Xbox’s new avatar options include prosthetics and a baby bump

Haven’t given your Xbox Live avatar much thought lately? Neither have I, and that’s probably why Microsoft is taking action on that front. Yesterday, the company announced that the avatar system will get a major overhaul sometime in Fall 2017.

The mission appears to be to increase diversity and customization options with the avatar system. As yesterday’s announcement video from E3 shows, there’s an emphasis on representing as many people as possible though new props and added customization features. Whether you’re pregnant or have a prosthetic leg, Xbox wants you to feel included in their ecosystem.

The props and accessories are also intended to be gender neutral; there are no restrictions based on the gender appearance or selections of your avatar. “If you can see it in the store you can wear it. We’re not holding you to any type of checkboxes,” said Kathryn Storm, an interaction designer at Xbox, in an interview at the Xbox booth.

This isn’t just a cosmetic makeover, though. “It’s absolutely a complete redesign,” said Xbox lead project manager Brian Saftler in the same interview. “We built these from the ground up. They’re being built in Unity, which is a whole new engine, which has been exciting.” The end goal? To make these avatars as flexible as possible. You can check out the trailer and full interview in the video below starting at about the 2:27 mark.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Via: The Verge

Source: Xbox

‘Gran Turismo Sport’ is a blast even if you’re terrible at it

I’ve never been into Gran Turismo (or racing games in general), but when my colleague Timothy J. Seppala asked if I wanted to play the franchise’s next title, GT Sport, I didn’t think twice about saying yes. Especially after seeing how gorgeous the latest trailer looks. And I’m glad I checked it out, even if I did end up in second to last place in the two races I played. The graphics in Gran Turismo Sport are as gorgeous as they look on screenshots; it’s seriously hard to differentiate cars in the game from real ones. Put simply, it’s a perfect way to showcase gameplay at 4K 60fps (don’t forget about HDR, either), and even more fun if you’re experiencing it the way I did: in a vibrating “sled” with a racing seat, steering wheels and pedals.

It didn’t take long for me to figure out how to properly handle the car I was driving (aka not crashing into walls), but that’s probably because I had the brake and steer assist on. Still, even with that helpful setting on, I only managed to grab the 7th spot out of the eight-player race I played against other members of the media, including IGN, Game Informer and Polygon, to name a few. Thankfully for me, my co-worker was even worse than I was, so I managed to salvage my brief Gran Turismo career. Unfortunately we both let Engadget down and I won’t ever forgive myself for that — I’ll stick to FIFA from now on.

Gran Turismo Sport is set to arrive this fall for PlayStation 4, and you can bet I plan to make a fool of myself again when that happens.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Firefox finally unveils its faster, more memory-efficient browser

The team behind open-source browser Firefox has released a much-awaited version that promises to be faster and less of a memory hog. Version 54 is the first to use “multiple process” tech that has been available for a while now on Chrome, Safari, Edge and other browsers. Now, Firefox tabs running heavy, complex websites will impact other tabs less, making the web run better overall on Windows, Mac and mobile devices.

“With today’s release, Firefox uses up to four processes to run web page content across all open tabs,” Firefox VP Nick Nguyen wrote. “By separating the tabs into separate processes, we make better use of the hardware on your computer, so Firefox can deliver you more of the web … with less waiting.”

Firefox enjoyed a stint as the second most popular browser (after Internet Explorer) until Chrome passed it in 2011. Since that time, its tech has lagged behind — a 64-bit Windows version of Firefox only arrived in 2015, and it has used single-process tech until now. Chrome (and Safari and other browsers) had 64-bit and multiple process tech well before Firefox.

Besides making the web run more smoothly overall, Firefox 54 should run better on computers with limited memory. At the same time, it “won’t suck up memory and slow down your computer as Chrome will sometimes do,” writes Firefox Head of Product Ryan Pollock. That’s because the team implemented multiple processing differently than Google in order to strike a balance between speed and memory usage (above).

Overall, Firefox uses “significantly less RAM than other browsers on Windows 10, macOS and Linux,” Nguyen adds. The release also includes bug and security fixes, and should be rolling out to all major platforms (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux) now.

Firefox still sits comfortably in third place in the browser wars, behind Chrome and (yep) Internet Explorer, but well ahead of Microsoft’s other browser, Edge. The new release might help stop users from quitting it (as I did when I saw that it was using hundreds of megabytes per tab) or encourage them to try it again.

