Granting family members the ability to see your location and personal information on your iPhone can be helpful under normal circumstances. But if you feel threatened by a partner or other family member who has become abusive or violent, you can take action with Safety Check.
Introduced in iOS 16, this new feature allows you to sign out of iCloud on all your devices, revoke the access you have given to others, limit messaging to just one device, and stop sharing location data. The new mobile OS should launch in mid-September, but you can check it out early by downloading the iOS 16 beta.
Set Up Safety Check
You can set up Safety Check under Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check on your iPhone. Tap the learn more link to read Apple’s Personal Safety User Guide, which outlines how to protect yourself and your sensitive data if you do feel threatened by someone else.
At any time during this process, you can tap the QuickExit link at the upper right. This will immediately take you back to the Home screen, if you don’t want anyone to see what you are doing.
Tap the EmergencyReset button, then confirm the action through Face ID, Touch ID, or PIN. This will stop location sharing and revoke access to all apps. You will also be able to change your Apple ID password, review your security settings, and add or remove emergency contacts. Tap the Start Emergency Reset button to continue.
To revoke shared information with other people and apps, tap Reset People & Apps to start the process. Anyone you cut off from sharing won’t be notified of your action, but they may notice that the shared information is no longer visible to them. To revoke access for everyone and all apps, tap Reset. To revoke access for only certain people and apps, tap Manage Sharing & Access.
If you opted to reset the access for everyone and all apps, the next screen displays your trusted phone numbers. Tap the minus (–) button to remove a number you no longer trust. Tap Add a Trusted Phone Number to add a number. That number will then receive a text message with a verification code that you must enter on your current phone. Tap Continue.
You are then asked to update your Apple ID password. You can tap Update Later in Settings if you wish to skip this step for now. Otherwise, tap the UpdatePassword button. Type and retype your new password, then tap the UpdatePassword button.
You can then manage your emergency contacts. Tap the minus (–) button next to an existing emergency contact to remove that person, or tap Add emergency contact to add a different person. Tap Continue. You will then be told that the Safety Check is Complete. Tap donate.
Manage Access Manually
Instead of going through the entire Safety Check process, you can choose to manually remove access to specific people and apps. To do this at the Safety Check screen, tap Manage Sharing & Access instead of Emergency Reset. You will then be able to review the people, apps, and devices that have access to certain information. Tap Continue.
From the Sharing with People screen, you can see which contacts have access to your information and which services are being shared with your contacts. Under the People tab, you can select the people with whom you no longer wish to share your data. Under the Information tab, select the type of data you no longer want to share with others.
Tap the ReviewSharing button to make any further changes, then tap Continue. The next screen displays the apps able to access certain data. Review the list of apps and select any you wish to remove. Tap the Yo icon to see all the bits of information a specific app is able to access. You can then select any specific types of data to remove.
Tap the Information tab and select any pieces of information or features you no longer wish to share with apps, such as your location, camera, microphone, or media library. Tap the Yo icon to see all the apps with access to the selected data or feature and remove any from the list. When done, tap Stop App Accessthen tap Continue.
The next screen displays any devices currently signed in with your Apple ID. Select any that you wish to remove from your account. Then tap Remove Selected Devices.
You can then tap UpdatePassword to change your Apple ID password. Tap Update Later in Settings to skip this step for now. Next, remove any existing emergency contact and add a new one if you wish. Tap Continue.
The next screen lets you update your device’s passcode. To proceed, enter your existing passcode and then type a new one. You can also tap skip if you don’t want to change your passcode.
If you have previously set up an alternate or second appearance on a Face ID-enabled iPhone, you’re next given the chance to reset Face ID and remove that second appearance. To do this, tap Reset FaceID and follow the steps to scan your face.
The last screen tells you that the Safety Check is complete but describes other settings and features that may be sharing data or access with other people. Review the suggestions on this screen and take any further action that you may feel is warranted to protect your location, your privacy, and yourself.
The Arc A380 is now available with MSI prebuilt system.
MSI Arc A380 graphics card, Source: MSI
The first of the big AIB brands has now joined the Intel Arc hype train. The company has just unveiled its new low-profile graphics card based on the Arc Alchemist GPU. Unlike the GUNNIR and ASRock models, this card is based on pure Intel reference specs, this means no factory-overclocking and nominal TDP of 75W. The clock speed has been unchanged and remains at 2000 MHz. The Arc A380 from MSI features 6GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 15.5 Gbps.
