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PlayStation says it still has acquisitions planned after Bungie, Haven

PlayStation says it’s planning more acquisitions following a slew of gaming studio purchases over the past few years.

Appearing on Episode 427 of the Official PlayStation Podcast, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan confirmed that the company is looking to continue to grow both organically through existing studios and through acquisitions.

“We acquired five studios during the course of 2021. We’re in discussions with Bungie and we have more planned. This is getting us into a cycle, a virtuous cycle where success begets success.”

The five studios Ryan is referring to are Finland’s Housemarque (Returnal), Netherlands’ Nixxes (PC port of Marvel’s Avengers), England’s Firesprite (The Playroom), the U.S.’ Bluepoint (Demon’s Souls remake) and Valkyrie Entertainment (contributed to 2018’s God of War). Of course, Bungie — the Destiny studio and original creators of Halo — is the highest-profile acquisition, a $3.6 billion USD (about $4.9 billion CAD) deal that was announced in January 2022.

The company’s most recent purchase, though, was Montreal’s own Haven, a studio founded by Canadian-born games industry Jade Raymond and several members of her former Google Stadia team. That was a particularly noteworthy purchase for PlayStation since Haven was only just founded last year and hasn’t yet released a game. The team’s first project is a brand-new multiplayer IP, although further details have yet to be revealed.

With all of these acquisitions, PlayStation Studios now consists of 18 teams around the world. While it’s currently unclear exactly what most of these studios are working on, this year’s God of War: Ragnarok from Sony Santa Monica is PlayStation’s next big first-party title. MLB The Show 22, from PlayStation’s San Diego Studio, was also just released this week on PlayStation, Xbox and, in a series’ first, Nintendo Switch.

Image credit: Bungie

Source: PlayStation Via: IGN

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Apple’s digital WWDC 2022 runs from June 6-10

Apple has officially confirmed that its 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 6th to Friday, June 10th.

Like last year’s WWDC, Apple’s 2022 developers conference will be held digitally and won’t feature an in-person element. That said, the company is hosting a keynote and ‘State of the Union’ presentation for a limited number of developers and students on June 6th. It’s unclear if media will also be invited to this event.

“At its heart, WWDC has always been a forum to create connection and build community,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations and enterprise and education marketing, in a recent statement. “In that spirit, WWDC22 invites developers from around the world to come together to explore how to bring their best ideas to life and push the envelope of what’s possible. We love connecting with our developers, and we hope all of our participants come away feeling energized by their experience.”

Like its previous all-digital WWDC events, the 2022 edition of the conference is entirely free. Apple says that WWDC 2022 will feature more information sessions and learning lounges than past WWDC events. The tech giant also describes the developers conference as a “truly global event.”

Apple is expected to reveal iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, tvOS 16 and watchOS 9 at WWDC 2022. There’s also a possibility we may finally see the tech giant’s long-awaited MacBook Air refresh or its rumoured Apple silicon-powered MacBook Pro.

MobileSyrup will have more on WWDC 2022 in the coming weeks, including a full recap of what we expect to see at the event.

Image credit: Apple

Source: Apple 

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Hackers breached Mailchimp, targeted crypto holders with phishing scams

Email marketing firm Mailchimp confirmed over the weekend that hackers breached an internal tool and used it to access 300 user accounts and steal audience data from 102 of those accounts.

The breach was outed first by Trezor (via Bleeping Computer), a company that makes hardware wallets for cryptocurrency. Trezor used Mailchimp to send newsletters to customers.

Following the breach, several customers received phishing emails that appeared to be from Trezor and warned of a “security incident.” The emails prompted users to download a malicious version of Trezor’s app to reset their hardware wallet PIN. If installed, the malicious app could have allowed hackers to steal users’ cryptocurrency.

Mailchimp’s chief information security officer (CISO), Siobhan Smyth, told TechCrunch that the company became aware of the breach on March 26th. Smyth explained that the company a malicious actor accessed a tool used by its customer support staff and account administration teams through a successful social engineering attack — social engineering refers to manipulating people and exploiting human error to gain private information, such as login credentials.

