Month: July 2024
Indie studio opens up to share canceled Magic School project
Image: Dinosaur Polo Club
Canceled video games are typically shrouded in secrecy, the kind of thing we only learn about via leaks well after the fact. But Dinosaur Polo Club, the indie studio behind the minimalist strategy games Mini Metro and Mini Motorways, has come out and revealed a recently canceled project in a refreshing bout of transparency.
The game was codenamed Magic School, and it was an attempt for the studio to branch out from the clean, streamlined experiences it has become known for. The problem? As the concept grew in scope, it became clear to the studio that a much bigger team would be needed, which led them to abandon it.
You can get a sense of what it would’ve been like in the footage above as well as from the concept images in the gallery below. (There’s even more over on ArtStation.)
“Ultimately, we simply did not see a path forward for Magic School,” studio CEO Amie Wolken said in a statement. “However, we still wanted to share the amazing work the team had produced over the course of prototyping.”
One silver lining: none of the team members working on the game are being let go. Instead, the studio says that the plan is “to redirect their skills to the new projects within their celebrated Mini series.”
While it may be disappointing that Magic School won’t ever launch — it sure sounds cool to me — it’s wonderful to see a studio be so open in such a tight-lipped industry. And for those who worked on the game, it’s a big bonus to be able to actually share the work they did on it, even if there’s no final product for people to play.
“So much great game development never sees the light of day because studios are often shy about sharing when things don’t go as planned,” added Wolken. “Instead, we are choosing to celebrate what we learned along the way and the incredible work from our team.”
Image: Dinosaur Polo Club
Canceled video games are typically shrouded in secrecy, the kind of thing we only learn about via leaks well after the fact. But Dinosaur Polo Club, the indie studio behind the minimalist strategy games Mini Metro and Mini Motorways, has come out and revealed a recently canceled project in a refreshing bout of transparency.
The game was codenamed Magic School, and it was an attempt for the studio to branch out from the clean, streamlined experiences it has become known for. The problem? As the concept grew in scope, it became clear to the studio that a much bigger team would be needed, which led them to abandon it.
You can get a sense of what it would’ve been like in the footage above as well as from the concept images in the gallery below. (There’s even more over on ArtStation.)
“Ultimately, we simply did not see a path forward for Magic School,” studio CEO Amie Wolken said in a statement. “However, we still wanted to share the amazing work the team had produced over the course of prototyping.”
One silver lining: none of the team members working on the game are being let go. Instead, the studio says that the plan is “to redirect their skills to the new projects within their celebrated Mini series.”
While it may be disappointing that Magic School won’t ever launch — it sure sounds cool to me — it’s wonderful to see a studio be so open in such a tight-lipped industry. And for those who worked on the game, it’s a big bonus to be able to actually share the work they did on it, even if there’s no final product for people to play.
“So much great game development never sees the light of day because studios are often shy about sharing when things don’t go as planned,” added Wolken. “Instead, we are choosing to celebrate what we learned along the way and the incredible work from our team.”
Windows 11 gets a new Netflix app – and it’ll make you wish you could keep the old one (spoiler alert: you can’t)
Windows 11’s Netflix app just became more ‘consistent’ with apps on other platforms, except, well, it didn’t…
Windows 11 users, watch out – a new Netflix app has arrived for the OS (as was previously promised), but sadly it isn’t a step forward for those who enjoy watching the streaming service on their PC.
Windows Latest noticed that the rejigged Netflix app is now available for download via the Microsoft Store, but it’s a downgrade in many ways.
For starters, instead of a proper app, it’s now simply a web wrapper – in other words, it just fires up the Netflix.com site in a standalone Edge container. So, you’re basically running the website (in Edge) in what looks like an app window.
The second major blow to be delivered with the new app for Windows 11 is that Netflix no longer offers the option to download content. That ability allowed you to watch your favorite shows later, when offline, but you can forget about that now.
Analysis: All in the name of consistency, apparently
The download ability was one of the major strengths of the Netflix app, and as you can imagine, it’s regarded as a big loss. What doesn’t help is that the app itself feels very barebones and indeed as Windows Latest points out, it’s shoddily put together. Right-clicking anywhere in the new Netflix app lets you access the menu to open a link in a new Edge tab, so it’s painfully transparent that this is all running in a web wrapper.