Just a few days ago a rumor surfaced that the first board partner is ditching its plans to produce Intel Arc GPUs. Although it wasn’t mentioned directly, the story did suggest it was MSI. Therefore, the showcase of this new card may be a confirmation that those rumors were inaccurate, or this is just a very small production run. For now, this card is only available in a prebuilt PC sold exclusively on Chinese JD website.
MSI Arc A380 graphics card, Source: MSI
MSI’s prebuilt is available in three different configurations, each features the same Arc A380 graphics card and either Intel H510M or H610M Bomber motherboard. The only difference is the CPU. The cheapest model features Core i3-10105F, while other configurations get i5-10400F or i5-12400F. The price varies from 3599 RMB (532 USD) to 4399 RMB (650 USD)
Last Friday marked the seventh annual Sony Alpha Awards, celebrating the spectacular talents of Australian and New Zealand photographers captured on Sony Alpha cameras and lenses. The Alpha Awards aspire to drive creativity, reward professionals and enthusiasts alike, and showcase exceptional photography work.
Almost 4,000 images were submitted by professional and amateur photographers across the 12 categories for the chance to be recognized for their photographic talents.
Grand Prize Winner of the 2022 Sony Alpha Awards, Rainfall in Limbo by Caitlin Eafie. The image was shot using the Alpha 7 III & 55mm f/1.8 z.
The winners across each category were carefully selected by our board panel of judges who are all acclaimed for their body of work and experience. The overall Grand Prize winner was judged by Scott Gray, CEO of the World Photography Organisation. Sony has given away $44,000 AUD worth of Sony camera gear with each category winner receiving AUD $4,000 and the Grand Prize Winner, Caitlin Eafie, taking away AUD $10,000 worth Sony camera gear.
Jun Yoon, Head of Sony Digital Imaging ANZ has stated, “The imagery we have enjoyed over the past 7 years through the Alpha Awards, has never failed to impress. It is always a delight to get a glimpse into the creative minds of Alpha shooters and explore their curiosity of the world through the power of their photos. Please take the time to celebrate and experience the images from our 2022 category finalists and winners. A huge congratulations and thank you to all entrants, finalists & winners. Your craft continues to inspire us.”
The winners for the 2022 Sony Alpha Awards include:
astrophotography
Laura Winter | Guardian
City / Street
Fabio Capodivento | Foggy Station
Compact
Gabrielle Louis | bommie
Creative
Ian Johnstone | Broad Appeal
Editorial
Matt Hrkac | glued-on
Landscape
Graham Earnshaw | In Search of Light
Nature
Paula Vigus | Gliophorus Lilacipes
Portrait
Carole Mills Noronha | Wonder
seascape
Jingshu Zhu | star fish
Sport
Scott Barbour | Matteo Berrettini
Wedding
Andrew Stephens | Edible Confetti
All of the winning entries of the seventh annual Sony Alpha Awards can be viewed on Sony Scene.
A few months on from a tracking controversy hitting privacy-centric search veteran, DuckDuckGo, the company has announced it’s been able to amend terms with Microsoft, its search syndication partner, that had previously meant its mobile browsers and browser extensions were prevented from blocking advertising requests made by Microsoft scripts on third party sites.
In a blog post pledging “more privacy and transparency for DuckDuckGo web tracking protections”, founder and CEO, Gabe Weinberg, writes: “Over the next week, we will expand the third-party tracking scripts we block from loading on websites to include scripts from Microsoft in our browsing apps (iOS and Android) and our browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and Opera), with beta apps to follow in the coming month.”
“This expands our 3rd-Party Tracker Loading Protection, which blocks identified tracking scripts from Facebook, Google, and other companies from loading on third-party websites, to now include third-party Microsoft tracking scripts. This web tracking protection is not offered by most other popular browsers by default and sits on top of many other DuckDuckGo protections,” he added.
DDG claims this third-party tracker loading protection is not offered by most other popular browsers by default.
