Gamers played as Norman Reedus in P.T., long before Death Stranding
YouTuber Lance McDonald discovered that the playable character in Silent Hills teaser P.T. is portrayed by Norman Reedus, who is also the main character of Death Stranding. McDonald used a camera hack to peer into an obscured mirror's reflection from another angle, revealing Reedus' face.
Obsidian fixes Outer Worlds bug that killed people climbing ladders to nowhere
Obsidian released Patch 1.2 for The Outer Worlds, which contained a fix for a bug that killed players' companions by making them climb ladders to their death. Pinpointing the cause of the glitch, however, required massive effort, as detailed by the developer's QA Lead Taylor Swope in a series of tweets.
Siri helped save a teenager after his vehicle crashed into icy river
Apple's digital assistant Siri helped save 18-year old Gael Salcedo, who found himself in a freezing river after losing control of his Jeep. The teenager could not locate his phone after the accident so he asked Siri to call 911, sending firefighters to the scene to carry out the rescue.
Snapchat Cameo will edit people’s faces into GIFs for harmless deepfakes
Snapchat is testing a new feature that will allow users to insert their selfies into a selection of premade GIFs to create customized content. The feature, named Snapchat Cameos, is a harmless application of deepfake technology, which has drawn criticism for its potential misuse.
Apple’s Activation Lock sends iPhones to the scrap heap instead of refurbishers
Apple's Activation Lock is a security feature that deters thieves, but it also prevents iPhones from being refurbished and returned to circulation. If iPhone owners do not go through the proper process of deactivating the feature before letting go of their devices, they are effectively giving away bricks.
Google Maps working on feature that shows well-lit streets?
Code spotted in a Google Maps beta revealed a new feature named the Lighting Layer, which will show the streets that have good lighting. No screenshots of the feature were available, and it is unclear when and where it will roll out, but it will soon provide the app with an additional tool for travelers.
Bethesda halts new content development for The Elder Scrolls: Legends
Bethesda will no longer release new expansions and additional content for The Elder Scrolls: Legends, nearly three years after it was launched. The developer will continue to support the collectible card game through monthly reward cards and in-game events, but active development has been halted.
Riot Games to expand League of Legends universe with help of other developers
Riot Games has launched Riot Forge, a publishing label that will work with other developers to create more games based on the lore of the massively popular MOBA League of Legends. Riot Forge is secretive on its current partners, but one project will be announced at The Game Awards 2019 on December 12.
Magic Leap in trouble? Report says only 6,000 AR headsets sold in first 6 months
Magic Leap is reportedly in trouble. After raising $2.6 billion, its $2,295 Magic Leap One Creator Edition AR headset sold only 6,000 units in its first six months, according to The Information. A spokesperson for the startup disputed the report, but did not provide a clearer picture on the company's status.
Apple admits iPhone 11s are sharing user location data — but not collecting it
Security reporter Brian Krebs raised concerns that the iPhone 11 line of devices keep sharing location data, even when the feature is deactivated for each app and service in the smartphones. Apple finally gave a clearer explanation on what is happening and says it involves new technology.
Apple reportedly doubles AirPods Pro production; AirPods free with 2020 iPhones?
Apple has reportedly asked supplier Luxshare Precision to double the production of the AirPods Pro, as demand has surged for the wireless earbuds due to positive reviews. Apple is also said to be thinking about bundling the AirPods with next year's iPhones, replacing the wired earphones.
Valve Index VR headset sold out shortly after Half-Life: Alyx reveal
Most packages of the Valve Index have sold out in the U.S. and Canada, a week after Half-Life: Alyx was revealed. The VR exclusive will be free to those who purchase Valve's virtual reality headset by the end of the year, and it is expected to run best on the system due to its finger-tracking technology.
Valve may start working on Half-Life 3 if Half-Life: Alyx succeeds
Half-Life: Alyx may not be what fans of the franchise expected, but if it succeeds, Valve may start working on Half-Life 3. Valve programmer David Speyrer said in an interview that the company will love to "push forward" with the franchise, but it will wait to see how gamers react to the VR exclusive.
