PS2J 294 News – Juryrigging the Internet

Free Games

  • Epic Games

    • World War Z

      • 2019
      • Four-player cooperative third-person shooter set in the universe of the World War Z movie that follows groups of survivors all around the world fighting massive hordes of zombies
      • Though purists would note that these aren’t your classic zombie, as they’ll run, rush, and climb eachother in their attempts to attack

    • Figment

      • 2017
      • Action-adventure game that brings to mind a more whimsical Bastion, and has you exploring a unique, surreal universe filled with music, humour, and multi-layered narrative

    • Tormentor x Punisher

      • 2017
      • A hyper-violent, gratuitous twin-stick shooter that has you landing on planet Fuck You to kill demons. The catch is that everything dies in one hit- including you. Avoid boss’s traps, kill demons that adjust to your play style, perform combos, get upgrades, and reload your machine gun by firing your shotgun.

COVID-19

  • GameStop has closed its stores to customers now that Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing have been released, giving a pretty clear indicator that staying open this long was just a cash grab for those preorders
    • Stores in some states are still operating on a “delivery at the door” basis, allowing people to pick up games bought online without actually entering, but some states like California have forced them to close entirely
    • GameStop will be giving two extra weeks of pay to employees, but considering we’re likely in this for the long haul it’s going to be rough on everyone that’s been laid off
  • Apple has apparently told employees that they’ll start re-opening stores on a staggered basis in the first half of April, but honestly that timeline seems pretty aggressive
    • There’s been a lot of rumbling along the supply chain that this year’s iPhones could be delayed at least a few months
  • The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, originally slated to start on July 24th, have officially been postponed until next year
    • This is the first time they’ve ever been postponed, and they’ve only ever been cancelled during World Wars I and II
  • YouTube will start start reducing the default quality of its videos this week, setting everyone to start at standard definition to save bandwidth. You’ll still be able to manually select high definition, but this should help a lot with internet overhead
    • Other services like Netflix and Disney+ have taken similar steps in Europe, but as far as I know YouTube is the first to plan the rollout globally
  • Some cellular companies have started updating their networks to display a #StayHome message where the network name is usually shown when you’re on cellular instead of WiFi
  • Apple Music has debuted a couple of new algorithmic playlists for users to keep spirits higher- Get Up! Mix is aiming for “happy-making, smile-finding, sing-alonging” music, and Home Office DJ is an uptempo, easygoing playlist for home productivity
    • They’re both pretty solid, and help set a lighter mood when you’re stuck indoors
  • Plague Inc, a mobile game that normally has you spreading an infectious virus across the world, will be releasing a free update that has you instead working to stop one
    • It has you managing disease progression, boosting healthcare systems, and working with things like triage, quarantining, and physical distancing
  • Bus and LRT fares in Edmonton have been temporarily suspended, and riders able to use the rear door to board, if they don’t need the ramp or kneeling bus features, are asked to do so
  • Many stores like Walmart, Canadian Tire, and Costco are limiting or altogether eliminating returns on things like toilet paper, sanitizing wipes, water, and rice in order to clamp down on the hoarders and attempted resellers, after Kijiji and Amazon have taken measures to prevent profiteers during these difficult times

Hackers have already cracked Doom Eternal’s Denuvo DRM on Steam and the Bethesda launcher, and by cracked I mean they ran the files provided by Bethesda

  • A poster on Reddit discovered another copy of the executable in the game files in a folder titled “original” that was about 1/5th the size of the main one used by the launchers
  • They then found that you could copy the smaller .exe overtop of the larger, protected one and completely remove the digital rights management software from the game
  • Bethesda has since updated the Bethesda.net version of the game to remove the DRM-free file, but the unprotected version has already made the rounds on pirate and torrent websites
    • One thing to note here though is it’s not just pirates interested- some players worry that the anti-piracy code actually slows down the performance of games they’ve legitimately paid for

Nintendo Direct came out of nowhere this morning

Now available!

  • Good Job!: In this madcap action-puzzle game from Nintendo, perform hilarious and challenging tasks around a sprawling office building to get the job done by any means necessary, alone or in two-player mode*! Good Job! launches in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch … today!
  • MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: The Black Order Expansion Pass – Pack 3: It’s Doctor Doom vs. Marvel’s first family when the MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: The Black Order Expansion Pass – Pack 3: Fantastic Four: Shadow of Doom launches for the Nintendo Switch game today. The new pack adds the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom as playable characters as they fight through a new story campaign. The Expansion Pass**, which also includes Pack 1 and Pack 2, can be purchased for $19.99.
  • Ring Fit Adventure Update: A free update is coming to Ring Fit Adventure later today! The update adds a new Rhythm Game mode, an option to switch to a female voice and to change the language of the in-game voice, and more. In the Rhythm Game mode, move to the beat of a dozen music tracks from Ring Fit Adventure and a few tracks from popular Nintendo games, including Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
  • Shinsekai: Into the Depths: In this deep-sea exploration game, players collect resources to upgrade their gear, craft items and dive deeper into the abyss. As they explore increasingly mysterious environments, players have to monitor their oxygen and pressure levels to survive. Shinsekai: Into the Depths launches for Nintendo Switch … today!
  • Panzer Dragoon: Remake: In this remake of the dragon-riding classic, players pilot the Blue Dragon through incredible landscapes, battling giant creatures and lethal battleships using 360-degree controls and lock-on targeting. Panzer Dragoon: Remake launches first on Nintendo Switch as a timed console exclusive … today!
  • Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy: Enter Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy to learn the ways of the Force! Players can customize their Jedi looks and battle online with up to 16 players when Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy launches on Nintendo Switch … today!

