May 3, 2019 - THE WAN Show Document

[JonoT]

Ubisoft killing game keys

Source 1: Bouzoo https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1060296-ubisoft-takes-the-next-step-in-killing-game-keys-enter-silent-key-activation/

Source 2: https://www.pcgamesn.com/ubisoft-silent-key-activation

 

• Ubisoft is trying to prevent illegal resales of its games with a new method of selling digital PC game keys called silent key activation (SKA).

  • “If someone goes on a website like Fanatical and buys a Ubisoft product, it will take them through the checkout process, then ask you to enter your UPlay account – if you don’t have one, it asks you to set one up.

  • “The game is then automatically activated in UPlay. Fanatical doesn’t get a key, and neither does the player. They just log into UPlay and the game is there, as if they bought it from the UPlay Store.”

• On top of making it harder for illegal game key redistributors to operate, this new selling method should make it easier for customers to purchase Ubisoft’s games on PC.

• Right now, third-party stores are given huge batches of keys to sell on to customers.

• Sometimes these keys are acquired by illegal sellers

  • these unofficial sellers could still sell Uplay accounts with games on them, but it’d be much riskier that way as they can easily be caught.

• With silent key activation now in place, Ubisoft is refusing to sell its PC game keys through any third-party marketplace that isn’t SKA approved.

  • it’s up for ten digital game distributors – including Fanatical and GamersGate – while others like Green Man Gaming have their own equivalent tech in place.

 

Facebook: The Future is Private

Source 1: ZacoAttaco

Source 2: https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/tech/2019/05/01/facebook-future-is-private/

 

• At Facebook’s F8 conference, Mark Zuckerberg pledged to transform the company’s approach to privacy while revealing major changes to Instagram and WhatsApp.

• Zuckerberg acknowledged that the social media behemoth had much work to do in order to rebuild trust with the global community.

  • “I know that we don’t exactly have the strongest reputation on privacy right now, to put it lightly,”

  • However, he believed the company has “what it takes to evolve”.

• Facebook

  • Facebook will roll out a redesigned site that’s “simpler, faster, more immersive” and puts communities at the centre.

    • App users will notice immediate changes, with a new desktop site expected in “the next few months”.

  • Making it easier to switch between public spaces and private groups where users can engage with “groups of people who share your interests”.

  • A new feature called Secret Crush will allow users to select up to nine of their Facebook friends who they want to express romantic interest in. “If your crush has opted into Facebook Dating, they will get a notification saying that someone has a crush on them,” the company said. “If your crush adds you to their Secret Crush list, it’s a match!”

• Instagram

  • Hiding likes: The app is experimenting with hiding the total number of likes on photos and videos.

  • Shopping: starting next week Instagram users will be able to buy products directly from creators without leaving the app.

  • Instagram users can make donations to non-profit causes through a sticker in Instagram’s stories feature, and create their own fund-raisers.

  • In coming weeks, Instagram will roll out a new camera design to make it easier for users to add effects and interactive tools.

• WhatsApp

  • Business catalogues: A new tool to connect people with businesses expected in coming months. Catalogs will allow businesses to “showcase their goods” within WhatsApp and chat directly to customers.

 

Epic Games buys Psyonix

https://kotaku.com/epic-acquires-rocket-league-developer-psyonix-1834454038

What does it MEAN

https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/2/18527171/epic-games-rocket-league-psyonix-acquisition-exclusivity-deal-valve-steam

Staying on Steam

https://www.rocketleague.com/news/psyonix-is-joining-the-epic-family-/

Good for RL eSports:

https://esportsobserver.com/rocket-league-esports-opinion/

 

Intel Xe GPU to Support Ray Tracing

Source 1: fasauceome https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1060045-intel-xe-confirmed-to-trace-rays/

Source 2: https://wccftech.com/intel-xe-gpu-supports-ray-tracing/

 

• At FMX in Germany this week, Intel announced that their Xe GPU architecture will support hardware acceleration of Ray tracing.

  • This puts the architecture on par with Turing as far as DXR goes and makes it superior to solutions that rely on software or GPGPU acceleration (like Pascal).

• Ray tracing for big budget movies like Pixar films is done traditionally on CPUs because they are 100% accurate. Unfortunately, they are also orders of magnitude slower.

 

Rapid Fire

 

Valve Index

• Dual 1440 x 1600 LCD panels (same as Vive Pro)

  • Each pixel as 3 subpixels, better for screen door effect

• 120Hz screen, experimental 144Hz mode

• 20 degree higher FOV than Vive

• Dual exterior cameras

• Flagship VR game coming in 2019

https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/index

https://uploadvr.com/valve-index-price-specs/

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1059683-pre-order-vavle-index-tomorrow-more-info/

 

Right to Repair bill killed in Canada

Source 1: Bouzoo https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1060631-right-to-repair-bill-killed-in-canada-after-tech-giants-lobbied-hard-against-it/

Source 2: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/9kxayy/right-to-repair-bill-killed-after-big-tech-lobbying-in-ontario

 

• A right to repair bill that would have forced manufacturers selling electronic devices and other consumer products in Ontario to provide consumers and small businesses with the tools and knowledge to repair brand-name gadgets is officially dead.

  • The failed vote follows lobbying against the legislation from major tech companies including Apple

• The bill aimed to force companies like Apple to provide small businesses and average consumers with official parts, diagnostic tools, and repair manuals upon request, and at a fair price.

