Discord revolutionizes online conversations with… forums

Discord, the social messaging service that helped to displace old-school internet forums, now wants to bring them back. Today, the company announced Forum Channels, which are exactly what you’d imagine: A dedicated space to have conversations without the worry of a fast-paced chat feed. You’ll find them right below your usual Discord channels. When creating a forum, you’ll be able to restrict posting permissions and set guidelines for the conversation. Crucially, they’ll also be compatible with Discord’s AutoMod, which can help to clean up discussions. (Moderation was always the downfall of a poorly-run forum.)

Discord

While it’s nice to have the concept returning, it’s funny to see Discord explaining the concept of forums to younger users. Yes kids, back in our day, we had to furiously refresh web pages to discover the latest reply to our Halo lore theories. Discord has often been framed as a return to the messaging blitz of IRC, paired together with real-time voice chat. So it only makes sense that it’ll be responsible for helping us relive the glory days of forums. 

 

The Xbox app for PC now has ‘HowLongToBeat’ built in

Microsoft has released a new version of the Xbox app for PC. The September update adds HowLongToBeat integration. If you’re not familiar with the website, it’s a resource where you can find out how much time you may need to complete a specific game. What makes HowLongToBeat so helpful is that it has separate estimates for players with different playstyles.

Using Red Dead Redemption 2 as an example, HowLongToBeat estimates most people will need about 50 hours to complete the main story, and another 30 or so hours to play through the game’s side content. If you want to see everything RDR2 has to offer, that will take about 174 hours.

Microsoft suggests the integration will make it easier to decide what game you want to play next since you’ll have a better idea of the time commitment it wants from you. The company also notes you can click “View Details” to submit your own play times and help other players decide how to spend their time.

Even if you don’t end up using the HowLongToBeat integration much, the September update will help you save time. According to Microsoft, the Xbox app is now 15 percent faster at launching. Additionally, there should be significantly fewer instances of crashes and games failing to download or install successfully. Lastly, the search functionality should produce results about 20 percent faster.

 

‘The Sims 4’ will be free to play starting next month

Almost exactly eight years after first arriving on PC, The Sims 4 is going free to play. Starting on October 18th, publisher EA won’t charge you anything to download the base game on Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. If you already paid for the original release or decide to buy it before October 17th, the company will gift you the upcoming Desert Luxe Kit. The DLC comes with a handful of southwestern desert-themed furniture items.

Note that EA has released 12 expansions for The Sims 4, and if you decide to play the game for free, you’ll be missing out on a lot of the features that make the game feel so compelling in 2022. For instance, without the Cats & Dogs DLC installed, your sims can’t get a feline or canine companion.

As for what today’s news means for the game’s future, EA says developer Maxis is “more dedicated than ever to developing new and meaningful experiences for players, and will continue to develop and release packs, kits, and Sims delivery express drops into the foreseeable future.” On that note, the two will host a YouTube and Twitch livestream on October 18th to share what’s next for the franchise.

 

Northeastern University targeted by anti-VR bomber

Northeastern University has found itself the victim of an unusual technology-related bomb attack. CNNreports that someone sent a bomb-like package to the Boston university’s virtual reality lab in Holmes Hall on September 13th, causing hand injuries to the man that opened the container. There were no indications of a greater threat, and the school resumed classes after determining the campus was secure.

The currently unidentified attacker appears to have a grudge against VR, and Meta in particular. CNN sources claimed the “rambling” note in the package slammed Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg as well as the links between academia and VR developers. There were no explosives in the container, one of the sources said. Instead, it depressurized with violent force. It also wasn’t mailed to the university.

After the incident on the Boston campus, multiple law enforcement agencies have determined that the campus is safe and secure. Classes, research, and all other campus activities have resumed today. The safety and well-being of our community is our most important priority.

— Northeastern U. (@Northeastern) September 14, 2022

While there has been limited damage, law enforcement is taking the case seriously. The FBI, which has been coordinating with local police, has offered the full help of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and other units for the investigation.

Meta has faced some criticism over its decision to rebrand and focus on the metaverse. It started shifting its attention to VR just as whistleblower Frances Haugen shared documents that she said highlighted Facebook’s failures in handling misinformation and other social media problems. VR may serve as a distraction from Meta’s shortcomings, in other words. Privacy and safety have also been concerns in VR. While it’s not clear the attacker had any of these issues in mind, there’s little doubt Meta’s approach to VR already had its detractors.

 

Google updates Photos with redesigned Memories and a new collage editor

Google is rolling out some changes to the stories-style Memories feature in Photos. Until now, these automatically generated highlights have been private, but Google is adding some sharing options. Starting today, you’ll have a way to natively share memories with others if you have an Android device. Friends and family will be able to view your memories on any device through Google Photos. The sharing option is coming to iOS and the web soon.

The update is part of broader changes to Memories, which will mostly be available starting today. The redesigned feature will offer up more videos, including what Google believes are your best clips from longer videos that you have captured. Photos will automatically grab what appear to be the most meaningful moments from longer videos and add them to a memory. Starting in October, Google will append instrumental music to some memories as well.

