Hundreds of players of Destiny 2 for PC are reportedly getting banned for no reason, some just after launching the game and before they could create a character. Most reports are assuming that the bans are coming from the use of applications that use a hook / overlay feature, such as Twitch, Discord, MSI Afterburner, CAM, OBS, XSplit, Skype, TeamSpeak, HWMon, AIDA, as well as some hardware vendor overlays such as ASUS Tweak and Corsair Link software, GeForce Experience’s FPS counter.
The use of such programs are blocked by Bungie, but should not be triggering any kind of a ban, as was stated on their official post about the use of 3rd party applications. Bungie is denying that the bans have anything to do with the use of 3rd party applications, with Bungie PC Project Lead David Shaw saying “We do block programs from pushing their code into our game. Most overlays work like that. We don’t ban for that tho. That’s internet BS” on his twitter.
To add insult to injury, players who have been banned from Destiny 2 are referred to their “Destiny Account Restrictions And Banning Policies” page, which states “There are NO options to dispute or overturn account restrictions or bans. Permanent account bans are only implemented with rigorous checking to ensure that the innocent are not punished alongside the guilty. Bungie does not comment on or discuss individual account restriction or bans.”
After the news of the bans started breaking, Bungie released a statement in a blog article stating –
Destiny 2 cannot automatically ban you, only Bungie can ban a player after a manual investigation
Yesterday, we banned approximately 400 players on PC
Bans were applied to players who were using tools that pose a threat to the shared ecosystem of the game
We did not (and will not) issue any bans for the use of overlays or performance tools, including Discord, Xsplit, OBS, RTSS, etc.
I am sure this will be an ongoing story, as I don’t know how Bungie could have completed a manual investigation of a player who has just launched the game and has not made it to the character creation screen, and yet determined that they “posed a threat.” In case the theory that the use of 3rd party applications are causing the bans are true, if you have any doubt I would suggest avoid playing Destiny 2 while this story unfolds. Thanks to [H]ardForum user Seventyfive for the story.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – Hundreds Banned From Destiny 2 PC
Monthly Archives: October 2017
Apple Acquires New Zealand Wireless Charging Company
Apple has acquired New Zealand firm PowerbyProxi that designs wireless power products for consumer and industry. Even though Apple supports wireless charging in the iPhone X and 8 their new acquisition will enable them to expand the number of products that can be wirelessly charged. Some potential products are pads that can charge multiple consumer devices like laptops and even electric scooters. I believe with this technology in hand that Apple is going to significantly expand it’s catalog of products and move into items not traditionally seen as consumer IT related.
An Apple spokesman confirmed the acquisition, which was earlier reported in New Zealand media. Both companies declined to provide details of the purchase. Wireless charging allows users to recharge devices by placing them on a pad or other surface rather than inserting them in a cradle or attaching a cable.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – Apple Acquires New Zealand Wireless Charging Company
Microsoft has stopped making the Kinect, and that makes me sad
Microsoft is no longer building any Kinect devices for consoles or PCs, writes Fast Co. Design. Since their 2010 introduction on the Xbox 360 and through major updates for Xbox One and PC, the sensors combined a depth-sensing camera, a regular video camera, and a microphone array into a device that Microsoft hoped would usher in a new wave of games and apps packed with voice and motion-based controls. Microsoft’s own marketing promised gamers that they themselves would be the controller.
With Kinect, Microsoft appeared to be leading the tech world with a rich mix of voice and motion controls that nobody else could match, all neatly packaged into a consumer-friendly box.
But a world of compelling voice and motion games never really materialized, so a device that once held such promise—as a box in your living room that you talk to; as a showcase of machine vision; as a basis for complex multimodal input mixing controllers, movement, and voice—is being killed off after never quite living up to the potential we felt it had. And as someone who still uses a Kinect every single day, I’m more than a little saddened.
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Source: Ars Technica – Microsoft has stopped making the Kinect, and that makes me sad
DJI's scanner can nab info on drones mid-flight
This morning, Chinese drone company DJI demonstrated its new AeroScope device that can track UAVs in a 5-kilometer radius. At the moment, it can only monitor the company’s drones, but it’s a potentially potent tool for law enforcement (or other DJI-a…
Source: Engadget – DJI’s scanner can nab info on drones mid-flight
What the Hell Happened to the March for Science?
