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Call of Duty’s Ricochet anti-cheat now prevents cheaters from seeing opponents

Raven Software and the Call of Duty development team are releasing new anti-cheat measures.

As the kernel-level Ricochet system continues to evolve, it’s now hitting Call of Duty: Vanguard. With that, the teams have announced that a new cloaking countermeasure is also rolling out.

The new cloaking “mitigation” makes it so that any player known to be cheating is unable to see opponents while in-game. Thanks to the cloaking anti-cheat measure, all honest players are invisible to the hacker. This even extends to sounds made by footsteps and notifications created by bullets. This measure aims to make it so the hacker gets frustrated and stops cheating altogether. Additionally, the leaderboard no longer displays hackers who face a ban.

A Ricochet update blog post published by the Call of Duty team confirms that cheaters will still be visible to regular players. Theoretically, this could be a somewhat humorous way for those players to grief cheaters. In a similar fashion, the Ricochet system includes a damage shield mitigation technique that prevents cheaters from dolling out damage to opponents.

The Call of Duty teams continue to monitor and bans known cheaters daily and in bulk. During the most recent wave of bans, 54,000 accounts were prohibited from playing. Though they are consistently monitoring the landscape and utilizing Ricochet, the development teams encourage players to use in-game reporting tools as well.

Last year, Ricochet hit Call of Duty: Warzone as a kernel-level driver. The anti-cheat is only active when the game is running. In theory, this decreases any risk of interruption or issues with other games and software. However, it’s not a guaranteed solution to hackers using auto-aim bots and wallhacks to gain the upper edge.

Image credit: Activision

Source: Call of Duty Via: Engadget

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Mobile Syrup

Google released security report stating it blocked over 1 million malicious apps

Google has released a report outlining the ways it fought against malicious apps and developers throughout 2021. In the report, the company states that 1.2 million apps were blocked for policy violations.

“We continue to enhance our machine learning systems and review processes,” team members state in the report. The team continues and states that “We also continued in our efforts to combat malicious and spammy developers.”Google also shut down 190,000 “bad accounts” and 500,000 inactive developer accounts.

Google is adding its new Data safety section for Google Play. Developers now must give users insight into the privacy and security practices within their apps. This also provides transparency into the data the app collects. Google requires developers to complete these sections for their respective apps by July 20th.

Additionally, Google continues to partner with SDK developers to improve app safety. “Last year we introduced multiple privacy focused features, enhanced our protections against bad apps and developers, and improved SDK data safety,” the report states.

Google also confirms that Google Play Protect “continues to scan billions of installed apps each day.” This security measure helps protect users around the world from potentially harmful and otherwise malicious software.

As a result of protecting its platform and users, Google is safeguarding against developers releasing harmful apps. “As a result of new platform protections and policies, developer collaboration and education, 98% of apps migrating to Android 11 or higher have reduced their access to sensitive APIs and user data,” the report notes.

Google Pixels now utilize machine learning models to improve the detection of malware in Google Play Protect. The privacy-preserving technology runs on Google Pixel devices called “federated analytics” to discover malicious apps.

The company closes out by stating to look forward to more “exciting announcements in 2022.”

Source: Google Via: TechRadar

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Mobile Syrup

Government of Canada signs Declaration for the Future of the Internet

Peace Tower at the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa Framed in Arch

The Government of Canada has endorsed a new declaration promoting an open and trusted internet for all.

Canada signs onto the Declaration for the Future of the Internet alongside 60 other countries, including the U.S, Iceland, and Japan.

“Canadians depend on the internet to work, connect to loved ones, access health and education services, and so much more. It is a powerful tool that is essential to our economy,” François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said.

“That’s why our government is committing to stand with our allies in support of an internet that is open, trusted, interoperable and secure.”

The declaration states the countries are united in using technology to promote connectivity, democracy, and affordable access to the internet, among other factors.

The latter principle is something the Government of Canada has been working to address. With plans to connect 98 percent of the population with access to high-speed internet by 2026, the government has announced millions in funding to benefit communities across the country, including in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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Mobile Syrup

Warcraft mobile game to be revealed on May 3

Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed that it will formally unveil its Warcraft mobile game on Tuesday, May 3rd.

