It’s now no longer necessary to report individual cheaters, since we’ve been tuning our detection criteria we’ve noticed a large drop in cheaters – getting better! đ
A huge thank you to everyone who has been playing the game fairly, you’re all awesome, and we love you! â¤ď¸ pic.twitter.com/lPZJVBjzIm
At first, cheaters were removed after the round was over, but Mediatonic said it would take âmore immediate action soon,â presumably kicking cheats out instantly.Â
Dealing with cheaters is a top priority for us
At the moment, when a cheater is detected, they are able to finish the current show before being blocked
We are going to start taking more immediate action soon
As mentioned before: It isn’t necessary to manually report cheaters
And when Mediatonic discovered that some were using a Steam family-sharing feature to get around bans by creating new accounts and sharing with themselves, it disabled that loophole. Not only did that move block relentless cheats, it also proved that Mediatonic is committed to a sustained campaign of checks and balances.Â
We discovered cheaters were using Family-Sharing to get around our banning system on Steam by creating new accounts and sharing with themselves, so we’ve unfortunately had to disable that for now.
It should massively help with the cheating issues though!
A silver lining to all of the Fall Guys cheating has been players working together to sabotage unscrupulous individuals. But Fall Guys is a hard game for people to win, and players should be able to spend their time playing the game not serving vigilante justice. The fact that Mediatonic is working hard to remove cheaters from the game may help players get that elusive victory.
For those just tuning in, way back in 2014, Wu-Tang Clan pressed a single two-CD copy of the album, which was recorded in secret over six years. The idea was to sell the album to a single high bidder. Fans organized an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign in an attempt to save the album from exclusivity, but Shkreli managed to purchase the CDs for $2 million.
When the world learned that the mystery buyer was none other than the crook who jacked the price of a life-saving AIDS drug from $13.50 to $700 per pill, there was some understandable outrage. It didnât help that Shkreli admitted he hadnât even listened to the album. A couple years later, Shkreli tried to auctionOnce Upon a Time in Shaolin on eBay, but by that point his legal problems were catching up with him and the sale didnât go through.Â
In 2016, Shkreli streamed the intro to the album after President Trump won the election. In 2017, he was ordered to jail over online harassment, and in 2018, a federal court seized the album.Â
Now, all of this will be told via Netflix. Wu-Tang Clanâs RZA (who attempted to buy the album back but wasnât able to due to the terms of the sale) is set to produce alongside Plan B, Brad Pittâs production company. We donât know when the movie will be ready, but we can expect delays due to COVID-19.
Basically everything else should be taken with at least a small grain of salt. That said, it sounds like, for starters, the Pixel 5 is going to skip on a high-end chipset and instead rock a more modest Snapdragon 765G. And, unlike some of the more extreme phones in recent memory, the Pixel 5 will come with âonlyâ 8GB of RAM. Now, that is more than enough power for your average user. Plus, Google has proven time and again that through smart software optimization it can squeeze great performance out of lesser devices.Â
But more importantly, the 765G is cheaper than a Snapdragon 865 and 12GB of RAM. Almost $100 cheaper as of January. And building on that, it sounds like weâre getting just one Pixel 5 this year. No XL variant. Just one model that will come with a 6-inch OLED — which is smack in the middle of the 6.3 inch screen of the Pixel 4 XL and the 5.8 inch screen on the Pixel 4A. Also like with the Pixel 4A, by streamlining the product line Google can shave down itâs production costs even further, and hopefully pass those savings on to you — the consumer.
See, while modest specs and limited variants might be boring, it also means that Google will probably be able to undercut the competition by hundreds of dollars. Remember when the Nexus was the crown jewel of Googleâs burgeoning smartphone empire? It was a flagship caliber phone for about half the price of other phones. Now, itâs highly doubtful that the Pixel 5 will cost just $500. But $700 seems within the realm of possibility.Â
Reddit
Google is even supposedly going back to the well by bringing back the fingerprint reader. Putting aside for a moment the fact that Face Unlock was never particularly good. Itâs especially important now to have a backup method for unlocking your phone. Trust me. Even if you get a mask printed with your face on it, itâs not going to work. In fact, it seems like that Soli radar sensor is gone completely.Â
The only thing missing is the return of the headphone jack but, Iâve begrudgingly accepted that is a lost cause at this point.Â
What else? Google is probably sticking with just two cameras on the back. But this year ditching the telephoto in favor of a wide angle lens. And itâs joining the rest of the smartphone world by embracing the hole punch camera on the front. Goodbye giant bezels and weird notches — the Pixel line is going bezel-less…ish.Â
Perhaps the most exciting thing about he Pixel 5 is the rumor that the battery will be 4,000mAh â and those are hardly uncommon. Compared to the anemic 2,800mAh in the Pixel 4 thatâs positively enormous. And combined with that less power-hungry processor we could be talking about battery life in days, instead of hours.
