South Korea fines game studios over deceptive loot box odds

The uproar over in-game loot boxes is leading to some real financial penalties — in South Korea. The country’s Fair Trade Commission has fined Nexon, Netmarble and NextFloor a total of 1 billion won (about $945,200) for allegedly deceptive loot box promotions. The regulator asserted that each of the studios either hid poor odds for obtaining in-game items with the purchases, or else advertised odds that were out of step with reality. Nexon didn’t reveal that the chances of obtaining some in-game items in Sudden Attack (a popular first-person shooter) was just 0.5 percent, for example, while Netmarble’s Monster Taming pitched odds of 1 percent for a key creature when the actual chance of winning was as low as 0.0005 percent.

The problem, of course, is that this can lead to some gamers spending inordinate amounts of money to get items that are far more elusive than they seem. In one case, the Commission noted that a Sudden Attack player spent about $430.

Not surprisingly, the companies aren’t entirely happy. Nexon wants an “additional review” of the issue. Netmarble has apologized and made changes, but said it would “decide its response” after looking at the Commission’s full decision.

While this case doesn’t have much immediate bearing on other countries, it reflects the concerns many gamers and legislators have regarding loot boxes. They’re worried that companies are overly dependent on loot boxes for profit, to the point where some titles base progression around them — and more than a few people have described them as glorified gambling mechanisms. There might not be much of a need for fines elsewhere when some developers are already pulling these systems from their games, but the Korean action might hasten that retreat.

Via: Dot Esports, Kotaku

Source: Korea Herald

VirnetX Wins Another $502.6 Million Award From Apple in Patent Trial

VirnetX was today awarded $502.6 million in a patent trial against Apple, reports Bloomberg. Apple’s FaceTime, iMessage, and VPN on Demand features are said to infringe on four VirnetX patents related to communications security.

Apple’s legal dispute with VirnetX has spanned eight years and multiple trials thus far, and the $502.6 million awarded to the patent company today is separate from the $439 million awarded to VirnetX in October in a different trial. Today’s $502.6 million jury award appears to pertain to newer versions of Apple devices that have a redesigned FaceTime protocol introduced in iOS 7 and iOS 8.

VirnetX CEO said the damages awarded, which were based on sales of upwards of 400 million Apple devices, were “fair” and that the “evidence was clear.”

VirnetX originally sued Apple in 2010, alleging that Apple’s FaceTime peer-to-peer connection technology infringed on its patents. VirnetX was initially awarded $368.2 million in 2012, but the original case has been wrapped up in appeals since then. In October of 2017, Apple was told to pay $439.7 million in a final judgement of the original case, which the Cupertino company said it would appeal.

Combined, Apple now owes VirnetX $942 million, but Apple is likely to appeal this most recent ruling so that may not be the final award granted to the patent company. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has also said that the patents involved in the case are invalid in separate cases that are being handled by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington.

A final validity ruling has not been made yet, and the outcome of that case could ultimately impact this trial. The Federal Circuit declined to put the current trial on hold despite the question of the patent validity, says Bloomberg, because it was so far along.
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Israeli Consumer Protection Bureau Launches Investigation Into Apple Over iPhone Slowdown Controversy

Israel is the latest country to launch an investigation into Apple over the ongoing iPhone slowdown issue that saw the company fail to adequately inform users about a 2017 software update that could result in slower performance on some older iPhones with degraded batteries.

The Israeli Consumer Protection on Fair Trade Authority on Tuesday said it had launched an investigation into Apple over Apple’s failure to disclose the details of the iOS 10.2.1 software update that introduced the changes, reports Reuters.

The head of Apple in Israel, Tony Friedman, has been questioned as part of the investigation. Israel’s Fair Trade Authority has confirmed that it could levy “significant fines” against Apple in civil proceedings, but says it is too early in the investigation to discuss the possibility.

Apple implemented iOS 10.2.1 with power management features in January of 2017 to cut down on instances of unexpected shutdowns in iPhones with degraded batteries, but it wasn’t until December of 2017 that the full scope of the update became clear and consumers learned that some devices were being throttled.

Apple has since offered low-cost battery replacements and instituted new features in iOS 11.3 that both disable the power management features until an unexpected shutdown is detected and provide additional information on the health of an iPhone’s battery and whether or not the battery status has resulted in processor slowdowns. The update also gives consumers the option to choose device shutdowns over power management with a toggle to turn the management feature off entirely on potentially affected devices, which include the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, and SE.

