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The Verge
Concord’s director reportedly steps down
Concord game director Ryan Ellis has stepped down following the decision to take the game offline, according to Kotaku. Developers at Concord developer Firewalk Studios are also uncertain of the future of the studio.
Ellis, whose resume also includes more than seven years at Bungie, informed staff of the change in role last week, Kotaku reports. (His LinkedIn still lists his title as “Game Director.”) Ellis also authored the PlayStation Blog post announcing Concord’s shutdown.
That post said the Firewalk team would be exploring options for what to do next with Concord, but Kotaku reports that some developers have “been asked to explore pitches for something completely different.” Some Firewalk developers are apparently refreshing their...
Published on 19 September 2024 | 9:56 pm
Californians can now add their driver’s licenses to Apple Wallet
Apple announced that starting today, California residents can add their driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet on their iPhones and Apple Watches as part of the state’s mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program.
As announced last month, up to 1.5 million pilot participants can add the documents to Apple Wallet by scanning their driver’s license or state ID card using their iPhone and then providing a scan of their face using a “series of facial and head movements” as an added security measure. The scans will need to be verified by the state before the documents are made available in Wallet.
However, as it’s still only authorized for limited usage, the state DMV advises users to continue carrying their physical IDs, too.
S...
Published on 19 September 2024 | 9:05 pm
The best smartphone you can buy for under $500
You can’t have everything at this price, but you can get a great smartphone. Whether you want an iPhone, a 120Hz screen, or water resistance, you’ve got options.
Published on 19 September 2024 | 8:28 pm
The FTC says social media companies can’t be trusted to regulate themselves
The Federal Trade Commission published a new report about the data collection policies of social media platforms and video streaming services, and the results are damning, if not unexpected. The report, which was released on September 19th, found that these platforms not only surveil consumers but often retain vast troves of data indefinitely about users and non-users alike — and suggests they can’t be trusted to regulate themselves.
Given the billions of dollars companies stand to earn from collecting and monetizing user data, “self-regulation has been a failure,” the report says. “Predicting, shaping, and monetizing human behavior through commercial surveillance is extremely profitable — it’s made these companies some of the most...
Published on 19 September 2024 | 8:03 pm
Logitech is making 502 metal mice
Logitech is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its G502 gaming mouse with a limited-edition aluminum version. The G502 X Plus AL Edition has the same functionality as the standard wireless G502 X mouse, plus an aluminum chassis with laser-etched markings, including a serial number from 1 to 502.
Sorry to put my high school chem lab assistant hat on, but that L in “AL Edition” should really be lowercase — though I speculate Logitech wanted to avoid people confusing Al with AI, as in artificial intelligence.
In the 10 years since it launched, the G502 has been a mainstay of Logitech’s gaming lineup. The original was a wired mouse, a version of which you can still buy new today for around $50. In 2019, the G502 X made the jump to...
Published on 19 September 2024 | 7:59 pm
Apple Intelligence is now available in public betas
Apple has just released public betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, and they include upcoming Apple Intelligence features like text rewriting tools, the glowy new Siri design, a “Clean Up” tool to remove objects from your photos, and more.
To be able to access the betas, you’ll need to register on Apple’s beta software program site. Once you’ve done that, you should be able to see the beta update available in settings for you to download and install. Note that a only few iPhones can access the Apple Intelligence features: last year’s iPhone 15 Pro phones as well as the nearly-here iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. iPads and Macs with M1 chips or newer can try Apple Intelligence as well.
Previously, these Apple Intelligence...
Published on 19 September 2024 | 7:37 pm
The best ebook reader to buy right now
From reading in the bath to scribbling notes in the margins, from diving into the Amazon ecosystem to avoiding it outright, there’s an e-reader for everyone.
Published on 19 September 2024 | 7:10 pm
Hipstamatic’s new app collects everyone’s party photos for you
Hipstamatic’s new Party! Disposable Camera app is designed to digitally replicate the experience of guests snapping candid photos at a wedding or other event using a disposable film camera. There are no film development fees afterward, but it’s only free if your guest list is no larger than five people.
At its core, the app is yet another attempt to streamline the process of collecting all the smartphone photos that guests take during a special event. Using a custom QR code generated by a host, guests are directed to download the Party! Disposable Camera app and join the specific event. All the photos taken through the app will be collected into a single private gallery the host and guests can view and comment on.
There are similar...
Published on 19 September 2024 | 6:59 pm
You might get offered promo codes if one of these delivery robots runs into you
One of Starship Technologies’ autonomous food delivery robots tripped up a school employee at Arizona State University last September. As 404 Media reports, when contacted by the police, an employee asked for the person’s info to share insurance info and to offer a few promo codes.
A police report said video footage confirmed the person’s description of the incident. They waited for a delivery robot to pass. Once they continued, the robot suddenly reversed and knocked them over before driving a short distance away and reversing to hit them again while they were on the ground. They reported lower back pain and a 4-inch cut on their arm that was treated by the local fire department.
A company spokesperson told 404 Media that the robot hit...
Published on 19 September 2024 | 6:51 pm
The Apple Watch is now a better TV remote
Previous versions of watchOS allowed the Apple Watch to be used as a remote control for an Apple TV, with limited functionality. With watchOS 11, the smartwatch can potentially completely replace the Siri Remote that now ships with Apple’s streaming box, with new capabilities spotted by 9to5Mac.
Before watchOS 11, the Apple Watch’s Remote app could only be used to play and pause videos or navigate tvOS using swipe gestures to move through menus and screen taps to make selections. It was useful if you couldn’t reach the Apple TV’s remote, but it couldn’t replace its features entirely.
The company has updated the Apple Watch User Guide on its website to include the new Remote app functionality introduced with watchOS 11. Turning the...
Published on 19 September 2024 | 6:44 pm