Tag Archives: author_name|Danny Gallagher

Scrub down Shrek’s world in PowerWash Simulator

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There are a ton of Shrek movies but not one of them have ever answered this question: Who cleans up the mess when the ogre and his various fairytale villains are done fighting? Square Enix’s PowerWash Simulator finally has an answer.

Dreamworks and Square Enix have teamed up to create the Shrek Special Pack DLC for PowerWash Simulator available now on all consoles and PC. The new pack adds a bunch of scenarios from the iconic animated films and some new armor and tools to help you scrub down the many layers of crud that have accumulated over Shrek’s world.

The new DLC pack comes with 5 new locations that need a good power washing. They include Shrek’s home swamp, the town of Duloc complete with that adorable wind-up information booth, the Fairy Godmother’s potion factory, the dragon’s lair and Hansel’s delectable Honeymoon Hideaway with the Shreks’ onion wedding carriage.

The Shrek Special Pack also offers a new campaign mode that takes you through the new scenes and grants you a new set of knight themed power washing armor and hoses. You’ll also receive messages from “some familiar faces,” maybe even the Muffin Man. (The Muffin Man!) Yes, the Muffin Man! (Actually, you probably won’t. He’s not really an ancillary character in the Shrek universe outside of the nursery rhyme reference from the first movie.)

One of the great things about PowerWash Simulator is just how crazy they’ve gone with the DLC packs. Square Enix has also developed special cleaning scenarios based on Back to the Future, Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy. The developers have been working on so many things to clean up that they’ve accidentally lost track of one and released it to players on Steam.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/scrub-down-shreks-world-in-powerwash-simulator-232032583.html?src=rss

Data breach of Fidelity leaks 77,000 customers’ personal data

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Another breach of a huge financial institution has leaked the personal information of thousands of customers to the public. TechCrunch reported that an unidentified hacker obtained 77,009 customers’ personal data from the asset management firm Fidelity Investments.

A filing by Maine’s attorney general posted yesterday revealed that the unidentified third party obtained the information in mid-August using two phony customer accounts. It’s not yet known how these accounts were used to access customer data. Fidelity said in a letter to its customers that it discovered the breach on August 19. The letter also said that the unidentified party did not access customers’ Fidelity accounts but after Fidelity completed its review, it confirmed that customers’ personal data had been breached.

The New Hampshire attorney general’s office filed a second data breach notice yesterday revealing another “data security incident” of Fidelity Investments’ customer data. The notice says the unauthorized third party obtained access to “an internal database that houses images of documents pertaining to Fidelity customers” by submitting fake requests for access also on August 19. The second data breach did not provide unwanted access to any customer accounts or funds and the leaked information only “related to a small subset of Fidelity’s customers.”

If you believe your data has been obtained by unwanted parties or is part of a data leak, the Federal Trade Commission recommends putting a freeze and fraud alerts on your credit reports and personal bank and credit card accounts. You can also report any identity theft incidents at IdentityTheft.gov or by calling 1-877-438-4338.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/data-breach-of-fidelity-leaks-77000-customers-personal-data-214248985.html?src=rss

Porsche recalls more than 27,000 Taycan EVs

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If you own a Porsche Taycan, you might plan on making a trip to the dealership. The Verge reported that recalls have been issued due to a short circuiting risk in one of the battery’s cell block modules. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a safety recall for more than 27,000 of the Porsche EVs. The recall affects “certain” Taycan vehicles released from 2021-2024. Notices will be issued to owners by the end of November.

Porsche hasn’t been able to pinpoint exactly which cars in the Taycan fleet have the hazard. In order to determine which cars need fixing, Porsche is advising owners of Taycans made between October 21, 2019 and February 1, 2024 to bring their car to a dealership where crews can monitor the battery with diagnostic software. Porsche is also advising its Taycan owners to only charge the vehicle’s battery up to 80 percent until dealership mechanics can determine if the battery needs to be replaced.

If this problem sounds familiar, it’s because it’s one of the chief causes for the downfall of Chevrolet’s EV, the Chevy Bolt. The electric car went through a similar recall in 2021 due to a fire risk with the battery.

Chevy had to replace the batteries in Bolts made between 2017 and 2019 at a cost of $1.8 billion. The battery issues led to Chevy discontinuing the EV line and a class-action settlement that netted owners of the 2020-2022 Bolt EVs and EUVs a $1,400 settlement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/porsche-recalls-more-than-27000-taycan-evs-192335438.html?src=rss

Lyft promises upfront hourly rates and traffic delay pay for its drivers

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Contract employees of ride sharing apps and services aren’t known for having the steadiest or even sanest of pay rates. Lyft just announced some new earnings improvements for its drivers that will help cover their expenses when rides take longer than they should and show them how much they’ll earn before they pick up a fare.

