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GameStop’s new CEO is expected to lead a major overhaul

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In a statement, Sherman acknowledged GameStop will have to undergo some major changes to stay relevant in a market that has increasingly gone digital. “I bring significant experience working with other retailers that have undergone large, successful transformations,” he said, suggesting that he expects similar changes at GameStop.

According to VentureBeat, sources familiar with the company say Sherman’s hiring is part of the company’s “GameStop 2.0” plan that will shift the company from a retailer to a “cultural experience.” The company reportedly plans to focus on membership programs that encourage trade-ins and purchases of pre-owned games. GamesSop may also explore turning stores into an environment in which gamers can come in, hang out, and try out games before buying them.

GameStop has undergone quite a bit of turmoil in recent years. Digital marketplaces like Steam and the recently launched Epic Games Store have cut into the company’s business. GameStop shut down 150 of its retail stores in 2017 and rumors of a buyout started bubbling up last year.

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The Oculus Rift S is impressive but unnecessary

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The Rift S is the direct descendant of the first Rift and offers a slew of improvements over the original. The S includes upgraded lenses, a fifth onboard position tracking sensor, slightly better screen resolution and some handy new software features to boot. The S weighs a touch more than the first Rift, but the new Lenovo-designed halo band does a markedly better job of balancing the headset on your noggin. The unit’s weight is more evenly distributed atop your head, rather than clinging to the front of your face using a system of straps. I’m most excited, however, by the fact that external positioning pylons are a thing of the past (with the Rift S) thanks to the addition of an inside-out tracking system, dubbed Insight.

What’s more, Oculus has augmented the existing Passthrough system (now called Passthrough+) that, with the flip of a menu toggle, allows the wearer to see the physical world around them without having to take the headset off. This is a boon if you’re, say, playing a game and your phone rings. Oh, it’s a spam call? Boom, you’ve already sent it to voicemail and are back in the game within moments — no fuss, no muss.

The Passthrough+ system adds another handy feature, letting users customize their own play spaces by “painting” a virtual boundary around them. This way, you won’t have to rearrange your living room ahead of every gaming session. I donned the new gear for myself ahead of GDC 2019, but unfortunately, I was only afforded a hands-off demo of this feature (in the form of a video presentation) and wasn’t able to test it for myself. Still, if it works anything like what was shown in the demo, this could prove a really handy feature.

I also really appreciated the new wiring scheme. While the S does still require a hardline connection to a Windows 10 PC, the menagerie of cabling seen on the first Rift has been condensed into a single 5-meter cord. The experience doesn’t offer the same freedom of movement as the equally-priced (and simultaneously launching) wireless Oculus Quest, but the S balances that with superior graphics.

The visuals are slightly better than the original. The Rift S offers resolutions of 1,280 × 1,440 per eye, compared to the Rift’s 1,080 × 1,200. Additionally, the S relies on LCD screens rather than the Rift’s OLED. This reduces the “screen door” effect and marginally increases the field of view, according to Oculus reps, but does so at the cost of slightly reduced color saturation, contrast and refresh rate (80Hz for the S, 90Hz for the OG Rift). My biggest complaint of the visual system is that, since the S uses a single screen, you can’t manually adjust the distance between the lenses (aka the IPD). There’s a software-based solution to this on the S but it’s just not quite the same as what existing Rift users have come to expect and I’m not entirely sold on it.

The Rift S offers backwards compatibility with users’ existing Rift libraries but unfortunately, that doesn’t extend to the controllers. Since the original Rift used an Outside-In tracking scheme, the ring on each controller was set below the user’s hands. But with the new Inside-Out system the S uses, those rings are situated above the hands. As such, the Constellation controllers you used with the Rift are not compatible with the S and you’ll have to pick up another pair alongside the new $400 headset. I also noticed that while the lag on the S is comparable to the original, the hand and arm avatars are really twitchy — like my in-game persona has developed a slight tremor.

As for audio, the Rift S’s built-in speakers operate admirably. Even in the noisy co-working space in which the demo was being held, I didn’t feel the need to plug in a secondary set of headphones into unit’s concealed 3.5mm audio jack. That said, the sound quality did turn a bit tinny as the in-game audio got louder.

