Tag Archives: author_name|Richard Lai

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut for Mac and iPhone delayed to early 2024

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If you were hoping to play Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding: Director's Cut on a Mac, iPhone or iPad before the year ends, I'm afraid you'll now have to wait a bit longer. 505 Games, the publisher behind this port, announced on X that it needs "a little more time," and that it will have "a new release date in early 2024." Specifically, the Mac App Store now lists January 31, 2024 as the expected date for this post-apocalypse package delivery simulator, which is available for pre-ordering for $40. 

While the game itself is from 2019 (with the director's cut released in 2021), Apple appears to be keen on leveraging such heavyweight titles to show off its own processors — M1 or later — and 3D graphics capabilities. If you prefer mobile, though, you're limited to the iPhone 15 Pro line with their A17 Pro chip. Much like the PlayStation versions, this Apple flavor will also feature cross-over content from Cyberpunk 2077 and Half-Life.

Back in June, Kojima said his future games will also be available on the Apple platform, though it's not clear if that includes Death Stranding 2. More recently, the gaming legend announced that the title will be adapted into a movie, with help from studio A24. "There are a lot of 'game adaptation films' out there but what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game," Kojima promised.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/death-stranding-directors-cut-for-mac-and-iphone-are-delayed-to-early-2024-045956107.html?src=rss

Volkswagen is returning to physical buttons instead of touch controls

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It may seem like blasphemy for an Engadget writer to diss touch controls, but as the demise of the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar has proven, those aren't always a good idea — especially on cars. As spotted by Autocar at Volkswagen City Studio in Copenhagen, the ID. 2all concept electric car now features a slightly updated interior, with the most notable change being the return of physical buttons below the central touchscreen. According to the brand's interior designer Darius Watola, this will be "a new approach for all models" based on "recent feedback from customers" — especially those in Europe who wanted "more physical buttons."

In Autocar's Tiguan launch interview back in June, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer already acknowledged customers' criticism on the over-reliance on touch controls — namely on the Golf Mk8 and ID.3, not to mention the same trend across the motor industry. The exec went as far as saying the earlier touch-heavy approach — endorsed by his predecessor, Herbert Diess — "definitely did a lot of damage" in terms of customer loyalty.

The ID. 2all is based on Volkswagen's updated MEB Entry platform, and packs a 223HP motor that can go up to 62MPH in under seven seconds. As far as range goes, this car can apparently travel up to 280 miles on a single charge, but that's with the larger and more advanced 56kWh battery instead of the base 38kWh version. Expect this concept electric vehicle to cost under €25,000 (around $27,300), when it arrives as a production model in Europe in 2025. The company also recently teased the ID. 2all SUV, which is described as "the brother of the ID. 2all," but it won't be out until 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/volkswagen-drivers-want-more-physical-buttons-instead-of-touch-controls-044931087.html?src=rss

An electric car completed the world’s first-ever drive from the North to the South Pole

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Earlier today, Scottish adventurers Chris and Julie Ramsey were finally able to announce their completion of the nine-month, 17,000-mile "Pole To Pole EV" expedition, the world's first drive from the 1823 Magnetic North Pole to South Pole — on an electric car, no less. The couple actually reached their destination on December 15 (Friday), but they could only share the news after re-establishing satellite connection later. This feat was achieved using a Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE electric vehicle, which was modified by Icelandic specialist Arctic Trucks — mainly with larger 39-inch tires plus matching wheel arches, along with some ice-friendly gear and body reinforcement work. The powertrain and suspension were mostly stock — just with a lifted height, according to Electrek.

All that extra load on the electric vehicle meant it had to make do with a reduced range of just 150 to 200 miles — a drop from the original 272-mile mark. During the Arctic and Antarctic parts of the trip, the Ramseys picked up tricks on keeping the car battery warm for improved efficiency. Most notably, they would pile up a snow wall to shield the car's underside and front radiator from the cold wind, or they would even use a dedicated tent to cover up the entire car, when it wasn't not too windy. 

