Category: Technology

The Pokémon Company knows about Palworld and is very much aware that the game is drawing a lot of comparisons with its intellectual property, based on a statement it has published. While the company didn’t explicitly name Palworld, it said it’s going to investigate a game “released in January 2024” and will “take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to Pokémon.” It also clearly stated that it has “not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game.”

Palworld, released on January 18, is an open-world game featuring monsters that look like Pokémon, except they can use guns. It also has a darker theme, allowing players to sell their “pals” to slavery, kill them and eat them aside from being able to battle them to the death. It has gotten a lot of attention since it was released, and according to its developer Pocket Pair, it sold 7 million copies on Steam alone in just five days. 

As IGN notes, Pocket Pair previously said that its game is more like Ark Survival Evolved and Vanaheim than Pokémon. In an interview with Automaton, the company’s CEO Takuro Mizobe said Palworld “cleared legal reviews” and that there had been “no action taken against it by other companies.” The Pokémon Company’s statement insinuates that that could change if it determines that the developer has infringed on its copyright, though we’ll have to wait for the results of its investigation to know for sure.

The full statement reads:

“We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-pokemon-company-is-investigating-pokemon-with-guns-satire-palworld-083627388.html?src=rss 

HP Enterprise was infiltrated by a hacking group linked to Russian intelligence last year, the business IT company has revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The threat actor is believed to be Midnight Blizzard, also known as Cozy Bear, which was the same group that recently breached the email accounts of several senior executives and other employees at Microsoft. It was also the same hacking group behind the SolarWinds attacks that affected multiple government entities, including the US Treasury Department and Homeland Security. In addition, the National Security Agency accused it in 2020 of trying to steal research on COVID-19 vaccines from the US, UK and Canada. 

In its filing, HPE said it was notified on December 12, 2023 that an attacker had gained access to its cloud-based email environment. It worked with external cybersecurity experts that found that the threat actor was able to access and steal data from “a small percentage” of email accounts owned by employees from various divisions, including those in cybersecurity. HPE didn’t say what kind of data was stolen, but it believes the incident is related to an earlier security breach that took place in May 2023, wherein the bad actor was able to get away with “a limited number of SharePoint files.” SharePoint is a document management and collaborative platform for Microsoft 365.

HPE spokesperson Adam R. Bauer told AP that the company can’t say whether this incident is related to Microsoft’s data breach. Bauer also said that the “total scope of mailboxes and emails accessed remains under investigation.” So far, HPE’s investigation has shown that the attack hasn’t had material impact on its operations, but it’s still looking into the incident and working with law enforcement. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hp-enterprise-was-hacked-by-the-same-russian-state-sponsored-group-that-targeted-microsoft-060743999.html?src=rss 

Like many major tech companies, Amazon is looking to cut costs. Its Twitch division recently laid off 35 percent of its head count (just over 500 employees) and now it’s reducing how much streamers make from each Twitch Prime subscription.

Every Amazon Prime member can toss a Prime subscription in the direction of their favorite Twitch streamer at no extra cost. Since that program debuted in 2016, streamers have received the same amount from Twitch Prime subs as they do from a base paid subscription. That’s changing, though.

Starting on June 3, Twitch is moving to a fixed-rate model that bases Prime payouts based on the location of a Prime subscriber (and how much they pay for Amazon Prime).”We believe this is the right structure for the program going forward and are making this change to ensure that the monthly Twitch subscription available to Prime members is a long-term, sustainable benefit for the Twitch community,” CEO Dan Clancy wrote in a blog post.

Clancy says that for most countries, the payout rate is dropping by less than five percent, but there are steeper drops elsewhere. For instance, a Prime sub from a viewer in the US will soon be worth $2.25 to a streamer, down from $2.50. That’s a drop of 10 percent. A Prime sub from someone in the UK will soon be worth $1.80, while one from a viewer based in Turkey will pay a streamer just nine cents.

As Clancy points out, Prime subscriptions are just one of the ways that streamers can earn money on the platform, alongside tips and regular paid subscriptions. He also announced some changes to the Partner Plus program, which is designed to give smaller creators a bigger slice of the pie.

Twitch is making it much easier for creators to benefit from improved revenue sharing. Until now, they’ve had to maintain at least 350 paid subscriptions for at least three months. That would qualify them for a 70 percent cut of subs for the next 12 months, up from 50 percent.

Starting on May 1, the platform is changing Partner Plus to a two-tier Plus Program that’s based on a points system. A base $5 subscription is worth one point, a $10 Tier 2 sub is worth two points and a $25 Tier 3 sub three points. Gift and Prime subs don’t count toward points, but qualifying streamers will get a better cut of revenue from gifted subscriptions.

When a streamer earns at least 100 Plus points for three consecutive months (points reset on the first of each month), they’ll receive a 60 percent split of subscription revenue from the next 12 months. If they maintain 350 Plus points, that revenue share jumps up to 70 percent in their favor. Clancy says these changes will enable three times as many streamers to qualify for improved revenue sharing. It should result in a solid increase in earnings for many of them, while giving those who hover around 300-350 points a bit more of a cushion instead of dropping back to a 50 percent revenue share

Twitch announced one more change to its revenue-sharing model. It’s getting rid of the $100,000 cap on the 70-30 revenue split for high-earning creators. A change implemented last year saw that split drop to 50 percent after a streamer hit $100,000 in subscription revenue. This won’t change anything for the vast majority of creators, but it could help Twitch convince high-profile streamers to stay on its platform instead of jumping to the likes of YouTube or Kick.

