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Sega’s remastered ‘Yakuza’ bundle for PS4 comes to the US

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With the remaster, all three games now play at 1080p and 60 frames per second, meaning you’ll be able to navigate the series’ trademark recreations of Tokyo’s Kabukicho district in even more realistic detail. In addition to graphical enhancements, Sega says it has “re-localized” all three games, even going so far as to rewrite certain sections of each game’s script. That should hopefully make the series’ sometimes convoluted story more approachable. Lastly, the company has restored content that it had cut for the western releases of the titles. In the case of Yakuza 3, that means previously cut minigames are back in, as are all of its side stories. In other words, what’s on offer here are the definitive western releases of Yakuza 3, 4 and 5.

If you fancy yourself a collector, Sega plans a limited physical release of The Yakuza Remastered Collection. Available on February 20th, 2019, the same day Yakuza 5 Remastered launches digitally, the physical release comes with two discs and a special edition case. Since this marks the first time Yakuza 5 will be available as a physical release in the west, Sega is also including the game’s PlayStation 3 case — though not the game itself on PS3. If you really want to dive headfirst into the Yakuza series, Sega also offers The Yakuza Origins Digital Bundle, which brings together Yakuza O, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2.

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Facebook’s Libra Association is being investigated by EU antitrust regulators

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The investigation, still in its early stages, is examining the governance structure and membership of the Libra Association. The purpose-built, independent nonprofit is meant to govern the digital currency. Founding members include the likes of MasterCard, PayPal, Visa, eBay, Spotify, Uber and Lyft. According to Bloomberg, regulators fear that the way information will be exchanged and the use of consumer data could create “possible competition restrictions.”

The US Treasury has already expressed its “serious concerns” regarding Libra. In particular, it noted fears that the digital currency could be misused by bad players, like money launderers and terrorist financiers. Facebook promised it won’t make Libra available until regulators are onboard. That will likely be an ongoing and uphill battle.

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NASA confirms mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa

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Researchers first presented their proposal to NASA in 2017, revealing a boxy lander that would study both the surface and what’s below. The team didn’t need confirmation of the mission to get started — there have already been tests for its data antenna.

The moon is potentially the best candidate for life in the Solar System beyond Earth. Europa has a crust covered in water ice (there’s even evidence of sea salt). If there’s a corresponding water ocean underneath the surface, NASA might find evidence of life — even if it’s just the remnants of an earlier era. Clipper could also help determine the viability of human exploration of Europa, although any prospect of that is many years away.

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Ford will reportedly make two more electric SUVs by 2023

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The EVs were originally slated to be produced in Mexico, according to the tipsters, but it’s not clear why production would shift to Flat Rock beyond its recent $850 million investment. The timing suggests this isn’t the Mustang-like SUV — that’s due to appear much sooner, in 2020.

Ford declined to comment, citing a policy against talking about future vehicles.

The brand hasn’t been shy about stepping up its electrification plans. On top of pouring money into manufacturing, Ford is making at least one EV based on VW’s platform, investing in Rivian to produce another EV and has otherwise made clear that its future is electric. However, it wasn’t certain that Ford would have much variety in its all-electric cars. It appears ready to offer more than just one or two models, and it’s willing to include Lincoln in these early stages of EV adoption.

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DOJ is working with states on antitrust investigations of tech companies

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The statement came weeks after the DOJ launched a sweeping review of competition in tech, and mere hours after Wall Street Journal sources claimed a group of states were pursuing a joint antitrust investigation of their own. It’s not certain if these particular campaigns will be linked, but it wouldn’t be surprising if there was cooperation.

The DOJ’s strategy is fairly clear, at least. Delrahim said his team was examining not just effects on pricing, but also innovation and quality. Officials will want to see if heavyweights like Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google are making it unnecessarily difficult for bolder rivals to get off the ground. Although there’s no guarantee the DOJ will take action, the mere threat of it places tremendous pressure on the tech world to change its ways. There are already signs that companies like Apple are prepared to change their ways if they can escape legal trouble.

