Bring out your inner ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ at Alt.Ctrl.GDC

Ah, the Alt.Ctrl.GDC booth. It’s the real reason thousands of people flock to downtown San Francisco every year, under the guise of attending panels, networking and showing off their work at the annual Game Developers Conference. Alt.Ctrl.GDC is a collection of games that use experimental controls — that means no keyboards, no mice and no gamepads. Instead, the booth is filled with things like laser harps, spaceship control panels, giant inflatable dark rooms, DIY bookcases, record players, furry cat hats, cardboard boxes and waist-high, carpeted treadmills.

These games may be experimental, but that doesn’t mean they can’t one day become commercial products. Take Super Furry Neon Cat Heads for example: It’s a VR rhythm game for the HTC Vive that uses a cat tower as a controller (and a cat hat as flair). Players see a virtual version of the tower, complete with neon mice streaming down to the beat of a peppy electronic song, and they slap the appropriate spots on the real-life tower as the rodents run by. It looks wonderfully silly, but take away the cat hat and replace the tower with a more traditional control scheme, and it’s a fun new VR game that anyone can play at home.

And then there’s Spacebox, a Calvin and Hobbes-inspired game that has players sit inside a cardboard box with a goofy colander strapped to their head, tilting and tapping to maneuver an on-screen spaceship through enemy territory. If the developers figure out how to contain their tilt- and tap-sensing technology in a durable, portable container, Spacebox would be something that kids everywhere could play. All they’d need is a cardboard box and a screen.

On the other hand, Zombie Crawler may not ever be a game for the living room, but it makes sense as a cool new arcade installment. The controller is a waist-high treadmill-like platform with grips along the tread. Players grab the fabric and pull; on-screen, a comic book-style zombie crawls down a narrow hallway toward a potential victim with a shotgun. The treadmill tilts right and left, letting players dodge shotgun blasts when the appropriate animation appears, and buttons on either side of the treadmill make the zombie swipe at furniture and other pesky objects — like the human at the end of the hall. Picture it nestled between a Skee-Ball machine and NBA Hoop Troop at your local Dave & Buster’s. It makes a lot of sense.

Not all of the games at Alt.Ctrl.GDC will become commercial products, but many of them certainly could. Regardless of their mainstream appeal, playing with these wacky prototypes at GDC continues to be a highlight of the entire show.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from GDC 2017!

Bungie will reset everyone’s ‘Destiny’ characters for the sequel

As the sun sets on Bungie’s shooter MMO Destiny, its fans look ahead to a new dawn, when the old game hands its reign (and playerbase) over to its sequel coming sometime this year, currently called Destiny 2. Unfortunately, its loyal constituency had a bit of a rude awakening this morning when Bungie announced that every player character would be reset going into the new game. That’s right, folks: All your Gjallarhorns, No Land Beyonds and skill points won’t be coming along for the ride.

Your Guardians will still be kitted-out Trials-rocking demigods if you load them up in Destiny 1, but all power, possessions, and Eververse-related items and currency will be locked in the first game. The only that will carry forward are personalizations for characters that have made it past Level 20 and completed the Black Garden story mission.

This global reboot might be a harsh blow to folks who have been grinding away for years at the RNG altar of Destiny’s miserly loot-awarding system, but it’s a no-frills way to ensure player parity. Nobody else will be carrying their PVP-dominating legendary weapons into the new game, either. It also gives the sequel’s developers all the room they need to improve and advance the game without having to keep accounting for legacy guns and powers.

Bungie is sending off the original Destiny with one last event: Age of Triumph. The studio will reveal details of its first MMO’s last hurrah on March 8th, when it will trot out members of the Live Team to explain the game’s final block of new content. Event rituals will follow on March 15th along with a sandbox update on the 22nd — and then we play the waiting game for the sequel.

Source: Bungie

Uber used ‘Greyball’ tool to evade authorities around the world

Saying this week could’ve gone better for Uber is a massive understatement. After its SVP resigned over undisclosed sexual harassment investigations and its CEO argued with one of the company’s own drivers for complaining about its lower pay, Friday might have seemed like the end of a long few days. It wasn’t. The New York Times just released a report revealing Uber’s years-long clandestine program to deceive authorities from across the globe.

