Microsoft has another Free Play Days weekend coming at us this week, and some interesting titles are included in this promotion. As always, these Free Play Days weekends are open only to those who have Xbox Live Gold (which includes Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers). If you try a game out and decide that you like it, you can buy … Continue reading
In 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its first approval of an “artificial pancreas” for type-1 diabetes that automatically monitors blood sugar levels and doses the patient with the appropriate amount of insulin. In the latest evolution of this technology, the same type of system is now being tested in people who have type-2 diabetes. The University … Continue reading
It’s been just over a year since we got our hands on the Motorola Edge+, a device that we described as “beauty nearly to a fault.” Now Motorola has a new set of devices with “Edge” in the name, but without so much emphasis on the idea that the display needs to cascade off the left and right of the … Continue reading
As a wearable device, Amazon’s Halo wristband is about as no-frills of a fitness tracker you can buy. It doesn’t include a display, and outside of the two microphones that enable its controversial tone detection feature, it forgoes many of the more advanced sensors we’ve seen make their way into devices like the Apple Watch. But starting today, you can use the Halo band to see an overlay of your heart rate across various third-party apps and fitness equipment.
At launch, the integration works with machines from brands like NordicTrack and CLBMR, in addition to software like iFit and Openfit. To enable the feature, open the settings menu in the Amazon Halo app and find the “Heart Rate Sharing” option.
While not an exact match for the Apple Watch’s GymKit functionality, the inclusion of heart rate sharing should make the Halo band more versatile, and that’s something the wearable desperately needs. Once you get past its more controversial features, the problem with Halo is it doesn’t stand out. In fact, most of the platform’s best features are found inside the accompanying Halo app.
Apple is reportedly planning an update that would allow it to scan iPhones for images of child sexual abuse. According to the Financial Times, the company has been briefing security researchers on the “neuralMatch” system, which would “continuously scan photos that are stored on a US user’s iPhone and have also been uploaded to its iCloud back-up system.”
The system would “proactively alert a team of human reviewers if it believes illegal imagery is detected” and human reviewers would alert law enforcement if the images were verified. The neuralMatch system, which was trained using a database from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, will be limited to iPhones in the United States to start, the report says.
The move would be somewhat of an about face for Apple, which has previously stood up to law enforcement to defend users’ privacy. The company famously clashed with the FBI in 2016 after it refused to unlock an iPhone belonging to the man behind the San Bernardino terror attack. CEO Tim Cook said at the time that the government’s request was “chilling” and would have far-reaching consequences that could effectively create a backdoor for more government surveillance. (The FBI ultimately turned to an outside security firm to unlock the phone.)
Now, security researchers are raising similar concerns. Though there’s broad support for increasing efforts to fight child abuse, researchers who spoke to the FT said that it could open the door for authoritarian regimes to spy on their citizens, since a system designed to detect one type of imagery could be expanded to other types of content, like terrorism or other content perceived as “anti-government.”
At the same time, Apple and other companies have faced mounting pressure to find ways to cooperate with law enforcement. As the report points out, social media platforms and cloud storage providers like iCloud already have systems to detect child sexual abuse imagery, but extending such efforts to images on a device would be a significant shift for the company.
Apple declined to comment to FT, but the company could release more details about its plans “as soon as this week.”
After playing a few hours of Back 4 Blood, the new co-op survival shooter from Left 4 Dead studio Turtle Rock, I was left with two questions: How is this legal? And, when can I play again? Turns out, right now.
The Back 4 Blood open beta runs from August 5th to 9th, and again from August 12th to 16th, on PC, Xbox and PlayStation consoles. I got a sneak peek at what the beta has to offer on PC, with an emphasis on PvE content, since there were some technical issues with PvP modes during my playtime. Those have been resolved and I’m told PvP is ready to rock for the open beta.
