Back in 2011, the Federal Trade Commission struck a deal with Facebook to have its privacy practices audited once every two years by an external company. The system has now been called into question, after its 2017 audit failed to detect behind the scenes activity surrounding the Cambridge Analytica scandal. …
Read More »Don’t expect Apple to unify iOS and macOS any time soon
Over the last few years, Apple has gone through some internal changes. The iOS and macOS development teams were merged, which led to renewed speculation surrounding future plans to merge the two operating systems. While that may sound feasible to some, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, is very much against the …
Read More »Google to take on iMessage with Chat, the supposed successor to SMS
Despite its attempt with Hangouts and then Allo, Google has failed to compete with its rivals iMessage chat application since Apple debuted it back in 2011. Now playing catch-up, Google has helped launch ‘Chat’, a new RCS-based service that works with carriers to replace SMS messages as we know them. …
Read More »eSports is getting sanctioned as a high school sport, without first-person shooters
The National Federation of State High Schools (NFHS) helps govern educational sports across the United States, crafting rules and broadcasting state tournaments. eSports will soon be joining its 17 traditional sports as a part of its push into the electronic scene, however it seems that shooters in particular are out …
Read More »LG is reportedly struggling to supply OLED displays for Apple’s next batch of iPhones
The iPhone X is the most expensive iPhone that Apple has ever released, and part of the reasoning behind that is the cost of parts. The OLED displays Samsung supply for the iPhone X cost around $97 per unit, In order to reduce production costs in the future, Apple signed …
Read More »Game Freak hints at rare Pokémon with ‘Ultra Shiny’ trademark
As the generations progressed, highly sought after Shiny Pokémon evolved from being so rare that owning one would prompt jealousy among friendship groups to a regular occurrence that could be farmed through a variety of techniques. With a new trademark registration, Nintendo could possibly be bringing back this exclusively elite …
Read More »Oculus will adjust its Terms of Service and add a ‘privacy centre’ to comply with GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is coming into place fairly soon here in the EU, which means companies around the world are preparing changes to fall in line with the new laws. Facebook might be trying to skirt around it, but Oculus will be going in a different direction …
Read More »PUBG players will soon be able to select their map preference
Since the launch of PUBG’s second map, players have voiced their want for the choice between Miramar and original map Erangel. This want has only increased in recent weeks, as its third map is in testing but it looks like players won’t have to wait too much longer for the …
Read More »The Netherlands Gaming Authority finds that some loot boxes do breach gambling laws
Over the last six months, there has been no shortage of politicians and regulatory groups getting involved in the gaming space due to the controversy surrounding loot boxes. The Netherlands Gaming Authority recently conducted its own study of ten games featuring loot boxes, and while the majority of them were …
Read More »Antec launches colourful new mid-range DF500 RGB chassis
The divisive RGB trend has trickled down from what used to be a high-end luxury towards reasonably priced mid-range systems in recent years, making competition rather fierce. Keen to stay ahead of the curve, Antec leaves the option to its fans, introducing its new budget-conscious DF500 and DF500 RGB mid …
Read More »G.Skill launches new Trident Z and Sniper X memory tuned for 2nd Gen Ryzen
Today is launch day for AMD's 2nd Gen Ryzen processors, meaning the new CPUs and X470 motherboards have hit store shelves and begun shipping out to customers. To help bolster the launch, G.Skill has launched some new memory kits, bringing higher speed DDR4 to the new X470 platform. There are …
Read More »Samsung has finally perfected in-screen fingerprint and face scanning technology
While Samsung’s Galaxy S9 is praised as a well-crafted handset, it’s been criticised for its lack of innovation when compared with its predecessor, falling way behind current high-end competition. It seems that the South Korean-based company has finally cracked the right technology to make next year’s successor one to watch, …
Read More »Qualcomm is set to cut 1,500 jobs in an effort to save $1 billion
After just recently managing to dodge a hostile takeover, Qualcomm is looking to cut costs, with plans to let go of 1,500 staff members. A while back, Qualcomm's board promised investors that it would save $1 billion in operating costs this year, the layoffs are supposed to help the board …
Read More »Google Chrome now has native VR support for the Oculus Rift
Just a couple of weeks ago, Mozilla announced that it would be launching a dedicated version of its Firefox web browser for virtual reality and augmented reality headsets. Now it looks like Google had similar plans in motion, as Chrome now has native VR support. Currently, Chrome's virtual reality mode …
Read More »Microtransactions are back in Star Wars Battlefront II but only for cosmetics
Back when Star Wars Battlefront II first launched, EA was forced to disable the game's microtransactions due to backlash. Last month, DICE officially got around to changing the game's entire progression system to address issues with the core game. With all of that work out of the way, EA has …