Their program used a secretive tool called Greyball to collect data from Uber’s app, along with other information-collecting techniques, to deliberately evade officials. Greyball worked by tagging known officials and serving up fake versions of the app populated with ghost cars, sources told The New York Times. When a code inspector working for the the city of Portland, Oregon tried to catch Uber in a sting operation, the company ‘Greyballed’ his phone, pretending to send cars and cancelling the fake rides.

The Greyball tool was originally used under an umbrella program called Violation of Terms of Service (VTOS) which Uber used to identify people it thought were abusing or improperly targeting its service. The company started VTOS in 2014 and continues to use it, mostly outside the US.

In a statement provided to The New York Times, Uber said, “[The VTOS] program denies ride requests to users who are violating our terms of service — whether that’s people aiming to physically harm drivers, competitors looking to disrupt our operations, or opponents who collude with officials on secret ‘stings’ meant to entrap drivers.”

When Uber began moving into a new city, they appointed a general manager to spot enforcement officers. They used a few methods to do this: One was to draw a digital perimeter (“geofence”) around authorities’ offices and monitored which nearby account users kept opening and closing the app, which could indicate a city agency worker checking the app for enforcement purposes. Other methods were more mundane, like seeing whether a user’s credit card information was tied to an institution like a police credit union or even just looking up folks’ connections on social media.

But neither side stopped there. When enforcement officials bought dozens of cellphones to create different accounts, Uber employees went to that city’s electronics stores to check device numbers of the cheapest phones — the models most likely bought by cash-strapped city agencies. If a driver picked up a suspected officer by accident, Uber called them to give specific instructions to end the ride.

In short, Uber created a tool and processes to tag investigators checking up on them along with a playbook to extend the cat-and-mouse game and stymie investigations. And according to The New York Times’ sources, even some internal members of Uber’s team were uncertain whether it was ethical or even legal. While ‘Greyballing’ was first used in new cities to muddle the locations of UberX drivers to fight local taxi competition, Uber engineers soon saw those tactics’ potential use in evading law enforcement. Soon, they made a playbook and passed it along to general managers in a dozen countries.

Source: The New York Times

Fan requests didn’t change ‘Nioh’ too much

In an age where developers seemingly bend over backwards to accommodate fan requests (cough, the Mass Effect 3 ending, cough), Team Ninja decided to buck that for its latest game, Nioh. That’s not to say that the developer didn’t take feedback to heart for its samurai action title, just not all of it according to a post on the PlayStation Blog.

“The first problem we encountered after researching feedback was that many members of our team became too influenced and affected by the opinions of the players,” Team Ninja’s Fumihiko Yasuda writes. Specifically, people kept asking for the game to be open world and for the Ki Pulse system to be scrapped. Both ideas were ultimately rejected.

But fan suggestions for things that wouldn’t fundamentally alter the game or cost a ton of money were taken into account. How the game’s camera lock-on system for enemies works was one instance where player feedback was implemented.

“Ultimately, I tried to remind everyone that we are the developers who are creating this game,” Yasuda says. “By attempting to consider all of those opinions, we were not arriving at solid solutions, but rather creating more questions.”

Given Team Ninja’s rocky history after the departure of Dead or Alive creator and Ninja Gaiden resurrectionist Tomonobu Itagaki, the studio establishing its own identity with a new game was absolutely crucial. And, given Team Ninja’s output since Itagaki left (Ninja Gaiden 3 was not good whatsoever), it was of the utmost importance that the studio to get its next project right.

Based on what critics and fans have said, at least in terms of Metacritic ratings, Yasuda’s instincts were right.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from GDC 2017!

Source: PlayStation Blog

‘Descent’-inspired ‘Sublevel Zero Redux’ coming to PS4

If you’re interested in some Descent-like shooter action, you could wait for Descent Underground, the crowdfunded game from from a developer behind Star Citizen. However, it’s not expected to arrive until next year, and when it does, there are no plans for a console release. There is another option, though: Sublevel Zero: Redux. Based on the well-received original that launched on Steam in 2015, the console version for Xbox One and PS4 brings new content, campaigns and more.

“The game itself is an homage to one of our favorite games, the classic 6DoF shooter Descent,” says lead artist and cofounder Gary Lloyd from developer Sigtrap. However, it’s been updated with random procedural generation, looting and crafting, permadeath and other modern elements.

While inspired by the original’s 8-bit low-poly look, Sublevel Zero: Redux was modernized with “hyper-saturated” neon lighting and colors. “The soundtrack likewise starts from chiptune roots and adds a modern twist to create a pulse-pounding orchestral glitch score,” adds Lloyd. Other new features include over 70 new rooms, an enhanced campaign that gets harder as you get better, two new enemies, elite unlockable foes and more.