Lyft announced the new driver earnings improvements on its official blog. The new earnings improvements aim to “tackle drivers’ biggest frustrations, and make it more rewarding” for Lyft drivers.

One of the biggest improvements affects how drivers are paid if they are stuck in traffic or go out of their way to help a rider. Lyft is implementing a new “5-minute-delay pay” structure that will increase a driver’s pay if any ride takes five minutes longer than expected. “Out-of-your-way pay” covers drivers who have to drive out of the normal coverage area only to turn around and drive all the way back without any fares.

Lyft is also implementing a new earnings dashboard on the mobile app for drivers. The new interface will also show drivers’ daily, weekly and yearly earnings and the estimated hourly rate for each ride “so drivers don’t have to make the mental calculation,” according to the post.

Drivers who drive electric vehicles for Lyft are also seeing some new benefits. EV drivers can choose only to receive rides that fall within their vehicle’s battery range and find nearby charging stations on the Lyft drivers app.

Of course, these new policies and changes won’t solve Lyft drivers’ problems overnight. It’ll take time to see if they make a dent (the good kind of dent).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/lyft-promises-upfront-hourly-rates-and-traffic-delay-pay-for-its-drivers-220142458.html?src=rss

The Boring Company’s Vegas Loop is a comedy of trespassing errors

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The Vegas Loop, underground tunnels built by Elon Musk’s Boring Company that snake underneath Sin City, hasn’t been the traffic or even technological game changer the company promised it would become. It was supposed to be a futuristic, autonomous people mover that looked like public transit from the Tron universe. Instead, Las Vegas just got a bunch of underground tunnels where people are transported by ordinary Tesla vehicles that didn’t really solve any of the city’s traffic problems.

Apparently, it’s not just Tesla vehicles in the tunnels either. Fortune filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on incidents involving the Tesla tunnels going back to 2022. The records revealed that the tunnels have seen at least 67 trespassing reports going back to 2022 and 22 instances of vehicles following Teslas into the tunnels and stations.

Boring’s monthly reports to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority also showed several instances of “property damage, theft, technical issues, or injuries, near-misses and trespassing or intrusions,” according to Fortune.

The cars that wandered into the stations appear to mostly be just accidents in which drivers followed the Teslas into the unauthorized areas. The trespassing incidents are a bit more egregious and Fortune described them as “a headache for the Boring Company.”

Some of the more notable instances include a skateboarder who snuck into the tunnels through a passenger pickup station, two people who were spotted sleeping in one of the tunnel stations and a man who tried to remove a license plate reader at a station. In each case, Boring security escorted the trespassing out of the tunnels and stations but there are no records showing they were reported to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.

Even the construction of the tunnels had more than a few sketchy moments but not nearly as amusing. Former Boring Company construction crew members spoke with Fortune back in February including one who said, “We have consistently flirted with death.” During a six month period last year, Boring reported 36 injuries to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials including heat exhaustion, contusions and crushed hands and elbows. One tip sent to OSHA’s Nevada field office reported that 15 to 20 employees were burned with accelerant chemicals while working in the tunnels.

Somehow, none of these incidents have stopped the city and Clark County’s desperate hope for the transit system that the Boring Company promised but never delivered. County commissioners approved a plan last May to expand the underground Tesla vehicle tunnels to 65 miles and add 69 passenger stations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/the-boring-companys-vegas-loop-is-a-comedy-of-trespassing-errors-191025432.html?src=rss

Foamstars is going free-to-play starting today

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Square Enix’s multiplayer shooter Foamstars is moving to a free-to-play model. The four-player team multiplayer melee officially turned into a free game today on Sony’s PlayStation 4 and 5 meaning you also won’t need a PlayStation Plus subscription to play it, according to a posting on the studio’s support page.

If you purchased the game before Square Enix’s price change, the studio will send you a free “Legacy Gift” that includes 12 exclusive color-variant Bubble Beastie skins, an exclusive Slide Board design and a “Legacy” title. You’ll need to keep an eye on the game’s official website and X account to find out how to obtain your free “Legacy Gift.”

Foamstars released earlier this year on Sony’s past and current gen consoles as a third-person multiplayer battle game. It’s basically a mix of the homebase building mechanic of Fortnite and Nintendo’s family friendly multiplayer shooter melee Splatoon. Teams use mounds of foam to build terrain for their shooters to traverse at high speeds or build higher vantage points to attack their enemies. You shouldn’t learn anymore about the game’s backstory and where the mounds of foam come from or at least not while you’re eating. Trust us on this one.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/foamstars-is-going-free-to-play-starting-today-231750186.html?src=rss

Fisker faces more bad news as the SEC starts investigating its business practices

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The past week hasn’t been the kindest to the electric vehicle industry. Now, it’s capped off with news that the EV startup Fisker is the subject of an investigation from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

TechCrunch reported that SEC officials sent several subpoenas to Fisker. The filing doesn’t specifically say what the subpoenas are asking for or looking into but it’s clear that the SEC has launched an investigation into the floundering EV maker that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June.

