The Morning After: 'Flight Simulator' update adds high-res US landmarks
Dave Chappelle got Netflix to stop streaming his old show, and Comcast's data caps are going nationwide.
While many of us cut down on our travel across the US, anyone playing Microsoft Flight Simulator should be enjoying a better view. The game’s latest update has added high-res versions of many US landmarks, including the White House, the Statue of Liberty and the Hoover Dam.
Oddly, for a game that loves unexpected towering monoliths, the recently discovered real-world structure in Utah failed to make the cut (this time). If you don’t have a PC ready to run the game or time to virtually pilot yourself across the country, there’s a 4K trailer showing off some of the new sights.
— Richard Lawler
Sony says the PS5 would still be sold out without a pandemic
SIE CEO also said there's "news to come" in response to Microsoft's Game Pass.
Confidence is a wonderful thing. Sony came to this generation’s console fight in prime position: The PS4 eclipsed the Xbox One family in sales, setting itself up well for PlayStation 5. If you needed proof of the company’s position, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) CEO Jim Ryan confirmed in an interview with Russia’s Tass that the PlayStation 5 is sold out, despite his best efforts to have enough stock. He believes the supply shortage would have happened even without COVID-19.
And Ryan said Sony is taking a wait-and-see attitude over Microsoft’s recent studio purchases, which include Bethesda and id software. However, it sounds like the company plans to take some action in response to Microsoft’s Game Pass. “There is actually some news to come, but just not today,” he told Tass.
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Spotify resets up to 350,000 passwords linked to third-party data leak
FYI
After researchers found a database online filled with login credentials being validated against Spotify, the music service began resetting passwords for the small fraction of accounts listed. It’s unclear where the information came from, but vpnMentor researchers speculated they were obtained from other leaks and used in credential stuffing attacks on Spotify, where attackers hope to find people using the same password and email combination on multiple accounts. But you wouldn’t be one of those people, right?
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There’s a subscription service for ‘Fortnite’ now
It includes Battle Passes, V-Bucks and exclusive cosmetics.
Say hello to Fortnite Crew, a monthly subscription that includes every seasonal Battle Pass, 1,000 V-Bucks to spend in the game’s Item Shop and a special pack that contains Crew-exclusive outfits and accessories. The scheme launches on December 2nd — the same day the fifth season of chapter two is expected to launch — and will set you back $11.99 (€11.99/£9.99) per month.
Is it worth it? That depends. A Battle Pass currently costs 950 V-Bucks — a little less than $7.99. A Fortnite Crew subscription makes sense, when there’s a Battle Pass released because you’re also getting a bonus 1,000 V-Bucks to spend in the store (which is worth another $7.99), in addition to the exclusive Crew cosmetics. This monthly service should keep the real money flowing in a more predictable way for Epic, aimed squarely at the Fortnite faithful.
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Twitter will soon begin verifying users again, but it needs help
It wants your feedback on its new verification policy.
Twitter is going to restart its formal process for verifying users with blue check badges, but it wants your feedback first on a new policy.
Twitter says its new policy will determine what verification truly means, who’s eligible to be verified and why some accounts could lose their check marks. To prevent a repeat of 2017, it’s now seeking users’ input before enforcing the new policy, by making its draft copy available to the public. Users can either answer Twitter’s survey or tweet their feedback with the hashtag #VerificationFeedback.
Back in 2017, the website came under fire for verifying white supremacists and neo-Nazis on the platform, forcing the company to put general verification on pause. Earlier this year, however, the company verified at least 1,000 health experts in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19-related misinformation. How exactly the company chose the experts is still a mystery.
The company added it’s also planning to roll out more ways for users to identify themselves on the platform — expect to hear more on that in the coming weeks.
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But wait, there’s more...
'Mortal Kombat 11' DLC adds Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade and Raiden from the 1995 movie
Comcast is expanding its 1.2TB cap to its entire 39-state footprint in January
Netflix removes 'Chappelle's Show' after a request from Dave Chappelle
