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Showing posts from May, 2021

The video game industry spoke up against anti-Asian violence. Some went further.

After the recent wave of anti-Asian violence, gaming companies have come forward in support. Some have gone further than others, making donations to charities and hosting internal employee support events. https://wapo.st/34xWwMV

Facebook’s AI treats Palestinian activists like it treats American Black activists. It blocks them.

Social media companies claimed that glitches caused them to mistakenly take down hundreds of Pro-Palestinian accounts. The story goes deeper than that. https://wapo.st/3fuEam9

Facebook’s reversal on banning claims that covid-19 is man-made could unleash more anti-Asian sentiment

Facebook will no longer remove content saying covid-19 is manmade, a reversal based on recent revelations which give more credence to the theory that it was developed in a lab in Wuhan, China. The decisions shows the challenges of policing free speech and could unleash more anti-Asian sentiment. https://wapo.st/2SCwXr9

Forget next-gen consoles. The biggest gaming platform is already in your pocket.

How small-screen, mobile games got big and took over the video game industry. https://wapo.st/34lwf4k

Amazon merger with MGM bolsters its Prime ambitions

Amazon’s deal to buy MGM will boost the company’s video catalogue as the company battles new rivals. https://wapo.st/34nVyTi

Before visual novels, ’Famicom Detective Club’ writer recalls the genre’s limitations

Visual novels in gaming have become a hot trend. Meet one of the pioneers. https://wapo.st/3fQzZQy

Russia is still the biggest player in disinformation, Facebook says

A Facebook report released Wednesday says that Russia is still the largest producer of disinformation, a notable finding just five years after Russian operatives launched a far-reaching campaign to infiltrate social media during the 2016 election. https://wapo.st/3oWvCaP

In Epic v. Apple’s final day, a glimpse of what comes next

Epic wants the judge to order Apple to open up the iPhone. Apple would like things to remain the way they are. https://wapo.st/3hUL1am

Lifelong space enthusiast becomes latest civilian to buy his way into space

https://wapo.st/2Tm83g9

The blockbuster trial between Apple and the maker of ‘Fortnite’ goes out with a ‘hot tub’ session

The 16th day of a hard-fought trial between Epic, the maker of “Fortnite,” and Apple went out with a debate session between the company’s lawyers as they were peppered with tough questions from U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. https://wapo.st/3vgHMh8

‘Days Gone’ developers hope to extend the game’s fandom on PC

The embattled PlayStation exclusive gets a second life on PC. https://wapo.st/3wyUxUn

‘Biomutant’ review: A cool world that needs better combat

A beautiful game is marred by combat that feels flimsy. https://wapo.st/3fGkFpB

The Army’s latest night-vision tech looks like something out of a video game

The new technology combines night vision goggles, thermal imagery and augmented reality. https://wapo.st/3vhllse

As Iceland nears, on-air ‘Valorant’ talent prepares for an unprecedented event

"We can make or break a match ..." https://wapo.st/3bMDPJp

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic reports reaching space for the third time

On Saturday, Virgin Galactic reported on its Twitter feed that a pair of its pilots had flown to space. https://wapo.st/3hMm9kQ

Live updates: Apple puts CEO Tim Cook on the stand to fight the maker of ‘Fortnite’

Tim Cook, one of the most successful corporate leaders in American history, will hammer home a message Apple has repeated throughout the trial: Forcing Apple to open up app distribution to competitors would hurt consumer privacy and security. https://wapo.st/3hX6dfZ

The rivalry between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos already was intense. Now it’s extending to the moon.

The world’s two wealthiest men have sparred on and off for years in their quest to privatize human space exploration. Now they are in a bitter fight over landing on the moon. https://wapo.st/34iOTdj

Twitter drops automated image-cropping tool after determining it was biased

The social networking company says its cropping algorithm created "unequal treatment based on demographic differences." https://wapo.st/3bKrTrx

Facebook won’t take down an ad that Rep. Ilhan Omar’s office says could lead to harassment and death threats

The dispute marks the latest eruption between Facebook and Democrats, who say the company has been too hands-off when it comes to hate speech and viral falsehoods. https://wapo.st/2S6eyTv

Remembering Kentaro Miura, legendary creator of ‘Berserk,’ which inspired countless fantasy stories

The manga inspired a generation of fantasy creators and artists. https://wapo.st/3tZMaQc

Five women sue Amazon, accusing e-retailer of race and gender discrimination and retaliation

The suits, filed in four federal courts, accuse managers of retaliating after the employees complained about discrimination by managers. https://wapo.st/2RAZHQW

Drone companies are preparing to deliver covid-19 vaccines in rural U.S.

Drone startups say they are set up to handle temperature-controlled medicines and vaccines in the U.S. amid the ongoing pandemic. https://wapo.st/3ou3HyO

Adam Sandler keeps reminding us that he’s just a normal guy

Sandler's viral moments at a pickup basketball game and an IHOP help explain his enduring appeal. https://wapo.st/3v2RYcS

So, you worked on a video game. You might not appear in the credits.

