A few insider thoughts on the future of virtual reality

Virtual reality is here to stay. That’s the resounding cry here at GDC 2016, and it’s no wonder, seeing as the conference actually had to move certain VR-related panels to bigger rooms due to the increased demand. That sentiment was certainly shared at the Oculus Game Day event where we mingled with developers, designers and executives and talked to them about the future of the medium. Check out our video above to find out what they had to say.

iOS malware uses copy protection to infect ‘pure’ devices

Ne’er-do-wells have so far exploited holes in Apple’s FairPlay copy protection primarily to distribute pirated iOS apps, but it now looks like they’re turning their energy toward hurting users. Palo Alto Networks says it has discovered AceDeceiver, the first malware that uses FairPlay to infect its targets. Install a bogus iOS management utility for Windows (Aisi Helper) and the software will launch a man-in-the middle attack that grabs app authorization codes and uses those to install infected apps on any iOS device you connect to the system. Unlike many iOS attacks, this doesn’t require that the target use a jailbroken device — the apps are allowed to run as if they were completely legitimate.

It’s particularly sneaky, too. While Apple has already pulled relevant apps from the App Store, it doesn’t need them to stick around to work. Also, it’s not so easy for Apple to catch offenders in the approval process. The example apps purposefully limited their hostile behavior to users located in China, so App Store screeners in California weren’t likely to spot any malicious activity.

Palo Alto reported the issue to Apple in late February, but it’s not clear whether there’s a permanent solution in the works. We’ve reached out to Apple for details, and we’ll let you know if it has something to share. Either way, the practical risk is low in the short term — don’t install Aisi Helper or similar apps. The concern is that intruders will take advantage of inexperienced users, or that a more sophisticated future attack won’t require that you install a program first.

Source: Palo Alto Networks

How a startup is making it easy to build virtual reality worlds

My most recent virtual reality experience was created by a 9-year-old. That’s according to Martin Repetto, CEO of Voxelus, a platform that lets you build, share and play your own VR games. As I roam through this Minecraft-like world, steered by a Gear VR headset, Repetto tells me that a kid is the one who designed what I’m seeing. But for Voxelus, which launched last year at the Oculus Connect 2 conference, there’s a clear goal: to let anyone, young or old, make VR games without a single line of code.

At GDC 2016, Voxelus is expanding on that idea by offering a marketplace, something that Repetto refers to as the missing piece in his company’s ecosystem. As it stands, Voxelus’ free software is available for Mac and PC, giving people an open canvas to design games for virtual reality. These are compatible with both Gear VR and the Oculus Rift, meaning you don’t have to worry about making different versions for each system.

You can also keep polishing your games even after you’ve made them available on either platform, and creating a world is easy as dragging and dropping items into a sandbox. Naturally, given the aesthetics of the platform, I asked Repetto if Voxelus was inspired by Minecraft, to which he replied with a strong “no.” That said, Repetto notes there’s a lot to learn from Microsoft’s open-world title, adding that his team’s intentions are to “have a sandbox with a meaning.” He says, “Minecraft controls the aesthetics, [with] Voxelus you can go above and beyond.”

According to Repetto, 400 worlds have been created to date using Voxelus, featuring multiplayer elements and 3D worlds like the few pictured above. Given that its software is free, Voxelus had to find a way to bring in revenue, and that’s where the newly announced marketplace comes in. To simplify this process, the startup also created its own cryptocurrency, which developers are able to use to purchase any of the 7,000 VR assets available so far, including bridges, castles, houses, trees, spaceships, teleporters and more.

Repetto describes Voxelus as Clash of Clans for VR, but he says the platform, and the games born out of it, aren’t meant to compete with the AAAs of the industry. “[We] just want to make something for people to play and have fun,” he says.

Microsoft makes a big bet on esports with Xbox Live tournaments

On top of offering networking compatibility with other gaming platforms, Microsoft had another treat for developers at GDC this week: An easy way to create their own game tournaments with Xbox Live. Think of it as an evolution of Xbox Live’s multiplayer matchmaking. The aptly titled Xbox Live Tournament Platform, which will support both Xbox One and Windows 10, is clearly meant to make Microsoft an even bigger player in the burgeoning esports market. To that end, it’s also teaming up with esports companies FaceIT and ESL, who will use the platform for upcoming tournaments. The first titles to support the tournament platform should arrive by the end of the year.