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Lightning-compatible YubiKey 5Ci could secure your iPhone logins

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At launch, the 5Ci supports a variety of popular password managers, including 1Password, Dashlane, LastPass and Bitwarden. It’s also compatible with authentication services like Okta. In all those instances, you’ll be able to plug in the 5Ci into your iPhone, launch the security app of your choice and log in to an online account without ever entering a password. And if you happen to use Brave instead of Safari for web browsing, the 5Ci removes the need to first open a password manager first in the case of some online services.

The 5Ci also includes a USB-C port for when you need to log in through an Android device or computer. However, one limitation of the 5Ci is that it currently doesn’t work with the 2018 iPad Pro. We’ve reached out to Yubikey to find the exact reason for this limitation, but we suspect it has something to do with restrictions iOS 12 places on USB-C connectivity. That could change when iOS 13 comes out this fall. The Yubikey 5Ci also doesn’t work with any FIDO-compliant service or app out of the box. In a statement to The Verge, Yubico said third-party developers must add support for the 5Ci to their apps individually. A full list of compatible services is available on the company’s website.

If you’re not familiar with physical security keys, they’re currently one of the most effective ways to protect yourself against online hackers because they remove the need for passwords and one-time codes, both of which malicious individuals can easily intercept in the right circumstances. In 2018, Google said it was able to reduce successful phishing attacks on its 85,000 employees to zero thanks to a new policy of mandatory security keys.

However, at $70 the 5Ci is one of the more expensive security keys out on the market. If you’re looking for something more affordable, Yubico also offers the $45 YubiKey 5 NFC, which is similarly compatible with the iPhone. Another option is Google’s $50 Titan security key, which has the advantage of also working through Bluetooth. And while a security key will help keep you as safe as possible, most people need to start with a simple password manager, as reused passwords are the single largest culprit behind hacked accounts. Once you have a password manager, a security key like the YubiKey 5Ci is a good next step if you want to further secure your online accounts.

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Mercedes-Benz likely to agree to California’s tougher emissions rules

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While Mercedes-Benz has not confirmed its plans to join those automakers, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if the company did so. According to The New York Times, California and 13 other states plan to enforce their current, stricter emissions regulations. Those states may also sue the Trump administration. Rather than wait for the legal drama to unfold or navigate the discrepancies between state and federal emissions requirements, the automakers have voluntarily agreed to follow California’s rules.

A sixth automaker could join the pact soon, too. While The New York Times did not confirm which, it is believed either Toyota, Fiat Chrysler or GM will pledge to follow stricter emissions standards for at least the next four years. The six automakers would account for more than 40 percent of all cars sold in the US, and together, they could significantly weaken Trump’s emissions standards rollbacks.

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NVIDIA’s latest GPU drivers pack a speed boost for ‘Apex Legends’

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NVIDIA is quick to acknowledge that the benefits aren’t quite as dramatic at higher resolutions (where you run into bottlenecks), but you should still see improvements at 4K. Keep in mind that the company is also using its latest graphics tech mated to a recent Core i9 processor — you might not see such dramatic results if your system is more modest.

There are, however, some improvements that are more universal. There’s now a beta Ultra-Low Latency mode for DirectX 9 and DirectX 11 games that only submits image frames just in time for rendering, delivering high responsiveness without forcing you to lower graphics settings or buy new hardware. You’ll see the most benefit in GPU-dependent games where frame rates are between 60FPS to 100FPS, but it could be vital for any reflex-sensitive titles.

Other tweaks? There’s now sharper integer-based graphics scaling for classic 2D and pixel art games (think emulators or retro-looking titles like Hotline Miami) if you have an RTX or GTX 16-series card. There’s also a new Freestyle filter, Sharpen, that’s both more effective than the current Detail filter and half as demanding on your GPU. This latest driver also brings 30-bit color support to all of NVIDIA’s hardware lineup, support for the newest G-Sync monitors and optimized settings for more games, including Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Bloodstained. You’ll likely want to install these drivers, then, no matter what exact GPU you have or what you intend to play.

