sabotage
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Houseparty says it wasn't hacked, offers $1 million for 'smear campaign' proof
Popular video-calling app Houseparty is offering a $1 million bounty to anyone that can prove the app has been a victim of reputational sabotage. The announcement, made by the company over Twitter, comes amid swiftly circulating rumors that the app has been hacked -- Houseparty believes these rumors have been circulated as part of a "paid commercial smear campaign," and says there is no evidence to back up claims that the app has been compromised in any way.
Musk emails alleged Tesla saboteur, 'You're a horrible human being'
The story of Tesla suing a former employee for alleged theft and sabotage has taken another odd turn. While the company increased security at its battery producing Gigafactory after claiming a friend of Martin Tripp said he'd threatened to "shoot the place up," the Washington Post released emails from yesterday between Tripp and CEO Elon Musk. In them, Tripp denied trying to frame others for his actions, while accusing Tesla of waste and putting cars on the road with safety issues. In response, Musk said that having millions of dollars in scrap is "not news" and that Tripp was in line for legal penalties due to breaking his word as well as framing fellow employees. It was an exchange unlike anything we've ever seen released from a CEO, but as usual, Musk does things very differently. Tripp told CNNMoney that despite the lawsuit's claims, he was fired because he tried to tell investors and the public about allegedly damaged battery modules installed in Model 3s, excessive scrap stored in a dangerous manner and inflated Model 3 production numbers. According to the Post, Tripp said a report earlier this month posted to Business Insider about scrap metal at Tesla was based on his documents. The company, in turn, said his complaints were exaggerated or misconstrued.
Tesla sues former employee who allegedly stole confidential data
Today, CNBC reported that Tesla is suing a former employee named Martin Tripp. The lawsuit centers around the alleged theft of gigabytes worth of proprietary information from the electric car company. Tesla had no comment, but did provide Engadget with a copy of the lawsuit.
Elon Musk says Tesla employee committed 'sabotage'
Tesla may have more trouble on its hands than layoffs and production challenges. Reuters said it had obtained a company-wide email from Elon Musk stating that an unnamed employee had conducted "extensive and damaging sabotage." The staffer reportedly altered code in a company operating system and, more worryingly, had shared "large amounts" of sensitive info to unknown outsiders. There was no word on whether or not this alleged saboteur was working with another outfit or was going rogue.
WildStar's Sabotage update is now live
PvP fans who were miffed at the PvE focus of WildStar's first major content update, Strain, will be mollified by today's release, Sabotage, which is now live. It introduces a new level 30+ 15v15 battleground called Daggerstone Pass and adds new achievements and decorative housing items -- because nothing says PvP like new housing items. PvE gamers needn't worry, however; Carbine says "the next drop is for you!" Massively's WildStar expert Eliot Lefebvre previewed Daggerstone Pass and the rest of the patch earlier this month.
Samsung attempts to ambush iPhone 4S launch in Sydney
Samsung has set up a temporary shop in Sydney, right across from the local Apple Store, and started hawking Galaxy S2 phones for the low, low price of two bucks (with a two-year contract, naturally). The line for the bargain-basement priced phone was reportedly longer than the nearby line for the iPhone 4S. That's not a huge surprise; people do love a bargain, and a two dollar smartphone certainly looks like one. Not everyone was impressed by Samsung's offer. Two teenagers waiting in line for the iPhone 4S had this to say to the Sydney Morning Herald: "There's this guy who has come up to us trying to convince us to buy the Samsung Galaxy S II two days in a row now. And he's an idiot." The iPhone 4S will launch in Australia in less than 24 hours as of this writing, and reportedly Samsung's makeshift store will close up shop the next day.