Depending on the weather, the duo would use either a 5kW wind turbine or a prototype solar hybrid charging solution to juice up their Ariya. Failing that, there were moments when they had to fall back to their petrol generator — a mandatory equipment for traversing the Arctic regions. Likewise with their diesel support vehicles, as no electric version of those exist. Chris explained to Expedition Portal that the purpose of "Pole To Pole EV" is to prove that electric vehicles make a viable replacement for existing diesel-powered expedition vehicles in the polar regions.

In between the poles, the Ramseys traveled through the Americas, with the northern part being relatively easy thanks to the readily-available chargers along the way. It was a different story down south, but "Pole To Pole EV" collaborated with EV charging solutions provider, Enel X Way, to install chargers along their route through Central and South America — especially the Peru leg of the expedition. Better yet, Enel X Way has promised to keep these new chargers available to the public afterwards, thus extending its electric Pan-American charging corridor.

This isn't the first time Chris and Julie Ramsey made headlines involving electric vehicles. Back in 2017, the Scottish couple became the first to enter and complete the Mongol Rally in an electric car — a modified Nissan Leaf Acenta. Charging was relatively easy between the UK and Turkey, but from there onwards, they had to rely on domestic plug sockets and would end up with many memorable encounters with locals. The two drove 10,000 miles in 56 days — quite a challenge given the modified Leaf's 90-mile range. "But we are pleased that a huge charging network has sprung up across the route since we completed the rally in 2017," Chris added, in case anyone else is up for the EV challenge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/an-electric-car-completed-the-worlds-first-ever-drive-from-the-north-to-the-south-pole-073155506.html?src=rss

Elon Musk will have to testify in the SEC’s Twitter probe after all

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Despite Elon Musk's earlier attempts to avoid further testifying for the Twitter-takeover investigation, his luck appears to have run out. Reuters reported that in a San Francisco hearing on Thursday, a federal judge shot down Musk's attorney's challenge on whether the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officials had the power to issue subpoenas, thus ruling that the exec must therefore comply with the regulator and appear for testimony. US Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler was quoted saying, "you've got one more four-hour deposition, one more day of depositions to survive and it's over." Failing that, the judge would have to issue an order.

The SEC's ongoing probe dives into Musk’s late disclosure of his stake in Twitter — a publicly-traded company back then — which went against the requirements of US securities law. This 10-day delay on the paperwork, along with some potentially misleading information within, may have earned the exec as much as $156 million, according to The Washington Post. Former Twitter shareholders also filed a class-action lawsuit against Musk over his controversial $44 billion takeover of the social media platform, which has since been renamed X.

While it's unlikely that Musk can skip future testimonies for this case, he would be better off heeding Beeler's advice, regardless. "It seems unlikely there’s going to be any more hassle," the judge added, should the world's richest man "work it out" with the SEC. Whether that would help his case is a whole different matter, of course.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/elon-musk-will-have-to-testify-in-secs-twitter-probe-after-all-050742127.html?src=rss

Google Chrome’s third-party cookie phaseout begins on January 4

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It's finally time. Google already announced that as part of its ongoing "Privacy Sandbox" initiative, it'll begin to restrict third-party cookies in Chrome starting in Q1 2024, and now, we have the exact launch date: January 4. At first, only a random one percent of Chrome users globally will see "Tracking Protection" enabled in their browser, meaning third-party cookies will be blocked by default. If you happen to be one of these lucky folks, you'll see a prompt on the address bar indicating as such, thus limiting cross-site tracking in the name of privacy.

Assuming everything goes smoothly, Google will then gradually ramp up the rollout to 100 percent of Chrome users by the second half of 2024. Of course, hiccups are expected during this transitional period. Should you find yourself repeatedly loading a website to no avail, Chrome will let you temporarily re-enable third-party cookies. Simply click on the eye icon on the right side of the address bar to toggle this aging feature.

According to StatCounter's November 2023 report, Google's Chrome took up 62.85 percent of the worldwide browser market share, with Apple's Safari in second place at 20.04 percent, and Microsoft's Edge in third place at a mere 5.5 percent. Considering that there are billions of Chrome users today, it is perhaps fair for Google to call the initial one-percent rollout "a key milestone" for its "responsible approach to phasing out third-party cookies."

