gaming – Page 18 – Tech Today w/ Ken May

BitTorrent Sync adds ability to make encrypted folders

BitTorrent has released a new version of its Sync peer-to-peer app, and its biggest feature is the encrypted folder. Any data you keep in one will be encrypted, whether you choose to place it on cloud storage or on a networked storage device (NAS). Plus, your files are always encrypted while they’re being transferred. When you create one of these folders , you get three types of keys. The Read-Write key allows peers to access and modify its contents, the Read-Only key gives peers the power to access and decrypt the files, while the Encrypted key only allows peers to receive the files — they won’t be able to decrypt them. For instance, you can provide your clients with a Read-Write key to allow them to modify the documents you’re working on. But, you can give vendors Read Only keys to show them what you have to offer. If you want to make a backup, say on a cloud service, you can make a folder that uses only an Encrypted key to be extra safe. Besides the security feature, the latest version of Sync also gives it the ability to run as a service on Windows, as well as to move data to and from an SD card used by Android 5 devices and newer. Finally, if you’re on Linux, the update will allow you to only download files you’re missing instead of replicating whole folders. Source: BitTorrent Sync (1) , (2)

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BitTorrent Sync adds ability to make encrypted folders

Much more than Mario Kart: The history of kart racers

No video game genre divides and unifies us like the kart racer. For every Mario Kart there are a dozen by-the-numbers cash-ins, and even that hallowed series receives regular criticism as too derivative. But while we all breathe a collective sigh of disappointment with each kid-friendly license that predictably goes the generic kart-racing route, it’s hard not to get excited by that rare entry that feels fresh and new. A great kart racer is a joyous thing. It’s accessible yet deep, fun yet primed for oh-so-serious competition between friends, and full of colorful, wacky charm. It is a game for everyone. So in keeping with the spirit of the genre—and as the latest edition in our gaming genre history series that includes city builders , graphic adventures , and simulation games —it’s time to ride through the ups and downs of kart racing. (Before we start, a quick note: I’ve omitted go-kart racing sims such as Open Kart and Michael Schumacher Racing World Kart because they are essentially conventional racing games and not what we normally think of as kart racers.) Read 33 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Much more than Mario Kart: The history of kart racers

California fines Uber $7.6 million for not reporting driver data

Uber was hit with a $7.6 million fine on Thursday after the California Public Utilities Commission found that the company failed to provide proper data on its drivers in 2014. Uber plans to pay the fine to avoid a suspension of its operating license, though it will appeal the ruling, the Los Angeles Times reports. In July 2015, a judge recommended Uber be fined upwards of $7 million for failing to provide relevant driver data under California’s new ride-hailing laws . Today’s fine stems from that recommendation. The CPUC says Uber failed to provide accessibility information (how many riders asked for accessible vehicles and actually received them), service information (pickup and payment data in each zip code where Uber operates), and the cause of each “driving incident” involving an Uber vehicle. Uber has since provided all of this information to the CPUC, the LA Times reports. Uber’s main competition, Lyft, isn’t facing any penalties in California. While you’re doing the math on all of this, remember: Uber is valued at more than $60 billion . Source: Los Angeles Times

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California fines Uber $7.6 million for not reporting driver data

US government announces $4 billion self-driving car program

Turns out we’re way closer to our self-driving car future than most of us expected. US Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced at the Detroit Auto Show (pdf) Thursday that the Obama administration will have a national blueprint for autonomous vehicle standards by July. What’s more the administration is earmarking $4 billion of the 2017 budget to create a decade-long program that will support and accelerate development of the technology. “We are on the cusp of a new era in automotive technology with enormous potential to save lives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and transform mobility for the American people, ” Secretary Foxx said in a statement. Currently, each state has individual laws regarding the burgeoning technology. This forces automakers and early adopters like Google to juggle multiple sets of rules and regulations, depending on where in the country the technology is being built. For example, California recently decided that a human “driver” be present at all times should something go wrong. This program should reduce the number of hoops companies have to jump through by creating an overarching, national-level development framework. Via: Re/Code Source: Department of Transportation (pdf)

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US government announces $4 billion self-driving car program

How an obsessive jailhouse lawyer revealed the existence of Stingray surveillance devices

Daniel Rigmaiden was a prolific and talented fraudster who made more than a million dollars filing tax-returns for dead people, using ninja forgery skills and super-tight operational security to avoid arrest for years. (more…)

The first working Hyperloop could arrive by the end of 2016

Rob Lloyd, the recently-minted CEO of Hyperloop Technologies , believes that his firm will have a fully-working test loop ready for the end of the year. The executive is here at CES to oversee the breaking ground on the facility which is being constructed on the outskirts of Las Vegas. The two-mile track is, if all things go to plan, expected to be ready for passengers to try out before the end of the holidays. We sat down with Lloyd to talk about the past, present of future of Hyperloop in this wide-ranging interview with Engadget.