The team had overcome some adversity to get to this point, as its original publisher went bankrupt shortly after the original Sublevel Zero was released. The game launched last week on the Xbox One, and is coming to the PS4 on March 8th.

Source: Sony

The Border Patrol can take your password. Now what?

There’s a whole world of bad security advice going around about traveling in and out of the United States. It’s largely because under the Trump Administration there has been an uptick in Customs and Border Protection agents searching the phones and digital devices of travelers at airport checkpoints.

While traveling inside the US border, it’s important to know that the TSA isn’t supposed to confiscate laptops, search digital devices, or demand passwords. The agency’s site states, “Should anyone at a TSA checkpoint attempt to confiscate your laptop or gain your passwords or other information, please ask to see a supervisor or screening manager immediately.”

But border patrol can. That’s because they exist in a grey area not exactly protected by the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, which ostensibly protect us from unreasonable searches and self-incrimination, they’ve been doing it for years.

If you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably noticed that it’s only getting worse when it comes to demanding passwords and searching people’s electronic devices. Just last month US citizen Sidd Bikkannavar was detained upon his return from a vacation in Chile. Border agents strong-armed him into turning over his phone’s passcode, which was owned by his employer, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

No sensible person is going to want to give up their password — but we have little choice. Yes, you should encrypt your phone, close out of all apps when going across the border, and make sure everything is password protected.

But if they ask and you refuse to give them your password, or pretend you don’t know it, they will make life very difficult for you. They’ll detain and interrogate you, handcuff you while demanding your password, confiscate your devices for days (or longer), and possibly refuse you entry into the US. Increasingly, border enforcement is copying the contents of devices and keeping it, though CBP isn’t supposed to keep that data longer than a week.

Once border agents have your password, we have to wonder, what do they do with it? Where they keep it, how secure it is, and how long they can hang on to it?

The answer to the last question is, probably indefinitely. What’s worse, it’s anyone’s guess who sees your password, or how well it will be secured. It’s also fair to assume it can be used again during future border encounters.

When asked, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told NextGov that the agency can indeed record and store a password to facilitate digital searches once a device has been detained. “The spokesperson did not say whether the password would be deleted from a traveler’s record after the search is over,” NextGov wrote.

In fact, according to NextGov, data in the system can be kept for upward of 75 years — or for the duration of a “law enforcement matter” or any “other enforcement activities that may become related.”

“One of the few laws that would constrain how CBP would collect, keep and disseminate personal information is the Privacy Act of 1974, which regulates how federal agencies treat sensitive personal data. But the Homeland Security Department, CBP’s parent agency, exempted TECS from that law since at least 2009.”

Sure, the Twitter watercooler of jaded security “cool kids” will say, duh, only stupid people wouldn’t change their device passwords after a border search. But most of the people currently being traumatized by border agents are likely focused on other things once they emerge from interrogation. And they’re probably not thinking about whether their passwords or pin numbers are re-used across multiple services.

This practice opens up a whole new avenue for abuse by a class of enforcement officers who aren’t exactly having a good time in the press with their reputation.

Agents could shake down people they think are attractive, or those they want to humiliate. Those truly lacking a moral compass could then try traveler’s passwords on other accounts — if it worked on a phone or tablet, maybe it’ll work on their bank account too. And this isn’t pure paranoia: Border agents have been caught condoning, aiding and covering up the wrongdoings of managers for all manner of bad behavior, including harassment.

Painting this trend as anything but dangerous to the individuals most at risk of exploitation — travelers crossing our borders, and everyone they’re connected to — is so flagrantly irresponsible it’s inevitable that we’re going to learn a painful lesson the hard way.

Really, if anyone is collecting travellers’ passwords it’s only a matter of time until we find out if they’re being abused, and how. Or maybe a database gets popped by hackers and put online. Or perhaps some negligent idiot will just leave a database of passwords exposed to the entire internet.

Ultimately we’re putting people at risk, in the name of reducing risk which is as pointless as it sounds.

Image: John Moore/Getty Images (Border Patrol check)

Feds are using Palantir’s tech to root out immigrants

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has yet another tool from Palantir to track and identify immigrants, according to The Intercept. Dubbed “Investigative Case Management” (ICM), it’s a system that aggregates information from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation. More than that, it taps into data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives too, to provide ICE agents with everything from biometrics, family relationships and phone records on any given person — citizen or immigrant. These tools aren’t necessarily new — some have been around for a handful of years — it’s just that now, they’re being used by the ICE rather than just the Department of Homeland Security.