Launching in 2020

  • Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition: The original Xenoblade Chronicles game, which marked the debut of fan-favorite character Shulk, comes to Nintendo Switch with a new epilogue story, Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected.
    • This definitive edition of the RPG also looks better and plays smoother than ever before. The battle HUD and menu screens are easy to read and easy to use.
    • Some of the music tracks have been remastered or remixed! Experience the majesty of the Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition game when it launches for Nintendo Switch on May 29.
    • On the same day, the Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Works Set will also launch, featuring a 250-page artbook full of beautiful landscapes, imposing monsters and more.
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Now that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has launched for Nintendo Switch, the first seasonal event is on its way!
    • Between April 1 and April 12, residents of the island can participate in Bunny Day to find eggs hidden by bunny visitor Zipper and craft special items with them.
    • The next free update to the game hits in late April, which adds the Earth Day event. Follow the Animal Crossing Twitter account for the latest news and updates about the game.
  • Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass and Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass: With the new Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass and Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass, the sprawling island in the sea, the Isle of Armor, and the frozen snowscape known as the Crown Tundra will be available in the Galar region.
    • On the Isle of Armor, Trainers can gather at a new dojo for Pokémon Battles to master their skills. By training at this dojo, players will receive the Legendary Pokémon Kubfu from the master, Mustard.
    • Through training with Kubfu, Trainers will receive permission to challenge the Towers of Two Fists on the Isle of Armor. Once one of the two towers has been conquered, Kubfu will evolve into Urshifu. In addition to new outfit items and hair styles, the Expansion Passes will also add new league card backgrounds, effects and frames.
    • The Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass and Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass Part 1 – The Isle of Armor launches by the end of June. Additional information about the Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass and Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass Part 2 – The Crown Tundra will be revealed in the future. Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Expansion Passes, which include The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra as they release, can be purchased for a suggested retail price of $29.99 each.**
  • BRAVELY DEFAULT II: In this follow-up to the original BRAVELY DEFAULT, four new Heroes of Light embark on a grand and glorious mission guided by the elemental crystals.
    • Like the first game, BRAVELY DEFAULT II features a battle system that emphasizes strategy, with players deciding when to attack (Brave) or hold back and wait for the right moment to strike (Default).
    • With beautiful places to explore and new jobs to acquire, some of which can even be combined, BRAVELY DEFAULT II is another epic RPG in the Nintendo Switch library. A free demo is available today!
  • A Bunch of 2K Games: Many games from publisher 2K are coming to Nintendo Switch on May 29, including sci-fi classic XCOM 2 Collection – which contains XCOM 2, 4 DLC packs, and the War of the Chosen expansion – as well as Borderlands Legendary Collection, which contains the original Borderlands, its sequel, Borderlands 2, and its “pre-sequel,” Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. 2K is also bringing its acclaimed BioShock series to Nintendo Switch, with BioShock Remastered, BioShock 2 Remastered and BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition, as well as BioShock: The Collection, which includes all three BioShock games in one package.
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: The first fighter in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 2 will be joining the battle from the Nintendo Switch game ARMS! The fighter will be announced and released this June.
  • Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics: Four-in-a-row, Mancala, Slot Cars, Sliding Puzzle and Texas Hold’em are only a handful of the 51 games from around the world included in Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics. Some of the games are multiplayer, including options for up to four people to play locally*** or online****. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics launches for Nintendo Switch on June 5. Anyone who wants to pre-purchase the game can do so starting today.
  • Burnout Paradise Remastered: 10 years later, the classic high-octane racer is back with this remastered version. Featuring breakneck racing, high-flying stunts and, most importantly, shameless amounts of automotive destruction, Burnout Paradise Remastered crashes onto Nintendo Switch in 2020.
  • Fuser: Take on the role of a DJ in this upcoming rhythm game from Harmonix, the creators of Rock Band. Fuser launches for Nintendo Switch this fall.
  • King’s Bounty II: Since 1990, the King’s Bounty series has been influencing the evolution of western RPGs. In this new sequel, the series is back with a fresh look and a new approach. In King’s Bounty II, the graphics are more realistic, in-game choices matter more than ever, and a new character development system informs the ethics and affinities of new characters. King’s Bounty II launches on Nintendo Switch in 2020.
  • Ninjala: In this free-to-play game, up to eight players* must battle it out to earn points and claim victory. As ninjas, players can sprint across stages, disguise themselves and wield an arsenal of skills, like heavy-hitting hammers, fast and flashy katanas, and tricked-out yo-yos. Cement supremacy in free-for-all battles or work together in 4-on-4 team matches. Ninjala sneaks up to Nintendo Switch this May.
  • Catherine: Full Body: The unique puzzle-adventure game is coming to Nintendo Switch as Catherine: Full Body, a remake of the original game. Climb a tower of puzzle blocks and dive into a mature, intense and intoxicating story when Catherine: Full Body launches for Nintendo Switch on July 7.
  • Star Wars Episode I: Racer: Strap into a pod racer and go for first place in Star Wars Episode I: Racer, launching soon for Nintendo Switch.