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The first working Hyperloop could arrive by the end of 2016

Archaeologists have new tools that make it easy to scan artifacts

A European Union-funded project called ” Presious ” could make a modern Indiana Jones’ tasks easier even if they’re operating with tiny budgets. See, the initiative is currently developing a number of software tools they can use to scan artifacts. The first one can be used to scan stone objects and estimate their erosion patterns, while the second one treats scanned fragments like 3D puzzles and pieces them together. Finally, the third tool can fill in gaps in symmetrical objects if some of their pieces couldn’t be found. According to the European Union , these tools’ capabilities are made possible by the development of predictive scanning. That technique taps into existing repositories of digitized archaeological finds to predict erosion patterns, missing pieces’ shapes and broken fragments’ fits. The best thing about these tools is that archaeologists will be able to download them for free once development is done this January 2016. Via: Popsci Source: Presious

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Archaeologists have new tools that make it easy to scan artifacts

N64’s ‘GoldenEye 007’ goes modern with Unreal Engine 4

Ah, yes. GoldenEye 007 . One of the classic Nintendo 64 titles and a memorable first-person shooter is certainly a game that I spent a lot of time with. Now we have a glimpse of what the game could look like if it was made with the tools available to developers today. YouTube user Jude Wilson recreated a portion of the Facility Map using Unreal Engine 4 , offering a bit of nostalgia for those of us who are familiar with the title. Wilson isn’t the first to do this, as Mario and Sonic have already been given the UE4 treatment. It’s an interesting take, but don’t take our word for it, go through the level yourself via the video down below. Via: Cinema Blend Source: Jude Wilson (YouTube)

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N64’s ‘GoldenEye 007’ goes modern with Unreal Engine 4

T-Mobile’s CEO does damage control, apologizes to the EFF

T-Mobile CEO John Legere has published an open letter on the company’s website, and it smells like an attempt at damage control after getting some real backlash. As you might know, he’s been making good use of his colorful vocabulary to defend his company over accusations that it’s throttling YouTube videos these past few weeks. In the process, he lambasted Google and accused the Electronic Frontier Foundation of being a paid mouthpiece. In the surprisingly expletive-free missive, he claims that Binge On is a “VERY ‘pro’ net neutrality capability, ” because you can switch it on or off whenever you want. The T-Mobile uncarrier feature allows you to stream 480p videos without eating up your data, but it can only do so for specific services like Netflix. That doesn’t sit well with net neutrality advocates who believe that it makes certain apps more appealing than others. The FCC cited that as one of its reasons when it summoned the company to talk about its data exemption scheme in December. Legere also apologizes to the EFF for posting a video asking “who the fuck” the organization is and who’s paying it. His response was triggered by the non-profit digital rights group’s question on Twitter, asking if Binge On alters the video stream in any way or limits its bandwidth: Look, by now you know that I am a vocal, animated and sometimes foul mouthed CEO. I don’t filter myself and you know that no one at T-Mobile filters me either (no, they don’t even try). That means I will sometimes incite a bit of a ‘social media riot’, but I’m not going to apologize for that. I will however apologize for offending EFF and its supporters. Just because we don’t completely agree on all aspects of Binge On doesn’t mean I don’t see how they fight for consumers. We both agree that it is important to protect consumers’ rights and to give consumers value. We have that in common, so more power to them. As I mentioned last week, we look forward to sitting down and talking with the EFF and that is a step we will definitely take. While we may never know why the CEO suddenly decided to publish this letter, he said he decided to write it up for the sake of the data exemption feature: Unfortunately, my color commentary from last week is now drowning out the real value of Binge On – so hopefully this letter will help make that clear again. . @EFF pic.twitter.com/pv6V4oOJwS — John Legere (@JohnLegere) January 7, 2016 T-Mobile’s CEO is dying to know who EFF is. Friends, please tweet at @JohnLegere with the hashtag #WeAreEFF to enlighten him. — EFF (@EFF) January 7, 2016 [Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images] Source: T-Mobile

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T-Mobile’s CEO does damage control, apologizes to the EFF

Police claim to have cracked extra-secure BlackBerry phones

BlackBerry smartphones have secure messaging as a matter of course, but for some that isn’t enough: there are custom models that are even more secure thanks to PGP-encrypted mail. However, it seems that these locked down models aren’t quite as safe as you’d think. The Netherlands Forensic Institute has confirmed a recent report that it’s capable of scooping up encrypted data from PGP-equipped BlackBerry devices. It’s not discussing the exact techniques involved, but it’s relying on a tool from CelleBrite to get the job done. One possibility is that investigators are guessing the password based on a memory dump, although that normally requires yanking a memory chip off the phone’s motherboard. If it’s any consolation, police need physical access to crack these BlackBerrys. Their methods also aren’t completely reliable (a small batch couldn’t be cracked), and it’s uncertain that this will work with every single PGP implementation. GhostPGP, for instance, claims that it’s unaffected. All the same, this isn’t very comforting if you bought a customized BlackBerry with the promise of airtight security. And there’s no certainty that only Dutch cops have access — it’s entirely possible that other law enforcement and surveillance agencies know these tricks. [Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images] Source: Misdaadnieuws (translated) , Motherboard