Again, though: These are not breakthroughs. Theyâre minor tweaks to address minor annoyances and in some ways playing catch-up with the rest of the industry.Â
But you know what — give me a boring but affordable phone with enough power to handle Evernote and some light video editing and Iâm good. I donât need a 120HZ screen or console quality 3D graphics. I need to be able to reliably unlock my phone in a supermarket to check my shopping list, without being chased out by a mob of angry people hurling produce. And, when the time comes to upgrade, I need to be able to buy a new phone without having to worry about making my mortgage payment that month.
Apple is trying to boost the popularity of TV+ by bundling content like a rumored fitness app, or marrying other services like Apple Music, Arcade and News+ in a subscription called Apple One. AR could be another added bonus â while a bit gimmicky, it would be a nice feature for educational programs.
At the same time, Apple is reportedly planning to launch an AR headset in 2022 designed for gaming, entertainment and Zoom-type meetings. The TV+ AR feature could give developers something to do in the meantime, while giving the public a preview of whatâs to come. Take all this with some salt, of course â though Gurman is a reliable Apple source, the companyâs AR plans could always stall or fall through altogether.
Elon Musk teases ‘working Neuralink device’ reveal on August 28th at 6PM ET
Youâll never have to log off again.
Musk said the technology shown on Friday would be âawesomeâ compared to what weâve seen so far. “Don’t want to get too excited, but the potential is truly transformational for restoring brain & motor functions,” he tweeted earlier this year. Continue reading.
The Level Touch is a smart lock in disguise
The design can add some extra privacy.
Most smart locks look visibly like theyâre, well, smart locks. Not so with the Level Home, which takes on an unassuming look while still cramming in plenty of tech features. You can open it with the touch of a finger, a vocal command or a programmable keycard. You can also give others access to your home through the Level app, and approved guests can gain entry using their phone as a key.Â
The battery can hold a charge for up to one year, according to the company, while Level Lockâs accompanying app, HomeKit, can connect with both iOS and Android devices. The price for such subtlety is $329 â thatâs over double the price of some rival smart locks. Continue reading.
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Fitbitâs new Sense watch has lots of Apple Watch features
The $329 wearable arrives in September.
Fitbit is focusing on its smartwatches again. Say hello to the Fitbit Sense, an âadvanced healthâ wearable that includes new hardware, like an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor, and new features, like electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements.
The EDA sensor looks for electrical changes in your skin that may be caused by stress â to use it, youâll navigate to the EDA app on the smartwatch, place your palm over the Senseâs display and breathe while it takes a measurement.
This then feeds into Fitbitâs features that track and manage stress, which, thankfully in 2020, go beyond simple breathing exercises. The EDA sensor records and shows data on a graph in the Fitbit mobile app alongside the new Stress Management Score, which is yet another all-encompassing number that takes into account heart rate, sleep and activity data â a higher number is better. Continue reading.
How to talk to people who believe in QAnon
The way you approach someone is just as important as what you say.
While conspiracy theory experts agree there is no easy way to âget someone backâ from the group, there are ways to better your odds at getting through to someone. Karissa Bell explains. Continue reading.
In âOutriders,â powers and teamwork beat guns
But keep those guns handy, youâll still need them.
Engadget
Alongside Destiny 2, Anthem and even Marvelâs Avengers, to an extent, Outriders is about killing lots of enemies with gunplay, sci-fi powers and old-fashioned teamwork. Does the world need another game that demands repeat playthroughs, loot farming and bosses with untold levels of health? Maybe? Our preview, by Mat Smith, suggests Outriders is an awful lot of fun. Continue reading.
This cardboard Wolfenstein 3D setup invites you to punch Nazis remotely
‘Smartistein 3D’ only needs a smartphone and a few motors to make magic.
Telepresence robots, cardboard cut-outs of fascists and gaming magic. Continue reading.
Vue Lite smart glasses are cheap, but they aren’t that smart
It might be easier to just wear earbuds.
These $179 glasses are a lighter, cheaper version of the Vue Pro but without the more notable features of its predecessor. Instead of bone conduction, they deliver audio to the wearer via directional speakers for âopen ear listening,â similar to the Bose Frames and Amazonâs Echo Frames. Unfortunately, the audio is just okay, and the missing features compared to higher end models make these even harder to recommend. Continue reading.