Recommendations: Dealing with loss and hardship edition

  • Rime
    • A fun puzzle platformer with a great aesthetic that just kind of drops you onto an island and you figure the rest out from there. The story is slowly revealed as the game goes on, and it all comes together really nicely.
    • Finished it in about a day, and it’s currently on Xbox GamePass
  • Garden State
    • Surprisingly solid movie written by, directed by, and starring Zach Braff
    • It’s not perfect, but if you’re in the mood for something a little strange and bittersweet it definitely scratches that itch

Tidbits

  • iOS and iPadOS 13.4 are out, bringing that sweet sweet new cursor support to iPad that we discussed last episode
    • It also updates the toolbar in the Mail app to help prevent accidental deletion, brings in iCloud folder sharing, some new Memojis and Animojis, and a bunch of other tweaks and security patches
  • watchOS 6.2 is also out, bringing support for in-app purchases to standalone watch apps as well as ECG support for Chile, New Zealand, and Turkey
  • Star Wars fans rejoice- Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy hit the Nintendo Switch this week on eShop, and Episode i: Racer will be coming to the console soon
    • Jedi Academy will include a multiplayer mode that lets you customize your character and take on up to 16 players online, as well as the original story mode

 

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PS2J 293 News – Ctrl Alt Leak All Your Data

Free Games

  • Epic Games

    • The Stanley Parable

      • Started life as a Half-Life 2 mod in 2011, it became a standalone game in 2013
      • You play as the titular Stanley, and going through an office building in first person perspective, with everything that happens being narrated by the lovely British voice actor Kevan Brighting. You end up finding a bunch of diverging pathways, with options to disobey the narrator, that all get incorporated into the story with many different endings.

    • Watch Dogs

      • 2014
      • Third-person action-adventure game that follows hacker Aiden Pearce’s search for revenge after the killing of his niece, set in an open-world version of Chicago that has you going through different puzzles to hack a ton of different technology. There are also RPG mechanics with a reputation system and skill trees for hacking, crafting, combat, and driving

  • App Store

    • Alto’s Adventure

      • Join Alto and his friends as they embark on an endless snowboarding odyssey. Journey across the beautiful alpine hills of their native wilderness, through neighbouring villages, ancient woodlands, and long-abandoned ruins.

    • Alto’s Odyssey

      • Join Alto and his friends and set off on an endless sandboarding journey to discover its secrets. Soar above windswept dunes, traverse thrilling canyons, and explore long-hidden temples in a fantastical place far from home.

    • Kingdom Rush

      • Original, Frontiers, and Origins
      • Highly rated tower defence games
      • Get ready for an epic journey to defend your kingdom against hordes of orcs, trolls, evil wizards and other nasty fiends using a vast arsenal of towers and spells at your command!

COVID-19

  • According to the CDC, water temperature doesn’t matter at all when washing your hands
    • Hot or cold, the important factors are to use soap for at least 20 seconds and to use clean, running water. Standing water in a basin could be contaminated
    • They also mention turning off the faucet after wetting your hands to save water while you soap up, saying there is little data to prove significant numbers of germs are transferred between hands and the faucet
    • And also remember that while hand sanitizer also does the job, you’ll want to use soap and water if there is any visible dirt or grime to clean off. The best approach is to use both tools frequently
  • In some solid marketing spin, Apple is kicking off WWDC 2020 in June with an all new online format
    • Though it’s clearly a cancellation of the in-person sessions due to COVID-19, the way they’ve phrased it, and indeed the way it will exist this year, is an online format equally accessible to all developers no matter their location
    • They gave brief mention to the “current health situation”, but never actually mentioned COVID-19 or coronavirus
  • Many internet companies like TekSavvy and Shaw are making changes to remove data caps, offer flexible billing, and open up access points like Shaw Go WiFi to the general public
    • The FCC in the US is left scrambling to protect consumers though, after aggressively deregulating and removing their own power
      • They’ve convinced many ISP’s to waive late fees and not terminate services due to unpaid bill during this crisis, but glaringly omitted is any mention of removing data caps and overage fees
      • Ajit Pai arguing that ISP’s shouldn’t disconnect people in a time of emergency is making many wonder- isn’t this an admission that the internet is a utility, a basic service nowadays like power and water, and thus should be regulated as such?
  • The vast majority of business are either closing down completely or transitioning to online-only or limited delivery/takeout options to limit personal contact
    • Apple is even offering returns up to 14 days after they re-open their retail stores, as long as it’s not a phone bought on contract
    • Gamestop, though, has made the controversial decision to stay open in the US. They’re limiting the number of customers allowed in and cancelling midnight releases, but it’s still not a great situation
      • Many staff have reported on reddit that they haven’t even received disinfectant cleaners from corporate, instead being expected to provide their own and request reimbursement
      • Gamestop also still appears to be accepting trade-ins. Workers have apparently been told they can use gloves when accepting them, but they again have to buy their own
  • With movie theatres closing to keep up social distancing, Universal is releasing new movies as 48-hour rentals on the same day as their planned theatrical release. Current options include Trolls World Tour, The Invisible Man, The Hunt, and Emma, which cost $20 to rent (about two movie tickets)
    • I can see a lot of other studios doing the same, if they haven’t already, to try and keep up their revenue on new releases
  • Conan O’Brien is taking an interesting route in sorting this out, allowing his crew to work from home while he shoots his show from his house on his iPhone
  • The WWE is still going strong, performing their hearts out to completely empty stadiums and arenas in some entertaining and somewhat surreal Twitter videos I’ve seen
  • The European Union is calling on Netflix, YouTube, and other streaming services to temporarily reduce video quality to ease the strain on broadband networks while many work from home
    • Italy, one of the countries hit worst by the pandemic, saw a 75% rise in broadband and mobile network traffic over the weekend
  • Israel has passed an emergency law allowing them to track the smartphone data of people with suspected COVID-19 and others they come into contact with to make sure they follow quarantine rules, which is kind of terrifying when you think of the ramifications

