let's see what happened between 29.9 and 5.10 in KW 40 2025. As always, I take you with me and my opinion to take a closer look at some of the highlights. Let's go!

Article 1

Directly from the manufacturer: FRITZ!Box and accessories now available in our own online shop!

The Berlin network specialist FRITZ! (formerly known as AVM) is breaking new ground in sales and wants to launch its own online shop on 1 October 2025.

This means we can FRITZ!Box, Repeater and smart home products now also directly on fritz.com buy. YAY! Thus, the company fulfills a frequently expressed customer request for a more direct purchase opportunity and moves even closer to its community.

What does the new FRITZ! shop offer?

Until now, the popular routers and network products were only available through specialist and online retailers. With direct sales, FRITZ! now promises additional advantages:

Direct line to manufacturer support: In case of questions or warranty cases, we have direct contact with the FRITZ! team, who support us from the purchase advice to the return.
Free shipping: The products are delivered without additional shipping costs, and we benefit from a 30-day return period with free return shipping.
Discounts for newsletter subscribers: At the start, there is an attractive offer for subscribers to the newsletter 10% discount, This makes the purchase of hardware particularly attractive.
Extensive product range: The shop offers the entire product range, from current flagships such as the FRITZ!Box 7690 (for DSL) and the FRITZ!Box 6690 Cable (for cable connections) via repeaters and powerline adapters to smart home articles.

Is it worth buying directly?

Whether the purchase in the FRITZ! shop is the best option for you depends on the respective product and current offer. The Manufacturer prices are sometimes slightly higher as the most favorable offers in free trade. For example, the FRITZ!Box 7690 can be more expensive in direct sales than some external online retailers.

But the added value lies in the service: If: Maximum manufacturer support, the certainty of an original product and the possibility to go the direct way with warranty questions is important to you, the new shop is an excellent alternative.

In addition, FRITZ! emphasizes that the new direct sales parallel to the traditional specialist trade It's running. On the product pages in the shop, you will still find prominently the ‘More Order Options’ button, which links to external retailers. This ensures a transparent price comparison and receives the competition.

conclusion

The launch of the FRITZ! online shop is an important step for the company and offers customers who value a direct line to the manufacturer a new, convenient source of supply. Thanks to free shipping and direct advice, the new shop is a welcome addition to the previous sales structure.

Article 2

Apple in October: 5+ new products expected

While we are still recovering from the iPhone 17 launch in September, Apple is already running at its peak. At least 5 new products are expected for October:

Apple TV 4K (Generation 4): After three years, the box is finally getting an update – with A17 Pro Chip, Apple Intelligence Support and possibly even a Center Stage camera.

HomePod mini 2: The small smart speaker has remained unchanged since November 2020. The second generation will bring better audio quality, Apple intelligence and the new N1 chip.

M5 iPad Pro: More of a spec bump than a revolution, but hey – new M5 chip, N1 wireless chip and possibly dual front cameras are still nice.

AirTag 2: After more than four years, the tracker hero gets an upgrade. Improved ultra wideband, more privacy features and greater range in precision finding.

M5 Vision Pro: Apple's VR headset gets a new M5 chip, a more comfortable head strap and possibly a black finish. Is that enough to stop the sales slump? We'll see.

Rumor kitchen deluxe: There are also sporadic hints about M5 MacBook Pros and new studio displays, but they might not come until the beginning of 2026.

Article 3

Startup-funding madness: $500+ million in one day

October 1st was an absolutely crazy day for startup investments. That day alone, over $500 million was pumped into various tech startups.

The highlights:

Empower semiconductor: $140 million for power management solutions for AI processors
Temporal: $105 million secondary round at $2.5 billion valuation for its scalable and reliable SDK
Einride: $100 million for self-driving electric trucks
Phaidra: $50 million to optimize data center energy
Descope: $35 million for Identity & Access Management
Rocket.new: $15 million for AI-powered app development (with Salesforce Ventures as lead!)

What stands out: The focus is strongly on AI infrastructure and efficiency. Investors are betting that AI needs not only fancy features, but above all sustainable, efficient systems. NVIDIA, Fidelity, Salesforce Ventures and other big players are everywhere.