“Most browsers’ default tracking protection focuses on cookie and fingerprinting protections that only restrict third-party tracking scripts after they load in your browser. Unfortunately, that level of protection leaves information like your IP address and other identifiers sent with loading requests vulnerable to profiling Our 3rd-Party Tracker Loading Protection helps address this vulnerability, by stopping most 3rd-party trackers from loading in the first place, providing significantly more protection,” Weinberg writes in the blog post.
“Previously, we were limited in how we could apply our 3rd-Party Tracker Loading Protection on Microsoft tracking scripts due to a policy requirement related to our use of Bing as a source for our private search results. We’re glad this is no longer the case. We have not had, and do not have, any similar limitation with any other company.”
“Microsoft scripts were never embedded in our search engine or apps, which do not track you,” he adds. “Websites insert these scripts for their own purposes, and so they never sent any information to DuckDuckGo. Since we were already restricting Microsoft tracking through our other web tracking protections, like blocking Microsoft’s third-party cookies in our browsers, this update means we’ re now doing much more to block trackers than most other browsers.
Asked if DDG will be publishing its new contract with Microsoft, or whether it’s still bound by an NDA, Weinberg said: “Nothing else has changed and we don’t have other information to share on this.”
the carve-out for DDG’s search supplier was picked up in May via an independent audit conducted by privacy researcher, Zach Edwards.
At the time DDG ‘fessed up to anomaly but said it essentially had no choice to accept Microsoft’s terms, although it also said it wasn’t happy about the restriction and hoped to be able to remove it in the future.
Asked whether the publicity generated by the controversy helped persuade the tech giant to relax the restriction on its ability to block Microsoft ad scripts on non-Microsoft sites, DDG referred us back to Microsoft.
When we put the same question to the tech giant a spokeswoman told us:
Microsoft has policies in place to ensure that we balance the needs of our publishers with the needs of our advertisers to accurately track conversions on our network. We have been partnering with DuckDuckGo to understand the implications of this policy and we are pleased to have arrived at a solution that addresses those concerns.
In a transparency-focused steps being announced today, DDG said it’s publishing its tracker protection list — available here on GitHub — although the company told us the information was available before but suggested it’s easier to find now.
It also sent us the following list of domains where it said it will be blocking Microsoft tracking requests:
Despite this expansion of DDG’s ability to block Microsoft tracking requests, there are still instances where Microsoft ad scripts are not blocked by DDG’s tools by default — related to processes used by advertisers to track conversions (ie to determine whether an ad click actually led to a purchase).
“To evaluate whether an ad on DuckDuckGo is effective, advertisers want to know if their ad clicks turn into purchases (conversions). To see this within Microsoft Advertising, they use Microsoft scripts from the bat.bing.com domain,” explains Weinberg in the blog post. “Currently, if an advertiser wants to detect conversions for their own ads that are shown on DuckDuckGo, 3rd-Party Tracker Loading Protection will not block bat.bing.com requests from loading on the advertiser’s website following DuckDuckGo ad clicks, but these requests are blocked in all other contexts.For anyone who wants to avoid this, it’s possible to disable ads in DuckDuckGo search settings.
DDG says it wants to go further to protect user privacy around ad conversion tracking — but admits this won’t happen any time soon. In the blog post Weinberg writes that “eventually” it wants to be able to replace the current process for ad conversions checks by migrating to a new architecture for assessing ad effectiveness privately.
“To eventually replace the reliance on bat.bing.com for evaluating ad effectiveness, we’ve started working on an architecture for private ad conversions that can be externally validated as non-profiling,” he says.
DDG is by no means alone here. Across the industry, all sorts of moves are afoot to evolve/rethink adtech infrastructure in response to privacy backlash — and to rising regulatory risk attached to individual tracking — efforts such as Google’s multi-year push to replace support for tracking cookies in Chrome with an alternative adtech stack (aka its ‘Privacy Sandbox’ proposal; which remains a [delayed] work-in-progress).
“DuckDuckGo isn’t alone in trying to solve this issue; Safari is working on Private Click Measurement (PCM) and Firefox is working on Interoperable Private Attribution (IPA). We hope these efforts can help move the entire digital ad industry forward to making privacy the default,” adds Weinberg. “We think this work is important because it means we can improve the advertising-based business model that countless companies rely on to provide free services, making it more private instead of throwing it out entirely.”