  • It would have been the first such law in North America—though 20 US states are considering similar legislation

• Home and affordable third-party repair of brand-name devices is often extremely difficult or even outright illegal

• While some MPPs urged their colleagues to vote yes on the bill simply to allow for further exploration of the issue, it faced staunch resistance from members of the ruling Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

  • Some PC members argued that the bill cut against the Ontario government’s new “open for business” slogan by compromising US companies’ intellectual property rights to the point that they would not sell their products in Ontario

  • MPP Kaleed Rasheed claimed that the bill would force companies to hand their “codes” and “security stuff” to average consumers, though it only called for repair manuals, diagnostic tools, and parts.

• Electronics Product Stewardship Canada (EPSC)—an industry group that represents Apple, Panasonic, and other major tech companies—as well as representatives from from Apple and Panasonic feared the bill would compromise companies’ intellectual property rights and that home repair was a public safety issue.

• a right to repair bill in California was pulled by its sponsor after an industry association representing Apple and other tech companies lobbied against the bill by arguing, among other things, that people trying to repair their phones could hurt themselves by puncturing the lithium-ion battery.

  • Apple executive Lisa Jackson made a similar argument in 2017, saying at TechCrunch Disrupt that the company’s phones are too “complex” for non-authorized repair.

 

Massdrop Rebrands to ‘Drop’ & cuts Group-Buys

Source 1: ChaoticGoreMagala https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1060661-massdrop-rebrands-to-drop-ironically-dropping-group-buys-in-the-process/

Source 2: https://drop.com/talk/23063/massdrop-is-now-drop

Source 3: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/biog8t/massdrop_now_rebranded_to_drop/

 

• Community-driven shopping site Massdrop has rebranded simply as Drop and has announced a number of new products.

  • The service primarily uses data and insights from enthusiasts to create its products — while providing a platform for customers to give insight and opinions on those products.

• The site will no longer be offering the buying mechanic that made the site famous: Group buys.

  • In the past, an item’s price would drop as more people committed to buying.

  • Now the site appears to be more like a regular store.

 

LTX 2019

 

- LTX 2019 featuring DreamHack!

 

- July 27th and 28th, 2019

 

- 11am to 6pm each day

 

- Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver BC, Canada

 

- Focus on bringing people together to offer a hands-on experience with PC-hardware and gaming - workshops, activities, competitions, giveaways

 

- Come learn how to build a PC! Delid a CPU, Learn how to disassemble a - GPU, get some anger out by destroying some PC cases. Or you can watch some of our mainstage panels - check out a bunch of cool retro PCs

 

- VR experiences, play some games, and hang out with us and other creators!

 

- PLUS, we’re partnering with Dreamhack to offer a 600-PC BYOC, 100 PC FreePlay area, and Indie Zone

 

- Double the amount of space from LTX 2018, and double the number of booths

 

- Get your tickets now at ltxexpo dot com or through the link below.

 

UPDATES:

• SnazzyQ from Snazzy Labs, and Hardware Canucks are coming to LTX!

• As of this morning, there are only 16 BYOC tickets left

• We’re organizing panels for the main stage! What do YOU guys want to see discussed at LTX? Hit us up with ideas on the forum or Twitter @ltxexpo

 

[unijab]

Nice edit

[LienusLateTips]

Still confused as to who you are lol

[Freeman]

Thanks for posting the doc .

[ImNotDeViLzzz]

Wait a sec!  Is the guy on the left the guy who used to have that slick looking greased up hair in the NCIX vids when Linus was gone from them?  If so I may be interested in The WAN Show again.  Guy was funny as hell in the NCIX vids.  As for not seeing Linus in his own show he started which I think has gone on for some time now that is just strange though.  I haven't watched in ages so I don't know how long it has been since Linus has not been a regular part of it or has missed some.  What is the deal there?  PS:  I assume Linus might want to spend more time with the family as he gets older and thus is doing less of that and not just because dealing with the other things related to the company being taxing.

[LienusLateTips]

Just now, ImNotDeViLzzz said:

Wait a sec!  Is the guy on the left the guy who used to have that slick looking greased up hair in the NCIX vids when Linus was gone from them?  If so I may be interested in The WAN Show again.  Guy was funny as hell in the NCIX vids.  As for not seeing Linus in his own show he started which I think has gone on for some time now that is just strange though.  I haven't watched in ages so I don't know how long it has been since Linus has not been a regular part of it or has missed some.  What is the deal there?  PS:  I assume Linus might want to spend more time with the family as he gets older and thus is doing less of that and not just because dealing with the other things related to the company being taxing.

Linus is just a little busy right now, I believe. 

 

The NCIX guy (Riley) got hired by Linus Media Group and now, they have their own ripoff of Netlinked Daily "Techlinked".

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeFfhMcJa1kjtfZAGskOCA

[ImNotDeViLzzz]

3 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

Linus is just a little busy right now, I believe. 

 

The NCIX guy (Riley) got hired by Linus Media Group and now, they have their own ripoff of Netlinked Daily "Techlinked".

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeeFfhMcJa1kjtfZAGskOCA

Thanks for confirming this.  I was just telling some guy at EB Games he reminded me of Riley.  I didn't remember the name Riley but could not forget the hair. LOL!

Anyway definitely have a reason to watch to watch some of this LTT related content now.