“We acted swiftly to address the situation by terminating access for the compromised employee accounts and took steps to prevent additional employees from being affected,” Smyth said in the statement.

Although Mailchimp declined to share with TechCrunch what data hackers accessed in the breach, it did say that the attack targetted customers in the cryptocurrency and finance sectors. Moreover, Mailchimp said that the attackers gained access to API keys for an undisclosed number of customers — those keys potentially allow attackers to send spoofed emails that appear to be from legit Mailchimp customers.

Mailchimp says it has disabled those API keys and they can no longer be used. However, Smyth told TechCrunch that the company received reports that hackers used the information they obtained from user accounts to send phishing campaigns to accounts’ contacts.

Smyth declined to answer TechCrunch’s questions about whether Mailchimp would implement additional security measures. Further, Mailchimp wouldn’t disclose how many other cryptocurrency or finance customers were impacted by the breach.

As it stands, anyone subscribed to newsletters should be on alert for possible phishing scams, especially if subscribed to crypto or finance newsletters. It’s best to avoid clicking any links in emails you receive.

Moreover, MobileSyrup uses Mailchimp for its weekly newsletter but has not seen any indication that it was impacted by the breach.

Source: Bleeping Computer, TechCrunch

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Rainbow Six Mobile brings Ubisoft’s tactical shooter to mobile devices

Ubisoft has revealed Rainbow Six Mobile, a new entry in the tactical shooter franchise that brings the Rainbow Six series to smartphones.

Ubisoft Montreal says that Rainbow Six Mobile will look and play very similarly to Rainbow Six Seige on console, right down to its 5 vs 5 attack and defend FPS gameplay, and destructible environments.

That said, there are also notable changes to the game’s formula, including shorter matches and a HUD that’s been better optimized for mobile. Operators Bandit, Caveira, Smoke, Valkyrie, Mute, Ash, Sledge, Twitch, Thermite and Hibana are all included in the game, and each character features a loudout similar to the counterpart in Siege loadout that offers unique gadgets and equipment.

Finally, Ubisoft says that the game will feature “several game modes” at launch. Unlike Fortnite, Rainbow Six Mobile is its own standalone experience, similar to the smartphone versions of Apex Legends or Call of Duty Warzone.

A release date for Rainbow Six Mobile hasn’t been revealed yet, but you can currently register to access the game prior to its official iOS or Android launch.

Image credit: Ubisoft 

Source: Ubisoft 

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What’s new on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC and mobile in early April 2022

Every month, Xbox brings new titles to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Normally, these come in two waves and now, the company has revealed what’s hitting Game Pass in the first half of April.

Notably, MLB The Show 22 — which is published by PlayStation — is releasing day one on Xbox Game Pass, just like last year’s The Show.

  • Cricket 22 (Cloud and Console) — April 5th
  • Chinatown Detective Agency (Cloud, Console and PC) — April 7th
  • Dragon Age 2 (Cloud) EA Play — April 7th
  • Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (Cloud) — April 7th
  • Star Wars: Squadrons (Cloud) — April 7th
  • Life Is Strange: True Colors (Cloud, Console and PC) — April 12th
  • Panzer Corps 2 (PC) — April 12th
  • The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk (PC) — April 12th
  • Lost In Random (Cloud, Console, and PC) — April 14th

As a reminder, one of the ongoing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks is a 30-day trial for Paramount+, on which the live-action Halo series is streaming.

Meanwhile, these four games are leaving Game Pass on April 15th:

  • MLB The Show 21 (Cloud and Console)
  • Rain On Your Parade (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • The Long Dark (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Pathway (PC)

On top of that, F1 2019 (Cloud, Console and PC) is exiting the catalogue on April 18th.

As always, you can take advantage of a 20 percent member-exclusive discount to purchase any game to keep playing it even after it leaves Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Android and iOS in beta. Game Pass for Console and PC Game Pass each cost $11.99/month.

Furthermore, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and is required for streaming (which Xbox refers to as ‘Cloud’) to mobile devices and browsers. On top of that, this tier includes Game Pass for both Console and PC, as well as subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold and EA Play.