This shows: Despite all the bubble warnings, the money continues to flow, but more purposefully than it did a year ago.

Article 4

Game over, stock market! Electronic Arts sold for $55 billion – and that has a bitter aftertaste

Gamers, hold on to your controllers! The news of the week, which has shocked and agitated the tech and gaming world alike, is official:

Electronic Arts (EA), The giant behind blockbusters like EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA), Battlefield and The Sims, It is for gigantic $55 billion sold. It's not an April Fool's joke, it's an April Fool's joke. Largest leveraged buyout in the history of the gaming industry!

Who buys the gaming giant? The Spicy Consortium!

The buyer is an investor consortium that provides at least as much discussion material as the amount of the purchase price. It consists of three main actors:

PIF (Public Investment Fund): The Saudi Arabian Sovereign Funds. Known for its massive investments in gaming and esports, the PIF is now EA's largest single investor with the deal.
Silver Lake: An influential US private equity firm with a focus on technology.
Affinity Partners: The investment firm of Jared Kushner, The son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump.

The deal has already been approved by the EA Board of Directors, although the final closing of the transaction may take until early 2027.

EA disappears from the stock market: What this means

With the acquisition by the consortium, EA is to be taken off the stock exchange after 43 years. What is behind this strategy?

No more quarterly pressure: As a private company, there is no constant need to deliver top figures on a quarterly basis. Management, which continues to be managed by CEO Andrew Wilson led, can now be long-term strategies Focus on player retention.
Focus on live services and AI: The new owners want to quickly reduce the enormous amount of debt created by the purchase. Insiders suspect that this is due to an even stronger focus on Live service models (continuous in-game purchases) and increased use of Generative AI It should be in game development.
Strategic value: With EA, investors secure brands that promise extremely high revenue stability (EA Sports FC, Madden NFL). The new Battlefield 6, which will be released on 10 October, is expected here as an important sales impulse.

Controversy: Gaming becomes politically and morally difficult

Especially the participation of the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund and Jared Kushner's company is causing fierce criticism and heated discussions in the gaming community and even in politics (in Germany, for example, left-wing politician Sascha H. Wagner has been alarmed).

Many players openly voice their concerns: They do not want to knowingly support a company that is now closely linked to a state that is accused of human rights violations. The question of whether ‘good gaming’ can be separated from ‘morally questionable ownership’ is as loud as ever.

Conclusion for you gamers:
The deal is over, the course is set.
The era of EA as a publicly traded company is over.

The big questions now are: Will we see bolder, more innovative games because quarterly pressure is eliminated? Or will live services and microtransactions become more aggressive under the new regime? The gaming world holds its breath and waits for what the future holds.

Article 5

Momo: How Michael Ende's Children's Book Becomes the Darkest 'Black Mirror' Episode

Michael Ende's timeless masterpiece Momo Return to the cinema screen. But the story of the little girl who fights against the grey time thieves is anything but a harmless fairy tale today.

Rather, it reads like the dystopian script for the latest season of ‘Black Mirror’, the series that holds us back to the mirror of technology and hustle and bustle. Golem.de has been extensively The movie was relaunched at 2.10. Very worth reading!

Just in time for the theatrical release of the new film (directed by Christian Ditter) we note: The 1973 warning has become terrifyingly real in our digitized, burnout-infused present.

The Grey Gentlemen: Time Thieves in a Suit

For those who have forgotten the story: Momo Tells of a small, gifted orphan girl, whose only magical ability is to Really Listening. This helps people to find clarity about their own lives and true desires.

This idyll is made by the Grey men's threatened – faceless, smoking agents of the ‘Zeitsparkasse’. Your mission: They persuade people to save their lives by eliminating everything unnecessary: leisure, play, friendship, fantasy. The saved time allegedly ends up in an account, but is actually consumed by the Grey Gentlemen as their own livelihood.

What Ende created as a fantastic parable has become a harsh reality in the 21st century.

Productivity as compulsion: The Black Mirror parallels

The central question of Momo reads as follows: Why, despite all the time saved by ‘progress’, do people have less and less time?

