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Google claims to ‘reaffirm’ Right to Repair support three years after lobbying against it
Google has officially voiced support for Right to Repair (R2R) legislation. Although Google’s motives could be less about newfound altruism and more about shaping regulatory action that seems increasingly inevitable, “A win’s a win,” as they say in sports.
Lime report shows micromobility travel poses the lowest risk of contracting COVID-19
Lime has teamed up with cardiologist Dr. Mauro Montevecchi to write a white paper, which shows that using shared bikes and scooters — if you don’t have your own — is the best way to travel to avoid COVID-19. Yes, Lime will definitely benefit from people choosing shared bike and scooter solutions instead of hailing an Uber, but the company cited research that backs up its claims. Lime points to a couple of studies explaining that the virus is spread primarily indoors and mainly through airborne transmission.
Apple dives deep into specs for the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR
You probably know the basics of what the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR have to offer, but Apple is more than a little eager to help if you have any lingering questions. The company has posted white papers for both the Mac Pro (PDF) and Pro Display XDR (PDF) that dive deep into the specs for each. The Mac Pro paper doesn't offer startling revelations, but it does outline the workstation's capabilities in thorough detail -- you'll know a fair amount about the Xeon architecture, RAM, PCI Express slots, graphics and I/O by the time you're done.
Google explains how it's fighting fake news
Like all online platforms, Google is not immune to the scourge of fake news that has dominated headlines over the last few years. The company has taken various steps in fighting the problem -- from partnering with fact-checking networks to launching the $300 million Google News Initiative. Now it's expanded its transparency efforts further by detailing at length the steps it takes to fight disinformation across its services.
Ether One looks like a peaceful romp through dementia patients' minds
Ether One seems like a nice, calm exploration game – until it doesn't. Most of the gameplay takes place in the memories of dementia patients, where skilled Restorers repair broken images and minds. Restoration is a standard task in this technologically advanced world, but it retains the potential to go horribly wrong. And as the launch trailer shows, things do go wrong. Really wrong. Ether One is a first-person exploration and adventure game that recalls BioShock or Portal in its mechanics and unmistakable "something is not right here" tone. It was Greenlit in June and is due out for PC on March 25 from UK studio White Paper Games. [Images: White Paper Games]
Ether One cures mental illness with telekinetic projection on March 25
Ether One takes place in the middle of the 20th century, when an advancement in telekinetic technology cures certain cases of mental illness and memory loss. Specific people, called Restorers, are able to enter a person's memories and restructure broken images. Traversing a person's memories can be tense and frantic, and it involves a point-and-shoot camera, apparently. It's a first-person exploration game with layers: It's an exploration of the fragile human mind, an exploration of a new world, and an exploration of complicated puzzles. The mechanics themselves are up to the player. Ether One can be completed as an exploration game alone, or as an adventure in deciphering riddles "to restore life-changing events of the patient's history in order to help the validation of their life." Talk about responsibility. Ether One was Greenlit last year and is due out for PC on March 25 from UK indie studio White Paper Games. The teaser trailer shows off what looks to be a sterile, industrial-style dentist chair being lowered into a mechanized containment sphere. The screenshots, however, display markedly different settings: a rustic seaside village and a large water facility. Ether One's website reads, "Welcome to Pinwheel." We're not sure why, but that seems ominous. [Images: White Paper Games]
Apple publishes guide to iOS security
Security on iOS devices is becoming more of a hot topic these days, what with security notables like Eugene Kaspersky warning of future malware attacks that could take down the immense monoculture operating system. Apple's not ignoring the threat; in fact, the company has published a 19-page iOS security document outlining the company's commitment to security on the mobile platform. The free PDF document, available here, describes Apple's approach to security. The system architecture section details the integration of hardware and software on the devices and how it allows for the validation of activities through all processes. For example, when an iOS device is first turned on it goes through a cryptographically signed boot up process, each step of which proceeds only after verifying the chain of trust. There's a description of how app code signing and sandboxing are used to ensure that apps can't compromise the system or other apps. I personally found the hardware security features built into every iOS device to be fascinating -- a dedicated AES256 crypto engine lodged between flash storage and system memory, using the device's UID and a group ID to cryptographically tie data to a particular device. There's also a fully detailed description of device access and network security. The document should be of great interest (and comfort) to those deploying large numbers of iOS devices in enterprises and government settings.
