Sega will delist a bunch of its classic games from major storefronts next month

Sega is delisting a bunch of its classic games for modern devices. The company posted an FAQ on its website (via Eurogamer), breaking down the Sega Classics games each platform will lose next month. The collection includes some of the publisher’s golden oldies, like Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe and Altered Beast.

Over 60 Sega Classics games will be delisted on Steam, Xbox, Switch and PlayStation on December 7 at 2:59PM ET. In addition to the above-mentioned titles, departing ones include (among many others) Virtua Fighter 2, Streets of Rage, the Golden Axe trilogy, Ecco the Dolphin and the most ’90s game ever, Toejam and Earl.

The '90s game characters Toejam and Earl in front of a groovy '90s background (loud yellow and blue patterns).
Sega

The Sega Genesis Classics bundle will also be delisted on Switch and PlayStation on the same day. However, the FAQ notes that “select individual classic titles” will still be playable with a Switch Online membership. And if you own any outgoing games (or snag them before the cutoff date), they’ll remain playable in your library. But don’t expect any bug fixes or other software updates moving forward.

Sega hasn’t stated a reason for delisting the games. But it’s a strange choice, given that the company is rebooting Crazy Taxi (as a multiplayer AAA game), Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. Keeping their nostalgic forerunners available to spark memories for older players and introduce the franchises to younger gamers seems like a marketing opportunity that would have outweighed the potential confusion of listing multiple games with similar or identical titles.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sega-will-delist-a-bunch-of-its-classic-games-from-major-storefronts-next-month-172823328.html?src=rss

Sega will delist a bunch of its classic games from major storefronts next month

Sega is delisting a bunch of its classic games for modern devices. The company posted an FAQ on its website (via Eurogamer), breaking down the Sega Classics games each platform will lose next month. The collection includes some of the publisher’s golden oldies, like Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe and Altered Beast.

Over 60 Sega Classics games will be delisted on Steam, Xbox, Switch and PlayStation on December 7 at 2:59PM ET. In addition to the above-mentioned titles, departing ones include (among many others) Virtua Fighter 2, Streets of Rage, the Golden Axe trilogy, Ecco the Dolphin and the most ’90s game ever, Toejam and Earl.

The '90s game characters Toejam and Earl in front of a groovy '90s background (loud yellow and blue patterns).
Sega

The Sega Genesis Classics bundle will also be delisted on Switch and PlayStation on the same day. However, the FAQ notes that “select individual classic titles” will still be playable with a Switch Online membership. And if you own any outgoing games (or snag them before the cutoff date), they’ll remain playable in your library. But don’t expect any bug fixes or other software updates moving forward.

Sega hasn’t stated a reason for delisting the games. But it’s a strange choice, given that the company is rebooting Crazy Taxi (as a multiplayer AAA game), Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. Keeping their nostalgic forerunners available to spark memories for older players and introduce the franchises to younger gamers seems like a marketing opportunity that would have outweighed the potential confusion of listing multiple games with similar or identical titles.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sega-will-delist-a-bunch-of-its-classic-games-from-major-storefronts-next-month-172823328.html?src=rss

Matter’s latest version will try to smooth out the smart home platform’s rough edges

The latest version of Matter, the open smart home standard that largely hasn’t yet lived up to its lofty promises for seamless device-agnostic integration, is now available. Hardware makers and platforms can integrate Matter 1.4 into their products on Thursday. The new version’s biggest feature may be Enhanced Multi-Admin, which aims to improve interoperability between different device ecosystems.

The Connectivity Standards Alliance, which manages Matter, describes version 1.4 as “a significant step forward in the Matter ecosystem.” It says the update resulted from the coalition’s hundreds of member companies (including Apple, Amazon, Google and Samsung) working with thousands of engineers and product experts. Given the platform’s struggles to deliver on its promise of a smooth and headache-free smart home, it could use all the help it can get.

One of the new highlights, Enhanced Multi-Admin, strives for less setup when connecting to multiple ecosystems (like Apple HomeKit, Google Home or Alexa). Matter 1.4 only requires user consent once. After that (at least in theory), new and existing devices will connect to multiple ecosystems without making you approve the same device for each additional platform. If hardware manufacturers implement the feature without issues (again, a big ask based on Matter’s rocky first two years), this could improve on a big pain point and move the platform’s big promises of seamless integration closer to reality.

