Technology News for Thursday 5th August 2021

1. Gone Home Studio Co-Founder Steps Down After Allegations Of 'Toxic' Workplace [Update]

Steve Gaynor, the co-founder of Gone Home developers Fullbright, has left his position as creative lead and manager on their latest game Open Roads following allegations he fostered a “toxic” work environment. Advertisement. Earlier today, Open Roads' ...

2. Samsung Leaks: Galaxy Buds 2 Specs, Google Assistant and Bixby Support for Galaxy Watch 4

Specifically, the new information going around the internet has to do with the specs of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 and support details for Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. These leaks and rumors come just days before the ...

3. #FreeMvC2 Twitter campaign initiated to bring back Marvel vs Capcom 2

The story of this campaign begins with a company named Digital Eclipse. It's a studio that specializes in rereleases of older titles. This includes the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King, and most recently ...

4. Square Enix Releasing 192-page Final Fantasy XIV Cookbook in November

Ever watch you Final Fantasy XIV characters chow down on the incredibly appetizing food of Hydaelyn and find your stomach growl and mouth water instantly? Yeah, me too. Thankfully, Square Enix and Insight Editions are releasing a new Final Fantasy ...

5. Google accused again of price-fixing with Facebook in proposed class-action suit

Google this week was hit by a lawsuit from two Massachusetts companies accusing the search giant of cutting an illegal deal with Facebook that gave the social network unfair advantages in online advertising auctions. The plaintiffs in the ...

6. Ghost of Tsushima: Legends to Get Standalone Release Next Month, Big Update Adds Rivals Mode for All Players

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends is coming as a standalone version on September 3 and will cost $19.99 regardless of whether players purchase it on PS4 or PS5. Players of the standalone version and those who own the main game will be able to play together, ...

7. 'Spiritual opium,' Facebook, and the metaverse: An alternate reality on the rise

“Metaverse” is a techno term that's been garnering attention lately. The portmanteau, coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, describes an all-encompassing virtual world where people interact using avatars. Think Ready Player One, the ...

8. Report: New PSVR2 Details Leak From Sony Developer Conference

A video posted today by popular VR YouTube channel PSVR Without Parole purports to have new information about Sony's next-generation virtual reality hardware for PlayStation 5. Advertisement. PSVR Without Parole claims to have sourced fresh ...

9. Allegations of 'toxic culture' at acclaimed indie studio Fullbright

Steve Gaynor, co-founder of Fullbright, is no longer creative lead or manager on its current project, Open Roads, though he remains involved as a writer. A report published by Polygon claims that Gaynor was a "controlling" and "demeaning presence" who ...

10. Nintendo to Buy Back Shares After Profit Misses Estimates

The Kyoto-based company reported operating income of 119.75 billion yen ($1.1 billion) for the June quarter, compared with the average projection for 130.9 billion yen. It maintained its forecast for a 22% drop in operating profit to 500 billion yen this fiscal year ...

11. Microsoft Is Testing a 'Super Duper Secure Mode' for the Edge Browser

Norman points out that 45% of the security bugs patched in the V8 JavaScript engine, which is used in the Edge browser, but also Chrome, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi, are related to JIT. What Super Duper Secure Mode does is to turn off JIT compilation in Edge ...

12. Free Fire 4th Anniversary update top features: New characters, game mode, weapons, more

Free Fire 4th Anniversary update: Garena released Free Fire OB29 update, also known as the Free Fire 4th Anniversary update, on Wednesday. Players have been waiting for the game developer to release the follow up of the Free Fire OB28 update for a ...

13. 'eFootball PES 2022' release date, price, trailer and everything we know

This isn't the first time we've seen the series change its name, though: back in the day, Konami called its football franchise Winning Eleven. Then it became Pro Evolution Soccer. Now it's eFootball.

14. Thanks to 3dfx Interactive, we will soon be able to plug two smartphones into SLI

Well, Jansen Produtcs Inc is still nowhere to be found, but hey let's move on. The real or fake 3dfx Interactive Twitter account has therefore just put its roadmap online for the coming months. The brand intends to offer a whole range of new products, including ...