Apple has announced a bunch of new hardware coming down the pipe, and DaringFireball has a solid breakdown of what we can expect

  • New iPad Pro models are coming with faster CPUs and GPUs
    • They also come with more storage, with the base model up to 128GB from 64GB, all for the same prices
    • They’ve also added a LiDAR sensor (basically a laser range-finder) which could mean much faster and more effective augmented reality apps
  • iPadOS 13.4 is coming this Tuesday and will include full system-wide pointer support for mice and trackpads
    • This looks pretty slick, being a round cursor when mousing around and then disappearing and highlighting buttons and controls when hovering over them
  • There will be a new Magic Keyboard iPad case coming in May with an integrated trackpad and backlit keys
    • It looks pretty powerful with no kickstand and adjustable angles, converting the iPad Pro into an actual , albeit topheavy, clamshell laptop
  • And the new MacBook Air has double the storage, greatly improved performance, and the prices have dropped significantly
    • With the price drops and storage increases, you can compare the previous generation’s slower 256GB model costing $1299USD to the brand new faster equivalent at $999
      • If you do want to spend $1299, you end up with a much beefier processor and double the storage
    • And as a bonus, they now have the new scissor-switch keyboard that solves many of the issues with Apple’s butterfly mechanism

China deploys a ton of ‘No touch’ Hologram elevator buttons

http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/demand-china-surges-no-touch-hologram-buttons/
  • A technology company in the city of Hefei, west of Shanghai, has attracted more than 100 orders for its holographic lift buttons as Chinese look for ways to avoid touching surfaces that may harbour the Covid-19 virus.
  • The device works by projecting an image of buttons in the air, and allowing users to “touch” them. The maker, Easpeed, says it can be fitted to all elevators, and has a response time of less than 30 milliseconds.
  • The system is relatively expensive, at about $2,000, prompting some building owners to opt for retrofitted voice controls, at a cost of around $500.
  • This has been done in hospitals in Yichang, Hubei Province, and Beijing’s Xiaotangshan Hospital.
  • Zhu Yongzhi, vice president Easpeed, told Global Times that the accuracy of voice control varied depending on noise levels, and the languages and dialects of the speaker.
  • He added that his company had received orders from Shanghai, Beijing, and Hangzhou in east China’s Zhejiang Province, and that the price may fall once Easpeed begins mass production.
  • Another approach has been taken by Huawei, which has developed an app that allows users to use a mobile phone to call elevators and select levels.
  • Meanwhile, those Chinese citizens who find themselves in unimproved lifts have taken their own measures, by using pens, toothpicks and keys to call their transport. Some may even have taken the stairs …

Watch Netflix with friends all from the comfort of you own homes!

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/netflix-party-lets-you-watch-movies-online-togethe/1100-6474858/
  • Netflix Party is a new way to watch Netflix with your friends online.
    • Netflix Party synchronizes video playback and adds group chat to your favorite Netflix shows.
  • How it works.
    • Install Netflix Party
    • Clicking the “Install Netflix Party” button on this page. Once you are redirected to the Chrome Web Store, click “Add to Chrome” to finish installing Netflix Party.
  • Open a Video in Netflix
    • Go to Netflix’s website. Choose any show you would like to watch and start playing the video.
  • Create your party
    • To create your party, click on the red “NP” icon located next to the address bar. Then click “Start Party” to get the party started, and share the party URL to invite friends.
  • Join a Netflix Party
    • To join a party click on the party URL, which will redirect to Netflix’s website. Then click on the “NP” button next to the address bar, and you should automatically join the party.
  • Has some customization options
    • User icon and nickname
    • Upload screenshots, emojis and GIFs
  • Netflix Party claims they have over 500 thousand users already
    • Is is not clear is they are affiliated with Netflix
    • Since they have a Patreon of $5 a month, I feel they are not
    • And with all participants needing their own access to Netflix
      • I doubt this will be taken down
      • But we never know