The American Civil Liberties Union’s Chris Conley told Engadget the ICM is essentially the same tool that the DHS has been using, but that the motives are far from similar. “The difference here is that ICE could use it with a different set of information to try to turn some of the rhetoric around mass deportations into reality,” he said. “The tool isn’t different, but the use to which it’s being put is very different — and very concerning.”

The ICM is primarily being used by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), according to The Intercept, and it was implemented during the Obama administration. Under Trump, the HSI was key to last week’s raids in Mississippi resulting in 55 restaurant employees being detained, according to Vice’s food publication, Munchies. Given the president’s campaign promises and what we’ve seen already, this could expand at a much larger and faster scale.

“DHS’s job is to keep our country secure, a goal I think we all agree upon,” Conley said. “Whereas [the ICE’s] goal of removing people who are productive workers and family members that have been here in the United States for decades would be very different.”

There’s another ICE database system, called Falcon, specifically used for tracking immigrants. Combined with a program known as the Analytical Framework for Intelligence, these tools are what some say will be Trump’s “extreme vetting” methods.

“AFI is the black-box system of profiling algorithms he’s talking about,” Edward Hasbrouck of civil liberties outfit the Identity Project told The Intercept.

Source: The Intercept

MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Customizable iPhone Case, iPad Case, and Apple Watch Band from Casetify

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Casetify to give MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPhone case, iPad case, and Apple Watch Band, all of which can be customized to each person’s liking.

Casetify, for those unfamiliar with the site, offers a whole range of products that can be ordered in one of many artist-designed patterns or created using custom images. For this giveaway, we’re offering a Wallet case for the iPhone, a Folio case for the iPad, and the Saffiano leather Apple Watch Band.

The Wallet case, priced at $55 for the iPhone 7 and $60 for the iPhone 7 Plus, is made from Saffiano leather and features a protective cover that can be customized with a photo or design. It has two card slots for credit cards and an inner pocket for carrying cash and other essentials. There’s also a spot for a SIM card and a SIM PIN for when traveling overseas.

Casetify’s Folio case, priced starting at $60, is available for the iPad mini, iPad Air 2, and 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Like the Wallet case for the iPhone, it is made from Saffiano leather and features a customizable cover. It offers full device protection while leaving all ports easily accessible, and inside, there’s space for credit cards, passports, and other documents.

The Saffiano Apple Watch Band, priced at $52, is one of Casetify’s newest products. Available for 38 and 42mm Apple Watch models, the band can be purchased with lugs that match several different watch finishes and like all Casetify products, it can be customized with a user’s own image or design. The band is scratch resistant, to keep it looking nice, and sweat resistant, so it can be worn even when working out.

We have three Casetify prize packs to give away. Users will be able to choose a Wallet case and a Folio case that fits their device, along with an Apple Watch band in the appropriate size. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (March 3) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 10. The winners will be chosen randomly on March 10 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Tags: giveaway, Casetify
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Tiny Rails: Charming game with low commitment (Review)

Sometimes you just need an escape. A trip away to somewhere far from where you are, even if just for a few minutes. Tiny Rails offers just that, with quick bursts of gameplay in a relaxing and charming atmosphere. I was genuinely surprised at how much content was packed in this game, but just because there’s a lot of content doesn’t mean a game is going to be good. Is it worth your time to take a ride on Tiny Rails? Let’s take a look.

Developer: Tiny Titan Studios
Price: Free (In-App Purchases)
Download: Google Play/iOS

I call her “Blue Beauty”

Gameplay

You start the game off with an old train, and as you progress through you’ll discover new train cars and upgrades to improve your train and bring in income. At its core, this game is primarily about making deliveries or cargo and people. When you pull into a station, you will have the option to make purchases from the market if there’s anything available. As you browse the map you’ll see what items are needed at which stations, and making deliveries earns you some big bucks. Passengers are a little easier, as you drop people off and collect people at almost every station you come to. The downside to this is that putting in almost no effort means very low profits but for passive income, passengers can’t be beat.

There’s always this guy… He may have a different name in every game, but you know who he is.