Asked about the timeline for developing such an infrastructure, he says: “We don’t have a timeline to share right now but it’s not an imminent announcement.”
Despite DDG’s assertion that viewing ads via its browsers is “anonymous”, its ad disclosure page confirms that it passes some personal data (IP address and user string) to Microsoft, its ad partner — for “accounting purposes” (aka “to charge the advertiser and pay us for proper clicks, which includes detection of improper clicks”, as Weinberg puts it).
“Per our ad page, Microsoft has committed [that] “when you click on a Microsoft-provided ad that appears on DuckDuckGo, Microsoft Advertising does not associate your ad-click behavior with a user profile. It also does not store or share that information other than for accounting purposes,” he says when pressed on what guarantees he has from Microsoft that user data passed for ad conversions doesn’t end up being repurposed for broader tracking and profiling of individuals.
In back and forth with TechCrunch, DDG also repeatedly emphasized that its policy states that Microsoft does not link this data to a behavioral profile (or, indeed, share a user’s actual IP address etc).
However Weinberg concedes there are limits on how much control DDG can have over what happens to data once it’s passed — given, for example, the adtech ecosystem’s penchant for sharing (and synching) pseudonymized identifiers (eg hashes of identifiers) in order that digital activity may still be linked back to individual profiles, say after a few hops through a chain of third party data processors/enrichers, and thereby removing an earlier privacy screen… So, tl;dr, trying to shield your users’ privacy from prying third parties whilst operating in an ad ecosystem that’s been designed for pervasive surveillance (and allowed to sprawl all over the place) remains a massive firefight.
“Staying anonymous ‘through the adtech ecosystem’ is a different story because once someone clicks on a site (whether or not they got there through DuckDuckGo search), they become subject to the website owner’s privacy policy and related practices,” Weinberg admits. “In our browsers, we try to limit that through our web privacy protections but we cannot control what the website owner (the ‘first party’) does, which could be sharing data with third-parties in the ad tech ecosystem.”
“The ad disclosure page makes clear viewing ads is anonymous and further covers ad clicks, which has a commitment from Microsoft to not profile users on ad click, which includes any behavioral profiling by them or others. This commitment includes not passing that data on to anyone,” DDG also claims.
“Our privacy policy states that viewing all search results (including ads) is anonymous, and Microsoft Advertising (or anyone else) does not get anything that can de-anonymize user searches at that time (including full IP address) in terms of being able to tie individual searches to individuals or together into a search history,” it adds.
In further developments being highlighted by the company today, DDG said it’s updated the Privacy Dashboard that’s displayed in its apps and extensions — to show “more information” about third-party requests, per its blog post.
“Using the updated Privacy Dashboard, users can see which third-party requests have been blocked from loading and which other third-party requests have loaded, with reasons for both when available,” Weinberg writes on that.
It has also relaunched its help page — with a promise that the overhauled content offers “a comprehensive explanation of all the web tracking protections we provide across platforms”.
“Users now have one place to look if they want to understand the different kinds of web privacy protections we offer on the platforms they use. This page also explains how different web tracking protections are offered based on what is technically possible on each platform, as well as what’s in development for this part of our product roadmap,” its blog post suggests.
I rarely visit Reddit on my phone because of the pop-ups telling me to download the Reddit app. This is especially frustrating because I already have the app. Unfortunately, Reddit isn’t the only site guilty of this behavior. Several of the most popular sites on the internet pull the same stunt, including TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter. If you’re as tired of these “open in app” pop-up panels as I am, you need to check out the new iOS app Banish.
Banish app blocks “open in app” pop-ups
Last month, mobile developer Alex Zamoshchin explained on Product Hunt that he too was fed up with “open in app” pop-ups. Inspired by Hush, an iOS extension that blocks cookies, Zamoshchin decided to build his own extension to block pop-up banners.
Banish for Safari launched on the App Store in early July. Nearly a month later, Zamoshchin has updated the extension numerous times to block even more “open in app” pop-ups and banners. Here are some of the sites the developer has focused on:
reddit.com
twitter.com
linkedin.com
tiktok.com
instagram.com
quora.com
medium.com
Google com
calendar.google.com
docs.google.com
maps.google.com
yelp.com
There are a few steps that you’ll need to take in order to get Banish up and running on your iPhone or iPad. First, download the app from the App Store. Banish for Safari costs $1.99, so you will have to pay for the privilege to eliminate those annoying pop-ups.