Tidbits

  • Microsoft’s been confirming the nuts and bolts of the Xbox Series X this last week, including a fancy solid-state drive, but they’ve made a bit of a misstep when it comes to expansion
    • They’re going to be selling the Xbox Series X Storage Expansion Card, a proprietary mcguffin developed with Seagate that you’ll need if you want to install more games than the internal storage allows. USB is allowed for backup, but not for gameplay
      • The cards will apparently offer some portability though, letting players bring a card loaded with games to a friend’s Xbox and play them there
    • Almost in response, Sony announced that the PS5 will have an expansion bay for an off-the-shelf solid-state drive, though they will be certifying specific drives to meet the new PCI Express 4.0 standard
  • After founding Microsoft in 1975, Bill Gates has left the its board entirely last week to dedicate more time to his philanthropic endeavours
    • It was a surprisingly quiet announcement, snuck in on a Friday under the headline “Microsoft announces change to its board of directors”
  • Apple has been fined a record $1.23B in France for price-fixing with their Apple Premium Reseller program
    • The French competition agency said that under the program, Apple published recommended prices and tightly restricted promotional materials distributors could use. One distributor said that if it ran a promotion Apple didn’t like, the company would retaliate by limiting product supply
    • The agency also found that Apple limited supplies to partners during moments of heavy demand around new product launches, to steer customers to its own stores
    • All in all some pretty nasty business practices that don’t sound very legal at all
  • Comcast has mistakenly published the names, phone numbers, and addresses of nearly 200,000 customers that pay monthly fees to remain unlisted
    • The information was made available on Ecolisting, a directory run by Comcast, and shortly thereafter picked up by third party directories
    • Comcast has shut that directory down, paid each customer $100 in credits, and offered free number changes, but the last time something like this happened in 2015 it resulted in a $33M settlement
    • This could be a very big deal for people that need to stay anonymous online for things like personal safety reasons, as even though they can change their phone numbers their names and addresses are out there now

New Overwatch Character #32, Echo

Backstory

  • Dr Mina Liao, Expert in robotics and artificial intelligence
    • Joined the Omnica Corporation and helped create the omnic race
    • During the Omnic Crisis, she was enlisted by Commander Morrison to join Overwatch
    • Mina created the Echo Project, to create an adaptive AI highly advanced robot to help with her vision of the future

Abilities

  • Primary attack
    • Tri-Shot – 15 shots before relead
    • Shoots 3 projectiles in a triangle pattern
  • Secondary Attack
    • Sticky Bombs – 5 second cooldown
    • Shoots a volley of bombs that stick to enemies and detonates after a short time
    • can be combined with Primary attack
      • Unlike Zenyatta’s charge attack
  • Primary Ability
    • Flight
    • Initial boost forward
    • Followed by a short time of free flight
    • She can also glide
      • Faster falling than Mercy’s similar ability, but more maneuverability
  • Alternate Ability
    • Focusing Beam
    • Deals significantly more damage to characters that are under 50% health
    • Also deals more damage to Barriers that are below 50%
      • Funfact – The first cracks on a barrier are when it falls to 50%
  • Ultimate
    • Duplicate
    • Echo will duplicate an enemy character for 15 seconds
    • Echo replicates the appearance of the hero and gains all their abilities
    • Damage done or healed, in this transformed state will accumulate more Ult charge than in regular gameplay
    • If you are defeated, you lose your transformation, and become Echo again
    • Quality of life enhancement added to confirm the character selected before transforming
      • It is also added to Ana’s Ultimate, to confirm the character you will be boosting
  • She is a very advanced character and will have a long time on the PTR

 

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PS2J 292 News/Interviews – Cardboard and a Bat Army

Free Games

– Epic Games

    – Anodyne 2: Return to Dust

        – 2019
        – Described as a combination of cinematic 3D games with the tight design and satisfaction of 2D Zelda-like adventures, it has you exploring an island, shrinking inside the bodies of infected people, and rescuing them from a mind-warping plague

    – A Short Hike

        – 2019
        – Described as one part Animal Crossing, one part Breath of the Wild, it’s a little exploration game about hiking up a mountain. You can follow marked trails, explore the backcountry, meet other hikers, discover hidden treasures, and just take in the world around you

    – Mutazione (Mu-tat-zio-ne)

        – 2019
        – A mutant soap opera where small-town gossip meets the supernatural, it’s a narrative indie gardening game set on a beautiful island inhabited by mutants

The COVID-19 Coronavirus is continuing to have impacts on the world as more people and governments are opting out of social contact

