Category: Tech News

Remedy Entertainment announced that it would remake Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne with a project that has been set to be on the scale of a “typical remedy AAA game production” for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

At present, the remakes are in a stage of concept development, according to Remedy, it will develop games as one title, while Rockstar Games will finance the budget of the game development.

The announcement stated that the remakes would be driven by the Northlight Game Engine, the one which was used in censoriously applauded control and the forthcoming Alan Wake 2.

Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games, said they were excited when their longtime friends at Remedy approached them for remaking of Original Max Payne games. In Addition, he also said that they are a great fan of all work that the Remedy team has generated over the years, and they are excited about playing these new games.

CEO of Remedy Tero Virtala said that they are excited about working with their partners at Rockstar Games as they get a chance to bring the story, atmosphere, and action of the real Max Payne games back to players in novel ways.

The first Max Payne was released in 2001, and it’s more than 20 years since we have seen many games integrate its innovative “bullet time feature.” The most recent one is WolfEye Studios Weird West. Getting to see Max Payne diving all over the place in both classic titles on all upcoming consoles is like a treat, with the real developers at the tiller. When the remakes are released is yet to be finalized, but it is expected soon as it has already started.

The remake is not only for Max Payne but also for Splinter Cell and Dead Space.

Microsoft notetaking application crafted for styluses and pens has been recently elevated into a full-fledged product. Previously it was a Garage project journal, which is now known as a Microsoft journal. On Tuesday, Microsoft made the announcement.

This application provides you with magnificent freeform personal notetaking practices that allow you to take notes and then reason using ink. So it was said by Microsoft’s Renee Malone in a specific blog pose. Like all other notetaking applications, this app allows you to write and then draw. It also supports several gestures, such as scratching out words for erasing them and circling the words and phrases to choose them. You can also use the markup PDFs, which is one of the renowned things to carry out as per Malone. A lot of page types in the journal are PDFs.

The garage is one of the Microsoft brands for more of its products under experiments. As a completely supported product, the company plans for addressing some of the common requests and backlog the new features. So it was said by OZ Solomon, who is the main engineering manager of the whole journal team, in a blog post.

If you wish to try the app yourself, you can download it from the Microsoft store. It is compatible with both Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.

In a press release published yesterday, Apple has finally announced the dates of its much-awaited Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The 2022 edition of the event will be held online and run from June 6 to June 10. As expected, developers around the globe are invited to join the conference absolutely free of cost.

The pandemic is the main reason why Apple decided to transform the WWDC into an online event. Before that, it used to be held in person at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose. Many expected the event to get back to its normal shape this year as Apple has already started to ask its employees to return to the office from April. However, the tech biggie decided otherwise.

The Cupertino, California-based tech firm seems to have gained confidence from the success of the virtual events of 2020 and 2021. So, it’s all set to make the most of the online event by showcasing the company’s latest innovations pertaining to iPadOS, macOS, iOS, tvOS, and watchOS. The third-party developers, on the other hand, will be given access to Apple technologies and engineers to learn a thing or two about creating interactive experiences and revolutionary apps. 

It shouldn’t surprise many that Apple has decided to make the WWDC 2022 an online-only event. None of the major tech events and conferences have returned to their actual formats due to the ongoing pandemic. While some are being held as online-only events, others have got a hybrid format.

Google’s I/O conference, which is set to be held on May 11 and 12, will be a hybrid event. The organizers chose the hybrid format even for the Game Developers Conference (GDC) held last month. However, the event witnessed notable in-person attendance.

The 2022 WWDC is expected to be a crucial edition of the event. Apple, other than launching major updates of its software, will organize special developer sessions on particular topics such as learning labs, digital lounges, and APIs. Other than that, the tech firm has also promised to offer as much localized content as possible for making the event truly global.

Most developers have openly expressed their love of the original physical event of the pre-pandemic era. According to them, those editions of the WWDC used to give them great networking opportunities. However, some believe that Apple should stick to the current online-only format as it’s allowing many more developers to participate in the event (particularly the ones located outside the US).

Other than organizing the WWDC, this year Apple will also host the third edition of the Swift Student Challenge. Students are invited to develop an app on a given topic using Swift Playground. The participants will have to submit their creations by April 25.

Brigandine is the JRPG that you were previously reviewed on the PS4 and the Switch. The game is also called Brigandine: The legend of Runersia. It is a direct outcome of the classic PS1 strategy called Brigandine. The new instalment is now be viewed on PC, all set to get released on May 11 through Steam.