Those interested can tune into the presentation at 1pm ET/10am PT via a livestream on Blizzard’s website. Further details on the game have yet to be confirmed.

Earlier this week, Blizzard revealed more from its mobile action-RPG Diablo Immortal, including a surprise announcement that it’s also coming to PC. The game is set to hit all three platforms on June 2nd, with the PC version coming in full-featured beta form.

Parent company Activision Blizzard has previously confirmed plans to bring all of its franchises to mobile, so it was only a matter of time for the likes of Warcraft and Diablo to make the jump. What’s less certain, however, is what will happen at the company in the coming months.

The publishing giant is facing various lawsuits and other repercussions related to allegations of a toxic “frat boy” work culture. It’s also in the midst of being acquired by Microsoft, although Wall Street is skeptical the deal will be approved. And at the centre of all of that is Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who has been accused of trying to cover up incidents at the company. Reports suggest that he’ll depart after the acquisition is finalized, but Microsoft has claimed it “hasn’t discussed” Kotick’s future with the company.

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Mobile Syrup

Apple surpasses Wall Street estimates with $97 billion in revenue in Q2 2022

Apple has revealed that it earned $97.3 billion USD (roughly $124.6 billion CAD) and a net quarterly profit of $25 billion USD (about $32 billion CAD) in Q2 2022, an increase of nine percent year-over-year.

Breaking revenue down by category, the iPhone led the way with $97.28 billion USD (roughly $124 billion CAD) and a five percent increase year-over-year. Services revenue, which includes platforms like Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade and more, hit $19.82 billion (roughly $25.3 billion CAD) and an increase of 17.5 percent year-over-year. The company also confirmed that it now has 825 million subscribers across all of its various subscription platforms.

On the other hand, Mac revenue hit $10.44 billion USD (approximately 13.3 billion CAD) and iPad revenue landed at $7.65 billion USD (about $9.7 billion CAD), spurred by the release of its M1-powered Mac Studio and iPad Air. This is an increase of 14 percent year-over-year and a decrease of 2.2 percent year-over-year, respectively. Finally, Apple’s ‘Other Products’ category, which includes products like accessories and the Apple Watch, hit $19.82 billion USD (about 25.3 billion CAD), a 17 percent increase year-over-year. Overall, the tech giant surpassed Wall Street earnings estimates in most categories, with Services and Other Products being the two notable exceptions.

“We are very pleased with our record business results for the March quarter, as we set an all-time revenue record for Services and March quarter revenue records for iPhone, Mac, and Wearables, Home and Accessories. Continued strong customer demand for our products helped us achieve an all-time high for our installed base of active devices,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO, in a recent press release.

In its earnings report, the company also confirmed that it has authorized an increase of $90 billion USD (about $115.3 billion CAD) for its stock buyback program. The tech giant is not issuing earnings guidance for its next financial quarter ending in June.

Source: Apple 

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Mobile Syrup

Snap reveals pocket-sized photo and video shooting drone called Pixy

Snap has revealed a tiny new drone called Pixy that follows users around and captures photos and videos.

The drone is on sale now in the U.S. and France for $230 USD (roughly $294 CAD). It’s unclear if Snap has plans to bring the drone to Canada. While the Snapchat maker’s Spectacles didn’t initially drop in Canada, they were released here several years later.

The seemingly simplistic drone is capable of following users with the press of a button, according to Snap. Pixy features several different flight paths, including ‘Hover,’ ‘Orbit,’ ‘Reveal,’ ‘Favourite,’ and likely the most useful, ‘Follow.’

With ‘Follow’, as you likely guessed, Pixy will follow as you move around and automatically snap photos and videos during its flight. Snap says that the drone can also be set to only shoot videos or photos.

Images are sent directly back to the Snapchat app on your smartphone where they can be edited with well-known Snap effects like ‘Hyperspeed,’ ‘Bounce,’ ‘Orbit 3D’ and ‘Jump Cut,’ and then shared.