That said, Google may still face some final hurdles set by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, as well as similar administrations from other countries, which are looking into minimizing the impact on their local ad businesses.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-chromes-third-party-cookie-phaseout-begins-on-january-4-140051834.html?src=rss

Apple now needs a judge’s order to hand over push notification records

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Following the revelation that our mobile push notification records can be handed over to law enforcements, Apple put the blame on the Department of Justice (DOJ) for preventing tech companies from revealing such process. At the same time, the company updated its Legal Process Guidelines document to state that "a subpoena or greater legal process" was required to obtain the relevant records. However, Reuters spotted that a week later, Apple quietly tweaked this particular line to match Google's stricter policy on this matter:

"The Apple ID associated with a registered APNs token and associated records may be obtained with an order under 18 U.S.C. §2703(d) or a search warrant."

In other words, law enforcement will now need a judge's consent in order to obtain push notification data from Apple — as is the case with Google all this time, according to a statement provided to Reuters. Engadget reached out to Apple, but it refused to comment on the updated guidelines.

The "push notification spying" concerns were originally brought to light by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden who, in an open letter to the DOJ, claimed that foreign governments have been demanding Google and Apple to provide push notification records. Given how push notifications go through these companies' servers, the senator is worried that "Apple and Google are in a unique position to facilitate government surveillance of how users are using particular apps."

Wyden then addressed the elephant in the room, by arguing that these two tech giants "should be permitted to be transparent about the legal demands they receive, particularly from foreign governments." Apple's response regarding the DOJ's suppression appears to align with the senator's claims, but it's unclear whether the department will take action on both tech companies' stepped-up transparency on push notification surveillance.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-now-needs-a-judges-order-to-hand-over-push-notification-records-052710429.html?src=rss

Snapchat+ subscribers can now use AI to generate or extend images within the app

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Generative AI is nothing new for Snapchat users, with the app's "My AI" suite offering the likes of a free ChatGPT-powered chatbot, as well as the freemium AI-generated "Dreams" selfie effects, Bitmoji backgrounds and more. In the latest update, Snapchat+ subscribers can now leverage AI to extend images — or "zoom out" — at the click of a button, thus making the social media app even more practical. Say you have a snapshot of your pet but it's a little too close, just click on the crop button on the right menu, and then hit the "Extend" button at the bottom. Voilà!

The updated My AI also lets subscribers directly generate Snaps by typing a simple prompt. In the viewfinder, click the "AI" button on the right, then type in whatever you desire (within reason, of course), and shortly, you'll have an image to tinker with before sharing. Snap suggests you try silly prompts like "a dog sleeping on a rocket" or "a planet made out of cheese."

Last but not least, the aforementioned Dreams feature now lets you generate fantastical portraits with friends in them. On the Dreams page, simply pick a friend, hit "Done," and then you'll be able to share the generated portrait of you both. Like before, Snapchat+ subscribers are given one pack of eight Dreams selfies every month, whereas non-subscribers only get one pack as a free trial, before they consider signing up for the $4-a-month service. Regardless, all users can buy more for $0.99 per pack.

Snap's ongoing AI efforts seem to be paying off, with its number of subscribers rocketing from five million in September to seven million today — getting one step closer to the ten million "medium-term goal" set by CEO Evan Spiegel back in April, as reported by Time Magazine. Of course, given the fierce competition like Meta which offers similar features for free, Snap will have to keep churning out new AI-powered tools to keep its platform fun and fresh.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/snapchat-subscribers-can-now-use-ai-to-generate-or-extend-images-within-the-app-060003554.html?src=rss

How to get a refund for The Day Before, the game that got canned in just four days

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The Day Before was a much-hyped zombie shooter game which, after multiple delays, launched on Steam on December 7th, only to be widely criticized for failing to deliver an MMO as advertised. It was criticized for its bugginess, lack of originality and seemingly intentional slow in-game progress. Four days later, Fntastic, the studio behind this controversial title, abruptly announced its closure as this $40 game "has failed financially," despite having apparently sold over 200,000 copies before refunds, according to PC Gamer. 

