The Weekly Authority: Sayonara S23 price hike!

⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 228th edition is here with all the Galaxy S23 news, the death of Google Stadia, a pesky Pixel 7 bug, streaming service fatigue, and more…

???? January feels like such a long month, but I took some time off mid-week to take a stroll up one of Edinburgh’s most beautiful hills, with good company, good coffee, and, for once, good weather!

Speaking of January, it’s a great time to think about changing your cell phone carrier. With so many providers and plans out there to choose from, it feels like a bit of a minefield! That brings us nicely to our sponsor this week.

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Elsewhere: 

• T-Mobile suffered another data breach, with 37 million accounts affected, though supposedly financial info, social security numbers, and government IDs weren’t exposed.
• A foldable and rollable phone may sound futuristic, but one company imagines how it would look.
• Fitbit’s ending Pandora and Deezer support on Sense, Versa 2/3 in March.
• Speaking of, Fitbit step and heart rate data is appearing in Google Fit.
• Microsoft plans to integrate AI tools like ChatGPT into all of its products.
• While we’re on Microsoft, the company could axe 11,000 employees this week.
• As states like California are phasing out the sale of new fossil fuel-powered cars, Wyoming wants to halt the sale of new electric vehicles entirely by 2035.
• Airbus is testing out autonomous flying tech in some of its planes, including autonomous taxiing and takeoff and landing.
• Also: Boston Dynamics’ latest Atlas video demos a robot that can run, jump and now grab and throw.
• Plus: 2022 saw smartphone shipments drop to 10-year lows.

• RIP Google Stadia: The service officially shut down on Wednesday but released one last game, Worm Game, and updated the Stadia controller’s software so it can be used with other devices.
• Sony announced the full list of launch titles for PlayStation VR2, with more than 30 games releasing February 22 — and here’s everything you need to know about the PSVR 2 ahead of its February launch.
• Beyond Good & Evil 2 still in development, claims Ubisoft.
• According to the NPD Group, the best-selling video game in the US last year was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II — Elden Ring came a close second.
• And assets for some of Valve’s biggest games like Half Life 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 have leaked, including game modes and map prototypes never released publicly.
• Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 makes $2.6 million for cancer charity.
• Meanwhile, the EU votes to address loot boxes, gold farming, and gaming addiction.
• Finally, a fix for Joy-Con drift? GuliKit’s drift-free Hall effect joysticks could be the answer to your woes.
• Plus: The annual State of the Game Industry report revealed game developers are alarmed by harassment and threats from players, plus 65% of polled developers say their next game will be for PC, with PS5 coming in second at about half of that figure (h/t: Axios Gaming).

We’ve all survived Blue Monday for another year, but if you’re still feeling blue, your job might be to blame. Don’t worry though — you could always quit and get one of the happiest jobs on earth…

• The Washington Post analyzed thousands of time journals from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey to figure out what the happiest, least stressful, most meaningful jobs in America are.
• It might not surprise you to know those working in the great outdoors — namely agriculture, logging, and forestry workers — have the lowest levels of self-reported stress, and the highest levels of happiness. I guess lumberjacks really are okay.
• Agricultural, logging, and forestry workers also rated their work as highly meaningful, with those working in health and social assistance coming in a close second.
• What you might find startling, though, is that real estate industry workers scored second highest on the happiness scale, though they reported notably higher levels of stress than agricultural and forestry workers.
• Workers in finance and insurance reported the lowest levels of happiness, with stress levels on par with those working in education. 
• Construction workers also reported high levels of happiness, with low levels of stress.
• Bottom line? Don’t work as a teacher, educator, or in the finance or insurance industries if you’re looking for a low-stress role that brings you happiness. 
• Of course, what makes us happy varies for everyone, and if you love your job but it still stresses you out, there are some great ways to relax and unwind. Try meditating, play some relaxing mobile games, listen to some white noise on your Nest Audio to help you catch some Zs, or check out our practical tips on using your smartwatch to get better sleep.

Tech Calendar

• January 24: Forspoken releases on PS5, PC
• January 25 @ 3 PM ET: Xbox and Bethesda Developer_Direct
• January 26: Razer Edge released
• January 27: Dead Space launches on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
• February 1 @ 1 PM ET: Samsung Unpacked (Galaxy S23?)
• February 7: OnePlus 11 global launch
• February 22: PSVR 2 launch date
• February 27-March 2: MWC 2023 Barcelona

Something extra: Still playing Wordle? Why not try Housle? Try and guess within 5% of a house’s list price (you get six tries, with a new photo and clue for each incorrect guess). (h/t: The Hustle).

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.