This question strikes our modern society in the mark, which is characterized by Efficiency madness, long-term accessibility and pressure to perform is shaped. The Grey Men are no longer only present in the novel, they can be found in our smartphones, our calendars and our thought patterns:

Optimization of free time: We measure our value by how productive we are, even in our free time. Today, the Grey Men would develop apps that promise to ‘optimise leisure’.
The digital time thieves: Social media, constant notifications, endless feeds – these are the invisible smokes that steal our time. The urge to be constantly up-to-date deprives us of the Unplanned time, the source of creativity and joie de vivre.
The alienation: Just like the people in the book who lose their joy and only work, today we see burnout, loneliness and a society that, despite networking, is becoming increasingly foreign to each other.

The parallel to ‘Black Mirror’ is obvious: Both works explore the dystopian consequences of progress that dehumanizes man. Only that at the end of this already decades before the invention of the Internet and the smartphone recognized.

What Momo teaches us today

The new film comes at a time when the search for mindfulness and Work-life balance It has become a mass phenomenon. Momo is the quiet, ragged heroine who shows us how to defend ourselves.

Your fight is a plea for:

The power of listening: Momo reminds us that true human connection requires time and presence – a rare asset in the era of multitasking.
Appreciation of leisure: In the end, it was unforgettable: "For time is life. And life lives in the heart.” The time we want to ‘save’ is the time we actually live and be human.

The new MomoFilm is not just a fantasy adventure. It is an urgent call to all of us to stop, to identify the invisible Grey Lords in our daily lives and to reclaim our most precious resource: Our own living time.

Let us no longer steal our lives!

Article 6

Microsoft 365 Premium: AI meets productivity

Microsoft has refined its AI move this week and presented the new Microsoft 365 Premium Bundle for a slim 22€ / $19.99 per month. What do you get for it?

The package basically combines Copilot Pro (previously 22€ / $20) with Microsoft 365 Family (13€ / $12,99) and packs a few extras on top. You will get:

Access to all Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
6TB cloud storage for up to six users
The complete AI features of Copilot
Higher usage limits than the free versions
Soon to have access to two new AI Reasoning Agents

Microsoft is pushing its more than just chat strategy. While other AI tools are quitting chat features, Microsoft wants to provide a complete ecosystem. By the way, Copilot Pro will not be discontinued, who only wants AI, can continue to use it.

There is also a new tariff for private individual users, the version ‘Microsoft Office365 Single’ is available with an annual payment method for a slim 99€ / $99 and with monthly payment still acceptable 10€ or $10/month.

Fun fact: Microsoft now has 89 million consumer subscribers for Microsoft 365, with growth of 8 percent.% in the last quarter.
Would say: That's where it goes!

Article 7

Everything new on Amazon: Luna becomes a party hub and what happens to Prime Gaming?

Amazon is known for the fact that it likes to repackage or restructure its services. This week it was the gaming segment's turn.

The focus is on the cloud gaming service Amazon Luna and the well-known free benefits of Prime Gaming. It looks like Amazon is looking to redefine cloud gaming, with a strong focus on social gaming and a clear strategic shift.

The Amazon Luna Revolution: The focus is on GameNight

Amazon Luna, the cloud gaming offering that has so far been more of a niche existence, is getting a Complete revision and realignment. The new slogan: Gaming should once again become simple, accessible and social.

The biggest innovation is the introduction of GameNight.

Controller superfluous: For the games under the GameNight banner will be No more controllers needed. The smartphone of the players is completely enough to join and play with via a simple QR code on the screen. The principle is strongly reminiscent of popular party game collections.
Accessibility: Amazon is significantly lowering the entry barrier. According to Amazon Luna CEO Jeff Gattis, gaming hardware (PS5 Pro, expensive PCs) is simply too expensive and intimidating. Luna wants to offer the counter-proposal here: Gaming as an easily accessible, connecting element for friends and family.
Scope: At launch, the GameNight category includes over 25 multiplayer titles.

Even though the focus is on party games, top titles will continue to be available through Luna, including blockbusters such as Hogwarts Legacy, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle or Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. However, these usually still require a conventional controller or the paid Luna Premium subscription.

