Tencent is determined to have more of an impact on gaming outside of China, and not just by pouring money into existing studios. Reutersreports that Tencent Holdings has created a new California studio, LightSpeed LA, that will develop and publish “AAA” (read: blockbuster) titles. The team will be led by former Rockstar Games studio manager Steve Martin and will have alumni from both Rockstar as well as 2K Games, Insomniac and Sony.
The Grand Theft Auto veteran didn’t outline what LightSpeed would work on, but joined the wave of companies hoping to end crunch time with promises of a “stress-free work environment.”
The UK had decided in January that it would allow equipment from Huawei and other “high risk” companies in non-core parts of the nation’s 5G networks, limiting their involvement to 35 percent in networks connecting devices and other hardware to mobile masts. Reports later emerged that the UK might phase out Huawei over the space of three years.
The US has maintained that Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese companies are dangerous as they could potentially help China spy on sensitive communications. Officials have been publicly reluctant to outline just what (if anything) Huawei is capable of, however, and unofficial reports of access to carrier backdoors suggested these may have been common networking tools. Huawei has maintained its innocence.
Whoever is telling the truth, this could be a further blow to Huawei’s international plans. While Huawei’s forced exit from the US wasn’t surprising, its foothold elsewhere has been relatively safe, if sometimes limited. A UK rethink would kick it out of another major market, and it wouldn’t be surprising if other US allies followed suit.
The rocket had been carrying payloads for three customers, most notably Canon. It was supposed to be demonstrating an Earth imaging camera system ahead of plans for mass production. Planet was expanding its giant constellation of Earth observation satellites, while In-Space was launching its first cubesat mission as part of an initiative to help researchers and startups get payloads into orbit.
The loss comes after 11 consecutive successful Electron launches, including some with a relatively rapid turnaround. This isn’t the end, then, but it suggests that Rocket Lab may have work to do before it’s a completely reliable option for getting machines into space.
A brief statement about today’s mission from our founder and CEO, Peter Beck. pic.twitter.com/QUShtzp7J0
Uber is a mainstay in numerous giant cities, but it hasn’t had a foothold in Tokyo — a combination of strict limits on ridesharing and public wariness has kept it out of Japan’s best-known metropolis. Now, however, it’s part of the landscape. Bloombergreports that Uber has launched its first service in Tokyo despite operating in Japan for about six years. This isn’t ridesharing, though. Instead, it’s offering Uber Taxi through 600 vehicles in the central business district as well as popular city areas like Akihabara, Asakusa and Shinagawa.
Coverage should reach all of Tokyo’s central districts by the end of 2020.
If it wasn’t already apparent that the era of ‘big’ flying is ending, it might be soon. Bloombergsources say Boeing is ending production of its iconic 747 jumbo jet (specifically, the 747-8) in about two years. A spokesperson for the aircraft maker didn’t confirm or deny the shutdown, saying there were “more than two years” of production left to fulfill orders. However, Bloomberg pointed to signs of a firm stop in “subtle wording changes” for financial statements.
While there’s no claimed explanation for the move, it’s no secret that Boeing faced both a hostile market and its own troubles. Even before the pandemic, the air travel industry had shifted toward smaller, more fuel-efficient twin-engine jets like the 787 Dreamliner. The 15 remaining unfulfilled 747 orders are all destined for freighter use, with 12 of them headed to UPS. The 747-8 was also late and over budget, and is believed to have been a money-loser since 2016. The last passenger order was for Air Force One in 2017.
US law enforcement is cracking down on a pair of alleged online fraudsters that appear to have been wildly successful. The United Arab Emirates has sent the US two Nigerian nationals, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas and Olakean Jacob Ponle, to face charges relating to large “business email compromise” scams. Abbas is accused of money laundering in schemes meant to pull in “hundreds of millions of dollars,” according to the Justice Department. He reportedly helped with a plan to launder $14.7 million stolen from a “foreign financial institution,” helped take nearly $923,000 from a New York law firm and was even involved in a plot to steal roughly $124 million from an English Premier League club.
Ponle, meanwhile, allegedly participated in several 2019 fraud campaigns that were worth “tens of millions of dollars,” including one Chicago-based company that sen a total of $15.2 million. According to the claim, Ponle had victims wire funds to money mules who converted the gains to Bitcoin and sent them to a digital wallet the mastermind controlled.
Public fireworks shows may be in short supply this weekend due to the pandemic, but Rocket Lab is ready to fill the gap. It’s planning to launch its 13th mission, “Pics Or It Didn’t Happen,” from a complex on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula at 5:19PM Eastern with a livestream (below) available 15 minutes before takeoff. The launch window is open until 6:03PM Eastern. This is only the third Rocket Lab launch this year, due in no small part to the pandemic, and it includes some significant payloads.