Read More »Atari attempts to explain where its upcoming VCS console fits into the current market
Atari is on the cusp of its hardware revival, with the Ataribox evolving into the retro-inspired Atari VCS. Although not much has been revealed since its crowdfunding was suspended last December, Atari COO Michael Arzt has taken time out at the Game Developers Conference to shed more light on what’s …
Read More »Facebook restructures to lessen number of users protected by EU’s new data regulations
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on May 25th, clamping down on how privacy and data is handled throughout the online world. Of course, this hits Facebook hard in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, however, Zuckerberg and his company are still trying to find …
Read More »Intel has cancelled its promising smart glasses project
Intel has been trying to get a foothold in the wearable tech market for years now. Back in February, it looked like good progress was being made, after the Vaunt smart glasses were first shown. However, it looks like Intel will be taking a step back from wearables for now, …
Read More »YouTube is cracking down on false positives causing demonetisation
Back in February, YouTube controversially introduced new eligibility criteria for monetisation, raising the barrier for content creators to earn money from their videos. The Google-owned platform has revealed that this has been working as intended since its implementation, and that further changes are on the way, including a way for …
Read More »Two Nintendo Switch emulators are already able to boot games
Since the Nintendo Switch first launched, there have been plenty of software tinkerers trying to figure out how to modify the system. Hackers were able to poke around the inner workings of the Switch just one week after release. Since then, some have managed to get Linux up and running …
Read More »Battlefield V may also feature a Battle Royale mode
Over the course of 2017, Battle Royale became the next big thing in multiplayer gaming. We saw PUBG explode, Fortnite arrived and gave it some serious competition and now various Triple A developers are looking to implement the game mode themselves. We've heard that Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 might …
Read More »Tesla fans successfully crowdfund a replacement couch for billionaire Elon Musk
Tesla and Boring Company CEO Elon Musk has had a rough time lately, with many sleepless nights at the office trying to fix the problems with the Tesla Model 3. To aid the billionaire’s woes, fans have banded together to crowdfund enough money in order to replace what can only …
Read More »Google working on an ‘Alt OS’ mode for Chrome OS
We've been hearing a lot about Google's laptop plans recently. Back in January, developers began testing Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook, then we heard that we may see a new Pixelbook launch later this year. Now, it looks like the Chrome OS team is trying something new, as references to …
Read More »Regulator filings hint at new iPhones coming soon
It looks like a few new iPhone models could be on the way soon, as Apple has been making regulatory filings for new revision models. We already know to expect three new flagship iPhones this year, but this latest news has sparked rumors about a return for the iPhone SE. …
Read More »AOC launches new AGON gaming monitor with HDR 400 and FreeSync 2
AOC has established itself as a solid contender in the market for gaming monitors, having launched a range of AGON and G90 series of displays earlier this year. The AGON AG322QC4 is AOC’s latest offering, boasting a variety of features including VESA DisplayHDR 400 and AMD FreeSync 2. The 31.5-inch …
Read More »Microsoft protects Google Chrome users with Windows Defender extension
Microsoft has been tackling computer viruses with Windows Defender for quite some time, acting as a countermeasure once malicious software makes its way onto the system. Now, the company is taking a more proactive approach, implementing Windows Defender into browsers to stop it getting to that stage, starting with Google …
Read More »AMD spins GPP in its favour with promise of more Radeon-only brands
AMD reveals that more Radeon-only GPU brands are on the way to combat Nvidia’s GeForce Partner Program.
Read More »Google Chrome 66 is now live and will mute sites that autoplay content with sound
We’ve all come across those sites that load up and begin auto-playing a video at some obnoxiously loud volume. Over time, Google has been trying to tackle this with various Chrome updates. Back in January Google pushed out a Chrome update that allowed users to permanently mute certain websites, but …
Read More »ZTE might lose its Android license due to US sales ban
This week, Chinese smartphone maker ZTE came under fire in both the UK and the US. Here in the UK, the government warned that the company's devices pose a risk to national security, meanwhile the US Department of Commerce blacklisted the company. Due to the ban in the US, ZTE …
Read More »Epic Games is temporarily removing Fortnite’s guided missile to fix balancing issues
What sets Fortnite: Battle Royale apart from other titles in the genre is its willingness to not take itself so seriously. This has created a new layer with its building mechanics, added new film-inspired skins and introduced wacky new weapons into the mix. Unfortunately, Epic Games is concerned about the …
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