April 22nd was supposed to be a victory lap and the birth of a new movement. That day, the March for Science saw a million scientists and science lovers descend on Washington, D.C. and cities and hamlets around the world, the physical manifestation of a viral online campaign.
Source: Gizmodo – What the Hell Happened to the March for Science?
With Camera Permission, iPhone Apps Can Surreptitiously Take Pictures and Videos
An anonymous reader writes: Whenever you give iPhone apps permission to access your camera, the app can surreptitiously take pictures and videos of you as long as the app is in the foreground, a security researcher warned on Wednesday. This is not a bug, but keep it in mind when a random app asks you for permission to access your camera. What this means is that even if you don’t see the camera “open” in the form of an on-screen viewfinder, an app can still take photos and videos. It is unknown how many apps currently do this, but Krause created a test app as a proof-of-concept. This behavior is what enables certain “spy” apps like Stealth Cam and Easy Calc – Camera Eye to exist. But even if this behavior is well-known among iOS developers and hardcore users, it’s worth remembering that all apps that have camera permission can technically take photos in this way. “It’s something most people have no idea about, as they think the camera is only being used if they see the camera content or a LED is blinking,” Krause told Motherboard in a chat over Twitter direct message. Krause currently works at Google, but performed and published this research independently of his work there.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – With Camera Permission, iPhone Apps Can Surreptitiously Take Pictures and Videos
No, the Famous Windows XP Hill Is Not on Fire
As you may have heard, California is recovering after a rash of deadly wildfires that forced a state of emergency in Los Angeles County last month and killed dozens up north. But with tragedy comes hoaxes. And though a jaw-dropping image of men golfing near an inferno in Washington last month was real, claims that the…
Source: Gizmodo – No, the Famous Windows XP Hill Is Not on Fire
Passivhaus development in the UK shows that we can have nice things
This beautiful 14 unit development is affordable, sustainable and built to last.
Source: TreeHugger – Passivhaus development in the UK shows that we can have nice things
AT&T's Netgear mobile hotspot promises twice the speed of LTE
AT&T has just announced the first mobile hotspot router, the Netgear Nighthawk, that can connect to the telecom company’s “5G Evolution” network, which AT&T claims offers up to twice the speed of typical 4G LTE. The service is only available…
Source: Engadget – AT&T’s Netgear mobile hotspot promises twice the speed of LTE
Amazon Just Knocked $200 Off Samsung's Quantum Dot-Powered 4K TV
Samsung’s quantum dot-powered Q7 TV isn’t exactly easy on the bank account, but it would be a stunning upgrade to your home theater, and Amazon just knocked $200 off the previous going rate of the 55" model.
Source: LifeHacker – Amazon Just Knocked 0 Off Samsung’s Quantum Dot-Powered 4K TV
Report: Tesla fires hundreds more workers in its SolarCity unit
SolarCity, the solar energy company Tesla acquired last year, has fired hundreds of additional workers, according to six anonymous sources who talked to CNBC. These dismissals are in addition to hundreds more that were reported earlier this month, and they are on top of previously announced layoffs, CNBC reports. All told, around 1,200 people at Tesla and SolarCity have lost their jobs in the recent wave of dismissals, employees told CNBC.
Reached by e-mail, Tesla referred back to a statement sent out earlier this month when the initial firings were announced. “As with any company, especially one of over 33,000 employees, performance reviews occasionally result in employee departures,” the company wrote in early October. The company says that recent departures were part of the same review process. The company also emphasized that the process also led to “recognition of top performers with additional compensation and equity awards.”
Some employees weren’t happy with how the process was carried out. SolarCity employees told CNBC that they “were surprised to be told they were fired for performance reasons, claiming Tesla had not conducted performance reviews since acquiring the solar energy business.”
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Source: Ars Technica – Report: Tesla fires hundreds more workers in its SolarCity unit
245 People Rope-Jump Off A Bridge Simultaneously To Set World Record
Note: Keep your volume in check, loud horn.
This is a video from Hortolandia, Brazil of 245 people rope-jumping (not bungee jumping — these are just nylon ropes and don’t bounce) off a 30-meter (~98-foot) bridge to set a new Guinness World Record for most people doing that simultaneously. Obviously, this was a momentous occassion. From now on people will ask each other if they remember where they were when they saw 245 people rope-jump off a bridge simultaneously to set a new world record, and I can confidently answer I was falling asleep on the shitter in a bathroom stall at work.
Keep going for the video.