The main payload is a Canon satellite, CE-SAT-IB, that will demo high-res and wide angle cameras for Earth imaging — if all goes well, this will pave the way for mass production. Planet, the company behind the largest network of Earth observation satellites, is also including five of its newest-generation SuperDove satellites. It’s also an important mission for the UK with In-Space launching its first Faraday cubesat mission to help startups and researchers get payloads into orbit.
The automaker didn’t explain why the car was China-only upon announcement, although research chief Dr. Michael Steiner previously said the RWD model was for regions where the weather didn’t necessitate AWD. Take heart, though, as Porsche said this version was “still in consideration for the USA.”
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the base Taycan reach the US and other countries. The machine could help Porsche better compete against EV brands like Tesla, whose Model S Performance starts at nearly $89,500. It might also be important in light of grim car markets during the pandemic. While EVs have faired relatively well in the current economic climate, pricing is clearly more of a concern than usual.
The clipboard privacy feature in iOS 14 is prompting more major developers to tone down their apps’ nosy behavior. To start, Reddit told The Verge in a statement that it would fix code in its iOS app that copies clipboard data with virtually every keystroke, as Urspace.io co-founder Don Morton discovered. There’s a “codepath” in the post composing tool that checks for web links in the clipboard and suggests titles based on that link, Reddit said. It stressed that it “do[es] not store or send” clipboard data, and expected the fix to arrive on July 14th.
As ZDNetreported, this came shortly after LinkedIn VP Erran Berger promised a fix for a similar flaw in its iOS client that Morton also found. In this case, it stems from an “equality check” between the clipboard and what you’ve typed into a text box. Berger didn’t say when users could expect a fix, but he vowed a follow-up once the solution was available in the LinkedIn app.
Despite living on what is ostensibly a deserted island, players like Corey and Joshua called out how the phone always displayed a strong signal — ideal for when you’re in a pinch and need to call the rescue service. VideogameScrapbook called it “a miracle it works even when there are zero cell phone towers for hundreds of miles,” and Thomas found this “pleasantly surprising considering I was one of the first people to call this island home. It always reads full-bars, and the signal strength really shows. Call quality sounds as if the one I’m speaking to is right next to me.” However, he did take issue with the inability to call out on the device, asking “Why, Nook Inc.?”
The biggest praise came for the NookPhone’s battery, with multiple users marveling they don’t have to worry about the device’s power levels. VideogameScrapbook said, “I’ve never once charged the phone over a few weeks, period. It feels like witchcraft!” And Thomas was equally effusive, commenting that “I’ve never had to charge this phone, like, ever. I don’t know if it runs on Lithium-Ion, solar, AAA batteries or pure spite, but I can say that Nook Inc. could be sitting on a veritable gold mine of royalties if it decides to license this tech out to other companies.”
Kris Naudus / Nintendo
However, while the hardware gained almost unanimous praise (easy enough when it’s not actually real), things were a bit different on the software side — which is where the real user interaction happens. Corey expressed disappointment at the “limited selection of apps,” with Thomas listing obvious omissions: “You won’t find Facebook, Netflix, YouTube, or most of your other favorite apps on this phone.” Dustin was bummed about the lack of mobile games and a music player, since it means he can’t “listen to my favorite K.K. jams on the go.” Joshua added that at least, “updates come in days and not months.” Colin simply said it needs a “jailbreak option.”
Thomas did, however, have nice things to say about the programs you do get, stating that “any app that is installed clearly has had loads of thought poured into every feature. It’s a give and take. What is available is very well-made.” He added, “the NookPhone has everything you could possibly need and nothing you don’t,” particularly if “you’re in a position like mine where you find yourself managing an island setting.”
Kris Naudus / Nintendo
Of the apps included, icwhatudidthere was pretty negative about the phone, calling it “nothing more than a slave tracking mechanism designed by Nook. He gamified it so you don’t even realize but it’s clear he’s just getting you to his tasks for him.” N was a bit less vehement, but still took issue with the user interface, saying “it takes too many clicks to get to Nook Miles+. It would be convenient to let you shortcut straight to there by pressing the + button from the home screen, instead of clicking over to open the Nook Miles+ app and then pressing + after the app opens.”
The one app that got everyone talking — both positives and negatives — was the camera, which Jay called revolutionary since it allows you to take third person selfies. Dustin even likened it to “having a drone following you everywhere.” Corey did have a few issues with the camera software, which he found “very limited. Can’t even pan/tilt left or right! Does have nice, 100 percent true-to-life colors and resolution, though.” N also felt it could be more robust, and that it feels “a little anemic compared to photo modes in other games.”
Kris Naudus / Nintendo
Ultimately, even though they didn’t have much of a choice about using it when they played the game, readers felt pretty good about the NookPhone. Dustin said “Tom Nook did an amazing job making this product in his garage.” Corey called it “a good, accessible beginning point for Nook Inc.,” adding that “a solid base has been laid for the greatness that will be the NookPhone 2.”