Once the app is installed, go to your Settings app, tap on Safariand go to Extensions. From this menu, you will need the “Allow These Content Blockers” to be for Banish, and make sure it says “On” next to Banish under “Allow These Extensions.”
In order to do so, tap on Banish in the Extensions menu, tap the toggle to make it go green, and under “Permissions for Banish” make sure to choose “Allow.”
This isn’t a foolproof method, but if you prefer to use Safari on your iPhone, it should make browsing the internet far less annoying.
More iPhone coverage:For more iPhone news, visit our iPhone 14 guide.
One of the best search hacks for finding things easily in Google Search is about to get a lot better. Being able to search using quotes in Google Search has been one of the best ways to find specific phrases or words in a webpage or document for years. But now, Google will highlight where the quoted phrase or word appears. This should let you see exactly where it appears on the page much more easily.
Searching with quotes in Google Search just got a lot easier
As you can see in the image above, Google now bolds the words or phrases you search for in quotes in Google Search. Image source: Google
Previously, when you searched for a quoted phrase in Google Search, you’d be greeted by various URLs and snippets about pages that might include that phrase or word. This made it easier to find exact quotes in documents and other material, or even just to find out where you might have read that phrase the first time. Now, searching for quotes in Google Search is about to improve.
The change that Google is making is very simple. The results will still show the same as they always have. However, Google will now provide a more detailed snippet underneath each URL. The snippet is where Google provides additional context for each URL it displays in Google Search. If you search for “best dog treats,” you’ll see a snippet under each URL that outlines what it is about.
Google detailed the new change in a blog post this week. According to the post, snippets will show you the quoted phrase you searched for in bold letters. Additionally, it will provide some context about where that bit of text is found on the page. The company included a nice example of how quotes in Google Search look now, which we’ve included above.
Why did Google change things?
Unfortunately, the new Google Search results for quoted searches only appear to work on the desktop site. Image source: Teerasan/Adobe
Well, the previous way that Google did things was perfectly fine. However, when you searched for quotes in Google Search, it didn’t provide the context of where or how the phrase was used. This made it difficult to pinpoint exactly why that page might be showing under your results.
However, with the new method, Google has bolded the word. Making it easier to pick out the contextual inclusion for the phrase. Google’s Yonghao Jin says search results didn’t previously show this because the phrase was often included in parts of the page that weren’t considered helpful in snippets.
However, Google says people value seeing where the quote they searched for appears on the page. As such, the company has initiated this new change. Unfortunately, it’s only available on the desktop. So if you search for quotes on mobile, you’ll still need to find them on the page yourself.
Google listed other changes to Google Search earlier this year, so make sure to check those out, too.
Nintendo hasn’t revealed what the majority of mario kart 8‘s new courses will be, but players think they already know thanks to some clues reportedly left in the latest DLC files. Dataminers say the latest update contains a ton of leftover music references that hint at what 14 of the remaining 32 courses will be.
“Nintendo left then song prefetches to many future dlc courses in the BGM.bars of wave 2,” dataminer Fishguy6564 wrote on Twitter Thursday night. The discovery, apparently made by YouTube account recordreader, led to a list of music tracks pointing to various courses from past games in the Mario Kart series that would presumably appear in future DLC.
The full list is:
Peach Gardens (DS)
Boo Lake of Broken Pier (GBA)
Alpine Pass (3DS)
Berlin Byways (Tour)
Waluigi Stadium (GCN)
Merry Mountain (Tour)
Rainbow Road (3DS)
Amsterdam Drift (Tour)
Singapore Speedway (Tour)
Los Angeles Laps (Tour)
Sunset Wilds (GBA)
Bangkok Rush (Tour)
Vancouver Velocity (Tour)
Maple Treeway (Wii)
Combining this apparent new info with Fishguy’s past datamining of the first DLC wave revealed a pretty thorough portrait of what types of courses could be coming in the future.