Despite Apple’s efforts to rectify its lack of communication over the iOS 10.2.1 update, Apple is facing inquiries and investigations in multiple countries, including China, Italy, South Korea, France, Brazil, and the United States.

Apple has also been hit with dozens of lawsuits over the issue, which will be centralized in a Northern California District Court.

Tag: iPhone Slowdown
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Seven language apps for when you want to learn to speak a new tongue

Fascinated by a particular country or region and you’d like to be able to learn its native language? That’s awesome!

Learning a second language has been proven to strengthen cognitive abilities like intelligence and memory while lowering risks of brain aging and dementia.

Aside from that, language learning is fun and can expand your horizon of knowledge. After all, the world is becoming increasingly multicultural, so being multilingual might come in handy one day.

Today, students learning a new language have the option of modernizing their learning style by adopting an app. Indeed, there are many language apps available for Android users out there. And with the pace of technology adoption speeding up, you can now learn a new language from the comfort of your own home without a teacher.

All you have to do is install the right apps to start learning the basics of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary.

So for those of you who dream of being able to speak fluent Swedish or Turkish one day, we’ve put together a list of some of the best language apps you can download on your Android right now.

Duolingo

What it is:

Duolingo is probably one of the most well-known language learning services out there. The app uses text, pictures and audio to help you learn new words and phrases.

Why we like it:

• The app comes with a wide selection of languages you can learn, from the more common Spanish, French or German to the more exotic Japanese, Korean, Welsh, Vietnamese and Swahili.
• Duolingo uses games to teach students the basics of the new language and that’s why it’s a great place to start for beginners.
• The app also teaches you how to pronounce the new words.
• You can track your progress with shiny achievements.
• Cute green-owl mascot guides you through the lessons.

Install Duolingo

Memrise

What it is:

A language learning especially useful for memorizing characters, vocabulary and phrases. The app also incorporates questions and quizzes, so it’s not merely a flashcard app. The app is free to download, but to get access to certain tools you will need to pay.

Why we like it:

• Memrise also uses gaming-style learning to teach you the foundations of the language you want to learn.
• The free account gives you access to plentiful content (note: you will need to unlock the Pro version for additional features like chatting with users who speak the language you’re trying to learn).
• The app uses adaptive learning technology, meaning it changes how it teaches you based on your performance. It’s certainly something you see the teacher do in the classroom.

Install Memrise

Innovative

What it is:

An app which gives users access to a wide range of lessons including audio and videos. It requires a subscription after the 7-day trial period expires.

Why we like it:

• The app lets you choose between 34 different languages including English, French, Thai, Arabic, Filipino, Persian and more.
• It offers a 7-day free trial which gives users access to basic learning tools such as full video/audio lessons with .pdf transcripts. These are supported by a vocabulary section.
• Supports other advanced features such as the ability to create personal word lists or 1-on-1 learning with Your Own Teacher option. You can also get a personalized learning program & guidance. But you’ll have to pay to get access to them.

Install Innovative

Beelinguapp

What it is:

An app for people who prefer auditory learning, a learning style in which a person learns through listening. Beelinguapp is free to use but features some in-app purchases.

Why we like it:

• Some people tend to learn faster simply by listening. Beelinguapp is an app based on this principle. It’s designed to help you learn a foreign language by practicing listening.
• The app provides side-by-side readings of your favorite fairytales, novels and much more.
• The app supports 12 foreign languages such as German, Italian and Chinese and includes a lot of interesting reading material.

Install Beelinguapp

Babbel

What it is:

An app which offers packs of lessons that cover certain abilities, including those targeted at beginners of advanced students. You get one lesson for free, but if you want more you’ll have to spend money.

Why we like it:

• The app teaches you words and phrases and then asks you to spell them out, speak them aloud or fit them into sentences.
• The app focuses on conventional learning and explains grammar rules as you go.
• There’s the option of downloading lessons for offline use, so if you are going off the grid and want some study materials, this app is perfect.

Install Beelinguapp

Busuu

What it is:

A language-learning app with a very well-designed interface. It offers compelling lesson packages including a bunch of travel courses that will quickly prepare you for your next trip. The app is free to download, but you’ll have to pay to unlock some extra tools.

Why we like it:

• You start off with a placement test, so you can start learning at the right difficulty level.
• The app includes flashcards, grammar, writing and pronunciation exercise. Quizzes and games are also available for you to test your knowledge.
• Learners can chat with native speakers, and even have them correct their exercises.