Source: Mozilla

Instagram is making it harder for users to be shills on the sly

Some of Instagram’s biggest stars are notorious for quietly shilling products, but that’s about to change. The company confirmed in a blog post this morning that it’s working on a new post format that clearly spells out when an image or Instagram Story is being published as part of a business arrangement. The giveaway: you’ll see the words “Paid partnership with [whatever]” at the top of the post. It’s subtle — maybe even a little too subtle — but it’s a step in the right direction.

We know, we know: It’s rare to get excited by the idea of more sponsored posts appearing in our Instagram feeds. Instagram said in a separate post on its business blog that the move will help “maintain authenticity across the board,” but the real value here comes in two forms. One, content creators and the businesses that cut deals with them both get access to the engagement data so they can figure out what kind of social marketing approach works best. And two, insanely popular Instagram users can’t lean on their fame to push products and projects without the proper admission. (Granted, said power users might not think point #2 is as valuable as we do.)

Previously, social stars have skirted those regulations by using more obscure hashtags like #sp for “sponsored post” rather than something straightforward like “ad”. By offering a clear, standard way for users to flag certain posts as sponsored, Instagram is effectively help manage the way brands talk to us through these beautiful mouthpieces.

Remember: this isn’t just good form. Instagram is complying with the law. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission charged Lord & Taylor with not properly disclosing a content sponsorship that saw 50 high-profile Instagram users taking “thousands of dollars” in exchange for posts featuring a specific dress. (Lord & Taylor eventually settled the case.) And just this past April, the FTC sent out 90 letters to social influencers and brands this past April to remind them that any and all promotional relationships they share should be clearly disclosed. In other words, this is now a thing.

While it’s probably unfair to ascribe maliciousness to these influencers’ actions, they remain deeply shady. Then again, what else is new? Money talks, and famous Instagrammers — no matter how flawless their preened social presences make them seem — have their price. Fortunately Instagram finally gets that it can’t let its biggest users continually flout the law. Instagram Creative Programs Director Charles Porch told TechCrunch that an “enforcement mechanism” will be put in place to ensure compliance, though we’ll have to wait and see what the company comes up with.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Instagram

‘Ni No Kuni 2’ changes everything but the Ghibli-esque charm

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is beautiful. If it’s not the detailed environment, it’s the expressive cartoon characters interacting with each other like some kind of CGI anime masterpiece. That’s due to animation director Yoshiyuki Momose’s input — he previously worked at Studio Ghibli for many years, and it still shows in the sequel coming to PS4. During the two-part demo I played at Bandai Namco’s E3 booth, cloaks fluttered in the breeze, the protagonist winced when struck with fire, and your tiny battle companions — prime plushies of the future — scuttled around the battlefield like even cuter Pikmin. The gameplay taster centered on two major boss battles, but I found myself waiting, hoping, for another sumptuous cut scene to help fill in the mysterious backstory — and distract me from the fighting.

Yes, Ni No Kuni 2 is a sequel, but it does away with the characters, lore, battle system and even the collectible monsters that fought alongside you. We’ve seen references and Easter eggs in earlier previews, and while the sequel seems to take place in very similar areas to Ni No Kuni, there are so many differences that it feels like a completely new, connected, world.

The battle system is completely different, and while the original NNK’s battles were rough at times, the fact that you battled with collectible “familiars” gave it a Pokemon-esque appeal. This time around, you have to fight for yourself, equipping a wand, a sword, weapon skills and spells to deal with intrusions.

I got to briefly explore an overworld map, and fight two boss battles, tapping into multiple skills, and support spells and buffs from those aforementioned tiny creatures that populate the battle area alongside the protagonist and his two companions. They’re call Higgledies and while they don’t deal huge amounts of direct damage to your enemies, their shields and attack support helped me evade demo-station death (the worst kind) several times. However, the battles were just.. chaotic. There’s so much going on, and while you only control the cat-eared King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, this isn’t a fast-twitch action-adventure. Some loose guarding and evasion is enough to limit damage, then you spam the attacks back at your enemy. Some will connect, others won’t.

From the two battles I got to try, the system, at this early demo stage, just isn’t very fun — or if nothing else the learning curve is very steep. One battle with a fire-imbued dragon… thing, drags on. Lava rains down, molten boulders distract and your little Higgledies do their best to support you as you try to aim your water spells at your attacker. The battles look cartoonish and grand at the same time, but don’t quite have the polish and delight of the exploration and cut-scene segments. That might be because there’s just so much going on at the same time. The original Ni No Kuni’s battle system was clunky at times, so it’s easy to see why they’d try to recast it, especially after refreshing pretty much everything else in the game. This early taster suggests that Level-5 hasn’t quite nailed it, however.