Image credit: PlayStation

Source: Xbox

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Turtle Beach’s new Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max gaming headset works with everything

Turtle Beach has just updated its flagship Stealth 700 Gen 2 headset with multiplatform compatibility, along with a longer-lasting 40+ hour battery life, as revealed by the company on Monday, April 4th.

The new headset, called the Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max, features Wireless USB and Bluetooth connectivity and is available to pre-order in North America now, though it appears to not be listed on the company’s Canadian website yet.

The Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max was originally designed for the Xbox but is also compatible with a range of other devices, including PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Windows PCs, Macs, and compatible iOS and Android mobile devices.

On the company’s U.S. website, the new headphones are listed for $199 ($246 CAD), whereas the previous Stealth 700 Gen 2 cost $149.95 ($186 CAD). The Stealth 700 Gen 2 was available in two variants, one for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and the other one compatible with the Xbox Series X/S and the Xbox One.

The company’s new headphones solve the problem of having different models of the same headphone for different platforms, making the new release a perfect buy for multiplatform gamers.

The headset will launch globally on May 8th, 2022 and is available to pre-order on Turtle Beach’s U.S. website for $199 ($246 CAD).

Considering that Canada falls under the North American market, we should expect the new headphones to be listed on the company’s Canadian storefront soon. As of right now, searching the Canadian website for the new headphone only shows its predecessor, the Stealth 700 Gen 2.

MobileSyrup has reached out to Turtle Beach about the latest headphone’s Canadian availability.

Image credit: Turtle Beach

Source: Turtle Beach

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Elon Musk joins Twitter’s board of directors until 2024

After buying a 9.2 percent stake in Twitter and becoming the platform’s largest shareholder, Tesla CEO and terminally online, middle-aged man Elon Musk will join Twitter’s board of directors.

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing spotted by The Verge, Twitter appointed Musk as a ‘class II’ director until 2024. The Verge notes that type of position can be used as an anti-takeover measure.

“For so long as Mr. Musk is serving on the Board and for 90 days thereafter, Mr. Musk will not, either alone or as a member of a group, become the beneficial owner of more than 14.9% of the Company’s common stock outstanding at such time, including for these purposes economic exposure through derivative securities, swaps, or hedging transactions,” reads the filing.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal took to the platform to welcome Musk to the board, calling him “both a passionate believer and intense critic of the service.”

In a reply, Musk wrote that he was excited to work with the board and “make significant improvements to Twitter in coming months.”

It’s worth noting that Musk has previously accused Twitter of “failing to adhere to free speech principles” while contemplating creating a new platform. Given Musk’s failure to understand what free speech actually is, I have concerns about these incoming “improvements.”

That said, in yet another attempt to prove he’s cool, Musk launched a Twitter poll asking if people want an edit button with the seemingly deliberately misspelled options of “yse” or “on.”

Plus, Agrawal jumped on, noting that the “consequences of this poll will be important,” suggesting the company may actually add an edit button.

So, maybe we’ll get something good out of Musk joining the Twitter board.

Source: Twitter, SEC Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s AirTag: The good, the bad, and the Apple logo

Apple’s AirTag has been making local and national news a lot over the past year. The California tech giant released the small plastic object tracker on April 30th, 2021, to great fanfare. The loonie-sized Bluetooth trackers are relatively inexpensive at only $39 and take advantage of Apple’s vast ‘Find My’ network. 

Nerds like me were thrilled to get a small tracker for our keys and bags that were a fashionable alternative to Tile’s offerings. However, due to AirTag’s ease of use, accessibility, and cheapness, terrible people started using AirTag to track partners, stalk celebrities, and steal cars. 

Yet, when these headlines were on my Twitter feed, I used AirTag to ping my keys and locate my misplaced AirPods. Recent news coverage of Apple’s AirTag has been overwhelmingly negative, and that’s fair. These devices are creating tremendous fear over privacy concerns. But at the same time, AirTags have also brought great utility to people’s lives. 

So, here’s a look at the good side, the bad side, and the ecstatic side of Apple’s AirTag Bluetooth tracker:

What is Find My Network?

