The Russian government has set its sights on yet another U.S. tech company: Amazon.
Source: Gizmodo – Russia’s Wave of Ridiculous Fines Finally Comes for Amazon
Monthly Archives: October 2022
Overwatch 2’s Free-To-Play Grind And Battle Pass System Has Players Wanting Loot Boxes Back
In the two weeks Overwatch 2 has been live—yes, it’s only been two weeks— players have become so disappointed with the hero shooter’s free-to-play grind and battle pass system that they’re longing for the days when the original game had loot boxes.
Source: Kotaku – Overwatch 2’s Free-To-Play Grind And Battle Pass System Has Players Wanting Loot Boxes Back
Ubuntu's New Terminal 'Ad' is Angering Users
Joey Sneddon, reporting at OMG! Ubuntu: In September I tweeted a screenshot of something unexpected that has started to show up in the terminal when I ran system updates. It didn’t enrage me at the time (and it kinda still doesn’t) but I did find it a little … Off. Now, if you’re suitably tuned-in to the Linux newswire and/or an avid attendee of social media you’ll probably heard about the drama in question. If you haven’t, then allow me to… Yes, the furore is over an “ad” for Ubuntu Pro, Canonical’s revamped support offering that replaces/augments Ubuntu Advantage (which has been around for many years) that appears in the terminal when managing system updates.
Other people are calling it an “ad” (hence quote marks). I prefer the term plug (which, it turns out, some people aren’t familiar with; it means to mention something in order to promote it). For although this sentence is technically advertising something, in this case Ubuntu Pro, the offering itself is free for regular users (on up-to five devices). Thus, it’s not like this is an “ad” that generates Canonical revenue. It’s more akin to a public service announcement to raise awareness.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Ubuntu’s New Terminal ‘Ad’ is Angering Users
A Plague Tale: Requiem’s Rats Rule, But The Bugs Are Less Welcome
Often, when I’m walking through Brooklyn, the sweating black garbage bags on the sidewalk start moving. There’s a pattering sound coming through the plastic. Then a fat pink tail or a snout pops out, or there’s a flash of matted, greasy gray fur and I yelp with recognition: it’s a fucking rat.
Source: Kotaku – A Plague Tale: Requiem’s Rats Rule, But The Bugs Are Less Welcome
Apple stops selling the Apple TV HD
Now that Apple has introduced a lower-priced Apple TV 4K, it’s apparently getting rid of the entry-level model. MacRumorsnotes the company is no longer selling the Apple TV HD through its online store. It’s not clear if the device will still be available at retail or through other online shops, but you may want to act fast if you find it at a discount. We’ve asked Apple for comment.
A move like this isn’t surprising. The Apple TV HD launched in 2015 and stayed at an official $149 even as later 4K models offered much more power for as little as $30 extra. Now that the 2022 Apple TV 4K starts at $129, there isn’t much point to keeping the legacy player around — certainly not when it uses an iPhone 6-era A8 chip that limits its theoretical capabilities.
There are catches. The new Apple TV 4K doesn’t include Ethernet or Thread support in the base 64GB model, so you’ll still have to pay $149 for the 128GB version if you want that connectivity. Also, this still leaves Apple without a truly low-cost living room media player. You’ll have to turn to competition like the Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max if you just want an alternative to your TV’s built-in features.
You are getting much more for that $149, though, including support for all the major HDR standards, a far brawnier processor and more storage. If nothing else, Apple is clarifying its focus — it’s staking out the high end of the market, and seems content to let rivals battle for the rest.
Source: Engadget – Apple stops selling the Apple TV HD
The Rest Of The Crysis Remastered Trilogy Is Hitting Steam Soon
Crysis: Remastered arrived on Steam last year, but the rest of the trilogy has remained on the Epic Games Store for PC players. Those of us wanting to smash up some aliens in a nanosuit while keeping to the Valve storefront won’t have to wait much longer. The remaining remastered sequels will hit Steam on November 17.
Source: Kotaku – The Rest Of The Crysis Remastered Trilogy Is Hitting Steam Soon
Install sysPass with Let’s Encrypt SSL on Ubuntu 22.04
sysPass is a free, open-source, and PHP-based password management tool. Learn how to install sysPass with Let’s Encrypt SSL on Ubuntu 22.04.