Prime Gaming: A brand goes, the benefits remain (usually)

The second major change concerns the entire benefit package for Prime members, known as Prime Gaming (formerly Twitch Prime).

The mark will be discontinued: Amazon says goodbye to the ‘Prime Gaming’ brand. The advantages are now officially and for the most part under the umbrella of Amazon Luna standard continue.
Free games remain: Here is an all-clear: The accustomed Monthly free games for PC (which you keep permanently, via codes for GOG, Epic Games Store etc.) remain. In the current month of October, for example, there are thick titles such as Fallout: New Vegas and XCOM 2.
Luna games for Prime: Prime members will continue to have access to a diverse, ever-growing library of over 50 streaming games on Amazon Luna, including titles such as Borderlands 3 or Dead Island 2. This is now clearly positioned as the ‘Luna Standard’.
Twitch benefits: Although the name ‘Twitch Prime’ has long been history, Amazon confirms that the well-known Twitch benefits (such as the Free Monthly Channel Subscription, exclusive emotes and chat colors) not subject to change They are still part of Prime membership.

In short: Amazon is now bundling its gaming strategy around Luna. The free games and Twitch subs remain, but the cloud service wants to address a new target group with GameNight, which is tired of gaming hardware and simply wants to gamble with the mobile phone.

Article 8

Important changes to Xbox Game Pass: New levels and significant price increases from October 2025

Microsoft has released the Xbox Game Pass. 1 October 2025 restructured and Significantly increased prices for almost all levels, Which leads to discussion in the community.

When the announcement video starts with the words ‘We listened to your feedback’ and then feels one gossip after the next, pcgames.de describes the news, or the elephant in the room: The Game Pass Ultimate subscription increases from now 17.99 euros per month to 26.99 euros, an increase of about 50 percent, after only about 15 months ago the price rose from 14.99 to 17.99 euros.

The most important changes at a glance:

Old stage	New level	Old price per month	New price per month
Core	Essential	6,99 Euro	8,99 Euro
default	Premium	12,99 Euro	12,99 Euro (Price remains)
ultimate	ultimate	17,99 Euro	26,99 Euro
PC Game Pass	PC Game Pass	€11.99	14,99 Euro

Details on the new levels:

Essential (replaces Core):
- Price rises from 6.99 8,99 Euro monthly.
- Provides access to over 50 games and online multiplayer for the console.
- New: Includes now also Xbox Cloud Gaming and the Essential Library is playable on PC.
Premium (replaces standard):
- Price remains at 12,99 Euro monthly.
- Access to over 200 games for console and PC.
- New Xbox games (except Call of Duty) It is expected to be released within one year of launch.
Ultimate (top level):
- The price rises drastically by 9 euros from 17.99 to 26,99 Euro monthly (an increase of 50 %).
- Includes full library (over 400 games), Day-one releases (Like the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 7), EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite crew (from November).
- Includes all the benefits of Essential and Premium as well as the best Cloud gaming quality.

Reactions:

The price increase, especially for the Ultimate tariff, has led to strong criticism from many subscribers, with some players announcing their termination, as they no longer consider the increased price of almost 324 euros per year to be worthwhile. Microsoft justifies the adjustment with the ‘unmatched value’ and the extension of the included services.

On theverge.com, Dustin Blackwell, (Director of Gaming and Platform Communications) is quoted as saying:

“What’s new for everyone across all three Xbox Game Pass plans is bigger game libraries, including PC games across each of the plans.” [...] “There is also unlimited cloud gaming, which is new to Essential and Premium subscribers.”

So far it has been Microsoft drove ‘quite well’ with the subscription model And the players celebrated the selection at a relatively moderate price. Let's wait and see how this will develop...

Drone alarm in the air: What the hell is flying over our airports and barracks?

While we were still dealing with Windows updates and the latest AI music last week, there were some pretty troubling happenings in the skies over Germany and Europe.

We're talking about Unauthorized drone sightings Critical infrastructure such as airports and military installations. This is not science fiction, but reality, which has caused quite a stir in recent days.