Chad Gibson, a group program manager at Xbox Live, tells Polygon that the platform could be used by gamers to create a small-scale Rocket League tournament with friends. It could also lead to new methods of cooperative play. For example, there could be some sort of team-based tournament with a game like The Division.

Overall, the news makes complete sense for Microsoft in many ways. Xbox Live transformed the way console gamers play online, so why not aim for the next level and bring in tournament play? Microsoft also created an esports league for Halo, so it’s wise to build a solid networking layer for that sort of competition. And just like with its support for cross-platform multiplayer, it shows what’s really important for Microsoft today: Creating platforms that make it indispensable to developers and gamers alike (and hopefully erase the impact of the PS4 trouncing the Xbox One this generation).

Via: Polygon

Drone pilots sign up in droves to fly during emergencies

You may see a lot of stories about civilian drone operators causing chaos during emergencies, but it’s clearer than ever that many of them are willing to help out, too. Bard College has published Federal Aviation Administration commercial drone exemption requests showing that a hefty 19 percent of requests from the last quarter of 2015 mentioned emergency services — six times as many as reported several months earlier. In theory, that could lead to a lot of private pilots helping officials with search and rescue missions or other critical situations.
That doesn’t mean that the drone owners are guaranteed to fly, though. The FAA tells The Verge that there can easily be other legal restrictions keeping them on the ground. Also, this is sometimes a catch-all for activities the pilot might be asked to do, rather than the primary goal. Even if they never intend to help officials in a crisis, though, this poses a problem. It suggests that exemption requests are getting out of hand for both applicants (who are so worried about the rules that they apply just in case) and the FAA itself (which allows those broad exemptions). It may take a while before cooler heads prevail and pilots only get exemptions that they’re likely to need.

Source: Center for the Study of the Drone

Apple Inks Deal to Use Google Cloud Platform for Some iCloud Services

Apple has signed a deal with Google that will see the Google Cloud Platform providing some of the cloud infrastructure for iCloud and other cloud-based Apple services, reports CRN (via Business Insider). Apple reportedly established a $400 to $600 million deal with Google last last year and has, as a result, “significantly” cut down on its reliance on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

According to the sources, Google executives have told partners that Apple is spending between $400 million and $600 million on Google Cloud Platform, although this couldn’t be independently confirmed. Also unclear is whether this range refers to an annual spending rate or a set amount of capacity.

While the money Apple is now paying Google was previously spent on AWS, Apple has not stopped using Amazon’s cloud computing services entirely. Apple has never confirmed the cloud services that power iCloud, but past rumors have pointed towards AWS and Microsoft Azure, suggesting Apple will continue using multiple services to meet its needs.

According to The Information’s Amir Efrati, who has confirmed Apple’s plans, it will take a year for Apple to transition to using Google Cloud Platform.

It’s true, @iCloud to be partially powered by @googlecloud. But will take a year & unlikely to be profitable. @awscloud lost $ from iCloud.

— Amir Efrati (@amir) March 16, 2016

Since last year, Google has been aggressively pursuing deals for its Google Cloud Platform, led by former VMware CEO Diane Greene. Google and Amazon have been involved in ongoing pricing wars, but Google claims to be the “price/performance leader” in public cloud and says its Google Cloud Platform is between 15 and 41 percent less expensive than AWS.

In the future, Apple may scale back on the money it spends on third-party cloud computing platforms, based on its data center plans. Apple is building new data centers in Ireland, Denmark, Reno, and Arizona, plus it is expanding its existing data center in Prineville, Oregon.

In Arizona, Apple’s data center will be located at the former GT Advanced sapphire plant and has been described as a “command center” for Apple’s global data network. Apple says the Arizona location is “one of the largest investments” the company has made.

Tags: Google, Amazon, iCloud, Google Cloud Platform, AWS
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