Working on a game is no guarantee you'll show up in the credits. https://wapo.st/2S7Nlj6

Americans are booking working ‘vacci-cations’ before office life resumes

White-collar employees are taking working vacations while they can, and hoping the trend sticks post-pandemic. https://wapo.st/2Rk2yOp

IGN staff pen letter to management following quiet removal of Palestine charity article

“This is corporate censorship is what this is,” one IGN employee told The Post. https://wapo.st/3yizC9P

The government has a program to cut your Internet bill. Verizon is using it to force you onto a new data plan.

Help Desk: Readers tell our tech columnist about shenanigans signing up for the Emergency Broadband Benefit, which is supposed to knock $50 off monthly bills. https://wapo.st/3bzNC5k

‘I exist’: How one TikToker is trying to normalize limb difference — and bionic arms

Olive is part of a trend on TikTok where creators living with disabilities will tell their stories or explain how they perform certain tasks. https://wapo.st/3oldzuP

Bill Gates acknowledges an affair with an employee, which Microsoft investigated

The confirmation of the affair and investigation come two weeks after Gates and Melinda French Gates announced plans to divorce. https://wapo.st/2RZI8d8

Ransomware is a national security threat and a big business — and it’s wreaking havoc

Nearly 2,400 health care facilities, schools and governments in the United States were hit by ransomware attacks last year. https://wapo.st/3yg49oY

Tesla Autopilot system was on during fatal California crash, adding to self-driving safety concerns

The fatal crash May 5 was the latest of four U.S. deaths involving the electric car company's Autopilot partially-automated driving system. https://wapo.st/33Lx9XG

Apple locked users into its ecosystem. Tesla wants to do the same with its ‘iPhone on wheels.’

Tesla is bringing the strategies pioneered by the computer giant to the auto industry. Consumers are learning that’s not always a good thing. https://wapo.st/3uNzey6

This facial recognition website can turn anyone into a cop — or a stalker

While most facial recognition tools are reserved for police or government use, PimEyes is open to the masses, whether they’re hunting down U.S. Capitol riot suspects or stalking women around the Web. https://wapo.st/33JpQzK

Understanding legal arguments in Epic v. Apple: Tinder, itch.io and a naked banana

The Epic Games vs. Apple court trial is producing a slew of memes. Do they matter to the outcome? https://wapo.st/3y6YuBx

Should people pump gas into plastic bags during the fuel shortage? Please don’t, officials warn.

“We know this sounds simple, but when people get desperate they stop thinking clearly,” the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. https://wapo.st/3tMuXto

Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin lost to Elon Musk’s SpaceX on a major NASA contract. Now a powerful senator is stepping in to help.

Sen. Maria Cantwell proposed spending an additional $10 billion on NASA's moon program in a move that calls on the space agency to select a second company to build a lunar lander. https://wapo.st/3oaF9L7

Meet the complicated monsters of Resident Evil’s ‘Village’

The villains of "Village" aren't just scary. They're charming and complex, the developers say. https://wapo.st/3fcg6mH

Facebook insists a kids version of Instagram will be safe. But state attorneys general aren’t buying it.

The letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlights bipartisan concern about Big Tech's effect on children. https://wapo.st/2SGbjT7

In ‘Twelve Minutes,’ former Ubisoft and Rockstar developer plays with the concept of time

“Twelve Minutes,” an indie game published by Annapurna Interactive, is about a man stuck in a time loop. https://wapo.st/3ty9Zys

Penny for your tweets: Twitter now has a tip jar that lets you collect money for posts

How much is your tweet worth? https://wapo.st/3eym7Li

World waits for Chinese rocket to reenter the atmosphere, not knowing where it will land

At around 100 feet tall and about 22 metric tons, China's Long March 5B rocket stage is set to become one of the largest objects to ever reenter the Earth’s atmosphere on an uncontrolled trajectory. https://wapo.st/3ew4mfW

Mother’s play: Moms and kids connect in Animal Crossing

Kids have grown up playing Animal Crossing games with their parents for years, eventually becoming parents themselves and sharing with their own children. https://wapo.st/3f8vxMZ

Every Resident Evil game, ranked

https://wapo.st/3nYfncW

Elon Musk is being brought in to save SNL’s sagging ratings. He could sink the show in other ways.

The world's second-richest man will join the country's longest-running comedy show, and chaos could break out. https://wapo.st/3tsHGS3

Trump remains banned from Twitter, Facebook. Here’s how his messages could still get through.

Twitter took down an account this week that was created to repost Trump's website statements. https://wapo.st/3tqH8fk

Facebook tried to outsource its decision about Trump. The Oversight Board said not so fast.

Instead of offloading the Trump ban onto the Oversight Board, the responsibility landed right back in chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s hands. https://wapo.st/2SvJqgt

Nintendo’s new game teaches people how to make video games

Nintendo is getting into game development lessons with a new title called "Game Builder Garage." It differs in important ways from Unity or Roblox, however. https://wapo.st/3nQHCdq

‘Resident Evil VIII’ rekindles the illogical, weird magic of the series

They made Resident Evil weird again. https://wapo.st/33k5kW0

When philanthropy’s power couple splits, Melinda French Gates’s influence could grow

Melinda French Gates will have the opportunity to set her own philanthropic course after her divorce from Bill Gates. https://wapo.st/3unEPLp

The Epic Games trial has exposed the ‘Fortnite’ maker’s inner workings. Here’s what we learned.

Evidence submitted for the case gives the public unprecedented insight into Epic's strategy and finances. https://wapo.st/3nZ1RWF