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Apple may be open to letting users set their own default apps
Apple's insistence on gatekeeping certain actions of rival apps on iPhones and iPads has long been a source of contention among users. Clicking on web links or email addresses, for example, automatically takes you to Safari or Apple Mail, even if you've got other alternatives installed. But this may be about to change. According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the company is considering letting users switch from Apple's default apps to those of its rivals.
FAA names seven nuclear research labs as no-drone zones
The FAA has granted DOE's request to make seven of its facilities no-drone zones -- and they're all nuclear research laboratories. Starting on December 29th, you can no longer fly your UAVs within 400 feet of Hanford Site in Franklin County Washington, Pantex Site in Panhandle Texas, Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Idaho National Laboratory, Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken South Carolina, Y-12 National Security Site in Oak Ridge Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Some of them are no longer operational -- the Hanford site where plutonium was produced for the nuclear bomb detonated over Nagasaki, for instance, is now mostly decommissioned -- but some are still active.
ArcheAge restricts chat for low-level characters
Papa Trion is lowering the boom on naughty chat in ArcheAge, as the studio announced recently that it will be restricting chat accessibility for low-level characters. From now on, players will need to reach level 15 to access faction, shout, trade, need party, and nation chat channels. Presumably this is intended to combat gold-selling spam and other unwanted advertisements from free accounts. Other changes for build 4.11 include a tougher Kraken, healer weapons as quest rewards, and larger warehouses. Trion says that over two million players registered for the sandpark MMO. [Thanks to Varth for the tip!]
US government lifts restrictions on high-detail satellite imaging
The US government will now allow the likes of Google and Microsoft's Bing to use satellite images containing far more detail. Previous restrictions stopped anything smaller than 50 cm (1.64 feet) being shown on satellite photos. Imaging company Digital Globe was behind the request, and reckons it could well take shots from space that capture things as small as 31 cm. Lawyer Marc Daultich told the BBC that this could raise security concerns, although this restriction didn't really encompass the blurring or otherwise obscuring of sensitive locations. Digital Globe plans to launch new satellites following the decision and says it'll be able to take thrilling photos of "key features such as manholes and mailboxes". And hopefully something a little more interesting, too.
Instagram is the latest social network to hit Iran's blacklist
Iran's top officials may use social media, but the country's general populace isn't allowed to join them. The nation has already banned Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, and yesterday it reportedly added Instagram to the naughty list. According to the AP, a private lawsuit was brought against Iran's Ministry of Communications, forcing the bureau to restrict access to the Zuckerberg-owned photo-sharing service. There's no evidence that such filtering is in place right now, and users in Tehran were still able to take some selfies on Friday lunchtime. Still, given that social media is a threat to the country's conservative establishment, we imagine that someone will keep bringing lawsuits until no-one can utter the phrase "lemme take a selfie."
Nintendo blocking EU eShop access to 18+ content during the day [update]
Nintendo has begun blocking access to Wii U eShop content rated PEGI 18+ between the hours of 3 a.m. and 11 p.m. in European territories, Eurogamer reports. This means the four-hour window from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. is the only time during which games like Assassin's Creed 3 or ZombiU can be purchased, or even have their trailers viewed.We've checked with a fictional panel of experts, and the general consensus is that this a totally weird thing for a company to do, especially considering that the Wii U already has parental controls implemented in its operating system. The block appears to apply to all accounts and it's uncertain whether it's possible to opt out of the restriction in any way.What we do know: if we were given a Wii U but had to wait until just before midnight to download the game we wanted, we'd just go to the damn store and buy it. We've reached out to Nintendo of Europe and Nintendo of America for more information; perhaps there's some other logic at play here that isn't apparent.Update: Nintendo of America tells Joystiq "This is a European policy and does not impact Nintendo of America."
Chinese government forbids MMO television series
Chances are that you weren't holding out hope that BBC One was suddenly going to announce Chuck Norris: Warcraft Ranger or that Syfy was going to sign EVE Online to a three-season deal. TV shows based on MMORPGs don't happen -- at least not yet -- but if there is any place that you could imagine one being made, it would probably be in China. Unfortunately, it looks like this hypothetical daydream is off the table for the time being, as the government ruled that no TV show can be made from an MMO property. What gives, China? Why no love for the MMO? This strange restriction is one of several new guidelines announced over the weekend by the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television. Among the guidelines is the rule that broadcast TV can't be based on online games. The only current show on Chinese TV related to MMO is Rift in the Sky (which is based on the game Sword of the Yellow Emperor). If you consider how popular MMOs are in the country, it seems odd that the government feels that they're unworthy of appearing on air.