China promises to put more humans in space, less trash
China's recent Beidu GPS launches were mere firecrackers compared to its space ambitions for the next five years. These have been laid out in a 17-page government document, which fortunately reduces down to just a few key points once you filter out the abstract bluster. Top of the list is a pledge to prepare for the construction of more "space stations" -- plural -- to complement the Tiangong module and allow for "medium term" human habitation. Officials and scientists will also find time to plan for a "human lunar landing" as well as surveying the moon with rovers. Lastly, it seems that China wants to fix its nasty reputation as a space litterer, by moving "aging GEO satellites out of orbit" and "fully deactivating" used Long March rockets to reduce the risk of them exploding and scattering debris in the busiest lanes. Regardless of how these lofty goals pan out, the juxtaposition with America's own dwindling dream is obvious.
Microsoft releases Android developer poaching package for Windows Phone 7
Microsoft's App Guy has quite a job on his baby-soft hands: to boost Windows Phone 7's numerically-challenged Marketplace by encouraging developers to port apps across from other platforms. The little fellow helped iPhone devs out a couple of months ago with an API mapping tool to make it easier to translate iPhone APIs to WP7 code. Now he's extended the mapping tool to work with Android APIs too, and backed it up with a 90-page white paper and a promise to get more involved in developer forums. Will the App Guy's efforts unleash a flood of new apps for Windows Phone? We don't know, but we dig his shorts.
Apple releases free Mac management white paper
An email is being sent from Apple to education customers this morning, offering a free white paper on Mac management. Entitled "Solutions for Systems Management," the paper can be accessed by entering your school's name and zip code on a special web page.It includes solid, basic information on assessment of your school's needs, deployment of a solution and even a solution's typical lifespan. Apple products are featured, of course, like Apple Remote Desktop and Mac OS X Server, but the paper also describes some third-party products like Deep Freeze and K2 Key Auditor and Key Server.It's certainly not the definitive paper on being a Mac-friendly administrator, but a decent reference. You can find out more about deploying Mac OS X in education contexts from the indispensable Macenterprise and AFP548 sites.
South Korean judge defends RMT
In the MMO business, RMT is frequently treated as a dirty word. Though some companies are trying to embrace the trend with home-grown or acquired RMT designs, these efforts appear to be thinly-veiled attempts to curtail an undesirable black market by simply internalizing and controlling it. In an interesting (though somewhat old) paper on the Social Science Research Network, South Korean Judge Ung-gi Yoon argues that despite court cases in his country ruling to the contrary, the trading of virtual property is a practice that should be allowed under the existing law. While developers maintain a legal grasp on the IP rights that govern the ownership of in-game items and currency, Yoon argues that the very existence of trading within the game grants players a tacit right to exchange in-game items. And moreover, since what is being traded is really the right to use certain items earned in-game, the ability to transfer this right via RMT can be inferred without much controversy.The paper is thorough examination of the South Korean perspective on the topic, and deconstructs some oft-held misconceptions about the legality of certain clauses in MMO terms of service. It's a good read.
"Digital Britain" key to BBC's future
The UK government has published a white paper on the future of the BBC, an organisation described as "unique" by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The BBC is mainly associated with the television and radio channels it produces in return for a licence fee which must be paid by almost everyone watching television in the UK. However, the organisation is not restricted to these platforms, nor is it resistant to changes in technology, as the BBC News video report "Entertainment 'key' to BBC future" outlines.The report focuses on a fairly typical family; the parents watch television regularly, but the children tend to gravitate towards games and digital media, only occasionally turning to TV for specific programmes. As technology attracts television views away from their sets, more ways of delivering the BBC's content are being investigated, from TV on phones to downloadable media.The BBC appears to be moving into games as part of their "Digital Britain" initiative--under the banner of "interactive and web-based services", games (or interactive stories) like Jamie Kane give the BBC the opportunity to try new directions in storytelling and gaming. It's clear from the news report that the BBC acknowledges gaming as a key activity for its licence fee payers; this commitment to interactivity should see more game-based content being delivered to the BBC's customers and help the BBC's games research along a step or two.