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Sometimes it’s good to be boring

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Keyboard and trackpad

ThinkPads consistently have great keyboards and the X1 Carbon once again gets it right. Mostly, anyway. I love the deep travel and comfortable keys, and typing on a ThinkPad feels like a luxury compared to the merely decent experience on the Laptop 2 and MateBook 14. But I have an issue with some of the button placements on the X1 Carbon. In particular, I hate where the left Control button sits. Instead of being the leftmost button on the bottom row, it’s actually the second last, and a Function key sits on the end.

That might make perfect sense if you’re coming over from a MacBook, but as a PC person I’m used to the arrangement being the other way around, and it really messed up my flow when using keyboard shortcuts. It’s frustrating to think you’re hitting Control Z or Control C and V, only to realize your action wasn’t undone or your text wasn’t copied because you’d pressed Function instead. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s annoying.

I also wish the Page up and Down buttons were a little higher or bigger. Where they sit above the left and right arrow keys right now makes them too easy to hit when I’m trying to jump between words instead of scrolling up or down.

As usual on a ThinkPad, there’s a red pointing stick sitting in the middle of the keyboard. It’s nice to have if you’re a fan, but easy enough to ignore. You’ll prefer using the trackpad instead, which is smooth and responsive, although I wish it were slightly roomier. Next to the trackpad below the keyboard sits a fingerprint sensor, for quickly logging in.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019

Webcam and display

You’ll want to set up the fingerprint sensor, since the Windows Hello-enabled webcam above the display doesn’t work very well. In my testing, the system failed to recognize me about 30 percent of the time. It tended to struggle in situations that were backlit, but sometimes it had trouble finding me even if I was sitting just an arm’s length away. I don’t have as much of an issue with Windows Hello on a Surface Laptop 2, which might be due to its better camera.

Windows Hello also isn’t ideal if you’re privacy conscious and keep your webcam covered. Though, I’ve got to give Lenovo credit for making it easy to cover and uncover the camera with a built-in shutter. All you’ve got to do is slide a lever above the screen.

Speaking of, I have a small complaint about the display. When using the keyboard buttons to toggle brightness, the increase between each step up is uneven. From levels 1 to 9, the screen gets gradually brighter by about the same amount each time. But from 9 to the maximum 10, the jump is huge and almost blinding. Lenovo told me this is normal for the X1. It might not be a huge issue, but I was confused why the screen was so dim until I pushed brightness to the 500-nit maximum, and the lack of a more nuanced middle ground between the last two options felt limiting. You can get a more specific level of brightness by using the onscreen slider in Settings.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019

Other than that gripe, I generally enjoyed using the X1 Carbon to watch Netflix or YouTube videos. Details were always crisp and colors vibrant, if a little on the pink side. Audio was a little disappointing though — despite packing a new quad-speaker Dolby Atmos system, the X1 Carbon’s sound was slightly hollow. This has been a problem for the X1 series since day one.

Performance and battery life

So far, the X1 Carbon and its 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processor have managed to handle my daily workload without a hiccup. More taxing tasks, like editing photos or spreadsheets, went smoothly. But, and don’t tell my boss I did this at work, playing Overcooked was a real challenge and I saw significant lag on the UHD model I was using. I switched to full HD in the game and it played slightly smoother, but I still don’t think the integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics here can really handle gaming.

The X1 Carbon almost got me through a work day without needing a charge. I unplugged my UHD model at noon and it wasn’t until about 7pm that I got a low battery warning. On our battery test, the lower-res Full HD X1 Carbon lasted 14 hours, which is twice as long as the 7 hours clocked by my UHD version on the same test. The higher-res model also has a brighter screen, which might have caused more drain.

