Mosque explosion call woman jailed for online post

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• August 14, 2024

Julie Sweeney, 53, had suggested the Southport mosque “should be blown up with the adults inside.”

PS Plus Game Catalog additions for August include The Witcher 3 and Cult of the Lamb

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• August 14, 2024

Sony has revealed the next slate of additions to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium subscribers. There's a clear headliner this month in the shape of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. CD Projekt Red's immensely popular action RPG is often on sale for just a few bucks, but PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers won't have to pay anything extra to check it out if they haven't already played it. Both PS4 and PS5 versions will be available.

Cult of the Lamb, one of the standout indie games of the last couple of years, is coming to the Game Catalog as well. It's adorable and brutal, and now you can play with a friend in local co-op mode. Other additions for both Extra and Premium subscribers in August include Wild Hearts (EA's take on the Monster Hunter series), Watch Dogs 2, Ride 5, Sword Art Online: Last Recollection, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet and Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization.

Sony is bringing some very fun classics to the mix for Premium members in the form of the TimeSplitters series from the PS2 era. TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2 and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect will all join the lineup. It's still a bummer that Free Radical Design, a studio that was working on a reboot of the series, has been shut down but at least the original trilogy still exists.

Elsewhere, PS3 title Sword Art Online: Lost Song will be available through the Game Catalog but only via cloud streaming. There will also be a PS VR and PS VR2 game for Premium members in the shape of Vacation Simulator.

Note that these additions may differ depending on your region. So it's worth double checking the Game Catalog lineup when Sony introduces the latest additions on August 20, just in case there are any surprises.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ps-plus-game-catalog-additions-for-august-include-the-witcher-3-and-cult-of-the-lamb-165608880.html?src=rss

Prince Harry and Meghan to begin Colombia visit

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• August 14, 2024

Prince Harry and Meghan are travelling to Colombia to support projects aimed at protecting young people.

Tether Co-Founder Faces the Unraveling of a Crypto Dream

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• August 14, 2024

Brock Pierce arrived in Puerto Rico seven years ago, promising to use crypto magic to revitalize the local economy. Now he’s mired in legal disputes and fighting with his business partners.

Apple is finally opening up NFC to third-party developers in iOS 18.1

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• August 14, 2024

Apple isn’t just opening up Near-Field Communication (NFC) access in the European Union; it’s offering third-party access to functions like tap-to-pay in the US and other regions. The company posted a notice on Wednesday announcing that third-party developers can start implementing their own contactless transaction systems through an API in the upcoming iOS 18.1.

The move follows Apple’s “legally binding” agreement with the European Commission last month to comply with EU regulations — specifically, the Digital Markets Act (DMA). That followed a four-year investigation by the governing body that found Apple liable for restricting rival mobile wallet developers from accessing the iPhone’s underlying payment tech.

Once iOS 18.1 arrives, developers can offer contactless payments (and other transactions) using the iPhone’s Secure Element, which Apple Pay also uses. The Secure Element is a dedicated chip designed for storing sensitive information accessed via the Secure Enclave, which handles encryption and biometric data.

In addition to tap-to-pay systems, NFC handles functions like digital car keys, transit cards, compatible home locks, hotel keys, student IDs, event tickets and retail loyalty and reward cards. Apple says government IDs will be “supported in the future.”

Once developers have their NFC apps live, you’ll be able to use the secure hardware either by opening the app directly or setting the third-party software as a default contactless app in iOS settings. After doing the latter, double-clicking the side button (like with Apple Pay) will trigger the transaction.

The API will initially be available in the US and EU regions as well as in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.

To participate, developers will need to “enter into a commercial agreement with Apple,” request NFC and Secure Enclave entitlements and “pay the associated fees.” Of course, Apple Pay and Apple Wallet will remain available even as rival systems are invited into the company’s software.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-is-finally-opening-up-nfc-to-third-party-developers-in-ios-181-164028928.html?src=rss

Liz Truss leaves stage as lettuce banner unfurls

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• August 14, 2024

The former prime minister brings a speech to an abrupt end when the banner – which also reads “I crashed the economy” – appears.

AI is changing video games — and striking performers want their due

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• August 14, 2024

Performers are on strike against major video game companies, and AI is the sticking point. Here’s how game development has evolved since early animation.

Waymo driverless cars have gotten inexplicably chatty, honking at one another all night

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• August 14, 2024

Waymo driverless cars in San Francisco have been coming back online at night and honking at each other, as reported by CBS News. Videos have begun circulating showing dozens of the vehicles sitting in the same parking lot and just honking away without a care in the world. This has, obviously, irked some human neighbors who need sleep.

Is this a sign of the forthcoming AI apocalypse or is it some robotaxis learning how to flirt? Unfortunately for those looking for a “robots in love” narrative, it’s neither. It’s just an error within the security software. Simply put, the software mandates a honk when another car gets too close. These particular Waymo taxis sit right next to one another in a cramped parking lot when not in use and, well, there you go.

"We recently introduced a useful feature to help avoid low-speed collisions by honking if other cars get too close while reversing toward us," the company said in a statement. "It has been working great in the city, but we didn't quite anticipate it would happen so often in our own parking lots.”

Waymo says that it has updated the software to address the issue, noting that “our electric vehicles should keep the noise down for our neighbors moving forward.” So that’s that. Another mystery solved.

Despite this brief foray into vehicular anthropomorphism, Waymo is still expanding its taxi service. It’s currently available to anyone with the app who’s located in San Francisco, Phoenix and a small section of Los Angeles. The company recently touted that these robotaxis complete 50,000 paid trips per week.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-driverless-cars-have-gotten-inexplicably-chatty-honking-at-one-another-all-night-162115440.html?src=rss

Rosenberg: Ukraine’s advance undermines Putin’s image as ‘Mr Security’

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• August 14, 2024

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk raises questions about Mr Putin’s ability to keep Russia safe.

Disney wants a wrongful death lawsuit thrown out because the plaintiff had Disney+

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• August 14, 2024

Jeffrey Piccolo’s wife died of an allergic reaction after eating at a Disney World restaurant. Disney says his claims must be arbitrated out of court based on the terms of his years-old Disney+ trial.