In the wake of the layoffs, Clancy said Twitch is still unprofitable (streaming live video to millions of people simultaneously isn’t cheap!), so something had to give. While the Twitch Prime changes will be hard to swallow for some streamers, the perk wasn’t really sustainable as is. Reducing payouts is better for creators than the program going away entirely. Twitch will also be hoping that improved revenue sharing will push creators to convince their viewers to shell out for a paid subscription instead.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitch-is-cutting-how-much-streamers-earn-from-prime-subscriptions-214053412.html?src=rss 

Last year Aviate Audio launched the Developer Edition of its Multiverse pedal — basically a plug-in host in guitar pedal format. Now, just in time for NAMM 2024, the company has announced the Player Edition of the Multiverse. The pedal is, for all intents and purposes, unchanged. Same basic design, same processor under the hood (a 600MHz Cortex M7), it’s just cheaper now at $349, and presumably won’t have access to some of the developer focused tools.

The pedal itself has a small 1.3-inch OLED screen to navigate the UI. There are four programable push encoders, plus two programable foot switches. There’s stereo 1/4-inch TRS ins and outs, an 1/8-inch TRS midi input on the side, two expression jacks and a USB-C port. While the Multiverse can be used with a standard AC adapter, it can also be powered over USB-C, which is pretty handy when loading new effects or testing out a patch.

To celebrate the launch of the Player Edition Multiverse, Aviate Audio is also announcing version 1.3 of its Multiverse Designer software, which will add support for impulse responses (IR) for speaker emulation. If you shell out the $349 to grab one of these customizable multi-effects pedals, you’ll have access to a small, but growing library of effect plugins through the Multiverse shop (21 of them by my count). 

They cover most of the basic effects you’d need on a pedal board, fuzz, delay, reverb, et cetera. There’s even an emulation of a Klon Centaur, that’s cheekily marked as being on sale for $0 with an original price of $7,999. Most of the effects currently in the Aviate shop are free, but there are a few that ask you to pay $5 or $10 for them. The set up isn’t terribly different from what Mod Devices tried to do with its Duo line. Clearly Aviate Audio feels it can succeed where Mod struggled.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/aviate-audio-multiverse-player-edition-is-a-349-pedal-store-in-a-stomp-box-212133895.html?src=rss 

As new European tech regulations are set to take effect in the coming weeks, Apple is preparing for a future where it will be required to allow users to download apps from sources outside of its App Store. The company hasn’t shared details about how the process, called sideloading, will work, but it seems it may not allow developers to circumvent the company’s fees and app review rules after all.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the App Store owner “plans to collect fees from developers that offer downloads outside of the App Store” and that it will require some kind of review for downloads that don’t go through its storefront. Sideloading would only be offered to iOS users in the European Union in order to comply with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.

While the report notes Apple’s plan hasn’t been finalized, the strategy would be in line with another significant change the company just made to its US App Store policies. Last week, the company officially changed its rules for US developers to enable in-app purchases that bypass the App Store’s billing system.

However, the new rules, which came after a lengthy court battle with Fortnite developer Epic Games, stipulate that developers must still pay a hefty 27 percent commission on purchases made outside of the App Store (some smaller developers will only be charged 12 percent). The new rules also give Apple the right to audit developers’ records to ensure compliance. That’s already led to much criticism from Epic, Spotify and other developers who have long been critical of the App Store’s restrictive rules and fees.

If Apple were to charge developers for sideloading, that could lead to similar criticism from app makers. The Digital Markets Act is set to go into effect March 7, and even though Apple has yet to share its plan to comply with the regulation, companies that have previously butted heads with Cupertino over its rules are already preparing. Spotify, a longtime opponent of the App Store’s commission, just previewed what the European version of its app will look like once users can pay for subscriptions and audiobooks inside of its app.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Meta, another vocal Apple critic, is working on its own project that would allow it to distribute developers’ apps via Facebook ads. The effort, reportedly called “Project Neon” internally, could allow the Facebook owner to compete with the App Store more directly, at least in Europe.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-reportedly-plans-to-charge-developers-if-they-offer-sideloaded-apps-202345977.html?src=rss 

It looks like Ring is reversing course on its police-friendly stance regarding data sharing, according to reporting from Bloomberg. Amazon told the publication that Ring’s home doorbell unit would stop acquiescing to warrantless police requests for footage from users’ video doorbells and surveillance cameras. This practice has long been derided by privacy advocacy groups, like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Senator Ed Markey even launched a probe into the policy back in 2022.

Additionally, Ring will disable its Request For Assistance tool next week, which is a program that allows law enforcement to ask users for footage on a voluntary basis, according to an official blog post. From now on, police and fire departments will have to seek a warrant to request footage from users, though Amazon could provide footage without a warrant if the agency can prove its essential for an ongoing emergency. 