On Netflix’s part, the firm has previously said that the new app is designed for a “consistent, quality experience” and that the “new version will now include access to live events, compatibility with ad-supported plans, and more.” Well, if consistency is the key aim, why remove the feature to download and watch offline which is present on the Netflix mobile apps?
As you can guess, most of the feedback online has been pretty (consistently, ahem) negative. And if you were hoping to avoid the new app, and just stick with the old Netflix client complete with its download functionality – well, eventually the old app is going to stop working. In other words, you’ll be forced to update soon enough.
All in all, this is a bit of a mystifying one, particularly given the apparently shoddy implementation of the web wrapper here, which feels rushed through to say the least.
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As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, It’s Also Emitting Millions of Tons of CO2
Scientists say the drying Great Salt Lake in Utah is now becoming a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate to warm, according to a new study. From a report: Due largely to water diversions by farmers and Utah’s booming population growth, the Great Salt Lake has shrunk by almost half in recent years. Scientists spent seven months in 2020 sampling emissions coming off the dried saline lake bed. Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum published the study on Thursday in the journal One Earth. […]
The researchers found that the drying lake bed emitted 4.1 million tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which would translate to a 7% increase in Utah’s human-caused emissions. According to scientists, 4 million tons of CO2 is roughly equivalent to the total annual emissions of 140 commercial planes. The Great Salt Lake is the largest saline lake left in the Western Hemisphere. The study occurred during one of the most notorious dry stretches of the West’s mega drought, which had lasted two decades at the time of the study.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Scientists say the drying Great Salt Lake in Utah is now becoming a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate to warm, according to a new study. From a report: Due largely to water diversions by farmers and Utah’s booming population growth, the Great Salt Lake has shrunk by almost half in recent years. Scientists spent seven months in 2020 sampling emissions coming off the dried saline lake bed. Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum published the study on Thursday in the journal One Earth. […]
The researchers found that the drying lake bed emitted 4.1 million tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which would translate to a 7% increase in Utah’s human-caused emissions. According to scientists, 4 million tons of CO2 is roughly equivalent to the total annual emissions of 140 commercial planes. The Great Salt Lake is the largest saline lake left in the Western Hemisphere. The study occurred during one of the most notorious dry stretches of the West’s mega drought, which had lasted two decades at the time of the study.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The new Astro Bot PS5 controller is pretty dang adorable
Sony’s currently prepping a Mario-like adventure game for PS5 that’s inspired by its cute little Astro Bot mascot character. That title arrives on September 6 and looks like an absolute blast. Taking a page from Nintendo, the company also just announced a themed DualSense controller to commemorate the release. It’s pretty dang adorable.
The Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller is an homage to the titular bucket of bolts, who made his first appearance in a collection of VR minigames released back in 2013. Sony calls the controller a “true work of art” and it’s easy to see why. This thing is certainly purdy. There are a pair of robotic peepers right on the touchpad. The handles and buttons feature Astro Bot’s signature blue accent.
The company has also explained how the upcoming 3D platformer takes advantage of the DualSense controller’s many features. The developer has increased the number of textures that players can feel through the controller via haptic feedback. The adaptive trigger response has been refined to take advantage of the protagonist’s new powers. Sony describes being able to ‘feel the thruster rattling” when using a jetpack, as an example.
It says that every new power up in the game “has been given that same special treatment.” This includes the Dual Speeder gadget, which quite literally turns the controller into a motion-controlled spaceship. These new features are for all DualSense gamepads, and not just the one that looks like a robot.
The themed controller costs $80 and ships the very same day as the game, on September 6. We played a demo of Astro Bot back in June and came away impressed. We said it “feels fantastic” and that the whole thing is “infused with childlike joy.” Mario had better look out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-new-astro-bot-ps5-controller-is-pretty-dang-adorable-152727280.html?src=rss
Sony’s currently prepping a Mario-like adventure game for PS5 that’s inspired by its cute little Astro Bot mascot character. That title arrives on September 6 and looks like an absolute blast. Taking a page from Nintendo, the company also just announced a themed DualSense controller to commemorate the release. It’s pretty dang adorable.
The Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller is an homage to the titular bucket of bolts, who made his first appearance in a collection of VR minigames released back in 2013. Sony calls the controller a “true work of art” and it’s easy to see why. This thing is certainly purdy. There are a pair of robotic peepers right on the touchpad. The handles and buttons feature Astro Bot’s signature blue accent.
The company has also explained how the upcoming 3D platformer takes advantage of the DualSense controller’s many features. The developer has increased the number of textures that players can feel through the controller via haptic feedback. The adaptive trigger response has been refined to take advantage of the protagonist’s new powers. Sony describes being able to ‘feel the thruster rattling” when using a jetpack, as an example.
It says that every new power up in the game “has been given that same special treatment.” This includes the Dual Speeder gadget, which quite literally turns the controller into a motion-controlled spaceship. These new features are for all DualSense gamepads, and not just the one that looks like a robot.
The themed controller costs $80 and ships the very same day as the game, on September 6. We played a demo of Astro Bot back in June and came away impressed. We said it “feels fantastic” and that the whole thing is “infused with childlike joy.” Mario had better look out.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-new-astro-bot-ps5-controller-is-pretty-dang-adorable-152727280.html?src=rss
Internet cables cut as Paris Olympics cat-and-mouse continues
Several long-distance fibre-optic cables in France were “sabotaged” overnight, according to local police, causing widespread disruptions to internet services across the country. The perpetrators remain at large, as the cat-and-mouse between police and criminals at the Olympics continues on the sidelines of sprints, swims, and shot puts. The internet cables were severed early on Monday morning, said network provider Netalis on X. Junior Minister for Digital Affairs Marina Ferrari condemned the attacks, calling them “cowardly and irresponsible.” Paris, where most of the Olympic events are taking place, has not been affected. Whether the attacks were intended to disrupt the Games…This story continues at The Next Web
Several long-distance fibre-optic cables in France were “sabotaged” overnight, according to local police, causing widespread disruptions to internet services across the country. The perpetrators remain at large, as the cat-and-mouse between police and criminals at the Olympics continues on the sidelines of sprints, swims, and shot puts. The internet cables were severed early on Monday morning, said network provider Netalis on X. Junior Minister for Digital Affairs Marina Ferrari condemned the attacks, calling them “cowardly and irresponsible.” Paris, where most of the Olympic events are taking place, has not been affected. Whether the attacks were intended to disrupt the Games…
This story continues at The Next Web
Apple’s 10th-gen iPad is back on sale for $300
Prime Day might be in the rearview mirror but July isn’t done with sales on Apple products just yet. Amazon is running deals on different iPads, including Apple’s 10th-generation iPad with 64GB. The device is back down to its all-time low price of $300, dropping from $349 — a 14 percent discount. The sale is available in every color option.
Apple released the 10th-gen iPad in 2022, but it’s still our favorite budget iPad on the market. We gave it an 85 in our review thanks to perks like its 10.9-inch screen and liquid retina display with a 2360p x 1640p resolution. Unlike many of Apple’s more recent products, this iPad comes with an A14 chip rather than a M1 or higher. However, if you’re only going to use it for things like watching videos or scrolling the web, then it should be more than enough power.
The 10th-generation iPad isn’t the only model discounted, with a range of iPads on sale. You can opt for the 2022 version’s predecessor, the ninth-gen iPad, which is down to $249 from $329 — a 24 percent discount. Then there’s Apple’s 11-inch iPad Air with an M2 chip, $559 from $599. If you want to drop a lot of money on an iPad (and get a high-quality product in return), check out the 16 percent discount on Apple’s 11-inch iPad Pro with an M4 chip. The top-of-the-line iPad is available for $1,350, down from $1,599.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-10th-gen-ipad-is-back-on-sale-for-300-151024717.html?src=rss
Prime Day might be in the rearview mirror but July isn’t done with sales on Apple products just yet. Amazon is running deals on different iPads, including Apple’s 10th-generation iPad with 64GB. The device is back down to its all-time low price of $300, dropping from $349 — a 14 percent discount. The sale is available in every color option.