Google says there will be a subtle zoom effect on still photos it includes in memories to make them feel less static. On that note, there’s a new type of memory called Cinematic Memories. This will build on cinematic photos, one of the most-used effects in Memories, which creates moving, 3D representations of still images. Google says that Cinematic Memories, which will be available soon, will turn “multiple still photos into an end-to-end cinematic experience.” Those memories will feature music, too.

When it comes to viewing your memories, there will be a welcome new way to navigate through them. Along with tapping on the left or right of the screen to move between photos in an individual memory, you can switch between memories by swiping up or down. You’ll still be able to omit certain people or time periods from showing up in Memories too.

Elsewhere, there’s a new feature called Styles. This will automatically add graphic art to your memories to perhaps make them more vibrant. Google will offer multiple designs at the outset, including limited-time options from artists Shantell Martin and Lisa Congdon

As of today, Photos users on Android and iOS will gain access to a new collage editor. You’ll be able to choose images, pick a design and rearrange the layout as you wish. There’s the option to tweak photos from the collage editor too — you can adjust the contrast and brightness, add filters and make other changes. If you have a Pixel or a Google One membership, you’ll have access to more editing tools, including Portrait Light and HDR options. You’ll have a broader selection of designs too. These collages will also be sharable.

Google says that Memories is one of the most-loved features in Photos, as users view more than 3.5 billion of them every month. These updates could make it even easier to create more dynamic highlight clips. While the sharing options are still limited, you’d still be able to record a memory with your phone and post it on the likes of Instagram or Snapchat if you desire.

 

Zoom is reportedly developing email and calendar apps

Zoom may have ambitions to expand its business beyond video calling. According to The Information, the company has spent much of the past two years developing its own email and calendar clients. Known internally as Zmail and Zcal, Zoom could announce the apps at its annual Zoomtopia conference in November. Zoom did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment.

You’re probably asking yourself, does the world need another productivity suite? Looking at it from Zoom’s perspective, The Information suggests the company may see the apps as essential to its survival. At first glance, Zoom is doing better than most pandemic darlings, having recently recorded $1.1 billion in quarterly revenue. But beneath those results, the company has seen growth slow and its stock price drop to pre-pandemic levels.

It also finds itself in the same situation a lot of companies competing against Google and Microsoft have had to tackle recently. One significant weakness of Zoom is that many businesses use the app in conjunction with Workspace and Office 365. Those are comprehensive suites that can cover the majority of a company’s productivity needs. In a market where businesses are constantly looking to cut costs, that’s not a good position to be in. At the same time, it’s hard to see how email and calendar clients help Zoom beat back its competitors when Google and Microsoft have spent years polishing Gmail and Outlook and those products dominate the market.

 

TikTok search results are reportedly swarming with misinformation

While TikTok is no stranger to fighting misinformation, the problem might be worse than you think. As the AP reports, internet trust researchers at NewsGuard have published a report claiming that almost 20 percent of sampled search results for major news topics included misinformation. The bogus claims covered subjects ranging from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through to COVID-19 vaccines and the January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

NewsGuard also found that typing innocuous queries can lead to suggestions rife with misinformation. Start looking for “climate change” and TikTok will offer searches related to climate science denial, for instance. The results are also more polarizing than through Google, according to the researchers, with 12 out of the top 20 results for the 2022 US midterms included highly partisan statements.

We’ve asked TikTok for comment. In a statement to NewsGuard, a spokesperson said the social media giant doesn’t allow “harmful misinformation” and pulls it from the platform.

TikTok has made a point of removing misinformation. It took down nearly 350,000 videos related to the 2020 US presidential election by the end of that year, for example. The company uses AI to screen videos, and either pulls flagged clips automatically or sends them to human moderators. The concern, as you might guess, is that this approach doesn’t catch enough offenders — particularly those that avoid using keywords likely to alert the AI.

However prominent misinformation might be, the report comes at a bad time for TikTok. Operations chief Vanessa Pappas is due to testify today alongside other companies’ executives at a Senate hearing exploring social networking’s effects on national security. The findings won’t necessarily come up during the hearing, but they could further pressure TikTok to clamp down on falsehoods.

 

Action RPG ‘Project Eve’ will finally debut in 2023 as ‘Stellar Blade’

Shift Up’s long-touted Project Eve is finally nearing release. The Korean developer has announced that the action RPG will arrive in 2023 as Stellar Blade. It will be a PS5 exclusive on consoles. Accordingly, the studio used Sony’s State of Play event to share a trailer outlining the game’s apocalyptic premise.

You play Eve, a warrior who returns to a shattered Earth to rebuild the last city (Xion) and protect it against “NA:tives.” Naturally, there will be some intrigue between humans alongside the usual battles against horrific-looking creatures. The action RPG mechanics will sound familiar, but could be intriguing if you thrive on perfecting your gameplay. You’ll need “precise timing” with combos, defensive maneuvers and skills to succeed against regular foes, while boss fights will demand a more “strategic” approach.