The post Install sysPass with Let’s Encrypt SSL on Ubuntu 22.04 appeared first on Linux Today.
Source: Linux Today – Install sysPass with Let’s Encrypt SSL on Ubuntu 22.04
The next Sims game is a cross-platform title dubbed 'Project Rene'
It has been eight years since EA released The Sims 4. While it seems there’s still plenty of life left yet in the game as it goes free-to-play, many fans have been wondering about the future of the series. During a showcase on Tuesday, the publisher and developer Maxis announced the next entry in the franchise, and offered a sneak peek into what’s ahead.
The next-gen Sims game is currently dubbed Project Rene. Maxis opted for that working title “to be reminiscent of words like renewal, renaissance and rebirth to represent the developer’s renewed commitment for The Sims’ bright future,” EA said in a press release.
Maxis is in the very early stages of building Project Rene, which probably won’t arrive for another few years. However, it did offer some details during the Behind the Sims Summit, including a look at more in-depth customization. You’ll be able to change the patterns, colors and shapes of objects, including various elements of each item. For instance, you could adjust the shape and size of a bed’s footboard or tweak the cushion layout and pattern on a couch. It seems that you’ll have more freedom over how to place objects without having to rely on the grid system that The Sims has long employed.
You’ll be able to play Project Rene by yourself or with your friends (there’s the option to share furniture sets, for instance). What’s more, it will be a cross-platform game with cross-progression, so you’ll be able to continue playing when you move to a different device. That’s also a possible hint that Project Rene is being eyed as a free-to-play-title.
EA/Maxis
EA said it was providing its earliest-ever look at a Sims game. As such, some of these planned features may change in the coming years, and there’s still a lot more to come. Maxis wants input from players as it develops Project Rene. As such, it’s taking a similar approach to sibling studio Full Circle, which has invited fans to try very early versions of the new Skate and offer feedback to help guide its work.
Elsewhere, the stream offered some details on updates for the current games. Maxis is working with Overwolf, which is behind mod repository CurseForge, to build a destination that The Sims 4 fans can visit to find trusted mods and player-created content for the game. More details on that will be revealed later this year.
Meanwhile, the next wave of expansion packs is coming in 2023. The showcase included a teaser related to infants, who may no longer be confined to cribs. One was shown crawling around before an adult picked them up.
Starting Tuesday, The Sims FreePlay will allow players to use all hairstyles, earrings and glasses on Sims of any gender. Maxis is upgrading characters’ faces as well as part of a drive to make the franchise more inclusive. The Sims FreePlay will also gain a superyacht that your Sims can live in early next year. As for The Sims Mobile, balconies will be available in the build and buy catalog sometime this holiday season.
EA/Maxis
Source: Engadget – The next Sims game is a cross-platform title dubbed ‘Project Rene’
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Falls To All Time Low Ahead Of RDNA 3 Launch
The red team is readying a launch of some brand-new GPUs based on the fresh-out-the-oven RDNA 3 architecture. There’s an event in about two weeks—on November 3rd—to announce the parts, which we expect to be broadly competitive with NVIDIA’s latest GPUs, the GeForce RTX 4090 and incoming RTX 4080 (now in just one flavor). The presence of new
Source: Hot Hardware – AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Falls To All Time Low Ahead Of RDNA 3 Launch
Divide And Conquer: How To Efficiently Tackle Overwatch 2's Season 1 Challenges
The first season of Overwatch 2 is underway, and if you can pull yourself away from all the drama, the clock is ticking on hitting all of your season challenges. While dailies and weeklies reset at their appropriate times, season-based challenges only come around once, so you don’t want to sleep on them.
Source: Kotaku – Divide And Conquer: How To Efficiently Tackle Overwatch 2’s Season 1 Challenges
How to Install ModSecurity 3 with Nginx on Ubuntu 22.04
ModSecurity is a free and open-source Web Application Firewall (WAF) that protects your website from several types of attacks, including cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, session hijacking, and many more. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install ModSecurity with Nginx on Ubuntu 22.04.