The update also opens the door to Matter-certified routers and access points that securely store your Thread protocol credentials. The Alliance says the networking hardware will “provide the foundational infrastructure of smart homes by combining both a Wi-Fi access point and a Thread Border Router, ensuring these ubiquitous devices have the necessary infrastructure for Matter products using either of these technologies.”

Following the addition of basic energy management features in version 1.3, Matter 1.4 expands on that with support for new device types. Solar panels, batteries (including battery walls, storage units and Battery Energy Storage Systems), heat pumps and water heaters can now work with the standard. In addition, it now covers Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). So, EV owners can use the management features to specify when they want their car to be charged, choosing times based on convenience or cost.

Matter 1.4 also adds protocols to lengthen battery life for low-powered devices like switches, buttons and sensors that only connect intermittently. More flexible automation options for products like in-wall switches that control lights, fans and other non-smart appliances are also on the menu. This addresses yet another pain point in previous versions, which treated all of these device types as “lights.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/matters-latest-version-will-try-to-smooth-out-the-smart-home-platforms-rough-edges-130003372.html?src=rss

OpenAI bought the web domain Chat.com

OpenAI has scooped up a domain name that sounds like a logical fit. TechCrunch reports that Chat.com, which was previously bought for over $15 million, is now in the hands of the ChatGPT maker.

According to the domain history website who.is, Chat.com was first registered way back in September 1996. Before OpenAI’s acquisition, it last changed hands in 2023, when HubSpot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah reportedly bought it for $15.5 million. We can speculate that the executive saw the burgeoning AI chatbot industry and the concise term’s potential for a big return. It was reportedly one of the top two publicly reported domain sales ever.

OpenAI hasn’t said how much it paid for Chat.com, but it confirmed with TechCrunch that it bought the domain. And if you’re expecting drastic changes from OpenAI’s chatbot, the move isn’t likely tied to a ChatGPT rebrand. Regardless, the domain now redirects to the world-changing AI tool.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-bought-the-web-domain-chatcom-213638986.html?src=rss

Early Black Friday deal takes $1,300 off the LG C4 OLED

Amazon has a deal on one of LG’s premium OLED TVs ahead of Black Friday. The 65-inch LG OLED evo C4, which only arrived earlier this year, typically costs $2,700. Today, you can get it for an all-time low of $1,394. That’s even lower than its October Prime Day sale price.

Although the C4 skips out on some bells and whistles of the ultra-premium LG G4 flagship TV, that model starts at $2,600 and goes all the way up to $25,000. (Cue spit take.)

The LG C4 includes AI features, thanks to its Alpha 9 Gen 7 chip. That enables AI Super Upscaling, which enhances your picture quality on the fly. Meanwhile, Multi View lets you split your screen into two, letting you plop your favorite content on each side.

Even if AI features aren’t high on your priority list, the TV has plenty of presentational perks. The 65-inch display has over eight million self-lit pixels and all the quality improvements you’d expect from OLED, like deeper blacks and richer colors. The TV has 100 percent color volume (meaning it can display the full range of colors at any brightness level) and 100 percent color fidelity (content-accurate colors). It boasts a 0.1ms response time and up to a 144Hz refresh rate for high gaming frame rates.

The TV gets brighter than its predecessor, reaching nearly nearly 1,000 nits. Its brightness booster feature magnifies individual pixels. If you have an LG soundbar, you can transmit wireless, lossless Dolby Atmos audio from the TV to it. As Engadget’s Steve Dent summarized at launch, that feature can give you high-quality surround sound with less hassle.

The TV supports Alexa out of the box if your smart home is plugged into Amazon’s ecosystem. Its array of ports includes USB, Ethernet and four HDMI inputs.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/early-black-friday-deal-takes-1300-off-the-lg-c4-oled-191840056.html?src=rss

Canadian police arrest alleged hacker behind cyberattacks that compromised ‘nearly all’ AT&T accounts

A man allegedly behind a series of corporate cyberattacks is reportedly in custody in Canada. Bloomberg reported on Monday that the suspect, 26-year-old Alexander “Connor” Moucka, was apprehended by authorities on a provisional arrest warrant on October 30, following a request from the US. The hacks targeted corporate customers of Snowflake, a cloud data partner of AT&T, Live Nation and others.