A lot of the courses are from toursthemobile Mario Kart spin-off. That’s not terrible news considering that the MK8 versions of many of those have been excellent so far. But players did quickly point out that if accurate, this means there are only two more Nintendo DS stages coming, and since one of them is Peach Gardens, not all of the fan-favorites like Airship Fortress, Luigi’s Mansion, and DK Summit will make the cut.
Fans will still have to wait a bit to see if these leaks get confirmed and how the rest of the question marks will be filled in. MK8‘s Booster Course Pass will add the remaining 32 new courses between now and the end of 2023.
Samsung officially introduced its repair kit program in the US this week. Now, anyone who owns one of the handful of Galaxy phones covered by the program can order the parts, tools, and instructions needed to fix their devices themselves.
The company first announced its repair program in April. Thanks to some laws in Europe that require devices to indicate how repairable they are, similar legislation that secures consumers’ rights to repair their own phones, laptops, and gadgets feels all but inevitable in the US. Companies like Samsung and Apple are eager to get ahead of it and set the tone for what device repairability will mean. Problem is, now that these companies have unveiled their repair kit programs, it appears they offer more of a morsel of reparability than a full buffet.
Each Samsung Galaxy repair kit includes the tools, spare parts, and step-by-step instructions needed to fix broken screens, charging ports, and glass-backed chassis.
Photography: Samsung
Samsung has only made repair kits available for some of its products, namely the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21 phones, and the Galaxy Tab 7+. That’s seven devices total, out the hundreds of Samsung gadgets still in service. What’s more, only certain parts of each device can be repaired: The screen, charging port, and back panel glass. (Galaxy Tab owners can also replace the battery.) While Samsung’s repair kit rollout is limited, it’s been a smoother process so far than when Apple introduced its repair program in April. Apple’s kits were expensive, unwieldy, and often more bother than they were worth.
Samsung, along with Google (which makes available parts and tools for its Pixel phones) has partnered with the right-to-repair advocacy group iFixit. It’s a good partnership and a step toward a more repairable future. But for now that future is only manifesting in fits and starts. If Samsung, Apple, and other companies want to build out a robust self-repair program before the regulatory hammer comes down, they’ll have to step up their efforts.
Here’s some more news from the Gear desk.
Hey Alexa, Sweep My Floor
Say what you will about Amazon, but there’s no denying that it’s just a big ol’ hungry bear that wants to gobble up everything around it. The latest entity to slide screaming into Amazon’s gaping maw is iRobot, the company that makes Roomba vacuums. Amazon will be absorbing the company for a chill $1.7 billion in cash, which seems like chump change against its $3.9 billion feast of OneMedical last month. (That’s right, Amazon is a health care provider now too.)
Sure, there are all sorts of privacy implications from this acquisition, especially when you consider that Amazon may soon own the map of your home’s floor plan collected by the sensors on iRobot’s vacuums. But hey, just think of the other possibilities: Ring cameras in your robot lawn mower! Flying Dustbuster drones that listen to your conversations! Truly anything will be possible.
Clubhouse Subdivides Itself
Remember Clubhouse? The audio-based social network took off in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic, when it provided relief from the isolation and Zoom fatigue many of us were feeling. (Ha ha, glad that’s over, right?) Since admission to the app was invite-only, it lent the Clubhouse experience a sense of exclusivity that made it feel exciting. Soon, Clubhouse became the go-to virtual meet space for Silicon Valley bigwigs to delight each other with their collective presence. Then the app opened up to the general public, and its appeal fizzled faster than a warm La Croix.
Now, Clubhouse is trying to recapture some of its old cool by making parts of itself exclusive again. A new feature lets users split rooms off into multiple Clubhouses (Clubs house?) that will enable them to keep their conversations private. Clubhouse is taking applications to create “Houses” now but will be rolling them out on a case-by-case basis.
Clearly Clubhouse is hoping that these smaller, more curated experiences lure users back from the many other, much more popular audio chat services. when announcing the feature on Twitter, Clubhouse CEO Paul Davison wrote, “The best social experiences are not open to everyone. They are small and curated. This is what creates intimacy, trust, and friendship.”
