Google Will Shut Down Stadia Cloud Gaming Platform Next Week

VIVA – Google has announced the shutting down of its Stadia gaming service, with access set to end in mid-January 2023 or exactly on January 18, 2023. Google will be providing refunds for all hardware purchases, all game purchases, and all purchases of in-app add-on content made through the Stadia store.

It is known, Stadia was not able to gain the traction with users that Google was expecting, which is why it is being shuttered. Previously, Google Stadia was launched in October 2018 and became available to all users in November 2019.

According to reports, some publishers have shared ways to keep their games on the platform. Users will lose access to titles and games stored on Google Stadia.

Google has also announced that it will bring end-to-end encryption to Gmail in the web browser. Currently, in beta, users can send and receive encrypted emails within the domain and outside the domain.

According to Google, email bodies and attachments, including inline images will be end-to-end encrypted, quoting from the Live Mint website on Monday, January 9, 2023.

"Google Workspace already uses the latest cryptographic standards to encrypt all data at rest and in transit between facilities. Client-side encryption helps strengthen data confidentiality while helping address a variety of data sovereignty and compliance needs," the company said in a blog post.

If users are unaware, client-side encryption was recently made available in Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Google Meet, and Google Calendar (beta).

Google said that customers who have Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, or Education Standard can apply for the client-side encryption (CSE) beta version of Gmail.

Applications for the beta program are open until January 2023. Users will be required to submit their Gmail CSE Beta Trial Application which will have information such as including email address, Project ID, and test group domain.

This feature is not yet available to users with personal Google Accounts or Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Education Fundamentals, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as existing G Suite Basic and Business customers. Google said it will launch a public release later in the year.