– In the workplace many are working from home as much as possible
    – Google and Microsoft have made some changes to provide free teleconferencing tools for the next few months
        – Anyone using G Suite or G Suite for Education is getting access to premium features like meetings for up to 250 participants, live streaming for up to 100,000 viewers, and the ability to record meetings and save them to G Drive – features that would normally cost $25/user/month
        – And Microsoft is offering a six-month trial for the premium version of Microsoft Teams, letting anyone using it schedule video calls and conferences with other registered users
– For those that can’t work from home, Apple is even giving their retail and hourly workers unlimited paid sick leave if they’re experiencing relevant symptoms
    – I mean, this should be the norm but in today’s society it’s newsworth
– And E3 has officially been cancelled for the first time since 1995, joining Apple’s WWDC as the latest victim of measures being taken to limit large gatherings of people in the midst of COVID-19
    – Really I don’t blame them, especially after Penny Arcade Expo 2016 when the swine flu made the rounds and became known as the Pax Pox. Conventions aren’t really known for hygiene in the best of circumstances
    – The team behind E3 will be reaching out directly to exhibitors and attendees with info about full refunds, and they’re exploring options for an online experience this June

Sensor Tower, an analytics platform that gathers app download and usage data for developers, has been secretly gathering data from millions of iOS and Android users

– Apparently the company owns a batch of about 20 VPN and ad-blocking apps like Adblock Focus and Luna VPN that have been downloaded over 35 million times
– When installed the apps prompt users to install a root certificate from an external website, which lets them get around App Store restrictions and monitor all traffic and data passing through the phone
– This serves as a good reminder to be wary of VPN and ad-blocking apps from unknown developers, and definitely ask questions when apps as for certificates to be installed
The Nintendo Playstation, the prototype CD system for the Super Nintendo, has officially sold at auction for a grand total of $380,000
– Apparently the initial spike we saw in online bidding was Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey deciding he wanted to be the highest bidder early on, but once it went to a live action there was only one bid made, and it seems that Luckey either didn’t or couldn’t follow up with one of his own

Lifehacker has a nice tip for people sharing a Netflix account- you can now avoid giving out your password by using DoNotPay

– DoNotPay is a Chrome extension that lets you send out a link that will privately share the authentication cookie from your computer with whoever you send it to, allowing them to get into your Netflix account without having to log themselves in
– Time will tell how streaming companies react to this, but since simultaneous streaming is specifically a feature of many memberships they can’t be too angry

There’s a new streaming site on the internet, and it takes you back to the days of cable with a twist

– allthestreams.fm is calling itself pirate radio for internet streaming, offering videos from Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, HBO Now, Prime Video, and Showtime
– The catch is that you don’t get to pick what’s on- you get a slider to chose which service you’re watching and then get to join whatever stream they currently have in progress
    – At the moment they have a number you text any requests to, but that’s pretty much it for user accessibility. Otherwise you get what you get with very few controls
– It’s a pretty interesting experiment, with things like Avengers Endgame, The Witcher, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine being shown when I checked it out, but you can bet that it has lawyers salivating and will soon be hit with takedown notices left and right

It looks like a batch of third-gen iPad Airs has a defect that makes the display go permanently blank, with no way to recover

– The good news is that Apple has acknowledged the defect and if offering free repairs to anyone that see the issue in the first two years. Affected models were manufactured between March and October 2019, but there may still be devices from those dates sitting unopened on store shelves so keep an eye out

Overwatch Archives is out a week early!

March 12th to April 2nd

Missions are back with some extras this year!

First week is Overwatch Uprising

  • RELIVE TRACER’S FIRST MISSION
  • Journey seven years into the past and join an Overwatch strike team fighting through the streets of King’s Row to quell an uprising led by Null Sector, a rogue group of omnics. There are no reinforcements. Failure is not an option. The future depends on you.
  • Play as one of four Overwatch agents in Story Mode
    • Tracer, Torbjörn, Reinhardt, or Mercy
  • New Challenge missions
    • Molten Cores: evade deadly lava discharged by felled enemies
    • Glass Cannons: survive the omnic incursion of King’s Row with limited health and exponential damage.

Second week is Overwatch Retribution

  • TAKE CONTROL OF BLACKWATCH
  • After the terrorist organization known as Talon launches an attack on an Overwatch facility, the peacekeeping force is unable to respond. But Blackwatch, Overwatch’s secretive strike force, plays by its own rules. Travel eight years into the past and join Blackwatch as they seek to capture one of Talon’s highest-ranking members.
  • Play as one of four Blackwatch agents in Story Mode
    • McCree, Moira, Genji, or Reyes before he becomes known as Reaper
  • New Challenge Missions
    • Surgical Strike: hone your headshot skills with critical strikes
    • Close Quarters: get up close and personal with your enemies

Third week is Overwatch Storm Rising

  • A NEW THREAT LOOMS ON THE HORIZON
  • As thunderclouds gather, four Overwatch operatives pursue the devious entrepreneur Maximilien through the streets of Havana. A clever and calculating omnic, Maximilien handles finances for the international terrorist organization Talon.
  • Play as one of four Overwatch agents in Story Mode
    • Tracer, Genji, Winston, or Mercy
  • New Challenge Missions
    • Blood Moon Rising: without support heroes, become your own vampiric support by dealing damage
    • Storm Raging: take down enemies enraged by the deaths of their comrades

There are skins exclusive to weekly unlocks

  • Win 9 games in Quick Play, Competitive or arcade to unlock the player icon, spray and epic skin
  • Week 1
    • Holi Symmetra
    • Holi is a famous Hindu festival that is celebrated in every part of India with utmost joy and enthusiasm. The ritual starts by lighting up the bonfire one day before the day of Holi and this process symbolizes the triumph of good over the bad. On the day of Holi people play with colours with their friends and families and in evening they show love and respect to their close ones with Abeer, a red dye.
  • Week 2
    • Rustclad Torbjörn
    • Torb is looking worse for wear, his amour has a green patina, and has rust buildup.
  • Week 3
    • Snowbear Mei
    • Similar to Mei’s regular outfit, but Snowball and a few patches on her outfit have a cute white bear look

And of couse some new Legendary skins to work for!