Twitter no longer needs phone numbers for two-factor authentication
Twitter improved the security of its two-factor authentication system by no longer requiring the phone numbers of users. The system was launched years ago, but Twitter has just now addressed the flaws that come with linking phone numbers to the feature, such as the vulnerability to SIM hijacking.
Hideo Kojima hints that next project may be a horror video game
Hideo Kojima, with Death Stranding now released, dropped clues that his next video game project may be in the horror genre. In a tweet, Kojima hinted that he is already thinking about how to "make the scariest horror game," following the success of P.T., the playable teaser for the canceled Silent Hills.
Roku devices crashing due to Pokémon Sword and Shield: Here’s a temporary fix
Roku device owners recently started reporting crashes, and apparently, the issue is linked to Pokémon Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch. Roku said that it is aware of the issue and is working to roll out a permanent fix, but in the meantime, there is a temporary solution to the problem.
BioWare reportedly in early stages of developing next Mass Effect game
BioWare is reportedly in the "very early development" stage for a new Mass Effect game, which will be the fifth in the franchise after Mass Effect: Andromeda. The next Mass Effect has been teased for a while, most recently at this year's N7 Day celebrations, but it will not be releasing any time soon.
Resident Evil 2 takes home Ultimate Game of the Year at Golden Joystick Awards
Resident Evil 2 was crowned Ultimate Game of the Year at The 37th Golden Joystick Awards, wherein the winners are determined through public voting. Fortnite, last year's winner of the top award, was named Esports Game of the Year, while the Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Yu Suzuki.
Path of Exile developer reveals sequel, new expansion, and mobile version
Grinding Gear Games revealed Path of Exile 2, the Conquerors of Atlas and Metamorph League for Path of Exile, and a mobile version for the title at ExileCon in New Zealand. The sequel is not an entirely new game, as it will function as an upgrade to its predecessor while adding new mechanics.
Magic: The Gathering maker Wizards of the Coast suffers database breach
Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Magic: The Gathering, suffered a database breach involving the accounts of MTG Arena and Magic Online players. The passwords in the database were protected, but as a precaution, affected users are recommended to change their passwords over the next seven days.
You can now feed Sony’s Aibo robot dog with virtual food
Sony rolled out a version 2.5 software update for Aibo, adding the ability to program the robot dog with custom tasks and feed it with virtual food. A web-based API offers access to the Aibo Developer Program for seasoned developers and Aibo Visual Programming for novice programmers.
Spotify starts testing real-time lyrics to enable karaoke experience
Spotify is testing a real-time lyrics feature in its mobile app, but only for users in certain countries. The public release of the feature, which will allow listeners to sing along to songs, is not yet known, but it should come soon as a similar experience just arrived to rival Apple Music.
Xbox Game Pass will soon add Final Fantasy games from VII to XV
Microsoft will add 10 Final Fantasy titles to Xbox Game Pass in 2020, from Final Fantasy VII to Final Fantasy XV. The list does not include the MMOs Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV, but the addition of the latter to the subscription service is in the works, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer.
Avoid juice jacking! L.A. warns travelers against public USB charging stations
The District Attorney's Office of Los Angeles County issued a warning against juice jacking, a method in which hackers load malware into public USB charging stations. While the attack is nowhere near epidemic levels, travelers are recommended to consider safer alternatives while on the go.
Tencent wants to make console games with Nintendo characters for U.S., Europe
Tencent, which is said to be looking to further leverage its partnership with Nintendo, reportedly wants to make console games with Nintendo characters. The long-term benefit for Tencent in such a project is the chance to learn from Nintendo how to win over gamers in the U.S. and Europe.
New Apple Mac Pro spotted in DJ Calvin Harris’ studio on Instagram
The Mac Pro 2019 was spotted in an Instagram story by DJ Calvin Harris, which he uploaded to show off his studio and a song that he is working on. Apple has not revealed a specific release date for the powerful new computer, but recent clues suggest that its launch is growing more imminent.
Samsung Galaxy S11 will reportedly launch with 3 screen sizes across 5 models
Reliable leaker Evan Blass tweeted preliminary details about the Samsung Galaxy S11, claiming that it will come with three screen size options over a total of five models. The lineup will reportedly go as large as a 6.9-inch display, with options for LTE and 5G models, according to Blass.