Apple released the 10th-gen iPad in 2022, but it’s still our favorite budget iPad on the market. We gave it an 85 in our review thanks to perks like its 10.9-inch screen and liquid retina display with a 2360p x 1640p resolution. Unlike many of Apple’s more recent products, this iPad comes with an A14 chip rather than a M1 or higher. However, if you’re only going to use it for things like watching videos or scrolling the web, then it should be more than enough power.
The 10th-generation iPad isn’t the only model discounted, with a range of iPads on sale. You can opt for the 2022 version’s predecessor, the ninth-gen iPad, which is down to $249 from $329 — a 24 percent discount. Then there’s Apple’s 11-inch iPad Air with an M2 chip, $559 from $599. If you want to drop a lot of money on an iPad (and get a high-quality product in return), check out the 16 percent discount on Apple’s 11-inch iPad Pro with an M4 chip. The top-of-the-line iPad is available for $1,350, down from $1,599.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-10th-gen-ipad-is-back-on-sale-for-300-151024717.html?src=rss
Level up your game with $60 off the Logitech G Astro A30 headset
As of July 29, you can get the Logitech G Astro A30 headset for just $119.99, down from $179.99, at Amazon.
GET $60 OFF: As of July 29, you can get the Logitech G Astro A30 wireless gaming headset for just $119.99, down from $179.99, at Amazon.
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If you’re a serious gamer, you’re probably due for an upgrade to your audio setup, and the Logitech G Astro A30 headset could be just the solution you’ve been looking for.
As of July 29, you can get the Logitech G Astro A30 lightspeed wireless gaming headset for $119.99, down from $179.99, at Amazon. That’s a $60 discount and the lowest price we’ve seen for this premium gaming headset.
The Logitech G Astro A30 delivers versatility and immersive audio for gamers on multiple platforms, including PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch (just be sure to choose the correct platform version before you check out). With a detachable boom and built-in mic, you can chat with your buddies and build a tactical edge that’ll give you an upper hand in competitive games.
With up to 27 hours of battery life and USB-C charging, you won’t have to worry about running out of power, even during marathon gaming sessions. Plus, the headset’s Dolby Atmos 3D audio technology helps enhance your situational awareness by helping you pinpoint your enemies’ location by the sounds they make.
Acronis warns thousands of customers to patch this security issue now
A critical bug was found nine months ago but it’s now being actively abused.
Swiss cybersecurity experts Acronis are urging their customers to apply a patch that was issued nine months ago, since it fixes a flaw that is now actively being abused in the wild.
The vulnerability is described as a “remote command execution due to use of default passwords” flaw and, as the name suggests, allows attackers to authenticate and run malicious code on vulnerable servers remotely.
The bug is tracked as CVE-2023-45249 and carries a severity score of 9.8 (critical) according to the NVD.
Multiple versions affected
It was found in Acronis Cyber Infrastructure (ACI), a software-defined infrastructure solution designed to provide secure and efficient storage, compute, and networking resources. It integrates with Acronis Cyber Protection solutions, thus offering a comprehensive approach to data protection and disaster recovery.
The platform supports diverse workloads and is optimized for performance, reliability, and ease of management. The company claims more than 20,000 service providers are using ACI, protecting more than 750,000 organizations in 150 countries.
The flaw was found on multiple versions of ACI, including builds older than 5.0.1-61 (patched in ACI 5.0 update 1.4), 5.1.1-71 (patched in ACI 5.1 update 1.2), 5.2.1-69 (patched in ACI 5.2 update 1.3), 5.3.1-53 (patched in ACI 5.3 update 1.3), and 5.4.4-132 (patched in ACI 5.4 update 4.2). In a security advisory, published last week, the company confirmed the bug being abused in the wild:
“This update contains fixes for 1 critical severity security vulnerability and should be installed immediately by all users. This vulnerability is known to be exploited in the wild,” Acronis said.
“Keeping the software up to date is important to maintain the security of your Acronis products. For guidelines on the availability of support and security updates, see Acronis products support lifecycle.”
Via BleepingComputer
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