Secret World dev diary talks story, context
Sleuthing for more story-centric info regarding Funcom's upcoming horror-conspiracy MMORPG? Look no further than The Secret World's latest video dev diary featuring commentary from designers Ragnar Tornquist and Joel Bylos as well as lead writer Dag Scheve. The trio highlights The Secret World's use of the real world as both location and character, with Bylos calling it "the greatest resource of all." The video shows a few new clips courtesy of the game's cinematics, but Tornquist is quick to point out that cinematics don't tell the whole tale when it comes to The Secret World's narrative. In spite of the fact that every character in the game is motion-captured and fully voiced, the story is "embedded into the world. You have to look for it, you have to search for it. The story is exploration and the story is discovery," Tornquist explains. Funcom also seeks to challenge gamers in ways that depart from the traditional MMORPG paradigm, and Bylos says that "we're not just asking them to click a mouse button over and over again, but to think about what they do." Put on your thinking caps and click past the cut for the full video.
Elderly Georgian lady disconnects Armenian internet for half a day... by accident
A 75-year old lady from Georgia (the country, not the state) has perpetrated an impressive feat of international sabotage in what seems to have been an accident of extremely bad luck. While foraging for copper wire near her home in the village of Ksani, the unnamed septuagenarian managed to come across a critical fiber optic cable, one responsible for serving internet connectivity to "90 percent of private and corporate internet users in Armenia" and some in her own country as well. Her swift strike at the heart of said bit-transferring pipeline resulted in all those folks being thrown offline for a solid 12 hours, while the Georgian Railway Telecom worked to find and correct the fault. In spite of her relatively benign motivations, the lady now faces three years in prison for the damage she caused. We'd say all's well that ends well, but this doesn't actually seem like a very happy ending at all.
Funcom hints at Secret World death penalty, sabotage missions
All is very hush hush around Funcom's The Secret World. While a good bit of new info surfaced at last month's GDC, there are still more questions than answers regarding the firm's followup to Age of Conan. That said, occasionally the devs will dangle a tasty morsel, and in a new interview at Game Snafu, Funcom designer Martin Bruusgaard does just that with regard to TSW's death penalty mechanics. "We will not implement a death system that can be exploited as a fast travel system, because dying in The Secret World should be a sign of failure, and not optimization in any way. We don't want to punish the players in a form where they can lose stuff, neither items nor experience, but rather penalize on time," he explains. Designer Joel Bylos also chimes in with some interesting bits about the game's questing mechanics, chief among them a hint about new sabotage missions. "These missions share a similar gameplay style to the original Deus Ex game -- avoiding security cameras, disabling traps and hacking computers, etc. Generally the traps are dynamic only in the sense that players can disable/enable them in the world. This becomes interesting when other players can accidentally trigger an alarm in the camp you are sneaking through," Bylos says. Check out the full interview at Game Snafu.
Exclusive: A look at RIFT's Saboteur
You can call them rogues, thieves, scoundrels, but by any name they're stealthy little bastards. RIFT's Rogues are no exception, with the difference being that the soul system allows them access to several unique flavors of sneaky little bastard. There are the backstabbing Assassins, the sniping Marksmen, and the defensive Riftstalker all under the same overarching aegis, allowing players a wide variety of different options. But none of them yet has been the truly annoying sort, the one who looks to be finally caught flat-footed just as you realize he's been playing you the whole time. Rounding off a week of new soul previews is the Saboteur -- and while it might seem a bit less glamorous to come last, that's exactly how the Saboteur would want it. An expert in preparation and subtle traps, the Saboteur is vulnerable without time to prepare his various battlefield modifications, but immensely destructive if he's in control. Click on past the break for more backstory and information on RIFT's resident schemer. %Gallery-101448%
Ultimate NFL Blu-ray review
Pro football is always at the top of our list of things that are great to watch in high definition, so it's no surprise we were all over the new Ultimate NFL Blu-ray disc that comes to stores this week. The league's video production unit, NFL Films has put together a collection of footage including some super slow motion shots at nearly 1,000fps that promises "an all-new, groundbreaking visual experience." Of course, with less than an hour to cover a grab bag of footage from last season that you've probably seen a few times before in its productions for NFL Network, ESPN and others can it really live up to that promise? Check our full review after the break to find out.%Gallery-105927%
MAG's Sabotage gametype goes 'Faction Neutral'
Let's face it -- some of MAG's factions know how to build strongholds better than others. Many of the game's players have argued that the layouts of Valor, Raven and S.V.E.R.'s respective maps in the "Sabotage" gametype have given distinct advantages to ... well, whichever faction they don't belong to, most likely. Now, that argument has been rendered pointless -- Zipper Interactive recently made all three maps for the gametype "Faction Neutral." So, what does that mean? Well, the map which two teams are playing on will no longer determine who is attacking and defending. Zipper community manager Jeremy Dunham explained, "if you choose to play Sabotage and you're on Valor, you'll be able to defend SVER and Raven's map in addition to your own. On the flipside, you'll also be able to attack you're own map with another PMC defending it." But ... that's treason, isn't it? We're pretty sure that's light treason.
Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack?
Major EVE Online roleplaying alliance Curatores Veritatis Alliance (CVA) disbanded today, possibly the result of a traitor within their ranks, leaving a power vacuum in the Providence region they once held. It's possible for high-level directors of an alliance to disband the organization, and this is exactly what happened today to Curatores Veritatis Alliance. CVA was an alliance loyal to the game's NPC faction the Amarr Empire and had a long history of enforcing rule in lawless space and resisting rival player organizations of Minmatar freedom fighters -- notably Ushra'Khan -- who they branded as terrorists. In short, CVA has played a significant role in the player-driven setting of EVE Online. At this point, speculation as to how CVA was disbanded is rampant. The concept of a mole using high-level access to destroy an alliance from within is not unprecedented in the game, although some players are asserting an account hack took place. EVE pilot "BULLETPROOF 50CENT" of the corporation Traceless Representatives of Anonymous Players (TRAP) has claimed credit for the disintegration of CVA. He stated: "I am known as bullet, just a small, relatively unknown member of a covert organization, created by and dedicated to the taking down of what we saw as the single largest evil in EVE -- CVA."
Latest EVE Online Chronicle a moral tale of sabotage and retribution
EVE Online differs from other massively multiplayer online games out there in that it's as much a setting as it is a game; its galactic setting of New Eden isn't divided across shards. This helps the game's lore creators conjure up a sense that the stories of New Eden echo throughout and define a single expansive galaxy, at least for those who choose to get into the game's backstory.EVE's lore has been building up for years as short Chronicles and even in novel form, creating a substantial yet growing body of work that fleshes out the gritty setting. We don't cover all of the Chronicle releases at Massively but we do tend to highlight those that have a direct bearing on the game's lore, rather than those that add flavor. Still, now and again a story comes along that really stands out. That was the case with this week's Chronicle titled "All These Lives are Fit to Ruin" by CCP Abraxas, the description of which was one simple word: "Sabotage". This caught our interest and, in this writer's opinion after having read the Chronicle twice, "All These Lives are Fit to Ruin" may be one of the best stories Abraxas has written thus far.
Velvet Assassin box art is explosive, leathery
click to experience enlargementSouthpeak Games and Replay Studios' Velvet Assassin has been taking the whole stealth concept a bit too literal, remaining quiet about game specifics and release date details. But that doesn't mean the box art has to stay hidden. Viewable here, the packaging artwork is one part BOOM!, equal part black leather and a dash of average.We're also informed that our good friend Peter Chung (who really isn't our pal, but we fantasize to be our drinking buddy) partnered with SouthPeak by putting together a 15+ page graphic novel that will be gifted to those who pre-order Velvet Assassin at GameStop. Chung will also contribute to the game's sure to be sexually charged storyline.Did we mention this game remains too stealth for our liking? %Gallery-44074%
EVE PvP Tournament assassination: Machiavellian or bad form?
Struggle between player alliances in EVE Online is very much at the heart of the game. While most conflicts play out in sweeping alliance warfare, with its requisite fleet battles involving hundreds of players, some alliances also choose to face one another in arena combat with the rapt attention of many thousands of their fellow pilots: the Alliance PvP Tournament. The Alliance Tournament in EVE Online provides a way for players to demonstrate what they're capable of under controlled conditions, and offers a shot at fame or notoriety among the playerbase. In some cases, alliances may face off in the PvP tournament to settle a score in a very public way. The rules of engagement in place ensure that all alliance teams are on equal ground with one another. EVE players can be devious though, if nothing else... as one match this past weekend proved: one alliance competitor assassinated his team's captain once the match had begun, and then self-destructed his own ship. The would-be saboteur, ironically named "Happy Joymaker", later announced he had infiltrated the alliance for the express purpose of a public execution of his target.