Install Busuu

Mondly

What it is:

Mondly is your new augmented reality (AR) language assistant that gives a unique spin to your language learning endeavors.

Why we like it:

• Powered by ARCore, MondlyAR is like a foreign friend you can keep on your phone. It engages you in spoken conversation and gives instant feedback to your pronunciation.
• The app tutors teaches new words by having you listen to conversations between native speakers.
• Includes a special Verb conjugations module which teaches you full conjugations including the translation.

Install Mondly

So are you ready to learn a new language? Download one of these language apps to get started.

PUBG Mobile Review – does it live up to the original’s legacy?

Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) lit the world on fire last year. It sold millions before it even left Early Access on Steam, and kicked off the battle royale gaming craze we’re experiencing right now. Now this FPS juggernaut is on mobile.

In PUBG you play as a mercenary who parachutes, along with up to 99 other players, onto an island. Once they land, players scavenge for weapons, ammo, armor, and other supplies in a last-man-standing death match. The game’s map starts large, but quickly shrinks as the electrical storm around the island collapses into progressively smaller circles, forcing players together as the game goes on.

It’s a simple concept with tons of room for complexity. You land on an island with 99 other people and only your fists. Find a gun and stay in the circle. Last one standing wins. Is it worth playing? That’s what we aim to find out in this PUBG Mobile review.

Features

The Mobile version of PUBG has pretty much all the features of its PC counterpart, with a few exceptions. The game only offers PUBG’s original map, Erangel — an abandoned, vaguely Eastern European 8km x 8km island. Everything from the PC version of this map — from the abandoned military base to the burned out nuclear power plant — has made it to the Mobile version of the game.

The mobile version of PUBG has pretty much all the features of its PC counterpart.

All the weapons, gear, and vehicles available when PUBG first exited Early Access are here too. The guns it’s added since are absent, as is the game’s second map, Miramar.

The game is totally free. You can login as either a guest or with Facebook to play. Gameplay and daily login rewards will earn your account experience and battle points, which can be spent on crates which contain a random piece of clothing for your character. Unlike in the PC version, you don’t start with any available clothing, but getting at least a pair of pants doesn’t take too long.

Getting crates is pretty quick.

The matchmaking works pretty quickly when queueing in squad, duo, or solo mode, though many of the options from the PC version are absent. Creating a private custom match doesn’t seem to be possible just yet. There’s a menu option for creating a “room,” but it appears to be for creating chat rooms, and also doesn’t it seem to actually work yet.

I never had to wait long to be matched with a squad, though connection issues were pretty common. Every team I played with had at least one player disconnect at the outset of the game. I never ran into any connection issues when I played, but at least one teammate was unresponsive in most games.

The game has built-in voice chat, which works, though it feels like most players just use their phone’s speaker for a mic. If the mic is on the bottom of the phone, as is common, it can lead to some pretty annoying extra noise when players’ palms rub against it.

Gameplay

It’s all well and good if PUBG Mobile faithfully recreates the island’s geography and lets you use all the guns and drive all the cars of the original game, but if the controls aren’t up to the task, everything falls apart.

To be clear: the controls in PUBG Mobile aren’t as good or accurate as the PC version. Duh.

The game uses virtual joysticks for player movement and camera control, and a big button with a bullet on the right will shoot your gun. It’s a little clumsy at first, but actually feels pretty fluid after a few games.

It’s a little clumsy at first, but actually feels pretty fluid after a few games. 

The game offers a few different control options to make everything feel a bit better and get rid of the awkwardness of hunting for buttons you can’t find by feel. A floating shoot button, which moves to wherever your thumb last touched, makes shooting as simple as tapping where your finger already is, rather than having to reorient your hand to reach the spot that fires the gun. Items are automatically picked up, sorted, and equipped in game, which cuts down on be some tedious menu management. The game also offers gyroscopic control options, which I’ve never enjoyed, but some swear by.

Little touches like automatic item pickup improve playability a lot.

Editor’s Pick

PUBG Mobile tips and tricks: How to survive and win a battle royale

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds—or PUBG as it’s known by fans—is finally available on mobile. The PC, Xbox One, and now Android and iOS smash hit may have lost some ground to Epic Games’ Fortnite in the ‘great …

Even with those options, the game still feels a little clumsy. That clumsiness actually impacts what kinds of tactics and gameplay are effective. In the PC version, snipers can be pretty dominant. Erangel is a pretty wide open map, there are long stretches of relatively even terrain dotted with hills. Finding a good vantage point to pick people off isn’t hard. The precision of a mouse and keyboard makes this even easier.