Looks aren’t everything, but if NNK2 manages to offer a compelling story and a gentler introduction to combat, all while maintaining the delightful look (and sound), it might all come together on November 10th.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Apple No Longer Offers Financing to Individuals in Canada

TD Canada Trust recently announced that the Apple Financial Services program has been discontinued for individuals in Canada.

Canadians with an Apple Financial Services credit card issued by TD will no longer be able to charge purchases to the account as of July 26.

Through the program, any approved customer in Canada could receive three months of same-as-cash or no-interest financing on Apple Online Store purchases of $750 or more. The program was not valid for in-store purchases.

Apple removed the “consumer” section of the financing page on its Canadian website about a month ago, signaling the entire program is discontinued. Apple continues to offer financing to businesses and educational institutions in Canada.

Apple continues to offer financing to individuals in the United States through the Barclaycard Visa with Apple Rewards.

(Thanks, Jason!)

Tags: Canada, TD Canada Trust, financing
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The Use of Advanced Lighting in Assisted Living Facilities

The advancement of technology has contributed significantly to the enhancement of quality of life in assisted living facilities. One of the latest trends that is making waves in the senior living industry is the use of advanced LED lighting. This article takes a look at how advanced lighting can be beneficial to seniors in assisted living facilities.

Improve Safety

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 33 percent of adults aged 65 years and over experience a fall every year, and falls have resulted in more senior deaths than any other injury-causing accident. Many seniors need to get out of bed to use the bathroom at night, and they require light levels that are higher than the average nightlight but below the maximum brightness of room lighting.

Advanced LED lighting, such as Cree lighting with the WaveMax Technology, can be precisely adjusted and controlled to give assisted living residents a greater sense of safety. The WaveMax Technology also enables seniors to direct light to a particular area in a room, removing wasted light that can interfere with their vision. Another benefit of LED lighting in assisted living facilities is that it can accommodate the changing vision of seniors, providing adequate lighting to improve vision and minimize vulnerability to accidents.

Enhance Resident Satisfaction

New LED lighting technologies, such as the Cree SmartCast Technology and the adjustable correlated color temperatures feature, make it possible for seniors to customize lighting to suit their specific needs and preferences. Also, the SmartCast Technology facilitates wireless lighting control to provide greater convenience for seniors. These technologies work together to improve the quality of life in an assisted living facility. This is why it is often a good idea for seniors to move to assisted living facilities that are equipped with advanced LED lighting.

Reduce Energy Consumption

LED lighting can also reduce energy costs significantly. According to Cree, its SmartCast Technology can cut energy consumption by up to 70 percent, compared to fluorescent lighting. LED lighting also lasts about 40,000 hours longer than fluorescent lighting. Lower operational costs for assisted living facilities can translate into better services or lower costs for residents.

As more and more baby boomers are seeking assisted living services, the use of LED lighting can help assisted living communities cater to their unique needs and provide the highest level of safety, comfort, and well-being.

Samsung’s new Galaxy J-series phones coming to the UK soon

Samsung has announced plans to bring a brand new series of Galaxy J phones to the market this summer. The Galaxy J5 and J3 for 2017 both feature metal bodies and competitive specifications for an affordable price. 

The new Galaxy J5 is more compact than its predecessor and features a full metal body. It also has a full HD resolution AMOLED display, ensuring details are visible clearly and colours are vibrant and punchy. 

There’s also an improved set of cameras. Both the front and rear snappers feature a 13-megapixel sensor, and for those who shoot a lot of images and video, the phone’s 16GB storage is expandable to 256GB using a microSD card. Its 1.6GHz processor should be enough to power your every day tasks effortlessly too. 

As for the smaller Galaxy J3, that also has a sleek metal body that matches the design of the other J-series handsets of 2017. It also has 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded by microSD up to 256GB. Like its bigger sibling, it has a 13-megapixel camera sensor. 

Both phones come loaded with Samsung’s own skinned version of Android, including Knox, which helps keep your phone contents secure. 

The Samsung Galaxy J5 and J3 will be available to buy in the UK at some point in the next few months, from Samsung direct or a number of retailers. Samsung hasn’t announced pricing just yet, but we’ll update as soon as we get the specifics. 