The company announced that publisher Happinet and developer Matrix software would release Brigandine for $39.99 / £30.99 / €33.99. On June 25, 2020, it was first launched on Switch and then on PS4 on December 10, 2020. Since then, it has sold more than 130000 units worldwide.

About Brigandine: The Legend of Runresia

Brigandine: The Legend of Russia is a game developed by an all-star cast of renowned Japanese developers, scenario writer Kenji Terada, art director and character designer Raita Kazama, and composer Sato Tenpei. This game delivers an outstanding and reliable strategic RPG experience in addition to several hours of enjoyment with a deep turning-based battling system, striking new campaign and world conquest systems.

The new version launched on PC includes some of the added features that will continue building up the core game experience. These features mainly include Creative Mode, which will unlock after clearing the Main Mode. In this mode, a player can select their favorite power balance template. Players can also personalize the affiliation of every base if they want. In addition, a new game + features will load cleared game information and then start a new game with all items carried over and Battle Map HP display for some units to display their HP on the battle map.

Runresia is a continent that the Rune God created. There mana rains down boundlessly. Long ago, five Mana stones were brought forth by the mainland and passed through history besides human nations, finally embedded into some special Brigandine equipment to generate Rune Knights. They are the unique individuals having the ability to wield mana power and stones entrenched into armor for casting skills and magic along with summoning and control of ancient monsters. Six Brigandine nations of Runresia have contradictory ideals, beliefs, faiths, and histories, are separated by Brigandines of Justice, Freedom, Ego, and Sanctity. The sixth nation subsists without Brigandine. The main aim is to win the battle to expand the nation’s influence until the whole continent of Runresia is taken over by players.

Here are Some of the Essential Features

Building your army: Select from one of the six countries for ruling, commanding more than 100 Rune Knights and building up an army of atrocious troops, including angels, dragons, and ghouls.

Plot your attacks: Gain mastery over the deep turn-dependent battle system and the world conquest system to make sure you get the victory.

Several hours of gameplay: Everyone among six playable nations provides more than 30 hours of playtime after prologue content and new customized difficulty levels.

Challenging mode: Look for the highest score with some non-stop missions that enhance in challenging the long players to survive.

Here is some exciting news for gamers around the globe. The coming fall will see the launch of Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness for PC, Nintendo Switch, and of course PlayStation 4. This great news has been shared recently by game developer Chime Corporation and publisher Spike Chunsoft. 

The makers are making the game available both in collectors and standard editions. If you opt for the collector’s edition, your pack will contain a hardcover notebook (Cave-Raiding Notebook) featuring information and photos about whistles, relics, primeval creatures, and more. Additionally, the notebook will also have space where you can write down notes about the game. 

Another exciting addition to the Collector’s edition is a cloth poster containing fascinating artwork created by the famous Japanese animation studio Kinema Citrus. 

The trailer of the game is already out. It features Binary Star Falling into Darkness’s English dub. However, both English and Japanese audio and text are available for gamers to choose from. 

The launch of this trailer marks a great moment for Made in Abyss fans. As the manga and anime series has fans in all parts of the world, it wouldn’t surprise many if the game manages to gain remarkable global popularity. 

As we see in the manga series by Akihito Tsukushi, the game will also make players part of an adventure in the Abyss. In short, you’ll be reliving the story narrated in the manga series. However, there will also be a new story that’s exclusive to Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness. 

The game’s story will start with Reg and Riko meeting each other and beginning a great adventure. The two will be traveling to Abyss’s second layer to reach the Seeker Camp. When playing the game, players will be experiencing the incredible supremacy of the Curse of the Abyss. Additionally, they will also get to witness the actions of legendary and astonishing entities called primeval creatures. 

The next chapter of the game would let you witness the journey of an unnamed Cave Rider along with other clueless individuals who are attracted by the mystical powers of Abyss. 

There’s’ another amazing surprise in store for the fans of Made in Abyss. The voice artists who worked in the series have returned and lent their voices even to the characters of the game. 

The first announcement about the game was made last year in May. Since then, gaming enthusiasts have been eagerly waiting for the announcement of the actual launch date. While we still don’t know when exactly the game will be released, fans can expect to have access to both physical and digital versions of the game within the 3rd quarter of 2022. 

Every week we get to see Apple patents that provide an enthralling glimpse of what the Company’s future products might or might not have. And here is something that we have never seen before from an Apple, i.e. a game controller.