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I really enjoyed playing Asgard’s Wrath, an FPRPG in the same vein as Skyrim VR, on the S. In that game, you play as a fledgeling god taken under Loki’s protection and tasked with completing various quests to grow into a full member of the saintly pantheon. The visuals on the S were clearer than I expected them to be and not that much worse than early PS4 games, the head and controller tracking was on point, and the game was honestly fun. I spent 15 minutes hacking and slashing the Kraken, slicing through thrown ships with a flaming sword, grabbing oversized leeches and squeezing the life out of them with my “bare” hands, and generally wrecking shop on a massive sea monster until it retreated into the depths.

Overall, the Rift S is an impressive piece of hardware. Its resolution and clarity are leagues beyond the PSVR and noticeably better than the Quest, but only a bit improved over the original Rift. And given that the Rift S doesn’t play anything that the OG doesn’t, I’m finding it hard to justify shelling out another $400 for a new headset.

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‘Hamsterdam’ is the rhythmic rodent brawler we’ve been waiting for

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You play as Pimm, an unassuming denizen of the quiet town of Hamsterdam, who must defend his home and rescue his grandfather from the villainous Vermin Gang and its leader, Marlo the Chinchilla. That task involves beating the stuffing out of an army of rats, foxes, and a menagerie of other rodents using your potent Hamster-Fu fighting style.

However, Hamsterdam requires a higher degree of finesse than most other beat-em-ups as your counters, combos and defense must be carefully timed based on the movements of your enemies. I played through a brief demo on both the Switch and iOS during GDC 2019 on Thursday and came away quite impressed with both the gameplay mechanics and visual style.

The controls are straightforward. You’re afforded a basic unlimited attack with which to pummel your opponents. However they rarely just stand there and take it, instead launching attacks and counters of their own. When the enemies close in for their strikes, you must quickly swipe towards them to ward them off. If the opponent is able to connect, you’re then launched into a rhythmic minigame — swiping in the direction indicated or accurately timing your button taps. Complete the minigame successfully to counter, fail and get whacked. The controls differ slightly depending on the platform. The mobile version uses a variety of screen taps and swipes, while the Switch version has you flicking the Joy Cons back and forth to perform the appropriate in-game actions.

Hamsterdam offers 30 standard stages spread across 3 larger worlds as well as two David-vs-Goliath style boss battles per world for a total of 36 levels in all. Complete each level well enough to earn 3 stars (think Angry Birds) for increasingly larger rewards of seeds, the in-game currency. Use those seeds to equip stat-boosting gear and learn new combos with which to crush Marlo’s gang and save your town.

Hamsterdam is slated for release later this year and should retail for around $2-3 for mobile versions (iOS and Android) and $10-15 for the Switch and PS Vita, though pricing has not yet been finalized.

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Netflix is testing a $3.64 mobile plan in India

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But that lower-cost test is still pricier than Netflix’s rivals in India. Amazon Prime Video costs 129 rupees (about $1.88) per month as part of a Prime subscription, and Hotstar’s plans begin at around 199 rupees ($2.89). Other services, such as ZEE5 and Balaji Telefilms are cheaper still, while the ad-supported YouTube is hugely popular across India and the rest of Asia.

Netflix said in November it would try cheaper plans, which it started testing in Malaysia and some other countries that month. India is a key market for Netflix as it seeks to lure in more members across the globe. It opened an office in Mumbai last year, and it has commissioned about 12 series and a dozen movies from the nation so far.

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Boeing sold essential safety features as extras on 737 Max

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Both of the optional safety features worked in tandem with a new software system used in the planes. That software took readings from “angle of attack” sensors, which determine how much the plane’s nose is pointing up or down in relation to oncoming air. If the software system determines the plane is pointed at a potentially dangerous angle, it can automatically correct course to prevent the plane from stalling. Investigators believe that faulty data collected by sensors may have caused the software system to malfunction. It’s not clear if the two additional safety features would have made a difference in the two crashes.