Instagram NFT’s
After a controversial move to prioritize its TikTok clone Reels in user’s feeds, Instagram is digging in on another buzzy online trend: NFTs. In May, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced that the social platform would dip its toes into the then-piping-hot NFT waters. Of course, the NFT market has cooled off considerably since May. Still, this week Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company is expanding its plan to enable NFTs across Instagram in more than 100 countries. The feature will let users create posts as NFTs, and buy or sell them using digital wallets.
Speaking of non-fungible assets …
Take an NFT, It’ll Last Longer
The hallmark of NFTs has always been that they’re digital. Artists minting their works as NFTs create a marker on a blockchain that indicates that a work is an original. Otherwise, the piece itself is as infinitely re-creatable as any online GIF. (OK, it’s actually way more complicated than that, so here’s a guide explaining exactly how NFTs work.)
Now, thanks to companies like Infinite Objects and Tokenframe, you can take that digital art and stick it on your wall. This week on the Gadget Lab podcast, WIRED’s Lauren Goode and Michael Calore talk about the weird world of NFTs and how physical frames for digital art might make the whole thing more approachable for the uninitiated.
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The next DLC for rFactor 2 has been revealed, and it’s an official BTCC Hyundai – plus race-visiting fans will have the chance to win signed merchandise.
This will be the third BTCC car released this year by Studio 397 and Motorsport Games, following the rear-wheel-drive Infiniti Q50 and front-wheel-drive Toyota Corolla GR in April. The latter will be used for the upcoming Race of the Season using the native Competition System this coming Sunday, 7th August.
Built and run by Excelr8 Motorsport, the Hyundai was first introduced to the BTCC in 2020, but it started finding success in the hands of Tom Ingram the next season, taking three race victories and six further podiums.
His ‘Ginsters Excelr8 with TradePriceCars.com’ livery used by Ingram in 2021 is featured, alongside that of then teammate Chris Smiley. There are also a handful of generic BTCC-branded designs too.
It uses the TOCA engine, built by Swindon Powertrain, which is identical to the one in the existing Toyota and Infiniti.
Some content creators look to have received early access, as witnessed by Aidan Millward’s video below.
It joins the Historic Mini, a free Caterham Academy race car and World Wide Technology Raceway as part of the next batch of DLC for the title. The Mini was listed with a release date of 8th August, so expect the Hyundai then too.
rFactor 2 at upcoming BTCC races
Alongside the news of a new car for the platform, those attending the final four rounds of the real-world BTCC season will have the chance to test rFactor 2 and win signed merchandise, as per the BTCC website.
The ‘BTCC rFactor 2 Hot Lap Challenge’ will allow race fans to try and set their best time on one of four simulator rigs at the following rounds:
Snetterton: 13th-14th August 2022
Thruxton: 27-28th August 2022
Silverstone National: 24th-25th September 2022
Brands Hatch GP: 8th-9th October 2022
What content will be on display isn’t clear, although a spokesperson from Motorsport games did confirm to Traxion.GG that the track in use will be the previously released Donington Park. Attendees will be able to provide feedback, which hopefully is being used to formulate a dedicated BTCC game currently slated in 2024.
“We know that our fans are eager to get their hands on the official BTCC game and we ensure that progress and expanded development plans are continuing to be made in the here and now,” said Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive.
“We look forward to hearing the fans’ feedback directly and having another entertaining and engaging experience available during race weekends.”
Full disclosure – Traxion.GG is part of Motorsport Games and the Motorsport Games family of brands. All Traxion.GG content is editorially removed from Motorsport Games video game development and created by a dedicated team.
In a few months, Pokemon fans will get to enjoy the next entry in the series, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. One of the most exciting parts of any Pokemon game is selecting a starter Pokemon, and Generation Nine’s starters are some of the most impressive ones yet. For Grass-Type fans, there is Sprigatito the feline, while Water-Type fans can select Quaxly the cute duckling. Fire-Type fans are also in luck because Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduces Fuecoco the feisty croc.
GAMERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
A recent trailer has revealed more about the upcoming game, revealing a few new Pokemon and a bit more about the new region. Plenty of new features have been included, and players will be able to attend Pokemon Academy and explore Paldea by hopping onto one of the two legendary Pokemon. Some things have not changed, however, and the aim of the game is still to become the greatest Pokemon Trainer, and this means having the strongest Pokemon. Players have been curious to know more about the evolved forms of the starters, including Fuecoco, though The Pokemon Company has yet to give out official information. Consequently, players have had to rely on leaks.