“Pixy is ready to fly at a moment’s notice. There are no controllers. There’s no complex setup. Simply set a flight path and let Pixy take it from there,” said Snap CEO Evan Spiegel during the social media platform’s recent Partners Summit.

The Pixy captures 2.7k videos and features a 12-megapixel camera. The drone weighs 101g, offers a replaceable battery and can last roughly five to eight flights on one charge.

Though undeniably cool, one of Spectacles most significant limitations is the fact that they only worked well within the Snap app. Though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, it appears that Pixy will likely be locked-down in a very similar way.

Image credit: Snap 

Source: Snap 

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Mobile Syrup

Bell adds speed caps on its two cheapest wireless plans

Bell has added speed caps on its ‘Essential’ and ‘Lite’ wireless plans, as pointed out by a MobileSyrup reader.

The telecom company confirmed to MobileSyrup that the change was made on April 13th and applies to new customers.

The ‘Lite’ wireless plan costs $55 a month and offers 10GB of data with speeds now capped at 150 Mbps on a 4G network.

The ‘Essential’ plan has 25GB of data for $85 a month. It offers access to their 5G network but it’s important to note this is not the fastest service Bell has to offer. The 25GB plan is only available at speeds up to 250Mbps.

In comparison, Bell lists data access for its ‘Ultimate’ and ‘Ultimate 50’ plans “on their fastest available 5G speeds.” This text is not available under the ‘Essential’ plan.

A similar change was also made on Bell flanker brand Virgin Plus. Their bring your own phone plans have long offered services at 4G speeds. But that service is now capped at speeds up to 150 Mbps.

Bell is following in the footsteps of Telus. The company added speed caps of 250Mbps and 1Gbps on its mobile plans in February. 

Thanks James

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Mobile Syrup

Infinity Ward officially announces Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Activision Blizzard and developer Infinity Ward have revealed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be the next core entry in the long-running franchise.

This year’s Call of Duty title will take players back to the Modern Warfare side of the franchise. The announcement not only confirms the title but also reveals the upcoming title’s logo treatment.

The new era of Call of Duty is coming,” a recent announcement tweet states.

Overall, this is a rather low-key announcement given a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare was expected as 2022’s Call of Duty title. With That said, the logo treatment does inspire the classic feel of the original Modern Warfare series.

Eagle-eyed players will catch a glimpse at the Task Force 141 symbol. Fans of the franchise will also recognize this as the special unit operation led by Lieutenant General Shepherd, Captain John Price, and Captain John “Soap” MacTavish.

A full reveal of the game will likely take place later during the summer. Activision Blizzard traditionally releases new entries in the Call of Duty series in November following in-depth reveals of both campaign and multiplayer modes. Additionally, a sequel to Call of Duty: Warzone is expected to coincide with the launch of Modern Warfare 2.

News of the announcement comes at a time when Activision Blizzard stockholders voted with 98 percent approval of Microsoft’s acquisition bid. Although the deal is not yet confirmed, Microsoft expects it to close by June 2023. This means that Modern Warfare 2 could potentially be the last Call of Duty title to not be published by Microsoft. In fact, reports claim Activision Blizzard may skip a 2023 Call of Duty release altogether. Thought a “steady stream of additional content” is said to be planned for Modern Warfare 2.

It’s worth noting that Activision Blizzard is currently under investigation for sexual harassment claims. Since claims of “frat-boy culture” within the workplace have been surfacing, 37 employees have “exited.” The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing also filed a lawsuit last year against the company.

Image credit: @CallofDuty

Source: GameInformer

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Mobile Syrup

Activision Blizzard stockholders approve Microsoft acquisition

Activision Blizzard, developer and publisher of Call of Duty and Overwatch, reveals that its stockholders approve of Microsoft’s acquisition bid. The proposal, which would see Activision Blizzard under the Xbox Game Studios banner, saw more than 98 percent of the shares voting in favour of the proposal.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $95.00 per share. The $68.7 billion USD (roughly $85.96 billion CAD) deal would see tentpole franchises like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and more owned by Microsoft. The acquisition also folds in a laundry list of studios including Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, Treyarch and more.