The game also ties in a story about an evil corporation trying to take over the rails and your rag-tag band of train pioneers pulling together to create the best rail line ever. It does have a lot of cheezy dialogue and goofball characters, but each one helps you accomplish something, for example doubling profits or by keeping the tracks clear of debris. You have to use the premium currency of diamonds to activate these skills, but diamonds are surprising easy to come by through easy to reach achievements and watching videos. I’ve found myself with well over 400 diamonds, and with each skill only costing 5 diamonds for 24 hours of use, I’ll be set for a long time, not to mention I’m collecting more constantly.

Outside of setting up your train and planning your routes, there isn’t much else to do while your train is traveling. It can easily take 2-3 hours for your train to travel from station to station, but it will keep traveling while the app is closed, so you can take a few minutes to set things up, let it go, and come back later, so it’s a great game for playing on the go if you’ve only got a few minutes at a time to play.

Controls

Most of the game is navigating through menus to select what to buy, how to arrange your train, or selecting train helpers. Everything is responsive and works well. My only gripe, which has occurred many times for me, is that when you are placing new train cars you have to push a little “+” between the cars, and I usually end up hitting a car instead, selecting it and not placing the one I wanted. It’s a very minor complaint, but it comes up frequently.

Options for days

Graphics & Sound

The graphics are charmingly retro and pixelated but still high quality. Characters look highly detailed and the scenery is incredible, changing depending on what time of area you are in. I’ve seen forests, cities, country fields. There is a strong attention to detail. There is even a day and night cycle when your train will turn on lights and cabin cars will be lit up. All of this adds up to a beautiful game.

The music is peaceful and inviting, reminding me of Animal Crossing for those of you who are familiar with the Nintendo series. There train whistles and the sound of wheels racing down the tracks which continue to add to the charm of the game. The music tracks can get a little repetitive, but as a game that’s really only played for 5 minutes or so at a time, it’s nice, light, and relaxing for those short little breaks.

Longevity

There is a lot to do in this game. I’m only at the end of chapter 2, and there are at least 5 more chapters ahead of me. With each chapter consisting of multiple stops across an entire country, and unlocking of European countries after that, this game will take you a considerable amount of time to see and do everything. However, the pacing of the game is just right so that you do not feel that you will never complete an assignment or that it will take you far too long to do any one mission. Everything is paced out with short, destination based missions in between longer missions so that you are constantly working towards a goal, but you also have complete freedom to send your train anywhere you want anytime you want.

Your trains keep going even while you’re away

Conclusion

Tiny Rails is a lot of fun with a load of content. There are constant missions to accomplish and as much or as little commitment from the player as desired. There are only about 5-10 minutes of gameplay at any one time, but it’s great if you only have a few minutes between classes or checking in when on a break from work. Add some pixel graphics and relaxing music and all together it’s a great package. This is one to pick up if you love games but don’t have the time to commit to serious gaming.

Microsoft rolls out Universal Update Platform for all Windows Insiders

Why it matters to you

As the release of the Windows 10 Creators Update draws near, Microsoft is testing out its new functionality to make sure it works as expected.

Microsoft has announced that its Universal Update Platform, announced in November 2016, is being rolled out to the PC side of the Insider program. Mobile users who are enrolled in the Insider program have been testing out this functionality since it was distributed to in Build 14959 of Windows 10.

From the user’s perspective, the biggest change being brought about by the Universal Update Platform is a reduction in download size for build updates. Microsoft has been able to considerably slim down the size of update installation packages by implementing a technique known as differential downloads.

Differential downloads allow the user to download only the changes that have been made since the last update, rather than the entire build. Files that are currently installed as part of the operating system are reused either as is, or with binary deltas or diffs applied to create newer versions.

More: Windows 10 Creators Update bringing real changes to updates and privacy

Users can apparently expect to see the download size of a major Windows 10 update being reduced by as much as 25 percent, according to Microsoft’s announcement post on the Windows blog. However, it’s noted that since Insider builds are much more frequent than standard builds, the difference might not be as noticeable as it will be for retail users.

Microsoft plans to roll out the Universal Update Platform to all Windows 10 users alongside the Creators Update. The company has been talking up the Creators Update since it was unveiled at a showy event in October 2016, and it’s finally set to be distributed to users sometime next month.

From the earliest days of Windows 10, Microsoft has made no secret of its ambition to use the new version of its flagship operating system to simplify the update process. The Unified Update Platform seems to be a step in the right direction, and hopefully its lengthy testing process will ensure that it’s capable of yielding positive results.