Harvard and Sony built a tiny surgery robot inspired by origami
The mini-RCM is about the size of a tennis ball and weighs the same as a penny.
Researchers from Harvardâs Wyss Institute and Sony have created a surgical robot thatâs much smaller than many other such devices. They took inspiration from origami to build the mini-RCM, which is around the size of a tennis ball yet weighs about the same as a penny.
Materials layered on top of each other are cut with a laser to form a 3D shape â kinda like a kidsâ pop-up book. Three linear actuators control the mini-RCMâs movements in multiple directions.
In a microscopic tracing test, the researchers found the mini-RCM was 68 percent more accurate than a hand-controlled tool. The robot also successfully completed a mock version of a precise procedure in which a surgeon inserts a needle through an eye. Yes, that made me shudder, too. Continue reading.
Fiâs grace period for late payments will be back to three days, as well, though there seems to be hope for those still feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. âIf you are experiencing COVID-19 related financial hardship, please contact us to see if your account is eligible for additional support,â Google wrote in the support page.
Most companies had already retired the COVID-19-related perks they gave subscribers back in July. Some chose to wait a little longer before reinstating old policies â AT&T, for instance, extended its data cap waiver until September 30th for everyone other than its Digital Subscriber Line broadband customers â but itâs clear that people will have to deal with data caps as they continue to work from home in the coming months.
Neuralink said it first aims to help amputees, or restore the ability to see, talk and listen. While the company hasnât announced any human testing, it has been tried on primates, with Musk saying âa monkey has been able to control a computer with its brain.â
Musk said that the technology shown on Friday would be âawesomeâ compared to what weâve seen so far. “Don’t want to get too excited, but the potential is truly transformational for restoring brain & motor functions,” he tweeted earlier this year. Â We donât have a link yet for the livestream, but the last event was streamed on Neuralinkâs YouTube channel.
Porscheâs app-based subscription program that was previously known as Passport is now called Porsche Drive, and itâs gone through more changes than just a rebranding. The service will soon have three options to choose from: Passportâs old multi-vehicle scheme, the previously separate short-term rental option and the new singleâvehicle subscription plan. In addition, Porsche is also launching the program in Los Angeles, making the city its biggest market yet.
Driveâs new single-vehicle option gives customers a way to rent one model for one or three months at a time for an all-inclusive fee. They can then choose to extend their membership with the model that they have after their rental period is done, or exchange the model for another one. According to Autoblog, itâll cost subscribers at least $1,500 per month, making it slightly cheaper than the multi-vehicle option that starts at $2,100. Of course, prices depend on the model: customers can get a Macan for those base prices, but they have to be prepared to pay a lot more for a 911.
In addition to the 64-megapixel f/1.8 main camera and the 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, the ZenFone 7 Proâs flip camera module has gained an 8-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto camera, which offers 3x fixed optical zoom (and up to 12x digital zoom). As a bonus, both the main camera and the telephoto camera come with 4-axis OIS (optical image stabilization).
ASUS claims that the cameras here perform significantly better than last yearâs model. The main camera is powered by Sonyâs IMX686 imaging sensor, which can apparently capture four times the brightness than before in low-light conditions. The sensor is also capable of recording video at up to 8K at 30fps or 4K slow motion at 120fps, making the phone a versatile video camera.
For the ultra-wide camera, ASUS decided to go with the new IMX363 sensor, which has its pros and cons: it features a slightly lower resolution and field of view than last yearâs camera module, but in return, it packs larger 1.4um pixels for better light sensitivity, along with dual pixel autofocus and macro mode (down to 4cm). This is a wise decision for improving both landscape photography and group selfies, especially when lighting isnât ideal. The new sensor can also handle 4K capture at up to 60fps, along with âHyperSteadyâ electronic stabilization and real-time distortion correction.
Richard Lai/Engadget
All these camera benefits apply to both front and rear capture. Or at any angle, for that matter — just press and hold the flip button in the camera app or use the volume keys to manually adjust the angle. This is particularly handy if your subject is placed at an awkward height or position. There are also three customizable angle buttons — you can press and hold to save a new angle.
Sadly, the unit I received wasnât carrying the finished camera software, so ASUS told me the image quality wasnât representative of the product. Iâll update this article with some sample shots once my phone gets the final update.