Not only just a game controller, but Apple has filed a patent for one of its devices that can attach to the iPhone magnetically. The Company has united varied configurations, including versions that can easily fold up. Like all Apple patents, let’s see whether or not it will see the light of the day or not so do not put a discount on that Nintendo Switch deal.

The title is quite catchy, i.e. magnetically attachable gaming accessory, where the filing will describe how such an accessory will get attached to any electronic device easily, is easy to use, and possess a small and influential form factor.

It seems like Apple has taken some inspiration from the Nintendo Switch. The filing details how the controller will get attached to the device or be used separately, much like a Nintendo joy-con. But the concept of utilizing a magnet is new, and we hope Apple fix MagSafe strength issues well in time.

Among all the variations Apple portrays, the wildest one is an in-built projector that offers gamers access to a more prominent display. This will outdo switch because of versatility after all, who will require the 4K monitors when you are already carrying a big show in your pocket.

But the most exciting thing about filing is that it shows that Apple is now ready to get into Gaming. The Company has put its hand into offerings like Apple Arcade but failed to take upon might up say the PS5. For many years rumors have been spreading about Apple creating its actual console, but it might be the case that a controller might end up into a wholly fledged console.

Thus, we can say that Apple is at least considering its gaming credentials, and it is not the only Company having wild controller ideas. Sony’s new PS5 controller can be the game-changer.

On March 22, Google Chrome has recently warned its users to update their PC or MAC regularly to stay protected against all hack attacks. Cyber experts have given a warning that if you don’t update your Google Web Browser, you are putting yourself at risk of major hacker attacks.

Everything is linked to updates if you do not do it on time. For example, Google forced out an emergency update to stop the exploitation of a high severity bug. If you are not installing those updates that will crush those bugs, you will miss all-important protections.

While speaking to The Sun, Mike Varley, cyber expert and Threat Hunting Lead at Adarma, introduces some new features like web tracking protection and privacy when you update your chrome browser. In addition, it offers protection against important features of cyber threats.

The most recent Google update targets something called “zero-day.” It is a vulnerability that has been revealed and is known to attackers, and is highly known to be exploited actively. It is like racing against time for developing patches and protecting the end-users when this happens.

The high severity bug also impacted the users of Microsoft Edge, thereby causing the competitor firm to push an urgent update. This indicates that it is one of the major issues that might be exploited in the real world. This is why you must update your Google Chrome regularly.

If you never update your Google Chrome, it can lead to some dangerous exposures in your browser, used by malicious hackers as a point of entry to your device. Those malicious websites that horde exploited kits can easily recognize possible vulnerabilities in linking clients and then take advantage of all weaknesses for gaining initial access. Then from that point, the attacker is free to roam in your computer and other devices present in your network, gathering all personal information and details about your email and bank account, thereby infecting with malware and implementing ransomware for coercing a payment.

Although it looks simple, an updated browser highly contributes to keeping you protected online. It introduced some new features such as privacy and web tracking protection and offered protection against some important security threats.

However, the latest issue was found on March 23 that required urgent attention.

How can you Update Google Chrome?

The update you are searching for is on Google Chrome version 99.04844.84 or more.

To do this –

1. Click on the three dots present in the top right-hand side corner and select help.

2. Now go to About Google Chrome and then start the update.

You have to do this regularly to keep your PC or Mac safe against hack attacks. But it is not foolproof, so remain watchful online and never click on unwanted clicks, hand over any of your personal information or download any unverified applications.

Apple’s Health app consists myriad of information that can overwhelm an Apple iPhone or Apple Watch user. However, integrating with other applications provides you with information about your health in one place. If you use it between iPhone and Apple Watch, it is a useful tool for maintaining your ideal well-being.

But to get the most out of this health app, you must navigate it in a better way. Here’s how you can use Apple Health App to reap the maximum benefit:

Initiating with the App

When you start using the Apple health app, you have first to set up your profile. The app requires you to provide some of the basic information such as your name, sex and date of birth. After giving input about yourself, you can also change those settings. Then, all you need to do is tap on the Apple ID photo present on the top right-hand side.

This app’s health details are blood type, type of skin, and medicines that affect your heart rate. Here you can also add whether you are using a wheelchair or not. In case you are using a wheelchair or not. If you select yes, the app will not count your steps rather, it will count pushes.

Besides your health detail, the Apple health app will also have your Medical ID, including your name, medications, height, emergency contacts, age, and allergies. All these details assist the medical authorities in viewing them if there is an emergency. This you can share at the time of emergency calls on your iPhone Lock screen. Using this Health app, you can also become an organ donor right from your profile. Not to forget, you can also export all of your health data from your profile if required. All these data you can back up and save to iCloud.