  • Aviator Pharah
    • Pharah has a leather jacket, jeans, aviator sunglasses, and the attitude to pull it off
  • King Jamison Junkrat
    • Shows what Junkrat will blow his earnings on a heist with. Crown, gold plated and jewlencusted arm and peg leg, expensive clothes, too much jewelry, his bandoleer is replaced with gold bars, and his riptire is a sack of other trophies
  • Militia Roadhod
    • Roadhog looks like the kind of doomsday prepper that bought the tactical axe, has an army helmet as his pauldron, large rounds of ammunition on his wrist, tactical belt slung over his shoulder, camo coveralls, and a grenade with a piggie on it
  • Sniper Ana
    • This may be my new favorite Ana skin, she has tan tactical gear. Her jacket has ghilie like flair, and Ana is quite young, and has a cute bob haircut. Her rifle, looks more like a sniper rifle than a tranq gun as well.
  • Workout Zarya
    • Zarya shows how beefy she is in these workout clothes. She has a workout sweater without sleeves, and shorts with compression shorts underneath. She also has support with an elbow and knee brace. And a handy mp3 player strapped to he bicep.

 

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PS2J 291 News – Boring School Stuff Folder

Free Games

  • Epic Games

    • GoNNER

      • 2016
      • A roguelike game often described as a shooter version of Spelunky- a procedurally generated 2D platformer that has you journeying in deep and dark places for a trinket to cheer up a giant landbound whale named Sally

    • Offworld Trading Company

      • 2016
      • A sci-fi RTS from the publishers of Sins of a Solar Empire that has you waging economic warfare on Mars, using anything from corporate takeovers to sabotage

  • Twitch

    • Bomber Crew

      • 2017
      • Strategic simulation game that has you picking the right crew to keep your Avro Lancaster bomber in tip top shape and complete your World War II era missions

    • Whispers of a Machine

      • 2019
      • A point and click sci-fi nordic noir that tells the story of a cybernetically augmented detective investigating a string of murders in a post-AI world

    • Mugsters

      • 2018
      • A physics-based sandbox puzzle game that has you outrunning, outmanoeuvring, and outsmarting the aliens that have taken over Earth and enslaved humanity

    • Furi

      • 2016
      • A twin-stick hack and slash shoot ’em up bullet hell consisting entirely of boss fights. The jailer is the key, kill him and you’ll be free.

    • Epistory – Typing Chronicles

      • 2016
      • An atmospheric action-adventure typing game following a girl riding a giant fox fighting insectile corruption in an origami world

With the COVID-19 coronavirus concerns in full swing, Google has cancelled their annual I/O developer conference and many are speculating that Apple may at the very least modify their own WWDC this spring

  • Other events like this year’s Game Developer’s Conference and Mobile World Congress events were previously postponed or cancelled due to concerns about the virus
  • With supply chains in China certainly being affected, it might just make sense to delay the product announcements as well and keep the developer portions of the presentations limited to online sessions
    • It’s gotten to the point where Apple Stores have been warned that replacement devices will be facing supply constraints for the next 2-4 weeks, so be warned if your phone needs a repair you might be caught with a loaner device in the meantime
  • Apple’s even sent care packages, called CareKits, to staff they have currently stranded overseas, that include things like coffee, tea, cookies, facemasks, and an iPad
  • If you’re interested in helping fight COVID-19, you can donate your unused computer resources by downloading the Folding@home client. That will add your computer to a pool that lets researchers farm out processing tasks to see how the virus attaches itself to human lungs, which they need to understand if they’re going to stop it
    • Similar efforts have contributed to research on diseases like cancer, ALS, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s
    • Check out the full details at foldingathome.org
  • There’s also a similar piece of software available called Foldit, but instead of just using your extra processing power it’s actually a puzzle game that has you changing a protein’s shape to block how the virus infects people. According to PCGamer, Foldit helped researchers decode the AIDS virus back in 2011
    • If you want to take a crack at it, with no medical degree required, you can go to fold.it and give it a go

What do US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, Best Buy, Walmart, the RCMP, and a sovereign wealth fund in the United Arab Emirates have in common? Well according to Buzzfeed News they, along with thousands of other organizations, have been using a controversial facial recognition startup that’s facing legal threats and violating App Store regulations left and right