Wrap-up

Despite a smattering of small complaints, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is still a strong business laptop that will appeal to its diehard fans. The build quality, keyboard performance and battery life are all great, at least if you don’t mind passing on the UHD screen. For its $1,200 starting price though, the X1 Carbon has serious competition from the likes of the Surface Laptop 2 and Huawei Matebook 14. But Lenovo’s appealing keyboard alone may just keep its fans coming back for more.

Product specs

CPU AND GRAPHICS

  • Up to Intel 8th-generation Core i5 and i7
  • Intel UHD 620 graphics

DISPLAY

  • 14-inch LCD
  • 1,920 x 1,080 (400 nit); 3,840 x 2,160 VESA400 HDR with Dolby Vision (500 nit)

MEMORY AND STORAGE

  • Up to 16GB RAM
  • Up to 1TB NVMe

PORTS

  • 2 x USB 3.0 Type-A
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3, Type-C
  • 1 x Ethernet extension
  • 1 x HDMI
  • 1 x Microphone/headphone combo jack

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Playing ‘The Witcher 3’ on the Switch shouldn’t work, but it does

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Some things had to change, and according to Piotr Chrzanowski, Senior Producer at CD Projekt Red, it took over a year to get to here. The aim was always to replicate the entire console Witcher experience (if not the PC one) on Nintendo’s hybrid console, which has its own challenges beside sheer GPU power.

“There was also the challenge of dual play [playing it handheld], where we had to scale things to work. It runs on the battery, we need to ensure the small print on-screen was readable, workable,” he said.

Besides the fact that it runs at all, I was most surprised by how the audio didn’t seem heavily affected or crunched to fit on to a single game cart. All the dialogue is still here, including the cloying-but-universe-building small talk from NPCs as you dash past them to slay a vampire or fetch some random item.

There’s some audio compression at play, but it’s not aggressive enough to ruin The Witcher 3‘s charm. Visually, more effort was needed. Chrzanowski explained: “We worked on things like textures, and draw distance, to optimize gameplay in a smart way.” Judging from my playtime, it also seems like minor graphical flourishes, like shadows, were simpler or reduced to lighten the graphical load.

Chrzanowski continued, explaining what else helped shrink the game: “We rescaled textures, while cut-scenes run at 720p [when docked].” The thrust seems to be making it smaller without losing anything in particular. You’ll have heard the game runs with dynamic resolution. If more is going down graphically around you in The Witcher 3, the Switch will step down resolutions, prioritizing 30 frames per second over fidelity. The right choice, in my opinion.

I played The Witcher 3 exclusively in handheld mode — which makes sense with a handheld-only Switch on the horizon, as well as a game most of the assembled journalists have played at 1080p. Due to reduced graphical power when undocked, it was a showcase in how the game can run. The dynamic resolution shifts are noticeable, yes, but didn’t affect how I played, which was a relief.

witcher 3

To be honest, I liked the dreamy smudginess of “Blood and Wine” chapters of the game — we were given free rein to hop around the game to see how iconic areas were realized. If you haven’t played The Witcher 3 before, “Blood and Wine” takes a fairy tale-esque direction, with bright colors and green fields offering a respite from the grimmer grey-brown of most of the world.

Even if Geralt of Rivia, our Witcher hero, is surrounded by lake hags or wolves, the game runs at a fair clip. That said, this Switch port isn’t a panacea: You can still die by jumping a little too enthusiastically downhill; the battle mechanics are still messy and chaotic without a keyboard; the game can still glitch-out and ruin your playthrough and there are still some rough difficulty spikes. However, the technical accomplishment here — a portable version of The Witcher 3 — is an incredible feat. All the DLC is here, all the choices, all the abilities, all the beasts and monsters. Nothing’s been removed, game-wise. Power crunching aside, it’s still a beautifully realized world to explore, too.

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