Integrating Apple Health App with other Applications

Apple Health App allows other apps like Clock, Fitness, Sleep, Siri, Cycle Tracking, and many more to integrate with it. In addition, there are several other third-party apps that you can integrate with your Apple Health App. For example, Percent Happier and Water Minder are some amazing apps that you can sync with your iPhone and Apple watch.

Easy Access to Your Health Data

On the home screen of your Apple Health App, a summary of your complete health information is present. Here you can watch your activities, health trends, level of sound in the environment, and many more things.

One of the useful features of your app is Activity, where you can easily check all of your activity rings that shows the number of calories you have burned, the amount of time you have done exercise, and how many minutes you stand. To make the maximum of the attribute, you can mix activity rings with Apple Fitness +.

The health trends feature notifies when there is any major change in some of your body parameters like heart rate or exercise minutes. In the past, we have heard how this feature has helped many by notifying them about some health changes that led them to look for life-saving medical assistance. Also, you can participate in some research studies. For example, Apple recently carried out a women’s health research study utilizing Cycle Tracking Application.

A browse tab allows taking a deeper dive into health categories. Here, you can search for details about nutrition, respiratory vitals, nutrition, etc. Each of these categories offers you to make input some details to offer some extra insights into your health. You can also observe various trends with time and then learn about the subject. The application provides articles personalized to every topic and some third-party apps for using track-relevant data.

Safe to Share Data with Others

There is a “sharing” tab to share data with anyone you want easily. It is safe to offer a summary of some topics you are sharing without sharing any details. The whole information remains encrypted, and you can stop sharing whenever you want. With this app, you can also share information with your doctor and the online portal of your health system. All you have to do is sign in with your health system information. In both ways, your information remains private. When you connect, all your records are downloaded so that you can observe all information with which your doctor is working.

So, are you using the Health App?

Even though the app has many features, some features do not work for all. So, it is recommended to go through the app to know what works for you.

Sources –

9to5mac.com

The year 2021 saw engineer Ken Pillonel take the world by storm by making the first-ever iPhone featuring a functional USB-C port. This was good news for iPhone aficionados around the globe as Apple was refusing to introduce the same feature for a long time. This time, Pillonel has decided to impress Android users by making the first-ever Android phone carrying a working lightning port.

Indeed, having an Android smartphone with a lighting port is not as big as having an iPhone with USB-C. Still, it’s a creation Pillonel should be proud of. In a recent video, Pillonel talked about this new creation of his.

He made it clear that he started working on the device as a fun project and his only aim was to balance the chaos surrounding his previous creation. He deliberately chose April Fools’ Day to release the product to increase the fun quotient of the creation even further.

He might not treat the endeavor as a serious one; however, it was not easy for him to finish the project successfully. The concept might appear to be silly to some, but the job of adding a fully functional (both for data transfer and charging) lightning port to an Android phone (Pillonel picked the Samsung Galaxy A51 for his experiment) was pretty complicated.

Pillonel later confirmed that the project required some serious out-of-the-box thinking and complex modifications for successful completion. According to him, the biggest challenge he faced during the project was finding out a way to make the one-of-its-kind feature functional.

The engineer affirmed that he knew that Apple’s lightning cables are intelligent enough and they will never charge any other device besides those belonging to Apple. This forced him to find a way to make the cable believe that it has been inserted into an iPhone or any other Apple device. While doing so, one of the biggest hurdles he had to overcome is ensuring that the entire thing fits perfectly inside the Android phone.

The experience he gathered from the previous project made laying the groundwork for the new one a little easier for Pillonel.

According to him, the earlier project was more difficult compared to this one. He feels the primary reason why things appeared easier this time is that he is more knowledgeable and better equipped now. The other reason according to him is that the quality of an Android phone is much inferior compared to an iPhone.

When asked about the usability of an Android phone equipped with a lighting port compared to the regular ones featuring USB-C ports, Pillonel seems unfazed. He said that he knows that no one in his or her normal state of mind would want to use this mix and match device. He made it clear that the only reason for creating such an Android phone is having fun and allowing other gadget enthusiasts to feel similar excitement.

Pillonel is all set to release a detailed explanation video about this new creation on his YouTube channel. Those interested to gather more info about the Android phone with a lightning port should wait for that video.