15. Nintendo Switch sales slump as pandemic hot streak fizzles out

Hong Kong (CNN Business) Nintendo's pandemic boom may be coming to an end. The Japanese company said Thursday that sales fell nearly 10% in the quarter ended June, a sign that fewer people stayed at home to play video games as some countries ...

16. Tamron is making the ultimate travel zoom lens for Sony mirrorless cameras

Tamron has previously released a 35-150mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD zoom lens for Canon and Nikon full-frame DSLRs, but this one promises to get closer to that lens' claims of being like having "six prime lenses in one".

17. Another, More Detailed Galaxy Buds 2 Unboxing Video Appears

You may recall that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 got unboxed yesterday, in a short video on Twitter, ahead of launch. Well, now a full-fledged unboxing video appeared on YouTube (shown below), a 9-minute video. Needless to say, this Galaxy Buds 2 ...

18. Spotify testing out an ad-supported tier for $0.99

It looks like the trend now for streaming services is to test out cheaper tiers that can give users some benefits but not as much as the regular tiers. We talked about an experimental YouTube Premium Lite tier and now it looks like Spotify is doing something ...

19. Ford's BlueCruise driving aid is easy-peasy hands-free tech

It will hold the vehicle in its lane and keep pace with traffic over some 100,000 miles of premapped highway segments across the US. And after a bit of seat time, I'm pretty impressed.

20. Apple MacBook Air M1 at about Rs 7000 off in Flipkart sale is a deal you should not miss

Flipkart is also offering other benefits on the purchase. Flipkart's Big Saving Days sale is live now. The discounts and offers on a wide range of products that you get ...

21. Samurai Warriors 5 Update 1.02 Patch Notes

Update 1.02 has arrived for Samurai Warriors 5, and here's the full list of changes and fixes added with this patch. Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have now released the second update for Samurai Warriors 5 earlier this week. The update patch number is 1.02 ...

22. Oppo's new under-screen camera takes us one step closer to 'invisible' selfie cameras

Instead of previous approaches that placed fewer pixels right above the camera (usually done to let more light in), Oppo reduced the size of the pixels themselves. This ensures that the pixel density doesn't get affected and remains on par with the rest of the ...

23. Battlefield 2042 playtest set for next week, PC requirements revealed

For starters, a 64-bit version of Windows 10 will be required. Gamers will need at least an AMD FX-8350 or Intel Core i5 6600K processor. As for the GPU, Battlefield 2042 requires an AMD Radeon RX 560 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti at a minimum.

24. Amazon Great Freedom Festival: Grab The Best Offers On Laptops From Apple, Dell, HP And More

Laptops have become a need in today's time. Most of our life revolves around it. As much as we need it for work, it is also our main source of entertainment. From editing photos and browsing social media to binge-watching our favourite shows on weekends, ...

25. Microsoft: Skype for Business Online is now retired. Here's what happens next

Skype for Business Online was officially retired on July 31, although some organizations that haven't migrated yet still have access to it, assuming they've signed up for Microsoft's "assisted upgrades", which began on August 1 and target last mile migration steps ...

26. Asus releases Windows 11-ready BIOS updates with automatic TPM support

Asus is making a range of its motherboards ready for Windows 11. The motherboard manufacturer has released BIOS updates for a variety of chipsets, including ones that support Intel Kaby Lake processors from 2017. Both Intel and AMD chipsets are ...

27. UK Long Covid cases hit 945000 as sufferers struggle months after infection

An estimated 945,000 people have reported experiencing long covid in the last four weeks, figures from the Office of National Statistics show. At least 20% of those with the new condition say their ability to undertake day-to-day activities had been "limited a lot" ...

28. Asatsugutori for PS4 & Nintendo Switch by Nippon Ichi Software Gets First Trailer & Screenshots

The story sees protagonist Hibari waking up in a strange room alongside seven other girls. They're welcomed by an announcement affirming that only one survivor will be able to leave the building. Yet, those who survive may be able to use magic.