Before we dive too far into AirTag, it helps to understand what Apple’s Find My network is. Apple has hundreds of millions of devices in the wild that can transmit low-frequency encrypted Bluetooth signals. These Bluetooth pings are entirely anonymous.

Find My accessories like AirTag, AirPods (3rd generation, Pro, or Max), and approved third-party accessories like the Chipolo ONE spot and the Chipolo Card spot can receive those Bluetooth signals.

Piggy-backing on the receiving Apple device, a Find My accessory can report its location. Because of the sheer number of Apple devices, Apple has created a unique item tracking network that doesn’t involve GPS.

Participating in the Find My network lets you find devices like an iPhone, iPad, or Mac if they aren’t connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data. The connection is entirely secure, end-to-end encrypted, and anonymous.

However, if you’d like to opt out of participating in the Find My network, you can do so on your iPhone or iPad by:

  1. Opening the ‘Settings’ app
  2. Tapping on your name at the top of the app
  3. Tapping on ‘Find My’
  4. Tapping on ‘Find My iPhone’
  5. Toggling off ‘Find my Network’

On Mac:

  1. Open the ‘System Preferences’ app
  2. Click ‘Apple ID’ in the top right corner
  3. Click ‘iCloud’ in the left-hand menu
  4. Click ‘Options’ to the right of “Find My Mac”
  5. Click ‘Turn Off…’ to the right of “Find My Network: On”

The Good

The first-day AirTag was released, I went down to my local Apple Store and grabbed a four-pack. I had no idea what I’d use them all for, but I had to try them nonetheless as an Apple fan. For quite a while, I didn’t use them all that much. Due to COVID, I wasn’t going far. 

However, as things have improved in Nova Scotia, I started to venture out a little more. Over the past month or two, I’ve really started to find the value AirTag brings to my life: reduced anxiety when I misplace something. Apple’s AirTag does this in a few different ways. 

First, there are “Left Behind” alerts. Anytime I leave home with a Find My supported device or accessory like my iPhone, iPad, MacBook, AirTag, or 3rd generation AirPods these devices become bound to my iPhone and Apple Watch. So if I leave these items behind, I get a notification. This actually saved me over the holidays. I was visiting family, and I got about two minutes away when I received an alert that I had left my messenger bag there. The AirTag I kept in that bag saved me another hour of driving. 

Second, there is the ability to play a sound from your AirTag through a built-in speaker. Pressing “Play Sound” in the Find My app will have the AirTag play an audible chirp. This has come in handy when I’ve misplaced my keys. 

 

Lastly, there’s Precision Finding.

Precision Finding takes advantage of the U1 chip inside select Apple devices such as the 3rd generation AirPods, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and AirTag. It uses your phone (iPhone 11 or newer) to get directions and near the location of an item, within around 3 meters. I’ve recently been cat-sitting two cats who enjoy playing with my AirPods case. Precision Finding has helped me find my AirPods every time they go missing. 

I’ve put an AirTag on my keys and in my messenger bag. I’ll be putting them in my luggage for sure when I travel. My more unique use for AirTag is that I’ve attached one to my dog. So if my dog ever gets away from me, an AirTag gives me the best chance of finding him through the Find My network, precision finding, or sound. Other Apple devices can also use the Find My app to get a phone number or email to contact the owner of a lost AirTag. 

The Bad

AirTag has come under a lot of criticism since its release. Stories covering stalking, car theft, and AirTag having their speakers disabled have become fairly regular. To some, these stories may seem too frequent. Still, we must continue to give these issues attention so that Apple addresses these concerns. 

Over the past year, Apple has made some adjustments to help deal with the privacy concerns surrounding AirTag, particularly unwanted tracking. The first thing to note is that Apple does not recommend that AirTag be used for theft prevention. Instead, they’re meant to be used when you’ve misplaced an item. 

First, if a Find My accessory is found following someone who isn’t its owner, they will receive a notification on their iPhone. The Find My app will even show a map of when the AirTag first began travelling with the user. When an AirTag is detected, a person can have the AirTag play a sound and get instructions on how to disable the AirTag from reporting its location.