One of the add-on safety features that Boeing was selling was called an angle of attack indicator. That system would display readings coming from the angle of attack sensors, giving pilots a readout of the information. The other optional safety checks was a disagree light that would activate if the sensors were producing data that didn’t match. Boeing will start to include the disagree light on the Boeing 737 without charging extra for it, but the angle of attack indicator will remain a purchasable extra.

Boeing isn’t being made by regulators to make any of the optional features available, and neither are required by the Federal Aviation Administration. However, the company appears to be trying to ramp up its safety efforts in order to get the 737 Max back in the air after being grounded by the US and other countries. The company also has a software update for the plane planned for April.

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Instagram is the latest hotbed for conspiracy theories

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Like its social media peers, Instagram has the algorithms and huge user base to share information with millions. But the platform stands out because so many of its subscribers are so young — and as you might guess, many are naive enough to believe conspiracy memes. That’s especially alarming, as more teens are using Instagram as a news source.

While Facebook and YouTube have made high-profile attempts to remove footage from the Christchurch shooting, it can still be found on Instagram — right next to conspiracies claiming the shooting was staged. Search pretty much any conspiracy theory, and you’ll find Instagram posts, memes and accounts backing it, many of which are specifically targeted at Gen-Z.

It’s easy to see how someone might get sucked in. As The Atlantic’s Taylor Lorenz explained, when she followed @the_typical_liberal, she was inundated with follow requests from accounts linked to QAnon — a conspiracy that a “deep state” is plotting to take down Donald Trump. The app also prompted her to follow other notorious far-right personalities, including Milo Yiannopoulos, Laura Loomer, Alex Jones and Candace Owens.

An Instagram spokesperson told The Atlantic that Instagram, along with its parent company, Facebook, continues to study organized hate speech and to remove it when it’s found. Earlier this month, Facebook announced a plan to combat misinformation around vaccines. And YouTube says it will stop recommending conspiracy videos — it’s been blamed for the rise in Flat Earthers. But we’ve yet to see any kind of announcement like that from Instagram. It’s possible that Facebook’s policies apply to Instagram, as well, but that’s not entirely clear.

If you have an account, you can find conspiracies about everything from the Ethiopian Airlines crash being a hoax to Ruth Bader Ginsburg being dead, former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta being partially responsible for the New Zealand shooting and Islamic terror camps in the US. Of course, there’s anti-vaccination rhetoric and jokes about killing women, Jews, Muslims and liberals. So, while your Instagram feed might be fairly happy-go-lucky, the platform as a whole has all the right ingredients to be the internet’s next dumpster fire.



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Four players fight for undersea supremacy in ‘Swimsanity’

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I was afforded a quick demo of the game at the Nintendo Nindies event at GDC 2019 on Wednesday and it left me breathless. The visuals are bright with a slightly cartoony art style that lends to the lighthearted (albeit intense) action. The controls are equally crisp and responsive — players aim their fire with the one control stick and move with the other, a la Smash TV. However, there’s far more to the game than simply swimming in circles while mowing down incoming swarms of enemies. The co-op Survival level that I enjoyed was riddled with warp gates, allowing players to teleport across the course to evade enemy mobs or launch surprise counterattacks to their rearguard.

The game offers a huge variety of gameplay options. Up to four people can play together online or locally (or a mix of the two with the CPU filling in), either working together to unlock more than 150 in-game challenges or facing off in head-to-head fights to the fin. There’s also an Adventure mode wherein players “embark on a journey as our hero Mooba to protect all the Orbs and save the underwater world,” according to the game’s website, though I wasn’t able to personally give it a shot.

Swimsanity also offers a unique upgrade system wherein rather than building the character’s individual stats (ie health, resiliency, attack strength), players work to enhance the character’s “Unleash” ability. These super moves include everything from temporary shield and firepower enhancements to mass healing moves that replenish the health of everybody in the party. There’s even one that transforms the player into an enormous shark that clears every enemy on the screen. What’s really cool is that these powers can be further increased and augmented if the entire party activates their individual Unleashes simultaneously. Needless to say, coordination is key in these scenarios.

Swimsanity is expected to launch Summer of 2019 and be available for the Switch, PS4, Xbox and Steam. There’s no price yet set.