WTO ruling revives debate over China's rare earths trade
China suffered another setback at the WTO yesterday, thanks to a ruling that could spell trouble for its controversial rare earths industry. In a decision issued Monday, a WTO panel determined that the Chinese government has been acting in violation of international trade rules, due to export restrictions on a number of raw materials. These restrictions, the panel said, allowed Beijing to inflate global market prices, while giving an advantage to domestic producers. As a result, China will likely have to adjust its trade policies to comply with WTO regulations. In a statement, the country's Ministry of Commerce said it "deeply regrets" the decision, but confirmed that the People's Republic will adhere to it. This week's ruling applies to materials like bauxite, coke, magnesium, manganese and zinc, but, most notably, does not apply to rare earths -- a group of 17 elements critical to the production of tablets, smartphones and myriad other gadgets. China has maintained a rather tight grip over the world's rare earths market, thanks to a slew of export controls, quotas and government-erected barriers to entry. The country has come under intense international pressure in recent years, with the US, EU and Mexico filing complaints with the WTO, arguing that China's price-inflating restrictions violate international trade agreements. Beijing, for its part, has long maintained that its export controls are designed to minimize the environmental impact of rare earth mining, while meeting the country's surging domestic demand. It's an argument that's come up a lot during this debate but one that the WTO, on Monday, deemed illegitimate, stating that China has thus far been "unable to demonstrate" the environmental benefits of its policies. The decision won't have any immediate bearing on these policies, but some observers are hopeful that it may be a sign of things to come. Michael Silver, CEO of rare earth processor American Elements, told Reuters that the ruling "confirms the existence of the two-tiered price structure that has caused so much concern," with EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht adding that the decision should force China to remove restrictions on both the aforementioned raw materials and rare earths, alike. Others, however, aren't so optimistic, pointing out that, with a full 95 percent of the rare earths market under its aegis, China could realistically afford to ignore any decisions handed down from the WTO in the future.
Woz says Apple could not emerge in Singapore
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak got a little political lately, saying in an interview with the BBC that a society like Singapore, with its relatively strict approach to aberrant behavior, would never be able to host a company like Apple, with its early days of long-haired weirdos working on groundbreaking technology in their garages. "Look at structured societies like Singapore where bad behavior is not tolerated [and] you are extremely punished," Woz is quoted as saying. "Where are the creative people? Where are the great artists? Where are the great musicians? Where are the great writers?" I'm not quite sure if it's as simple as all of that -- I'd suggest that great, creative people can flourish in whatever environment they happen to be brought up in. But Woz at least makes a good point in saying that if creativity is to really shine, it's got to be in a place where new ideas (even the crazy ones) are welcomed with open arms. Singapore is also reportedly trying to build up its tech scene, and Woz is no stranger to the city-state: He was there earlier this year to give a series of talks organized by the government itself. Interesting that he takes this position, then -- it's hard to believe the government would loosen up all of those restrictions just to support their tech industry, but then again, if Woz says so, it must be true. [via WSJ]
Apple ID account/device limits gain attention
Trevor Sheridan sent us a note earlier today, asking if we'd look at his blog post about encountering Apple ID limits with iOS devices. Although Trevor just now encountered this issue, the policy actually went into effect a couple of months ago, back in June. When you use Apple's new multi-device download feature, you will be limited to a total of 10 devices and computers, each authorized with the same Apple ID. What's more, once a device or computer has been assigned to an Apple ID, it cannot be reassigned for 90 days. Apple's Knowledge Base support article details how you can deauthorize devices, and how to check the wait time before they can be re-assigned. Naturally, this is bad news for anyone who shares an iPhone or other iOS device with a loved one and who switches around the Apple ID accordingly. Once an Apple ID is authorized for media downloads, that authorization is going to stick for a few months at least. At some point, Apple is going to have to start seriously re-evaluating how real life meets Apple ID accounts, in terms of separating data within a family. Some examples: keeping only kid-friendly material on certain devices, even when iCloud backups and data sharing are in force (also known as the "cheating spouse outed by iCloud" scenario), joining data between adults (marriage and cohabitation), and when joint accounts need to be split (divorce and separation). For now, all authorization decisions seem to be motivated more by rights management than day-to-day practicalities. This new policy indicates that Apple continues to be a little tone-deaf when it comes to human relationships and how people really use their iOS devices. Think about the Duggars or the children of divorce; when newly-single Dad buys the kids an iPod, whose account do they get to use? It may seem tangential to drag all this into a write-up about a new Apple DRM protection policy, but these are the real world challenges that make these policies more than a minor annoyance.
Mac App Store launching in January sans Game Center and in-app purchases?