  • Clearview AI is apparently on a quest to create a global biometric identification system by scraping social media and the internet at large, and it’s for sale to anyone who wants it
    • They have paid contracts with organizations like ICE, US Attorney’s offices, and Macy’s, and have users at the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, Interpol, and the NBA
  • The New York based startup has claimed it’s tech is meant as a tool for North American law enforcement, but it’s been used by more than 2,200 government agencies and companies across 27 countries
    • So we have this product featuring a treasure trove of identifying information on a ton of people, accessible to anyone that can pay, oh and also they’ve been breached at least once so presumably a few people that haven’t paid as well
  • The hardest part here is that the US just doesn’t have any laws or regulatory framework for this kind of biometric tracking- there’s literally no accountability for their ability to gather up this information and sell it, leading to government agencies running literally thousands searches and most likely acting on the information received
    • We could have ICE agents walking into a supermarket, scanning people, and immediately deporting them without due process or investigation
    • And this is all based on the tech of a company that can’t even keep their client list confidential
    • It’s one thing to have a database of internally gathered mugshots, or even shared between agencies, but when you outsource it to a third party whose interests are purely monetary and scrapes the internet at large for information it gets really scary
  • All in all there’s a complete lack of transparency here- Clearview is providing free trials to anyone who wants them, even officers in police departments that have explicitly banned the app, and provided its software to private and public institutions all over the world
  • This stuff is so shady that they didn’t even want their iOS app distributed through Apple’s App Store- they abused the developer program, similar to Facebook’s Research app that paid users to spy on their information early last year, so that users could sideload the app without it being reviewed by Apple
    • In a response to Buzzfeed’s inquiry Apple investigated and suspended their developer account, effectively preventing the app from running

Overwatch Competitive Play Hero Rotation

  • To make competetive Overwatch more dynamic, Blizzard has implemented a Hero Rotation
  • First banned characters are
    • Orisa
    • Hanzo
    • Mei
    • Baptiste

Cool looking game: Nocturne

  • For free on Steam, try Nocturne: Prelude
  • The game caught my eye with a bright colour pallette
    • Cool high quality pixel graphics
    • and rhythm based combat
  • Here is the copy thy have on their Steam page:
    • Rich Narrative
      • The digital afterlife survived humanity’s extinction.
    • Nocturne: Prelude is the first chapter of a story-driven RPG set within a digital afterlife. Millennia have passed since humanity’s extinction; but somehow you’ve only just arrived.
    • Your conscience was uploaded to a world where a sentient AI has taken control, twisted creatures roam the land, and a vast corruption spreads.
    • Rhythm Combat
    • Master an entirely skill based rhythm combat with fierce battles and unexpected challenges. With multiple difficulty options, Nocturne: Prelude is a game suitable for beginners and veterans of the rhythm genre.
    • Find equipment to unlock powerful combat buffs or special abilities. Defeat enemies to unlock them in Arcade mode, where you can challenge them again for highscores.
    • Classic RPG
    • Make friends, battle enemies, and traverse a beautiful world as it falls apart around you. The perfect balance of heart-pumping musical combat, magnificent worldbuilding and deep story.
    • Nocturne: Prelude was inspired by decades of traditional RPG’s that immerse you in fantasy worlds.
    • FEATURES
    • Meet a cast of unique characters who’ll challenge what it means to be alive.
    • Explore a vast and beautiful pixel art world.
    • Master an entirely skill based rhythm combat system.
    • Fierce battles with unexpected twists.
    • Challenge your highscores in Arcade mode.
    • Multiple difficulty modes suitable for beginners and veterans of the rhythm genre.
    • Original soundtrack composed with a mix of digital and live performances.
    • Befriend a giant orange fish.
  • Nocturne: Prelude is the first chapter of Nocturne, released for free. The main story contains about 1-2 hours of gameplay.

Tidbits

  • Final Fantasy VII Remake’s demo of officially available now, ahead of its April 10th release
    • I specify ‘officially’ available, because there was already a sizeable leak at the end of last year, with many getting their hands on the full playable demo at the time
  • Apple has agreed to pay up to $500M to settle the class action lawsuit over throttling the performance of older phones
    • The whole issue came about when iOS 11 hit, when it had an undocumented feature that managed the battery life of older phones to prevent unexpected shutdowns- benchmarks took a hit, but the devices stayed reliable
    • The problem was that they didn’t give any feedback or options for this feature until iOS 13 came out late last year, so while they’re not admitting any wrongdoing they’re still willing to pay each affected user $25 if the settlement is approved
      • As MrMcLargeHuge said in the arstechnica comments section, “They were correct from a technical standpoint, but wrong from a PR standpoint.”
  • The director of MI5, Britain’s Security Service has called on tech companies to find a way to allow spy agencies “exceptional access” to encrypted messages, and that he finds it “increasingly mystifying” that intelligence agencies aren’t able to easily read secret messages of suspects they’re monitoring
    • While he refers to cyberspace as an unregulated “Wild West” that is largely inaccessible to authorities, it kind of seems like they’ve gotten lazy with how easy it’s been to spy on users up to this point. Now that we’re putting locks on our messages they want a copy of the keys

 

For more content, Patreon supports get access to upcoming ideas and more!

Thank you to Darren, we want to make things you’ll find interesting!

And thanks to all our ‘fanily’ that support us.
And if you want to support us too, its as easy as clicking this link!
We are a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network powered by ATB
And talk to us in the comments!