Project Eve has garnered increasing buzz since the first teaser trailer appeared in 2019, in no small part due to its eye-catching visuals. Whether or not the finished Stellar Blade lives up to those expectations is another story. This is Shift Up’s first console game, not to mention its first AAA release. While the company has had success with the mobile-oriented Destiny Child, it’ll need to show that its experience translates well to other platforms.

 

What we bought: The Cosori 0165 dehydrator mummifies meat for $70

I’m a big fan of beef jerky. Not so much eye-watering retail price, mind you, or the untraceable nature of the commercial product’s precursors — like when you get that one bag that’s nothing but scraps, unidentifiable knuckles and strands of desiccated flesh, ew. So I decided, in keeping with my recent self-sufficiency kick, to start dehydrating my own food for fun and, presumably, eventual profit. Certainly not because the USDA is warning that in 2022, “all food prices are predicted to increase between 8.5 and 9.5 percent,” with “food-at-home prices predicted to increase between 10 and 11 percent.”

Dehydration is one of humanity’s oldest and most useful food preparation techniques. We were doing it before we began farming, sun-drying meat and vegetable matter to wick away moisture that leads to spoilage, extending its durability and making it easier to transport. Even with later advances in fermentation, pickling, curing and canning, drying remains an ubiquitous practice with the global meat snack industry estimated at $9.47 billion in 2021.

Given that I was just getting into the activity, and am generally a cheap sumbitch, I ignored the advice of popular review sites and forewent the bells and whistles of Wi-Fi connectivity, stainless steel construction and associated smartphone apps, opting instead for the least expensive, most barebones dehydrator I could find: the Cosori C0165. It’s $70 and perfect.

Andrew Tarantola / Engadget.com

I mean it’s a food dehydrator. It is, by definition, a box that blows hot air. You could literally MacGyver one out of a hair dryer, a plastic milk crate, a two gallon water jug, some chicken wire, and a roll of duct tape if you wanted to. And there is nothing fancy about the dehydration process. You set the temperature and a timer, then wait 6 – 18 hours for a bell to ding, so like why would I spend upwards of $200-500 for a bunch of features that only give the illusion of greater control but don’t make the actual process go faster?

The C0165 does exactly what it’s supposed to and not one iota more and I absolutely love it for that. You get five BPA-free plastic stacking trays, a fruit roll sheet and a mesh sheet for herbs (yes, those herbs too). You put moisture-filled stuff on those trays, you stack the trays, you turn on the machine, you set the temperature (95ºF-165ºF) and time (30-minute increments up to 48 hours), and then you move on with your life. There are no pop-up reminders to clear, no app permissions to grant, and very little to break, so long as you don’t dunk the base unit in liquid. The thing is damn near silent, running under 48 dB — you won’t notice it operating overnight unless it’s in the same room as you — and is compact enough to fit into the cabinet when not in use. Clean-up is also easy: just wipe down the base with a sponge and give the trays a light scrubbing to take off any dried bits left behind.

Andrew Tarantola / Engadget.com

To date, I’ve managed to fit 2-plus pounds of sliced and marinated bottom round into the machine in one go, as well as around 3-pounds of roasted heirloom tomatoes at a time. Taller (or broader, depending on your angle of observation) items can be tricky as there isn’t much space between each tray level so stuff like hatch chilis will need to be cut down to size before being processed. And while I have to run the machine for the better part of a day to see results, it is still far more efficient than using a full-size kitchen oven (which draw 2000-3000W, on average, to the C0165’s 450W) and magnitudes faster than waiting for the dumb old sun to do it — and that’s assuming you even live somewhere hot and dry enough to prevent the food from rotting before it fully dries (hint: that somewhere is sure not San Francisco).

 

‘Yakuza: Like A Dragon 8’ arrives in 2024

If you’ve been craving more Yakuza games, don’t worry — you’re going to get plenty in the next couple of years. Sega has revealed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon 8 is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC (via Steam) in 2024. While it’s still early days, the developers have confirmed that both Like a Dragon‘s Ichiban and series veteran Kiryu will both serve as protagonists. You’ll see an RPG-style combat system once more, and Kiryu will have his own party.

You won’t have to wait that long if you need an additional fix. Another spinoff, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, is coming in 2023. The mid-sized action adventure (larger than DLC, smaller than a full game) will shed light on Kiryu’s life between Yakuza 6 and Like a Dragon 8. Think of it as a way to both fill out the backstory and help newcomers catch up if they’ve missed earlier games in the franchise.

The games join a remake of the samurai-era Like a Dragon: Ishin launching in February 2023. Sega is clearly capitalizing on the growing success of Yakuza games beyond Japan (including offshoots like the Judgment series). Not that you’ll necessarily mind if you’re a fan. Like a Dragon was generally well received when it arrived in 2020, and these follow-ups promise more of that successful formula.

 

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