The hacks targeted over 100 organizations, leading to millions of users’ personal data theft. In addition to AT&T and Ticketmaster, that list included Lending Tree, Advance Auto Parts and Neiman Marcus. AT&T declined to comment for this story. We also contacted Live Nation but haven’t heard back. (We’ll update this story if we do.)

Krebs on Security reported on Tuesday that Moucka is named in multiple sealed indictments from US prosecutors and federal law enforcement agencies. The suspect allegedly nabbed stolen credentials from cybercriminal forums (and similar places), betting that customers had reused the same credentials elsewhere. He is said to have then used those logins to access the accounts of Snowflake’s corporate clients and extort them, threatening to sell the data on criminal forums if they didn’t pay. AT&T reportedly paid the hacker a $370,000 ransom to delete the records.

Krebs says the online handles Moucka used corresponded to those of a “prolific cybercriminal” sitting at the intersection of “Western, English-speaking cybercriminals and extremist groups that harass and extort minors into harming themselves or others.” The report claims Moucka was part of a hacking group called “UNC5537” that also included an “elusive” American, John Erin Binns, currently in Turkey. Binns was behind a 2021 T-Mobile hack that affected at least 76.6 million customers.

Snowflake pointed fingers at its corporate clients for failing to set up multi-factor authentication. “We have a broader challenge in the security community and enterprises that a lot of people aren’t nailing the basics,” Snowflake’s Chief Information Security Officer Brad Jones told Bloomberg. But Snowflake’s apparent failure to require two-factor security sits on equal ground with its customers’ decisions not to set it up — especially with millions of customers’ information on the line.

Why did AT&T and other companies entrust Snowflake with so much customer data? The wireless carrier hasn’t said. Snowflake offers cloud-based data analysis services. In July, AT&T said that “nearly all” of its customers were affected by the hack, suggesting that almost all of its subscribers were potentially having their data analyzed by a cloud partner of its wireless carrier. A total of 110 million AT&T customers were said to be affected.

Fortunately, AT&T said the breach didn’t contain the contents of calls or texts. However, it included the phone numbers each account interacted with and a tally of each customer’s calls, texts, and call durations. It also contained cell site identification numbers. Cybersecurity expert Javvad Malik told Engadget this summer that the latter could “potentially allow for the triangulation of users’ locations.” 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/canadian-police-arrest-alleged-hacker-behind-cyberattacks-that-compromised-nearly-all-att-accounts-181838471.html?src=rss

Greg Hildebrandt, iconic Star Wars and Lord of the Rings artist, has died at 85

One of fantasy and sci-fi’s all-time greats has passed away. Artist Greg Hildebrandt, known for his iconic work on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel and Magic: The Gathering, died on Thursday at 85. He and his twin brother Tim, who died in 2006, were a powerhouse duo — the Brothers Hildebrandt — until they decided to pursue solo careers in 1981.

The duo was perhaps best known for their “Style B” poster (above) for the original Star Wars in 1977. Released in the UK (Tom Jung’s “Style A” was the original US poster), the art shows Luke Skywalker heroically hoisting his lightsaber high above his head like King Arthur wielded Excalibur. He’s flanked by a blaster-toting Princess Leia, with C-3PO and R2-D2 looking on from behind. Darth Vader’s imposing mask peers down on them in the background among a sea of stars, the Death Star and starfighters.

As for Luke and Leia’s noteworthy lack of resemblance to Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, neither the Brothers Hildebrandt nor Jung had access to the actors’ photos. So, they made do with generic hero images that could have been ripped from 1970s fantasy book covers. (Still rad, if not screen-accurate.) The Hildebrandt poster was used in the UK until January 1978, when it was replaced by Tom Chantrell’s “Style C” poster, which depicted the actual cast.

Greg Hildebrandt in a snazzy black hat, which he’s pulling on while looking into the camera with his best sexy face.
Greg Hildebrandt / X

The brothers were also strongly associated with a series of The Lord of the Rings calendars. Decades before Peter Jackson brought the films to live action (and even before the 1978 animated version), their art — which drew on their influence from classic Disney films — was the most prominent visualization of Tolkien’s epic for many a 1970s fantasy reader.

Among Hildebrandt’s many other projects were comics for Marvel and DC, illustrations for Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering and Harry Potter), magazines Omni, Heavy Metal and Amazing Stories, album art for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Black Sabbath and a long list of book covers.