As a matter of fact, the entire Neighbors app, which is where the Request For Assistance feature lives, is undergoing an overhaul to shift its focus from crime and safety to more of a community hub, according to Ring spokesperson Yassi Yarger. To that end, the Neighbors app is getting a new highlight reel feature for users to peruse the most popular video captures of the week. Ring hasn’t given a reason given for this sudden shift in priorities. Crime is down nationwide, sure, but it’s not like we live in a Star Trek utopia. The company has been diversifying its portfolio lately, adding new products to the lineup, which could be one reason. 

Ring has been cozying up with law enforcement since inception, as the company always stated its primary reason to exist was to improve public safety. “Our mission to reduce crime in neighborhoods has been at the core of everything we do at Ring,” founding chief Jamie Siminoff said when Amazon bought the company for $839 million back in 2018.

Of course, we don’t exactly know if Amazon and Ring will stick by this decision, or if they’ll start quietly allowing law enforcement to nab videos six or eight months down the line. However, this is becoming something of a trend in the tech industry. Google just changed its location history feature on Maps to stop police from nabbing data on everyone in the vicinity of a crime. Law enforcement had been relying on the feature for years.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ring-is-reportedly-walking-back-its-police-friendly-stance-on-data-sharing-191514423.html?src=rss 

Apple’s Stolen Device Protection is a new feature that protects iPhone data and makes it harder for thieves to wreak havoc. Introduced in iOS 17.3, the feature requires a combination of Face ID (or Touch ID) scans and time delays before using payment features or changing account security when the device is away from familiar locations. Here’s precisely how Stolen Device Protection works.

What is Stolen Device Protection for iPhone

Stolen Device Protection takes a bad situation — someone stealing your iPhone — and reduces the chance of it spiraling into something much worse. When activated, the feature will prompt you to perform a biometric scan (Face ID or Touch ID) when you’re away from familiar locations, like home or work. In those situations, it won’t allow you (or an iPhone snatcher) to use your passcode as a backup method. It also incorporates time delays for some security-related features.

The tool may have been inspired by a Wall Street Journal report from early 2023 about an increasingly common practice of thieves spying on users while entering their passcode — right before snatching the phone and taking off.

If the perp has both the phone and its passcode (without Stolen Device Protection activated), they could reset the Apple ID password, turn off Find My, possibly steal payment info or passwords and factory reset the iPhone. If they’re experts, they could theoretically do all that within minutes (if not seconds) before you can log onto Find My and report your device as lost.

With Stolen Device Protection turned on, a thief in the same situation would be largely stymied. Requiring Face ID or Touch ID and time delays would prevent them from accessing your passwords and payment information, changing security features (to lock you out and further hijack your device) and factory resetting it. This gives you precious time to find another device, report your phone as lost in Find My, change your password and file a police report.

How does it work?

Stolen Device Protection requires a biometric (Face ID / Touch ID) scan — without the passcode as a backup option — for the following situations when your phone is away from your familiar locations:

Turning off Lost Mode

Performing a factory reset (“Erase all content and settings”)

Using or stealing saved passwords or passkeys for online accounts

Using payment methods saved for “autofill” in Safari

Using your phone to activate a new Apple device (Quick Start)

Viewing your Apple Card’s virtual card number

Applying for a new Apple Card

“Certain Apple Cash and Savings actions in Wallet” (examples include transferring money to or from Apple Cash or Savings)

In addition, the following actions require an extra time delay. With Stolen Device Protection activated, if someone away from your familiar locations tried to do anything on the list below, they would have to perform a Face ID (or Touch ID) scan, wait an hour and authenticate again with a second biometric scan:

Turning off Find My

Turning off Stolen Device Protection

Changing your Apple ID password

Signing out of your Apple ID

Adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID

Changing your phone’s passcode

Changing Apple ID account security (examples include creating a Recovery Key / Recovery Contact or adding / removing a trusted device)

Resetting all the phone’s settings

One thing missing from the list is Apple Pay. Someone with your stolen iPhone and passcode could still make Apple Pay purchases using only your passcode, which isn’t ideal.

How to turn on Stolen Device Protection

Before activating the feature, make sure your device is updated to iOS 17.3 (or higher). Head to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone to check for updates and ensure you’re on the latest software. (If your device is stuck on pre-iOS 17 software and won’t update past that, your model is too old to run the latest software.)

Once you’re running (at least) iOS 17.3, do the following on your iPhone:

Open the Settings app

Scroll down and tap Face ID & Passcode (it will be called Touch ID & Passcode on older models and the iPhone SE)

Enter your passcode

Scroll down until you see Stolen Device Protection

Tap Turn On Protection

If you ever want to deactivate the feature, follow the same steps — except you’d tap Turn Off Protection in step five. It would perform a Face ID or Touch ID scan to confirm the change.

For more on the latest iPhone features, you can check out Engadget’s review of the latest models and our in-depth review of iOS 17.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-turn-on-stolen-device-protection-on-your-iphone-to-secure-your-data-182721345.html?src=rss