Microsoft expects the deal to close by the end of its fiscal year ending June 30th, 2023. However, one step to securing the deal was gaining approval from Activision Blizzard stockholders. During the Activision Blizzard Special Meeting of Stockholders, the votes were cast in favour of the acquisition.

“Today’s overwhelmingly supportive vote by our stockholders confirms our shared belief that, combined with Microsoft, we will be even better positioned to create great value for our players, even greater opportunities for our employees, and to continue our focus on becoming an inspiring example of a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive workplace,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard.

A report detailing the results from the Special Meeting will come in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Form 8-K by early next week.

Previous reports claim Microsoft plans to make future Activision titles multiplatform. This includes Call of Duty in some capacity, as Xbox head Phil Spencer confirms. However, some games and content will be exclusive to Xbox consoles and platforms.

Activision Blizzard continues to be investigated over sexual harassment claims. Kotick is also being investigated after reports allege turned a blind eye to the supposed “frat-boy culture” within the company. While Kotick’s future within the company has not been officially confirmed, he is expected to step down.

The next step in the Activision Blizzard acquisition is to receive the approval of the Federal Trade Commission and antitrust enforcers. However, Wall Street is currently betting the deal may fail. If the merger passes, Microsoft will become the third-largest video game company.

Image credit: Microsoft

Source: Activision Blizzard

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Mobile Syrup

Nothing’s Launcher is here, and it’s pretty basic

Modern Samsung and Pixel owners can now download and try out the new ‘Nothing Launcher.’

The minimal-looking Android launcher is live on the Google Play Store but be warned that it’s still a beta. That means it’s subject to change and features the odd bug.

The Play Store says that anyone with Pixel 5/Pixel 6 or Galaxy S21/S22 can download the launcher. The store listing also mentions that OnePlus support is coming soon.

After sending myself a link to the launcher, I was able to install it on my OnePlus 10 Pro relatively easily. It seems a little janky on the 10 Pro, but it also performs that way on the Pixel 6, so I think that’s just the nature of this being a beta.

It’s worth noting that I was only able to set the launcher as default through the phone’s settings. There’s no Nothing Launcher app to initiate the setup like several other launchers.

Two of the three Nothing widgets and a look at a ‘Max Folder.’

On the Play Store page, the company is hyping up its ‘Max Folder’ widget that looks like Apple Store apps in the App Library on iOS. This means that three of the apps in the folder are still tappable and you can tap on a smaller collection of more apps in the bottom corner to access the full folder. This design works fairly well in iOS, and so far, it’s pretty good in Nothing’s launcher too.

Beyond this, the launcher is simplistic and reminiscent of the Pixel Launcher, which is a good thing since I suspect Android purists will be the main users of Nothing’s products.

That said, the launcher is probably a little too simple right now, but hopefully, Nothing will roll out more features before its smartphone launches this summer. There is a side of me that likes the old-school Android simplicity the current launcher offers, but if Nothing wants to compete with devices like Google’s Pixel, Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones and OnePlus, it has a ways to go.

The launcher also includes a custom background and you can download more from a Dropbox folder Nothing has only shared on its Discord server for some reason. There are also a few default Nothing widgets for the clock and weather. You can also make giant app icons that look similar to widgets. I like them since they look cool, but this isn’t a make-or-break feature.

The dropbox folder that the company has shared is the most interesting aspect of the launcher since it includes access to three demo sounds from the upcoming Nothing Phone. I’ll admit that I was skeptical when Nothing said that it used industrial gadgets and medical tech for its smartphone sounds inspiration, but the demos have convinced me its claims are accurate. For example, the alarm demo sounds great and is also quite unique.

If you want to report bugs or talk about the Launcher, you can join the Nothing Discord server. When I briefly checked out the server, Nothing founder Carl Pei asked what other launchers have good system search tools. The Nothing Launcher won’t replace the Niagra launcher for me any time soon, but it’s a solid base that, hopefully, Nothing can improve on substantially before release.

Source: Nothing