"Less" and "later" are some of our least favorite words, but they may apply to the Mac App Store, as one source claims it will miss Christmas, and another says the marketplace will have fewer features than its iOS counterpart. First off, The Loop's Jim Dalrymple believes that December 13th isn't the magic date, claiming that his inside sources say the store will actually arrive in January -- which, we must admit, would still be within the window of Apple's October promise to launch within 90 days. Second and perhaps more importantly, 9to5 Mac reports that App Store developers are being told that their Mac endeavors will have a number of substantial limitations, namely no Game Center support, no in-app purchases, and no ability to offer demos, trials or betas. Sounds like those high-denomination iTunes gift cards you've been stockpiling in your basement will finally come in handy.
Aika's service restriction problems have happy ending for existing players
When Aika's service restriction first hit, it was less an example of malice and more of poor timing working in all the worst ways. The game had always been meant for just North American players under gPotato's administration, but the European players who had spent money in the cash shop and subsequently gotten locked out of the game were... well, to say they were unhappy would be a thunderous understatement. But the team behind the game kept working on the issue, and they managed to come up with a compromise solution. An official announcement has just gone live restating that players outside North America will not be able to register to play Aika. However, players who had registered on or before April 7th will be able to continue playing, regardless of their location. That means that anyone affected by the sudden change in service restriction will be able to resume where they had left off, with all their cash shop purchases intact. It's an elegant and equitable solution, and our hats go off to the team for ensuring that players weren't completely shafted by an ex post facto ruling.
Aion patches, denies whispers
In an attempt to shut up some of those annoying gold spammers, Aion has placed a temporary restriction on whispering in today's patch. Anyone below level 5 will find themselves unable to whisper their friends until they reach the magical level, when they can once again make use of the function. In practice, this makes whispering very much like the general channel, which is also restricted to only those characters above level 5.This is only a temporary restriction while the Aion team works out a solution to keeping the gold spammers off of their channels once and for all. However, in the meantime, looks like we're going to have to suffer a bit.Today's patch also fixed a few things for the French and German language version of the game -- mostly localization issues, along with spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Pretty basic things, and nothing to write home about. If you're interested in the breakdown, check out the patch notes on Aion's PowerWiki.
Roll a Death Knight (almost) anywhere in 3.0.8
Oh, you poor unfortunate souls! Forced by the cruel silver hand of fate to roll a Death Knight only on realms on which you already have a level 55 character. You've cried out in pain as the lashes of this restriction struck you, and through the anguish you've yelled "Yo Blizz! Lemme roll my DK anywhere, aight?"Word. Big Blue's got your back. Starting with the launch of 3.0.8, you'll be able to roll a new Death Knight on any realm as long as you have a level 55 character somewhere. The normal restrictions for character creation are still in place, though--can't make an opposite-faction DK on a PVP server, can't roll a DK on a server closed to transfers unless you've got a 55 there already, etc. All fair!Before you ask why this feature wasn't implemented from the get-go, remember that it wasn't even very long ago that the developers were deciding "how is dk formed?" (though they did say that the restriction would be lifted soon after Wrath launched).So fret not, ye oppressed. Soon, your chains (of ice) will be broken.
Updated Intel SCH specifications reveal support for 2GB of RAM
Ready to inhale some serious Intel technobabble? Here goes. As it stands, MIDs and UMPCs that utilize Windows operating systems are pretty much restricted to using Vista due to their incongruence with the "low-cost" requirement for still using XP. On top of that, Intel's chipset used in these critters (you know, with those Silverthorne Atom CPUs) only supports 1GB of RAM. We don't need to explain how underwhelming performance can be when mixing Vista with just 1GB of RAM. Now, however, a new PDF from Intel details updated System Controller Hub (SCH) specifications that include support for up to 2GB of RAM. What isn't clear is whether current systems can be updated via a BIOS update, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground in hopes of hearing "yes."[Thanks, Itto]
Comcast to restrict monthly broadband use
In a continued trend of restrictions from Comcast Cable, they've recently announced that they will soon be cracking down on excessive use of their Internet service. Starting October 1st, residential users who download and/or upload more than 250 GB of data each month will be asked to curb their usage. If that usage is exceeded a second time, they face account termination.Of course this opens up the floodgates for criticism from many customers of the largest cable company and the second largest Internet provider in the US. Will this move ultimately mean the break-up of the company's cable internet monopoly? This move makes about as much sense to us as if the government started blocking semi-trucks from driving too much, instead of making more roads and lanes.
Breakfast topic: How young is too young for World of Warcraft?
Does it take a certain level of maturity to play World of Warcraft? In the past we have asked for opinions on how comfortable people are gaming with players of all ages. The general consensus seemed to be that behavior is more important than numerical age. Surely there is value in gaming for young people. Although a full-grown adult when I started playing World of Warcraft, games have always been a passion of mine. They have fostered creativity and logic. Recently our Lisa Poisso featured a guild for Unschoolers, who use WoW as a tool for self-guided education. When appropriately supervised and balanced, the game can be a fun, family activity.