Source: LXer – How to Install ModSecurity 3 with Nginx on Ubuntu 22.04
Microsoft Promotes Its Open-Source Terminal To The Default For Windows 11 CLI Apps
As some interesting open-source news out of Microsoft today, their open-source Windows Termina that has been in development the past few years and providing many modern features is now the default beginning with Windows 11 22H2…
Source: Phoronix – Microsoft Promotes Its Open-Source Terminal To The Default For Windows 11 CLI Apps
FTC Wants To Add Right To Repair To Existing Energy Saving Rules
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced this week that it’s thinking about updating its energy labeling rules to require manufacturers to provide people with repair instructions. From a report: According to the press release on the FTC website, the commission wants to revise its energy-saving Energy Guide Rules, and is looking for public comment. “We look forward to hearing from the public on our initiative to reduce energy costs, promote competition, and strengthen repairability,” Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in the press release. “As prices rise, the Commission will continue to take aggressive action to protect consumers’ pocketbooks and strengthen their right to repair their own products.”
You’ve probably seen the yellow label on some appliances like your water heater or the back of your refrigerator. The FTC run program tells consumers how much energy the product uses in a year and what that might cost you. The proposed expansion would also make manufacturers share repair instructions with its customers. “Repairing a product instead of replacing it is one of the best ways to cut down the environmental impact of our appliances. Including repair requirements as part of the Energy Guide program is the right thing for the planet and important for consumers,” Nathan Proctor, PIRG’s Senior Right to Repair Campaign Director, said in a press release after the announcement.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – FTC Wants To Add Right To Repair To Existing Energy Saving Rules
Plenty of Fish Hopes Playing Games Will Attract Daters Back to Its App
You remember Plenty of Fish? You don’t? That’s okay. In a world of infinite Tinders and Hinges, Plenty of Fish has definitely slipped to the end of the list of go-to dating apps. In a bid to reinvent themselves, the company is looking to rebrand their efforts at playing Cupid by launching an in-app game tomorrow.
Source: Gizmodo – Plenty of Fish Hopes Playing Games Will Attract Daters Back to Its App
Beware the Costs of 'Lifestyle Creep'
Maybe you recently got that promotion (congrats!), or paid off a debt (super congrats!), or you’re finally seeing some returns on your investments. For whatever reason, you’re suddenly able to spend more money on daily luxuries. We’ve previously covered how many sources like to overstate the impact of small purchases,…
Source: LifeHacker – Beware the Costs of ‘Lifestyle Creep’
The New PS5 ‘Edge’ Controller Has Back Buttons and Costs $200
How much are you willing to spend for the ability to fine-tune the stick sensitivity and trigger dead zones—oh, and back buttons—on your PlayStation DualSense controller? I hope you just said “an extra $130,” because that’s how much it’s about to cost come next year.
Source: Gizmodo – The New PS5 ‘Edge’ Controller Has Back Buttons and Costs 0
Lenovo's Prototype Laptop Has a Growing Screen That Doubles in Height
To kick off its Tech World 2022 event today, Lenovo shared a video teasing a couple of prototype devices that leverage an OLED screen’s ability to roll up like a piece of paper, including an intriguing laptop that can transform to provide twice as much screen real estate on demand.
Source: Gizmodo – Lenovo’s Prototype Laptop Has a Growing Screen That Doubles in Height
Is Resident Evil 8 Suddenly Crashing On Your PC? It's Not Just You
It’s been well over a year since Resident Evil 8 Village was released. There have been a few small DLC content releases and plans for an additional story called Shadows of Rose. Capcom has also released a number of general updates and patches as any developer will do. Unfortunately, the latest patch issued on October 13, 2022 is crashing the
Source: Hot Hardware – Is Resident Evil 8 Suddenly Crashing On Your PC? It’s Not Just You
Apple Restores Russian Social Network Webmail Provider To App Store
Apple has restored Russian social network VKontatke and webmail provider Mail.Ru to the App Store, three weeks after removing them both for sanctions violations. From a report: The two services, home-grown versions of Facebook and Gmail with domestic market share to match, were removed from Apple’s platforms in late September, following a wave of British sanctions that targeted the financial organisations that own them. At the time of removal, Apple had said it was complying with the sanctions issued by the UK government.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Apple Restores Russian Social Network Webmail Provider To App Store
ISS Moves to New Orbit in Advance of Cargo Mission
All seven members of Expedition 68 are now aboard the International Space Station following the arrival of Crew-5 last week. A cargo mission to replenish supplies is expected next week, prompting a necessary orbital adjustment to receive the Russian space hauler.
Source: Gizmodo – ISS Moves to New Orbit in Advance of Cargo Mission