Fights in PUBG Mobile are more oriented around mid- and close-range engagements. It’s hard to hit people really consistently at a distance in this game. It’s even harder when accounting for bullet drop. Automatic weapons, as well as shotguns, with their wider reticles, seem especially potent here.

Driving and shooting is a more viable strategy late in the game.

Vehicles often play a larger combat role too. In the PC version of PUBG, vehicles become a liability as the map gets smaller — they’re big, loud, and hard to miss. In PUBG Mobile, they’re actually pretty easy to miss. A fast moving target like a jeep, especially with someone in the passenger seat with a gun, can very easily ride around the perimeter of the circle and pick people off, even near the end of the game.

Performance

The game really struggles to run when dropping onto the island.

What makes PUBG a pretty good-looking game on PC is more or less missing in the Mobile version. The lighting and particle effects that really sell the game’s look have all been pretty much stripped out, and probably for good reason. Those kinds of elements can be pretty demanding for hardware. The result is pretty bland-looking recreation. The terrain, characters, and weapons all look more or less the same as the PC version, just with muddier, lower-resolution textures.

The game ran pretty steady on my LG G6, but it definitely had its fair share of hiccups. I wouldn’t recommend playing on anything much older than that. I tried loading the game on its minimum iOS option, the iPhone 5s, and it crashed before loading the main menu every single time. I’d imagine Android phones of a similar age would struggle just as much.

Regular gameplay ran fine most of the time. There were almost always serious frame rate drops when parachuting down to the island, but that’s not totally shocking. It cleared up as soon as I landed, when the game no longer had to render the whole island.

The audio is pretty awful. In most versions of PUBG, hearing the direction and volume of noises like gunshots and footsteps is pretty important to learning an enemy’s location.  It’s a lot harder to tell this information in the mobile version. Footsteps were especially loud and all sounded pretty much the same to me. Regardless of where they were, once someone was within 15 or 20 feet of me, it all sounded the same. It all sounded bad too.

Conclusion

You don’t need to be as calculating to go far in PUBG Mobile. Part of that is due to the inclusion of bots at early levels, which let you get used to game’s controls without being totally exposed to its normally rather punishing difficulty. Even then, the game’s imprecise controls make for a looser, less tense experience. I think that’s a shame.

What really makes PUBG great on PC is the tension of having to methodically make it to the middle of the map as you alternate between cat and mouse, never knowing where the next enemy will pop up. It’s a very different kind of shooter experience than most games, and a lot of that is missing in PUBG Mobile.

PUBG Mobile is fun, but it’s not very tense.

PUBG Mobile is fun, but it’s not as tense as its PC counterpart. The stakes feel lower, and it misses out on a lot of what makes the PC version of the game so special — In essence, it feels a little hollow.

PUBG has gotten numerous updates and improvements since it launched. PUBG Mobile will probably get similar treatment; The Miramar map’s already made it’s way to the Chinese version. The game will no doubt improve and maybe one day offer the same tension as the PC version.

If you’re looking for a new mobile shooter, you could do a lot worse than PUBG Mobile. The game is all there, it works, and it’s free. But if you want the same strategic, nail-biting experience of the PC version, you may be a little disappointed.

What do you think of PUBG Mobile? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, also be sure to check out our PUBG Mobile tips and tricks feature, as well as our guide on how to change your name and appearance in PUBG Mobile.

That’s it for our PUBG Mobile review. Looking for more first person shooters for mobile? Be sure to check out our best mobile FPS guide.

Get it on Google Play

The original Pixel is no longer available through the Google Store

Google’s Pixel 2 came out last October to fairly positive reviews, bringing a better camera and more powerful processor to the company’s flagship hardware (though it did lose a headphone jack — thanks, Obama). Now, just a year and a half since the original Pixel launched, it appears that Google is no longer selling its first handset at the Google Store.

9to5Google reports that the handset is also missing from Google’s ProjectFi page as well, but that if you’re still in the market for the still-useful original Pixel, you can grab one from Verizon. The site attributes this to Google keeping excess inventory on hand, rather than positioning the older Pixel as a current less expensive alternative, as Apple has done with previous iPhone models.