Hildebrandt also fought for freedom with his artistic gifts. After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he contributed illustrations for Operation USA’s benefit anthology comic book series. Profits were donated to Ukrainian refugee relief efforts. Explaining his decision, he wrote, “Any project that I can lend my art to that will thwart Putin is a project I will join with all my heart, soul and mind.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/greg-hildebrandt-iconic-star-wars-and-lord-of-the-rings-artist-has-died-at-85-193026772.html?src=rss

Polestar delivers the first US-made Polestar 3 EVs

The first American-made Polestar EVs are now on the road. The Swedish automaker said on Friday it delivered the first Polestar 3 SUVs to US and Canadian customers. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Biden in 2022, incentivizes automakers to manufacture EVs in the US, offering tax credits for companies and buyers.

Polestar began stateside Polestar 3 production in August at its Ridgeville, South Carolina plant. Those vehicles will serve North American and European markets, complementing the company’s more established production in Chengdu, China.

The Polestar 3 electric SUV sitting by a lake.
Tim Stevens for Engadget

The automaker says American and Canadian Polestar 3 deliveries will pick up steam in the coming weeks. You can take one for a spin if you live near one of the automaker’s Polestar Spaces, essentially brand-building fancy showrooms in or near major US cities.

The Polestar 3 is billed as the company’s coming-out party, expanding the niche reach of the first two models to a more mainstream audience. Engadget’s Tim Stevens tested the EV last month and found that, apart from a few early software glitches, the $73,400 and up SUV is “great.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/polestar-delivers-the-first-us-made-polestar-3-evs-180002236.html?src=rss

Polestar delivers the first US-made Polestar 3 EVs

The first American-made Polestar EVs are now on the road. The Swedish automaker said on Friday it delivered the first Polestar 3 SUVs to US and Canadian customers. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Biden in 2022, incentivizes automakers to manufacture EVs in the US, offering tax credits for companies and buyers.

Polestar began stateside Polestar 3 production in August at its Ridgeville, South Carolina plant. Those vehicles will serve North American and European markets, complementing the company’s more established production in Chengdu, China.

The Polestar 3 electric SUV sitting by a lake.
Tim Stevens for Engadget

The automaker says American and Canadian Polestar 3 deliveries will pick up steam in the coming weeks. You can take one for a spin if you live near one of the automaker’s Polestar Spaces, essentially brand-building fancy showrooms in or near major US cities.

The Polestar 3 is billed as the company’s coming-out party, expanding the niche reach of the first two models to a more mainstream audience. Engadget’s Tim Stevens tested the EV last month and found that, apart from a few early software glitches, the $73,400 and up SUV is “great.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/polestar-delivers-the-first-us-made-polestar-3-evs-180002236.html?src=rss

Blink multi-camera systems are up to $380 off ahead of Black Friday

Black Friday may be 28 days away, but with the shopping holiday unofficially ballooning to the entire month of November, you can already save big on one of our favorite smart home gadgets. Amazon (Blink’s owner) has a bundle of eight Blink Outdoor 4 cameras on sale for $380 off. The security camera usually costs $99 for one, and the bundle typically costs $630. You can get eight today for a mere $250 or six for $180.

The Blink Outdoor 4 is only a little over a year old. Compared to its predecessor, the fourth-gen camera has a wider field of view (143 degrees, up from 110), sharper day and night image quality and improved motion detection. Despite its name, you can use it indoors, too.

If you pay for a Blink subscription, you also get person detection. It lets you set it up to only get notifications when an intruder is in your yard, not a squirrel or neighborhood cat. The plans cost $3 monthly or $30 annually for one device. If you get the higher “Plus” tier, which supports unlimited cameras, you’ll pay $10 monthly or $100 for a year. You can try the plan for 30 days before paying. But remember, the subscription is optional and only required for person detection and storing recorded videos in the cloud.

The Blink Outdoor 4 supports 1080p live view, infrared night vision and two-way audio. You can also control it with your voice if you have Alexa devices in your home. Blink estimates the camera will last for up to two years with its included AA lithium batteries.

The Blink Outdoor 4 security camera mounted on an outdoor picket fence.
Blink

If eight cameras are more than you need, you can also save on a bundle of six Blink Outdoor 4 cameras. Typically costing $480, the early Black Friday deal shaves off $300, leaving you only to pay $180.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blink-multi-camera-systems-are-up-to-380-off-ahead-of-black-friday-161047669.html?src=rss