Fisker has been struggling to keep its head above water ever since last year’s disastrous rollout of its Ocean SUV that failed to score more than a few thousands sellers even though it produced well over 10,000 units. Following its Q4 earnings report last year that saw a gross margin loss of 35 percent, the car maker announced it would lay off 15 percent of its workforce the following March as it shifted to a direct-to-consumer sales strategy.

A Fisker spokesperson declined to comment on the matter to TechCrunch saying they could not “comment on the existence or nonexistence of a possible investigation.”

Fisker isn’t the only EV maker to suffer a noticeable setback. Tesla saw a major stumble with the fifth recall of its beleaguered Cybertruck.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/fisker-faces-more-bad-news-as-the-sec-starts-investigating-its-business-practices-222504280.html?src=rss

Soon you’ll be able to fling around the klutzy schlub in Human Fall Flat on VR

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Why is it so satisfying to toss, drop, throw and fling ragdoll characters down steps, out of windows and into oncoming traffic in games like Human Fall Flat? Ragdoll games just know how to scratch the lizard part of our brain that enjoys being the destructive force of mayhem while also meeting the moral center of our frontal lobe by not causing any real world harm (or felony charges).

Now you’ll be able to see the fruits of your destruction in a virtual environment as Human Fall Flat and its hapless, ham-handed hero head to the Meta Quest headsets and Steam VR on Halloween. Curve Games and No Brakes Games are also working on a version for the PSVR2 for a date yet to be announced.

Human Fall Flat is a three-dimensional physics platformer that has you control a floppy, ragdoll human named Bob. Just like the other games, you’ll see Bob in a third-person perspective as you use his sinewy limbs to guide him through a series of bizarre obstacles like a train that somehow derailed through the top floor of a Victorian style mansion, a dysfunctional power plant in dire need of a OSHA review and the inevitable ice world level.

Owners of a Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S headset can pre-order the game now on the Quest App Store for the discounted price of $9.99. The Steam port doesn’t have a price yet but you can add it to your wishlist.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/soon-youll-be-able-to-fling-around-the-klutzy-schlub-in-human-fall-flat-on-vr-212033104.html?src=rss

EU court rules social networks can’t use personal data forever

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Once again, the European Union has issued a ruling preventing Meta from going too crazy with user information. The top court in the EU ruled that limits must be put in place for how long Meta and other social media networks can use people’s information for ad targeting strategies.

TechCrunch reported that the EU’s highest court sided with an earlier opinion published in April by a court adviser. The previous ruling also urged for limits on the amount of time companies could retain customers’ personal data for the purpose of targeting advertising.

The rulings referred its retention guidelines to the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) established by the EU in 2018. Recital 65 of the GDPR establishes a person’s “right to be forgotten” and the right to rectification and erasure of personal data. Failure to comply with the GDPR could result in a 4 percent global annual turnover penalty, a number that could reach into the billions for a social media mega-corporation like Meta. Last year, Meta had to pay a $414 million fine (or approximately €390 million) for illegally requiring users of its social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to accept personalized ads.

The EU and Meta along with other big tech companies like Apple and Google have tangled over the use of personal data in relation to the Digital Markets Act. Meta is currently awaiting a fine ruling for violating the EU’s Digital Markets Act when it required users to pay to prohibit the company from collecting and sharing their personal data. Last year, the EU’s Court of Justice ruled that Meta needed to obtain consent before delivering personal ads to users in the region.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/eu-court-rules-social-networks-cant-use-personal-data-forever-193013206.html?src=rss

New iOS update fixes microphone and password problems

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There’s a new fix available for certain iPhones and iPads that addresses issues with recording and password security. Apple released two new patches including iOS 18.0.1 for iPhones and iPadOS 18.0.1, according to the support website. The update also finally allows users with an M4-powered iPad to upgrade to iOS 18, after the initial version was pulled for bricking users’ devices.

The patch fixes recording issues with all of the iPhone 16 models in the Messages app. The iPhone’s microphone would accidentally start recording a few seconds before becoming activated with the orange microphone icon.

The password patch fixes an issue in which the VoiceOver function may read a saved password aloud. The patch works for iPhone XS and later as well as iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (third generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (first generation and later), iPad Air (third generation and later), iPad (seventh generation and later) and iPad mini (fifth generation and later).

If you own one of these devices, you can download the new patches by going to the Software Updates tab in the General section of your Settings app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/new-ios-update-fixes-microphone-and-password-problems-173339119.html?src=rss