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A week with Twitter’s attempt at a more civil internet

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With Twttr, the company says it wants to make conversations easier to read, understand and join. And to do that it’s using features like color-coded chat bubbles to help you browse threads more efficiently. For instance, if someone you follow replies to one of your tweets, their response will be highlighted by a light-blue tag, making it easier to spot. This can be particularly helpful if you have a large number of followers, or have a tweet that goes viral and generates a lot of responses. It’s intended to filter out the noise and keep you engaged with people you actually know, as opposed to strangers.

Alternatively, if someone you don’t follow starts a conversation with you, their tweets will have a grey tag, similar to the “Original Tweeter” label Twitter has tried in the past. It’s clear that Twitter wants to make the biggest changes to how you interact with others in your mentions, since the tweaks there go deeper than colored bubbles. In Twttr, there are thread indentations designed to help you keep track of replies that may branch off from the main conversation. Those are complemented by a “show more” button which hides responses that, according to Twitter, may be abusive or spammy.

A closer look at Twitter's prototype app.

So far, the experience isn’t drastically different, compared to the main Twitter app. But there are aspects of the beta that I’m starting to like, such as the colored chat bubbles that make it easier to keep up with a conversation. At the same time, though, it’s worth noting that the Twttr app doesn’t support all of Twitter’s mobile features. That includes the revamped camera, which makes it hard for me to use the prototype app as my daily driver.

It’s too early to tell whether these experimental features will manage to successfully filter bots, trolls or spammers completely out of your mentions. But, I have noticed that the color-coded labels and indented tweets let me follow threads more easily. And they help me decide which replies I actually want to read and interact with. Meanwhile, the “show more” can filter out people who may be trolling, although I have come across tweets that aren’t abusive or spammy in some of its hidden replies.

I think what bugs me the most about the “show more” feature is that, if a thread within a thread becomes too long, it just looks odd. Basically, the more you scroll to read the responses, the smaller the tweet boxes get, and that makes it extremely difficult and tedious to read tweets.



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Short film created in Unreal Engine showcases a photorealistic world

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Quixel captured more than 1,000 scans in Iceland to help it create the gorgeous short, so the team didn’t have to create assets itself. Games, visual effects and architectural visualization artists worked on the project to highlight the capabilities of Unreal across a number of industries. The team used Unreal 4.21, the current version of the engine, for the short — version 4.22 is expected to arrive in the next couple of weeks.

“With UE 4.21 at the heart of the real-time pipeline, Quixel’s artists were able to iterate on the go, eliminating the need for previsualization or post-production,” Unreal creator Epic Games wrote in a blog post. “The team also built a physical camera rig that was able to capture movements in-engine using virtual reality, adding an enhanced dimension of realism to the short. All post-processing and color grading was completed directly within Unreal.”

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Over 20,000 Facebook employees had access to 600 million user passwords

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Facebook will alert all users whose passwords were stored in plain text, including hundreds of millions of users of Facebook Lite, a version of the social network designed for slow internet connections and low-specification phones, which is typically used in developing nations. It will also notify tens of millions of other Facebook users and tens of thousands of Instagrammers.

While the information could have proven disastrous if it had fallen into the wrong hands, Facebook says the login credentials were “never visible to anyone outside of Facebook.” Pedro Canahuati, Facebook’s vice-president of engineering, security and privacy, wrote that “we have found no evidence to date that anyone internally abused or improperly accessed” the passwords.

Facebook didn’t reveal the full extent of the issue, though an anonymous senior Facebook employee told Krebs on Security up to 600 million passwords were stored in plain text, and suggested some credentials have been stored in this way since 2012. More than 20,000 employees were able to search the data, the employee said — Facebook employed 35,587 people as of the end of 2018. Access logs reportedly show around 2,000 engineers or developers “made approximately nine million internal queries for data elements that contained plain text user passwords.”

Facebook, of course, has had to deal with myriad privacy scandals in the recent past. Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into the firm’s data-sharing practices with other businesses. The company was also found to be using phone numbers users provided for security (including two-factor authentication) for other purposes, including ad tracking and making them searchable. Meanwhile, CEO Mark Zuckerberg this month revealed plans to transform Facebook into a privacy-focused network.

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