29. Report: Apple to announce client-side photo hashing system to detect child abuse images in user's photos libraries

Apple's system will happen on the client — on the user's device — in the name of privacy, so the iPhone would download a set of fingerprints representing illegal content and then check each photo in the user's camera roll against that list. Presumably, any ...

30. Xiaomi launches 32-inch Mi LED TV 4C in India, price starts from Rs 15999

Xiaomi has silently launched a new 32-inch Mi LED TV 4C, which is currently listed on the official site. The latest 32-inch budget TV from Xiaomi is priced at Rs 15,999 and will be available in only black colour. The Smart TV will be up for sale on August 5 at ...

31. More People Are Buying Mario Kart Than Nintendo's Newest Games

Nintendo's Super Star isn't the bright and shiny New Pokémon Snap or even the juggernaut that is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. No, well into the Nintendo Switch's lifespan in the year 2021, it's Mario Kart 8 that takes the lead. Advertisement. Mario Kart is ...

32. Google's new Nest cameras and doorbell have lower prices and more smarts

Google has announced a new line of home security cameras and a video doorbell under its Nest brand. The new models, which include an indoor-only camera, an indoor / outdoor camera, a floodlight, and the video doorbell, replace the older Nest IQ ...

33. Why Everyone Is Mad Or Happy About Destiny 2's PvP News

Blackburn laid out a rough schedule of long-awaited additions to Crucible, and the end result? A split between players thanking Bungie for their transparency, and others going “that's it??” The facts ...

34. Lume Pad brings back glasses-free 3D -- this time on an Android tablet

The Lume Pad's light field display can switch between 2D and 3D modes. Scott Stein/CNET. Pillars stretch up and through the screen as I play a game on the tablet sitting in my lap. It's impossible not to think of the Nintendo 3DS. All glasses-free 3D tech ...

35. These reality shows are sending regular people to space

(CNN) The hottest new reality show isn't set in a house, on an obstacle course, or on the Jersey Shore. Television producers are betting on a new location: the International Space Station. Two reality television shows are in the works that would offer a first for ...

36. Nintendo Sold Too Much Animal Crossing Last Year And That's Hard To Repeat

Last year was effing awful, but Nintendo did great. At this time last year, Kotaku reported that Nintendo's profits between April and June 2020 increased by over 400 percent—a number that even a year later is hard to comprehend. Understandably, during that ...

37. Microsoft is creating a single OneNote for Windows app with a visual refresh

Microsoft is planning to unify its OneNote and OneNote for Windows 10 apps into a single OneNote app. The software maker is taking all the improvements in its UWP OneNote for Windows 10 app and bringing them over to the traditional OneNote desktop ...

38. Finally, A New Mario Golf: Super Rush Course: New Donk City

Nintendo announced that Mario Golf: Super Rush is getting a surprise free update that adds Toadette, a new golf course set in New Donk City, and more. The update will be released later today. It might even be out by the time you read this. Advertisement.

39. Here's a closer look at Apple's canceled AirPower wireless charger

Speaking to The Verge, Giulio Zompetti, a 28-year-old from Italy, says he has been able to purchase a prototype AirPower unit from Chinese e-waste sources. “The unit lacks all of its exterior housing, and shows this beautiful and heavy stainless steel chassis,” ...

40. Call of Duty Season 5 release date: Patch notes, map, trailer and latest news

Call of Duty Season 5 is nearly here, with this free content update expected to freshen up the experience for fans in both of the current CoD games, namely Warzone and Black Ops – Cold War. Advertisement. This, naturally, is the follow-up to Call of Duty ...

41. Sony's next-gen PSVR 2 headset looks to have HDR OLED displays

According to a YouTube report by Bryan Paul of PSVR Without Parole, the PSVR 2 headset will have an OLED display capable of HDR. The 2,000x2,040 pixels-per-eye display will also have eye tracking and technology to deliver higher-res graphics onto the ...