The trend: Drones over restricted zones

In recent weeks, and also currently, there are reports that unknown drones are being used in restricted zones have been sighted. And this is mega-hit:

Airports: A drone near a runway is a Massive danger for civil aviation. If such a small flying object gets into an engine, it can end catastrophically. Air traffic controllers must react immediately in such cases, which Flight cancellations and delays leads – pure chaos for passengers and airlines.
Military installations: This is about National security. Who controls these drones, most likely wants to spy, whether it is to Revealing secrets or to: Finding Vulnerabilities. Experts often see this as an attempt to tie up air defense systems or simply test how quickly security forces react.

Who's behind it? The big question!

What's really frustrating about these reports: Authorities often know Not exactly who the tax collectors are.. The suspicions are manifold:

Curious idiots: Yes, sometimes it is simply ‘hobby pilots’ who are not clear how serious the situation is or who simply want to take blatant shots.
Economic espionage: Competing companies could try to spy on secret developments or processes.
State actors: In view of the tense geopolitical situation, it is quickly assumed that Foreign States At work are those who want to test our infrastructure or gather information. Some analysts see the targeted binding of air defense capabilities (e.g. in Eastern European NATO countries) as a clear indication of this.

How do you fight back? Anti-drone technology needed!

These incidents make it clear: We urgently need better solutions to Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS).

Some technologies that are being researched and some of which are already being used are:

Jammer: They interfere with the radio signal between the drone and the pilot and, at best, force the device to land.
Net cannons: Special launchers that fire a net at the drone and take it from the sky.
Intercepting drones: Larger drones designed to either ram or shoot down the enemy drone.

Precisely because these drones are small, quiet and often difficult to locate, the security concepts urgently need to be adapted. It is a constant arms race between the small, flying intruders and the defense.

Drones are no longer just a cool gadget for beautiful holiday photos. You are a serious Security problem The policy, the policy, Military and Airports Massively Busy Worldwide. It was only on Saturday that For example, the policy expressed.

Article 9

Bitcoin breaks new all-time high: Over $125,000 on weekends

This weekend, Bitcoin has opened a new chapter in its history: The cryptocurrency climbed to over $125,000 It was a fresh all-time high.

On the trading platform Bitstamp, the price reached on Sunday morning with $125,426 ($106,137) It peaked just below the mark.

Why is Bitcoin rising so fast?

There are several reasons for the recent price increase:

Institutional investors enter the market
More and more large investors are securing Bitcoin, which is driving up demand and thus the price. At the same time, some early investors take the opportunity to take profits with them. A normal cycle in a mature market.
Expected interest rate cuts in the US
The prospect that the Federal Reserve could lower interest rates further fuels high-risk investments. When classic investments like bonds yield less, Bitcoin becomes more attractive to many investors.
Political uncertainties
Turbulence in the US, such as the current budget lockdown, is also driving investors into ‘safe havens’ such as gold – and increasingly Bitcoin.
Seasonal patterns: the Uptober
Historically, October is one of the strongest months for Bitcoin. Since 2013, the price has fallen in this period only in two years. This seasonal expectation provides additional buoyancy.
Bitcoin Reserve is well-received.
After Donald Trump passed his decree on Strategic Bitcoin Reserve The idea is spreading rapidly. El Salvador and Bhutan, as well as the UAE, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan They are already relying on Bitcoin as a state reserve asset or are on their way there.

Dominance in the crypto market

With a market capitalization of around $2.5 trillion Bitcoin remains the undisputed number one among digital currencies. Overall, the crypto market currently stands at around $4.3 trillion, so Bitcoin continues to dominate significantly.

What does this mean for investors?

The new all-time high shows that Bitcoin is no longer just a niche investment. Institutional funds, macroeconomic developments and political framework conditions have finally anchored it in the mainstream. At the same time, the market remains volatile: Course corrections are possible at any time.

However, one thing is clear: Bitcoin has solidified its image as a digital ‘gold’ – and the recent rally could only be the beginning.

Who is missing at the end? That's right! My friend and colleague Sun-Tsu, who of course also shares one of his IT wisdoms with you this week:
Secure your supply lines: In IT, your ‘supply lines’ are your data flow, your backup systems and your network connections. Ensure that they are always protected and functional in order to remain able to act in the event of a crisis.

92 is half of 99

News from the KW40.2025