If the user uses an Android device, they can install this app from the Google Play Store to scan for AirTag. Unfortunately, this app does not work in the background like iOS devices. Instead, it requires a user to manually start a scan. With that said, Android devices also don’t participate in the Find My network, limiting AirTag’s effectiveness in tracking an Android user. 

Second, suppose an AirTag is away from its owner for an undisclosed amount of time. In that case, it will begin to play an auditable sound trying to alert people of its presence. 

For more information on what to do to protect yourself from AirTag, I recommend reading this article from Apple or listening to this episode of the Mac Checklist podcast. 

The Apple Logo

Apple’s AirTag is a small metal and plastic disk about the size of a loonie. They use a CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery for about 1-year of use. Although, out of my four AirTags, only one needed to be replaced after a year. 

AirTags are $39 each or $129 for a four-pack from Apple. When ordering from Apple’s website, you can get free engraving to have your initials or select emojis printed onto the AirTag. Each AirTag has its own unique serial number and has a 1-year warranty provided by Apple. 

Perhaps the most considerable ecstatic criticism of AirTag is that it cannot clip onto anything without a separate accessory. You can simply throw the AirTag in a pocket in situations like bags or luggage. Otherwise, Apple sells several AirTag accessory options ranging from $15.95 to $49. Of course, you can always visit Amazon, Best Buy, or another retailer for more options. 

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

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Xplornet acquires Manitoba ISP Full Throttle Networks

Rural broadband provider Xplornet has completed the acquisition of internet service provider Full Throttle Networks as it continues to expand its presence in Manitoba.

Full Throttle Networks is a Winnipeg-based ISP with a fixed wireless network that provides broadband access to 1,600 customers.

In a press release, Xplornet says acquired customers will benefit from their fibre-to-the-premise, and 5G fixed wireless plans rolling out in Manitoba.

The company says it’s expanding its network in the province and upgrading towers with 5G equipment to deliver faster speeds. Those in the project area will be able to access download speeds up to 100Mbps and upload speeds up to 10 Mbps.

“The acquisition of Full Throttle Networks supports our ambitious plan to offer more Manitobans access to the latest network technologies and fastest speeds,” Bill Macdonald, executive vice-president of business development at Xplornet, said.

“We’re eager to bring the vast benefits of high-speed internet connectivity to even more Manitobans so they can connect to what matters.”

This isn’t the only Manitoba-based ISP the company has acquired. Last year, the company took over Swift High Speed and its 6,000 customers. It also acquired 160 towers from TowerCo and launched another two towers in the province.

Source: Xplornet

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Valve ramping up Steam Deck shipments, first set of Q2 reservations notified

After a tumultuous wait, Valve is sending shipment notifications for Q2 reservations of its highly anticipated Steam Deck.

Announced via Twitter, Valve has confirmed that the first set of order emails have been sent to those lucky enough to secure a Q2 reservation. Valve first revealed the portable PC handheld in July of last year. Initially, shipments were scheduled to kickstart in December but were delayed. Thanks to supply chain issues, shipments were postponed until February, and many were pushed later to Q2 2022.

However, the time has finally come, and Valve is making good on its promise. Starting today, the company is ramping up Steam Deck shipments. Every week, Valve says it’s sending more order availability emails. However, some weeks may see two waves sent out.

In addition to the tweet, Valve has updated its Steam Deck product page. Now, anyone who aims to reserve a Steam Deck for $5.70 will be notified of the expected window of availability. For instance, it currently states that new orders are expected to be fulfilled “After Q3” and as early as October 2022.

The Steam Deck is highly sought after, not only because of its specs but also for its features and portability. In addition to having access to your Steam library, Windows is now supported by the handheld, and Microsoft has added Xbox Game Pass and Cloud Gaming support.

Speaking anecdotally, I received an email outlining the notice to finalize my order. Once sent out, the recipient must confirm their order within 72 hours. If the order is not finalized by that time, Valve will automatically cancel it and move on to the next in line.

Keep an eye on MobileSyrup as our very own Patrick O’Rourke will have a review of the handheld up on the site in the coming weeks.

Source: @OnDeck Via: IGN