Source: Geekologie – 245 People Rope-Jump Off A Bridge Simultaneously To Set World Record
So, Does Talcum Powder Cause Cancer or Not?
Two women with cancer—one already deceased—lost lawsuits against talcum powder makers recently after a judge determined that they hadn’t proved the powder caused their cancer. So does the stuff cause cancer or doesn’t it? Turns out that’s a hard question to answer.
Source: LifeHacker – So, Does Talcum Powder Cause Cancer or Not?
Nazi Groups Kicked Off Reddit as Next Wave of Community Bans Begin
As of approximately one hour ago, Reddit has begun a wave of new community bans, reminiscent of the culling during interim CEO Ellen Pao’s reign in 2015 that saw a handful of hate-based groups removed from the site. This time, Reddit’s leadership is taking aim at content and groups that incite violence, and the first…
Source: Gizmodo – Nazi Groups Kicked Off Reddit as Next Wave of Community Bans Begin
Researchers observe the first known interstellar comet
To date, every comet humanity has seen inside the Solar System has come from the Solar System, whether it’s the Kuiper Belt or the billions of comets believed to make up the Oort Cloud. Now, however, it looks like astronomers might have found a comet…
Source: Engadget – Researchers observe the first known interstellar comet
China Shuts Down Tens Of Thousands Of Factories In Widespread Pollution Crackdown
Buildings in China are shrouded in smog. From a report: China has implemented an unprecedented pollution crackdown in recent months as the country shuts down tens of thousands of factories. The effort is part of a national effort to address China’s infamous pollution and has affected wide swaths of China’s manufacturing sector. In total, it is estimated that 40 percent of all China’s factories have been shut down at some point in order to be inspected by environmental bureau officials. As a result of these inspections over 80,000 factories have been hit with fines and criminal offenses as a result of their emissions. Safety officials have been moving from province to province (30 in total so far) shutting down factories as well as electricity and gas as they inspect the factories for meeting emissions requirements. This has resulted in late and missed orders, increased costs, and could ultimately result in higher prices on US shelves.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – China Shuts Down Tens Of Thousands Of Factories In Widespread Pollution Crackdown
RadeonSI/RADV Mesa 17.3 + AMDGPU DC vs. NVIDIA 387.12 Linux Gaming Performance
With Mesa 17.3 now having been branched for its stable release next month and that bringing much improved RADV Radeon Vulkan performance and more mature RX Vega support along with a ton of other improvements, here is a fresh comparison of the newest open-source Radeon Linux graphics driver code compared to the latest NVIDIA Linux driver on a range of graphics cards.
Source: Phoronix – RadeonSI/RADV Mesa 17.3 + AMDGPU DC vs. NVIDIA 387.12 Linux Gaming Performance
Gmail Add-ons Let You Use Trello, Quickbooks and More Directly in Gmail
Every morning, the first thing I do is launch Gmail on my computer. While I use a ton of different tools for work, everything starts with my email—it’s sort of a hub for getting everything done. And starting today, Gmail can be even more of a hub, thanks to the launch of Gmail Add-ons.
Source: LifeHacker – Gmail Add-ons Let You Use Trello, Quickbooks and More Directly in Gmail
Kinect, One of Microsoft's Most Revolutionary Ideas, Is Dead, But It Will Live on in iPhone X
Microsoft has killed off the Kinect seven years after the company first introduced the Xbox accessory that paved the way for 3D-tracking and virtual-assistant technologies that will soon be ubiquitous. But its groundbreaking approach to depth-sensing will live on through several products, including the iPhone X.
Source: Gizmodo – Kinect, One of Microsoft’s Most Revolutionary Ideas, Is Dead, But It Will Live on in iPhone X
HPE's Foray into Space with Spaceborne Computer
HPE is currently working with NASA to launch a supercomputer into orbit to see how long it lasts so it can be used in deep space travels. Basically, they want to use the massive compute capabilities to monitor a number of data points, run applications, and also run analytics to figure out issues on board the spacecraft. The reasoning behind this is to try to fight events in space and not have to rely on ground based computers to do so. I’m actually surprised this hasn’t already been done and I can’t wait to see how it works out.
As space missions get more advanced, there is a growing need for sophisticated onboard computing resources capable of functioning in the harsh conditions of space. By achieving one teraFLOP in space, HPE’s Spaceborne Computer has shown that astronauts now have access to high performance computing systems that can help them solve any mission critical scenarios in space.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – HPE’s Foray into Space with Spaceborne Computer