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Fan Theories Surrounding Fuecoco
Fuecoco is a red, bipedal Pokemon with big jaws that make it look like a rascally crocodile. According to The Pokemon Company, Fuecoco is laid-back and loves eating. Fan theories surrounding starter Pokemon have proposed that Water-Type starters are inspired by weapons, Grass-Type starters are inspired by prehistoric animals, and Fire-Type starters are based on the Chinese zodiac. It does seem like the theory holds some weight for the Fire-Type starters, as Charizard resembles a dragon, Emboar looks like a pig, and Incineroar is inspired by a tiger, to list a few examples.
The animals that have not been used include an ox, sheep, horse, and snake. Consequently, with Fuecoco’s arrival, Pokemon fans suspect that the Chinese zodiac theme has been broken, as it is unlikely that the crocodile-like Pokemon will evolve into any of those animals. However, some gamers have speculated that it might evolve into a serpentine creature, allowing the Chinese zodiac theme to continue. It seems unlikely, however.
Fans have also debated what food Fuecoco could be inspired by. There have been plenty of Pokemon that look like food, with Vanillite being but one example. Popular theories have claimed that Fuecoco is inspired by a chili pepper due to its color and shape, or an apple with a bite taken out of it. Supporters of the chili theory also propose that Fuecoco’s final evolution will be Fire/Ghost Type, making the Pokemon a play on ghost peppers. However, the second Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer lent credence to the apple theory, as Fuecoco was seen next to an apple.
Using clues from trailers, gamers have concluded that the next Pokemon region, Paldea, is inspired by Spain, though it may also draw from other countries in the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal. Though not in the Iberian Peninsula, some gamers have speculated that the game may also draw from Peruvian culture and that Fuecoco could be based on Morrop, a Peruvian god who is also known as the Iguana Man. In keeping with this theme, it is speculated that the Pokemon will have an egg on its head in its middle evolution, and a bird in its final evolution. This theory may seem outlandish, but it does align with some leaks which have come from credible sources.
Leaks and Rumors Surrounding Fuecoco
In lieu of official information from The Pokemon Company, leaks have popped up plentifully, and a good percentage of them have turned out to be accurate. A leaker named @realblaines has claimed that Fuecoco’s middle evolution will feature an unhatched egg of fire on the Pokemon’s head, and the egg turns into a flame bird in the final evolution. This may confirm theories that Fuecoco is based on Morrop, though it is also possible that the Pokemon is based on the Egyptian plover which is known to pick decaying meat from crocodile mouths.
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The leaker is relatively unknown, though these details have since been vouched for by Riddler Khu, a leaker with a good track record. According to Riddler Khu, Fuecoco’s final evolution is Fire/Ghost Type, while Sprigatito’s final evolution is Grass/Dark Type, and Quaxly’s final evolution is Water/Fighting Type. A recent riddle by Khu has suggested that Fuecoco’s Hidden Ability is berry-based, which opens the door for the critter to have abilities such as Gluttony and Ripen.
The leaker @CentroLeaks has had a good track record with leaking information surrounding prior Pokemon titles, and they successfully leaked Terastallization and Pokemon Scarlet and Violett’s new region’s name before it was officially announced. They have provided a rough sketch of Fuecoco’s final evolution, and it shows the Pokemon on all fours like a lizard. Like the other leaks, it depicts Fuecoco’s final evolution with a flaming bird on its head. Giving further hints about the Pokemon’s evolutions, @CentroLeaks claimed the middle evolution stands on two legs while the final evolution stands on four. They also posted an emoji of a man singing into a microphone, which could suggest that the Pokemon may use sound-based moves which could be generated either through the croc or the bird on its head.
Many of the leaks seem to corroborate a few core points. Most notably, they all claim that Fuecoco will have a flaming egg, and then a flaming bird. They also claim that the final evolution will be four-legged. The alleged Fire/Ghost Typing also makes for an interesting combination, while the potential berry-based Hidden Ability could make Fuecoco a powerful Pokemon on the competitive field. Fortunately, Pokemon fans will not have to wait much longer to receive more official news about Fuecoco and its evolutions, as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s release date is not far.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are scheduled to release on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.
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