Europe’s top court rules that ISPs should block The Pirate Bay

Even though its founders are long gone, The Pirate Bay remains one of the biggest piracy websites on the planet. Over the last decade, the torrent hub has been shutdown, reborn and consistently targeted in numerous lawsuits, of which one is only now coming to a close. In a landmark ruling, the European Court of Justice (CJEU) told Dutch ISPs today that they must block access to The Pirate Bay because it facilitates an “act of communication” by allowing users to obtain pirated material.

“Making available and managing an online platform for sharing copyright-protected works, such as ‘The Pirate Bay,’ may constitute an infringement of copyright,” the CJEU said as part of its decision, which may now pave the way for other European ISPs to enforce their own crackdowns on The Pirate Bay and other illegal torrent websites.

The case has been ongoing since 2009, after Dutch anti-piracy group Stichting Brein (BREIN) took action against local ISPs Ziggo and XS4ALL. In 2012, the District Court of The Hague ruled that the providers must block customers from accessing The Pirate Bay, but Ziggo and XS4ALL successfully overturned the decision two years later. The case was then referred to the Supreme Court before it eventually ended up at the European Court of Justice.

While judges accepted that content submitted to The Pirate Bay is placed online by users and that it doesn’t physically host illegal media, they did say that it does “play an essential role in making those works available.” Because the site’s operators index files, provide a search engine and categorize content, users are quickly able to locate the files they wish to download.

Today’s ruling is the second judgement in as many months that focuses on platforms that facilitate the distribution of illegal content. In April, the CJEU confirmed that the sale of hardware that come pre-loaded with add-ons — including so-called Kodi boxes — constitutes copyright infringement. Both cases are expected to set precedents that will allow rightsholders to enact similar blocks in local courts across Europe, even if providers are likely to circumvent any blocks placed on their services.

Via: TorrentFreak

Source: European Court of Justice

US: North Korea’s been hacking everyone since 2009

US authorities believe the North Korean government has been using an army of hackers called “Hidden Cobra” to deploy cyber attacks over the past eight years. That’s according to the Technical Alert formally issued by the Homeland Security and the FBI, which contains the details and tools NK’s cyber army has been using to infiltrate the media, financial, aerospace and critical infrastructure sectors in the US and around the globe. The government agencies are encouraging cyber analysts to be on the lookout, warning them that the Asian country will continue to use cyber operations to advance its government’s military and strategic objectives.

According to the report, the weapons in Hidden Cobra’s arsenal include DDoS botnets, keyloggers, remote access tools and different variants of malware and tools. It also said that the group is commonly referred to in the media as the Guardians of Peace and the Lazarus Group. In other words, the US is saying that the state-sponsored Hidden Cobra is the same group responsible for the massive Sony Pictures hack in 2014 carried out by a group calling themselves the Guardians of Peace. It might also be responsible for the WannaCry ransomware, which recently took a lot of PCs hostage using the NSA hacking tools that leaked to the public.

That’s not entirely surprising, seeing as the FBI linked NK to the Sony cyberattack shortly after it happened. Plus, security researchers found similarities between the code of an early version of WannaCry and a sample code from the Lazarus Group, which was linked to both the Sony Pictures hack and the $80 million Bangladesh Bank heist. North Korean representatives denied their country was involved in the incidents, though they certainly sounded glad someone hacked Sony, calling the perpetrators “supporters and sympathizers” of the North’s cause. If you’ll recall, the Sony hack happened as the studio was preparing to bring The Interview to theaters. The movie is a political satire/spy flick starring Seth Rogen and James Franco as journalists recruited by the CIA to assassinate NK leader Kim Jong-un.

So, what can we do to protect ourselves from Hidden Cobra? The report says the group commonly targets old Windows platforms, most likely XP, that are no longer patched. They also use vulnerabilities found in Flash and Silverlight to infiltrate computers, though both Adobe and Microsoft said they already patched those holes early last year. The best way to keep the hackers out is to use newer OS that’s still receiving security upgrades. Homeland Security also recommends removing both Flash and Silverlight entirely if they’re not necessary to be sure no bad player uses them as an entry point.

While we probably have little to worry about as individuals, companies in the industries NK tends to target (especially those based in South Korea) might want to double down on security. In addition to Homeland Security’s and the FBI’s warning that the country will continue using its cyber army, security firm FireEye warns that it’s been seeing increasingly aggressive attacks from the totalitarian state. The North has been using cyber espionage techniques to spy on the South’s finance, energy and transportation firms, suggesting that they’re “preparing for something fairly significant.”

Source: Reuters, Department of Homeland Security