"We did everything within our power, but unfortunately, we miscalculated our capabilities," added Fntastic, which has since removed all of its over-promising trailers from its YouTube channel.

Gamers who paid for the disastrous early access are understandably livid. Fortunately, Steam does offer a two-week window for refund requests, so long as the game has only been played for less than two hours. Even if you, for some reason, have already played The Day Before for more than two hours, it's likely that Steam will still honor your refund, as suggested by an announcement from publisher Mytona. A handful of comments also seem to confirm that those players were able to get their refunds, despite having worked their way through the disappointing title for over two hours. 

Head over to Steam Help, go to "Purchases," click on The Day Before, then under the "What problem are you having with this product?" section, pick whatever reason you deem suitable (probably "Gameplay or technical issue," in this case) to proceed with your refund request. Good luck.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-get-a-refund-for-the-day-before-the-game-that-got-canned-in-just-four-days-045153224.html?src=rss

How to get a refund for The Day Before, the game that got canned in just four days

Posted on by

The Day Before was a much-hyped zombie shooter game which, after multiple delays, launched on Steam on December 7th, only to be widely criticized for failing to deliver an MMO (massively multiplayer online) experience as advertised, let alone its bugginess, lack of originality and seemingly intentional slow in-game progress. Four days later, Fntastic, the studio behind this controversial title, abruptly announced its closure as this $40 game "has failed financially," despite having apparently sold over 200,000 copies before refunds, according to PC Gamer. 

"We did everything within our power, but unfortunately, we miscalculated our capabilities," added Fntastic, which has since removed all of its over-promising trailers from its YouTube channel.

Gamers who paid for the disastrous early access are understandably livid. Fortunately, Steam does offer a two-week window for refund requests, so long as the game has only been played for less than two hours. Even if you, for some reason, have already played The Day Before for more than two hours, it's likely that Steam will still honor your refund, as suggested by an announcement from publisher Mytona. A handful of comments also seem to confirm that those players were able to get their refunds, despite having worked their way through the disappointing title for over two hours. 

Head over to Steam Help, go to "Purchases," click on The Day Before, then under the "What problem are you having with this product?" section, pick whatever reason you deem suitable (probably "Gameplay or technical issue," in this case) to proceed with your refund request. Good luck.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-get-a-refund-for-the-day-before-the-game-that-got-canned-in-just-four-days-045153224.html?src=rss

Feast your eyes on this PS1-themed PlayStation 5

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Remember the 20th anniversary limited edition PlayStation 4? No, I didn't get one, either. But what if Sony were to port that same sweet retro look from the PS1 to the PS5? Look no further than the farewell gift which SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment) President and CEO Jim Ryan — who is retiring in March 2024 — received yesterday.

In a photo posted by Yuichi Haga, the Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Lead at SIE, the "one of a kind" PS5 console — not the slim model — was customized with the PS1's retro gray finish, along with the classic quad-color "PS" logo. Even the DualSense controller was given a DualShock 1 makeover, complete with a cable and a cute plug cover that goes over the PS5's front USB-C port. Ryan's team went the extra mile to make a special packaging design — one that pays homage to the PS1's box art.

At yesterday's thank-you party, the outgoing PlayStation boss was honored by many industry legends, including the "father of PlayStation" Ken Kutaragi, Gran Turismo's Kazunori Yamauchi, Team Asobi's Nicolas Doucet and, of course, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida. PlayStation's BAFTA-winning indies lead, Shuhei Yoshida, was notably absent as he had to attend The Game Awards (while nabbing the "Games for Impact" award on behalf of Awaceb, the developer behind indie title, Tchia).

It's unclear as to whether us mere mortals will get to own a version of this special edition PS5, but considering that it'll be PlayStation's 30th anniversary next year, perhaps Sony will consider making one for the PS5 Slim then?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/feast-your-eyes-on-this-ps1-themed-playstation-5-080926381.html?src=rss