A 200 billion isk theft in EVE Online
Corp theft is a daily occurrence in EVE Online. Unlike most MMOs, stealing from other players or organizations in EVE is permissible, assuming that normal in-game methods were employed to pull it off. Simply stated, corp theft in EVE involves becoming a member of the corp and then stealing from the target corporation's hangar(s). Once a thief has access to assets, they can literally clean the corporation out to whatever extent they are able to, depending on their level of granted access. Sometimes corp theft is premeditated, other times it's a crime of opportunity. There are players who approach these heists as a profession, others may do so out of revenge. Regardless of the reasons behind theft in EVE, it's a part of the game and does help establish New Eden's setting as being a harsh, corporation-dominated galaxy where deception is a style of play. Most corp thefts that this writer is aware of inflict minor damage, often a few billion isk in losses. Generally this isn't enough to cause serious harm to any solid corporation's future, and the only real impact on the corp is emo rage and a few pages of forum drama, and the offender's name being added to Fitz VonHeise's list "The Thieves of EVE" which should be required reading for corp CEOs and Directors who are involved in recruiting players.
EVE's spies and metagamers
EVE Online is one of the few MMOs where players in guilds (corporations and alliances) have some valid concerns about spies from rival groups infiltrating their ranks. The concept of being a spy or saboteur is a profession of sorts that arose in the game. There aren't any game mechanics that necessarily enable spying or make it into a viable profession, nor are there any rules that prohibit most of these activities. Wes from EVE Tribune recently wrote a piece called "Metagaming", dealing with how espionage can impact rival corporations and alliances in EVE. Wes asks, "Why is everyone so paranoid about spies and metagaming?" then goes on to explain how espionage in EVE works, categorizing spies by their modus operandi:
EVE exploit warning affects corp infiltration practices
War declarations are an essential part of EVE Online. They allow corporations and alliances to fight for control over resources, territory, or simply to get revenge on their rivals. Then again, others declare war for the opportunity to grief in Empire space. Perhaps it's this latter tendency that prompted the latest announcement from CCP Games. They're branding the monkeywrenching of rival corporations during wartime as an exploit. GM Grimmi states: "The practice of insta-joining/leaving warring corporations for the purpose of surprising war targets, or getting them in trouble with CONCORD, is considered an exploit from here on. Reports of this will be investigated on a case by case basis and warnings will be issued at the discretion of the GM. Repeated incidents may result in bans on accounts involved." This doesn't seem to apply to 'normal' corp infiltrations, though it does beg the question of why a corporation at war would even be accepting new recruits at all. What's the protocol in your corp, do you continue to accept applicants into the fold during a wardec, or is the risk of alt spying and sabotage too great?
Future R4 firmware to sabotage clones, brick DSes?
It's a funny twist that the R4DS, a product used mostly for pirating games, has found itself now battling it out with counterfeits carts that have infiltrated the market, but we assume that's just how Chinese flashcart companies roll.Seeking to eliminate its knock-off competition, Team R4 has announced that as of September 15, it will release firmware that will only work on genuine R4 flashcarts, according to a statement translated by GBAtemp. As an added deterrent, users attempting to load the firmware on illegitimate carts could potentially damage their DS permanently, leaving their system unusable. What if you've unknowingly bought a fake R4 (for running homebrew software, of course) and brick your DS after trying to install the updated firmware? Team R4 has stated that it will not accept responsibility, advising that you contact your "unscrupulous" shop to complain. Thanks, Team R4!We understand that it's annoying to have all these companies drinking their milkshake, but is this really necessary? Won't this drive away potential R4 customers, not to mention people curious about experimenting with DS homebrew? Make sure to look through our (semi) ultimate homebrew guide if you're interested in finding flashcart alternatives that won't leave your system bricked.See also: Homebrew Glossary[Via GBAtemp]