Another major, but less obvious, update to the flip camera is its moving mechanism. According to ASUS, the ZenFone 7 seriesâ stepper motor is 40-percent smaller than before, yet itâs capable of 2.2 times more torque to handle the heavier module with a faster rotation. Its redesigned gearbox and a new angle sensor also allow more precise movements, going from the old 2-degree steps to smaller 0.5-degree steps.Â
Even the level of durability has been doubled to 200,000 continuous flips, according to ASUS. This equates to over five years of usage if you flipped the camera 100 times per day (which is, of course, rather excessive). Like before, if you drop the phone while attempting a selfie, the camera will automatically retract during the fall. That said, the ZenFone 7 series isnât waterproof due to the nature of the flip camera design, so youâll want to keep the phone away from liquids.
Richard Lai/Engadget
The new flip camera supports improved auto panorama and motion tracking video recording, with the former now compatible with the ultra-wide camera for some wider panorama shots. The more demanding users will also enjoy new features like independent focus point and exposure point controls, along with the Pro Video mode which lets you tinker with the ISO, shutter speed, white balance and more.
Itâs worth mentioning that the ZenFone 7 series comes with not two but three microphones for better noise cancellation. These add the ability to focus on the sound coming from a subject, and you can even pick the audio direction (front, back or all directions) when recording in Pro Video mode.
Richard Lai/Engadget
Another physical feature worthy of a mention is the new âSmart Key.â Itâs actually just the power button with an integrated fingerprint reader, but it also doubles as a multi-function key. This is a cunning approach, as this all-in-one Smart Key can be customized to instantly unlock and toggle an app or action in one go; or you can leave it as-is for summoning Google Assistant.
In terms of core specs, the ZenFone 7 Pro shares the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor as the ROG Phone 3. It comes with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, microSD expansion (up to 2TB) and dual SIM slots. Nothing surprising here for a flagship, of course, so itâs really all about that flip camera.
And if it werenât for the third camera and the relocated fingerprint reader, youâd easily mistake the ZenFone 7 Pro for the ZenFone 6. When placed side by side, though, youâll see the new device is much larger. Despite carrying the same generous 5,000mAh battery, the ZenFone 7 Pro is also a lot heavier, weighing 230g (about 8.1 ounces) compared to its 190g (about 6.7 ounces) predecessor; though this shouldnât be a problem for those who are accustomed to the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Richard Lai/Engadget
The ZenFone 7 Pro has a 6.67-inch Samsung AMOLED panel, which features a slick 90Hz refresh rate and 200Hz touch sampling rate, along with a longer aspect ratio (2,400 x 1,080) and a maximum outdoor brightness of 700 nits — about the same as what youâd get on the latest flagships from Samsung and Apple. You also get HDR10+ support, which already works with Netflix; just too bad about the lack of front-facing stereo speakers here.
ASUS threw in a 30W adapter which supports Quick Charge 4.0 protocol, and this can get the 5,000mAh battery up to 60-percent charge in 34 minutes, or 100-percent charge in 93 minutes. Also included in the box are two protection cases: a hard transparent case and a more rugged black âActive Caseâ — the latter has a latch to lock the flip camera in place for better protection.
If you were looking for something a little cheaper, the lesser ZenFone 7 is almost identical to its Pro counterpart, except it packs the less powerful Snapdragon 865 processor along with both 6GB and 8GB RAM options, a smaller 128GB storage and cameras sans OIS.
Richard Lai/Engadget
The ZenFone 7 series will launch in Taiwan first, with pre-orders starting today. The ZenFone 7 Pro will start from NT$27,990 (about US$950) with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, whereas the more affordable ZenFone 7 is priced starting at NT$21,999 (about US$750) with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.
Alas, ASUS has confirmed to Engadget that the ZenFone 7 series wonât be heading to North America, mainly due to the lack of most US 5G bands on the devices. Folks in Europe, however, can look out for a local launch as early as September 1st.
Shortly after LG launched the Velvet, South Korean publications reported that LG is working on another dual screen phone codenamed âWing.â Now, Android Authority has released a video showing what it says is âa near-final version of the phone.â LG has been experimenting with two-screen devices for a few years now, such as the Velvet and the V60 that were launched earlier this year. Youâll need a separate second screen accessory to turn those devices into dual screen phones, though â the Wingâs secondary display, however, is attached to the phone itself.
While the video doesnât show it, Android Authority says the secondary display flips out from the bottom of the main one. It sits perpendicular to the main display as a smaller screen that can, say, show whoâs calling while youâre driving without disturbing the navigation app. In the video youâll see a call coming in while the driver is using the phone for navigation. The secondary display could also be useful for gamers or for extreme multitaskers who need as much screen real estate as possible.