Source: 9to5Google, Droid Life

The Best HomeKit Products You Can Buy

Apple’s smart home platform, HomeKit, has grown significantly since its 2015 launch, and there are now dozens of HomeKit products on the market that include everything from lights and smart outlets to thermostats, fans, cameras, and locks.

There are so many HomeKit products available that you can essentially outfit an entire house with smart accessories, but it can be tough to figure out the best HomeKit products if you’re new to the ecosystem. In our latest YouTube video, we’ve rounded up several of our favorite HomeKit products.

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Our video encompasses several product categories, including smart locks, connected lights, smart outlets for adding HomeKit functionality to any appliance or device, thermostats, buttons for easier control, and more. Products mentioned in the video are listed below with prices and purchase links:

• August Smart Lock Pro ($220)
• Yale Assure Lock with iM1 Network Module ($200)
• Philips Hue Lights and Hue Tap ($134 for a Hue White Starter Kit, $49 for Hue Tap)
• LIFX (Starting at $25 for LIFX Mini White)
• Nanoleaf Light Panels ($230)
• Sensi Touch Thermostat ($150)
• Ecobee4 Thermostat ($250)
• iDevices Switch ($30)
• Logitech Pop Smart Button ($60)
• Elgato Eve Button ($50)

HomeKit products are designed to allow all of your devices to be controlled via the Home app and through Siri commands. The platform includes scenes, automations, triggers, and more, allowing for you to automate the smart home products you own.

You can control HomeKit devices using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but we wanted to give a special shoutout to the HomePod, Apple’s smart speaker. The $349 HomePod speaker has built-in Siri capabilities and an exceptional microphone, plus it serves as a Home hub, making it a great method of control for your HomeKit devices.

HomeKit functionality may expand significantly in the near future, thanks to iOS 11.3, which introduces software authentication so existing products can be updated with HomeKit support. Prior to iOS 11.3, special hardware was required, with companies required to add a chip to an accessory to introduce HomeKit support. With that limitation lifted, HomeKit adoption may see rapid growth.

Do you have favorite HomeKit products we didn’t mention in the video? Let us know in the comments.

Tag: HomeKit
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Today’s best deals you won’t want to miss

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

Today you can get big discounts on Tenergy’s mini-drone, Royal’s air-tight storage set, and much more! Don’t pass these up.

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

How to turn off autoplay videos in the YouTube app

If autoplay videos aren’t for you, this is how you can disable them.

Autoplay videos. That’s a phrase we’ve learned to loathe over the years, and like it or not, they’re now making their way to more and more users in the Android YouTube app.

Google began testing automatically-playing videos on the homepage of YouTube for Android users last October, but this feature recently started being more widely released. It’s not very obtrusive seeing as how subtitles are shown over the video instead of audio, but even then, it may be too much for some people.

If you can’t stand the idea of having videos play without your permission, here’s how you can turn them off.

Open YouTube
Tap on your profile photo in the top right
Choose Settings
Select Autoplay
Tap on Autoplay on Home and then toggle Off

Along with turning off autoplay altogether, you can also choose to have them always play or only when you’re connected to Wi-Fi. I personally don’t mind the implementation at all, but if it’s not for you, that’s how you get rid of it.

Do you like autoplay videos on the YouTube app?

Download: YouTube (free)

Pixel and Nexus dialer will send spam calls directly to voicemail

This will be available for all users in the next few weeks.

You know what’s not fun? Spam calls. Picking up the phone to be told you’ve won an all-expense-paid cruise after simply handing over your credit card info gets old real fast, and to help filter these out of your day, the Google Phone app for Pixel and Nexus devices is getting a new direct-to-voicemail feature for them.

First spotted by 9to5Google, this will send any calls that are detected as spam right to your voicemail. You’ll be able to listen to the messages on the voicemail tab in Google Phone and you’ll see the calls show up in your call history, but your phone won’t ring and you won’t get a notification when a voicemail is left.

Google Phone already offers some protection against spam calls by showing a red screen when it detects one with a “Suspected spam caller” message, but this still rings your phone like a regular incoming call. Not being notified of these calls altogether is a big change, but it’s one I imagine most people will be perfectly fine with.

You can access this now by signing up for the Google Phone beta testing program. If you’re not a tester yet but want to become one, just find the Google Phone app in the Play Store, scroll down to the bottom of its page, and tap “I’m in” on the “Become a beta tester” card.

Alternatively, you can just wait for this to come to the public version of the app in the next few weeks.

Download: Google Phone (free)