42. Deals: Apple's prev-gen. iPad Pro now $199 off, Apple Watch Leather Loop $90, more

Apple's Leather Loop band brings a premium Venezia leather to your wearable with a hand-crafted design. Alongside being compatible with every Apple Watch model to date, it sports a soft quilted design that hides magnets inside for getting the perfect fit on ...

43. Getting Into Match For Popular Arena Shooter Splitgate No Longer Impossible

Splitgate, a free-to-play arena shooter that bills itself as a mix between Halo and Portal, is having a moment. You might even be able to play it now. Advertisement. Currently in beta, developer 1047 Games pushed back the game's full release because too ...

44. Amazon Delays 'New World' Release Date For The Fourth Time

Amazon's New World has had quite a rollercoaster ride over many, many years of development, and it appears it will have to endure one last delay before it makes it out, which will be its fourth delay in less than two years.

45. Why AMD Is a Top Growth Stock to Buy Right Now

Advanced Micro Devices' biggest business is booming and it is taking away market share from Intel. AMD is sitting on a huge revenue opportunity thanks to its technological advantage over Intel's chips. The company is ...

46. Amazon's Halo fitness band can now share your heart rate with third-party devices

The Halo tracks your live heart rate, too -- and starting today, you can choose to share that live heart rate data with supported third-party apps and devices, including fitness gear from NordicTrack, Openfit, and CLMBR.

47. Apple to put in place a new tool that scans US phones for images of child abuse

The tool Apple calls “neuralMatch” will detect known images of child sexual abuse without decrypting people's messages. If it finds a match, the image will be reviewed by a human who can notify law enforcement if necessary.

48. Apple's iPhones Will Include New Tools to Flag Child Sexual Abuse

The changes, which will happen later this year, raised concerns that the company is installing surveillance technology that could be exploited by governments.

49. Twitter Spaces now let you invite co-hosts

Fleets weren't long for this world, but Twitter's product teams aren't slowing down on bringing new stuff to Spaces, the company's own take on audio rooms. Twitter introduced Spaces in a limited test last year, expanding the Clubhouse copycat feature more ...

50. Twitter Spaces introduces co-host feature and more

Twitter Spaces is launching a long-awaited feature for its users: co-hosting a Space. The Clubhouse competitor has been improving over the last several months, and it has become a solid choice for those who love to speak using audio-only. As announced by ...

51. Good vibes: The secrets behind the PS5 controller

The PlayStation 5 controller is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the new Sony console generation. Unlike its predecessor from eight years ago, the new DualSense controller emits specific vibrations tailored to different situations, upping the immersion level.

52. Wytchwood, Sol Cresta, and more indies are coming to PS5

PlayStation revealed several new trailers for a variety of indies on Thursday morning. The blog posts ranged from revealing PlayStation versions of upcoming titles to showing off new trailers for existing games. Here's a look at all seven of the PlayStation ...

53. Pokémon Go Tries Enticing Players As They Call For A Boycott

Niantic announced legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta from Sword and Shield will come to Pokémon Go. In normal times, this alone would be cool news! We do not live in normal times. Advertisement. Raids with the two legendaries will take place ...

54. Mario Golf: Super Rush adds Toadette, New Donk City

Footage of Toadette shows her using the Super Pickax item from Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker to fire off her golf shots. She can also dash across golf courses while flinging the vegetables from Super Mario Bros. 2.

55. Fortnite Week 9 Alien Artifact locations

As usual Week 9 features five new Alien Artifact canisters with four customization parts in each canister. By the time you finish this guide, your total number of artifacts should increase by 20. With that math in mind, let's get to the locations. Alien Artifact location ...

56. Destiny 2 abilities will see big changes in Season 15

Another general change is an unambiguously welcome one: the ability to bind different melee abilities to different keys. At the moment, throwing a knife uses the same key as a melee attack and is context sensitive.