On Thursday, Microsoft announced that it is redesigning and rebranding its Your Phone application. If you want to download it on your Windows PC, you will find it under another name, Phone Link.

Even though the new branding is more sensible than the old brand name, Your Phone Moniker, which is quite non-descriptive, there is still some confusion as the app has a different name in its Android version.

If you are searching for the Your Phone App on your Android device, you will get the app in the name Link to Windows in the Play Store. The name is the same as the built-in features of Samsung on its latest Galaxy devices.

Isn’t it good if Microsoft makes one uniform name for the app on PC and the Play Store? It might require another rebranding of the application, or it can select one word across the board. Not only that but also the new phone Link app on your Windows PC has a newly designed interface. It has got one new tab for navigation. There are now upfront notifications for getting good visibility. The application also keeps messages, calls, apps, and photos in the new navigation bar present at the top. Its color matches Windows 11 design scheme, with all-new illustrations, new icons, and controls.

Moreover, in the next update of Windows 11, you can set up Phone Link by scanning the QR code.

Tech giant Samsung has made a big announcement. Galaxy users will now be able to repair their devices thanks to the constant pressure imposed by regulators and consumers. What’s more, even US President Joe Biden had to interfere and demand the easing of restrictions on repairing Samsung devices. Biden’s request forced the Federal Trade Commission to promise that it would take necessary steps to remove illegal repair restrictions on various devices.

According to the announcement made by the company on Thursday, users of a few flagship Galaxy devices will now be under a new program. The program will provide the users and third-party mobile repair service providers with access to authorized repair tools, genuine parts, and detailed guides for repair. Prior to this announcement, Samsung devices could only be repaired at the in-house service centers of the company.

Users of Galaxy Tab S7+, Galaxy S20, and Galaxy S21 series will be enjoying the benefits of the newly announced program. However, individuals using devices belonging to the S22 lineup will not enjoy similar privileges. Samsung will be collaborating with an online repair group called iFixit for streamlining its new endeavor.

For your information, Motorola has also worked with this online group for making a similar self-fixing program successful.

November 2021 saw another tech biggie and Samsung’s biggest competitor Apple launch a similar program named Self Repair Service. The program will make Apple spare parts like batteries, camera modules, displays, and more available for purchase by third-party repair companies.

Additionally, thanks to the program now anyone can have access to the company’s repair manuals.

Apple’s program is yet to be launched. Initially, the company will make it accessible only to iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 users. However, in a previous statement, Apple said that it has plans to make the service available even to users having Mac computers featuring the company’s new M1 chip.

Both Apple and Samsung have faced serious criticism from different quarters for making it almost impossible for independent repairpersons to access their devices. The companies have constantly marketed devices with non-removable batteries and memory and sealed the devices using special glue.

When asked about their collaboration with Samsung, iFixit’s CEO Kyle Wiens said that this decision by the tech giant marks the beginning of a new era, in which manufacturers will be supporting the users’ right to fix their own products.

He added that manufacturing companies should look to extend the lifespan of electronic goods for protecting the future of our planet. And to make that possible they must allow users to self-repair their own devices. The new program will become active within a few weeks. The results are all set to be in favor of both the users and the independent repair companies.

Sources –

edition.cnn.com

Apple recently released an updated iOS 15.4.1 and iPadOS 15.4.1 to fix some of the accessibility bugs, enhance security, and fix the bug that was draining the battery of iPhone and iPad users after updating to iOS 15.4 two weeks ago.

iOS 15.4 update comes in handy where you can use your Face ID while using your mask, so isn’t it shameful if people do not update just because of battery draining issues.

Even though there was no clarity on how prevalent the issue was, Apple responded earlier this month on its Apple Support Twitter account that it’s normal for all applications and features to get adjusted to any update up to 48 hours. Even after two weeks of the iOS update 15.4 release, it is very common to find posts from iOS users complaining about poor battery life after updating iOS 15.4.

Thanks for reaching out! We'll be happy to help. It's normal for your apps and features to need to adjust up to 48 hours after an update.

Let's have you reach out to us in a DM if this is still an issue after that time so we can help you look into this further.

— Apple Support (@AppleSupport) March 19, 2022

Apple says iOS 15.4.1 consist of all security fix for all issues that might not have been explored in the wild. Even if such complaints are quite common in Apple news, it’s not a great idea for iOS users to switch off the updates. Your device needs to run the recent version of its operating system. If you want to update your iPhone or iPad, go to settings, click general, and hit Software Update.

Sources

theverge.com
9to5mac.com