Not that you should expect it to be perfect. Turtle Rock Studios is using the open beta to fine-tune Back 4 Blood ahead of its release on October 12th, and developers are serious about gathering as much feedback as possible. There’s plenty to track: The game uses a Left 4 Dead-style AI director that adjusts the difficulty level in real-time as you plow through hordes of Ridden in your own special way. There’s also a card system that allows players to build decks of class-specific perks, plus corruption cards that apply randomized effects to every level, changing up the gameplay each time. And it’s a true cross-platform game, running across console generations and PC. All of this is on top of a new PvP mode and the core PvE gameplay, which has to feel like butter if it’s going to satisfy Turtle Rock’s Left 4 Dead fans.
I’m one of those fans, and I have to say, I’m enjoying the hell out of Back 4 Blood. Left 4 Dead is a pivotal game of my past, and Back 4 Blood taps into those good feelings in a delicious way.
I’m most interested in PvE, since that’s the core of my nostalgia in this case, and I ended up playing about two hours of the main co-op mode with some new friends. The open beta features two PvE maps for co-op runs and two maps for the Swarm PvP mode, where teams of four take turns fighting each other as the Cleaners (the main characters) and the Ridden (the infected former humans). A new character, Mom, joins the roster of playable Cleaners for the first time, too.
One thing that stands out in Back 4 Blood is its sense of replayability. While the levels feel familiar, they’re filled with secrets and they naturally encourage dynamic play, offering various ways to approach any single encounter. The card system adds a lovely layer of customization to the game, while the corruption cards make each new round just a little different, just a little more exciting. There’s a variety of weapons and items to gather as well, and a healthy allotment of ammo drops throughout the maps, especially if you go exploring.
Shooting the Ridden is immensely satisfying with any gun, while getting snatched up or knocked down by a Special Ridden is shocking basically every time. Meanwhile, the dialogue among the Cleaners is cute, with references to “the new normal,” lizard people in the government and the lamestream media, to name a few joke opportunities. The protagonists of Back 4 Blood aren’t shocked and running for their lives; they’re on a mission to eradicate the Ridden and create safe zones for human life to resume. It’s a refreshing perspective twist.
I ran into a few issues during my time with Back 4 Blood’s open beta content, but nothing that felt insurmountable at this stage of development. Essentially, I trust Turtle Rock to take the feedback from the open beta and apply it to the game in the smartest, most gory way possible for its launch in October.
I actually chatted with Turtle Rock executive producer Matt O’Driscoll about the beta and what developers hope to get out of it.
“These next two weeks are so vital to us,” he said. “We’re gonna get so much data for how people play this. Is easy too easy? Is it too hard? Is nightmare mode impossible? Like, all these kind of little things. Or, how do people build decks? Someone’s gonna build a deck that I’m sure is gonna kind of break something in the game.”
You heard him, Cleaners — get to breaking.
Back 4 Blood is definitely a lot like Left 4 Dead, but updated for modern systems and sensibilities. The question for most players in the open beta will be whether it’s too much like Left 4 Dead — but personally, I say bring it on, Turtle Rock. After all, it’s not like Valve is gonna give us Left 4 Dead 3. Or any 3, for that matter.
Microsoft will host its second ID@Xbox indie game showcase of the year on Twitch next week. The stream starts at 12pm ET on August 10th. You’ll be able to watch it on the Twitch Gaming and Xbox channels.
Xbox will show off “tons” of games during the showcase, which will involve developers and publishers including Rebellion and Chump Squad. Along with updates on games such as OlliOlli World and The Artful Escape, new titles will be announced.
There will be some Xbox Game Pass news as well. During the first ID@Xbox and Twitch showcase in March, Microsoft revealed another 22 indie games that were bound for Game Pass on their release day, including S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Boyfriend Dungeon and The Ascent, which has blown up since it arrived last week. On Tuesday, you can expect to learn about a bunch more games that have set a course for Game Pass.
The showcase isn’t the only notable gaming event taking place this month. Gamescom’s Opening Night Live is set for August 25th. The two-hour shindig will show off some of this holiday season’s biggest titles and offer a look at “what lies beyond,” according to host and producer Geoff Keighley.
Yes, people still play Pokémon Go. In fact, I’m currently in competition with a neighbor over claiming the gym down the street. But today, I’m holding off on logging on in solidarity with #PokémonNoDay.
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