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Facebook is building a 'war room' for the midterm elections
In a bid to protect its millions of users from further instances of foreign interference, Facebook is building a physical "war room" ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections. In an interview with NBC News, Facebook's head of civic engagement, Samidh Chakrabarti, said the company is "laser focused on getting it right" this time, after more than 126 million Americans were exposed to meddlesome posts from Russia-linked accounts during the 2016 presidential election.
Twitter suspends more accounts for 'coordinated manipulation'
Twitter's long been under fire for its approach to bots and extremist accounts, but now it appears to be taking a more proactive stance towards its community guidelines. Last week it suspended 284 accounts for engaging in what it called "coordinated manipulation," now it's gotten rid of a further 486.
Periscope's live streaming video reaches nearly 2 million users daily
Now that Facebook is getting into streaming (soon for non-celebs too) and even Google/YouTube is taking notice, the folks at Twitter-owned Periscope are publishing some stats to let us know where the bar is for live video apps. In a blog post on Medium, the team says it has grown past 10 million registered accounts just four months after its launch. An accompanying graph shows its number of Daily Active Users has risen to nearly two million people, with a spike showing where it just about doubled in May with the launch of an app for Android. Rival app Meerkat beat it to the punch on Android, but we don't have similar stats on its growth yet. By their measure however, the important stat is "Time Watched", which Periscope reports has risen to over 40 years of video being watched every day. This includes "huge viewership" on the web, outside of its iOS/Android apps, which the daily users stat does not. in a video Q&A, Periscope CEO Kayvon Beykpour says that features coming soon include landscape video support and better tools for handling spam/abuse.
Native Americans still battling Facebook over 'real name' policy
Despite policy changes following its dispute with drag queens, Facebook is still banning individuals who run afoul of its "real name" policy. It recently suspended Native American Dana Lone Hill and wouldn't reinstate her even after she provided the requested ID. It was only after the media got wind of it that she was restored, prompting her to write "Katy Perry's Left Shark... has a Facebook page and we have to prove who we are." The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) wrote in response that "no one should have to rely on media attention to get Facebook to deal with its broken name policy."
Final Fantasy XIV has 2.5 million registered accounts
At the very end of Final Fantasy XIV's Eternal Bond trailer on Tuesday, there's a small line imploring watchers to join 2.5 million adventurers worldwide. The last official word from the game on numbers was two million registrations back in April. It was easy to miss that line at the end, but it was caught by blogger Syncaine, and we reached out to Square-Enix to confirm that the game has indeed passed the 2.5 million mark in registrations. Registered accounts is obviously not the same thing as active subscriptions, but it's still a milestone for the game, especially with an expansion on the way in spring of next year. That's good news for both the Final Fantasy XIV team and the players who will have plenty of other people to adventure with.
Final Fantasy XIV surpasses 2 million registrations
There are two million people playing Final Fantasy XIV right this second. All right, maybe not quite that many, but it's certainly possible. The launch of the game's PlayStation 4 version has seen the game climb to surpass two million registered accounts, an increase of 500,000 over the 1.5 million stated in November. No hard data have been offered on how many of those accounts are subscribing to the game at this point, although an interview with Naoki Yoshida in March stated 500,000 players were logging into the game daily. With a recent patch and a new platform, the revitalized game seems to be doing quite well for itself as it approaches the one-year mark for its relaunch. [Source: Square-Enix press release]
Some PlanetSide 2 European accounts have been compromised [Updated]
You know the drill people: Accounts hacked, time to change those passwords ASAP. Who's affected this time around? It's the runners-and-gunners of PlanetSide 2 in Europe. Email addresses and passwords for some accounts were exposed, and affected players have been notified that they should create a new secret code so that the unwashed hackers don't gain entry to personal accounts elsewhere. ProSiebenSat.1 issued the warning last night: "We have ascertained that there was recently unauthorized third-party access to one of our systems. The possibility that your data (email address and password) has been accessed by an unauthorized third party cannot be excluded. We were able to detect the problem promptly and took all necessary action to rectify the issue." The company said that account data are encrypted and issued instructions how to change your password if this impacts you. No European SOE PlanetSide 2 accounts were affected by the intrusion. [Thanks to the mighty Tandor for the tip!] [We've updated the article to clarify that only some PSS1 accounts were affected. SOE's European accounts are in the clear.]
Just how safe is your online account?
This week is Gamer Safety Week, and we hope you got your Gamer Safety Week shopping done early because the malls are packed! The Merchant Risk Council's (MRC) Gamer Safety Alliance (GSA) wants to help you be the safest online netizen that you can be by raising awareness for this second annual event. After a few bad years of an account hacking epidemic in online games, this year's Gamer Safety Week theme is "account safety and security in the online world." Tips include adding security proofs to your accounts, keeping hardware and software updated, utilizing phishing filters, creating strong passwords, and more. You can read more about keeping your online accounts safe at the MRC's website.
Mozilla Persona sign-in launches in beta, skips the social networking ball and chain (video)
We all know those web pages where the only alternative to a site-specific login is a social networking account. That's not very reassuring for anyone skittish about linking their commentary to a Facebook account relatives might see, if they're even willing to join a social network in the first place. Mozilla has been aware of that hesitation long enough to have just released its long-in-development Persona sign-in service as a beta. Although it has the same kind of simple approach to a login as a Facebook or Twitter pop-up window, Persona's emphasis is on privacy: it stops paying attention the moment credentials go through, keeping any diatribes or subscription details from landing in social streams or central databases. Users don't have to play a rousing game of guess-the-username, either, as they just need to sign in with one or more familiar e-mail addresses and a single password. Persona faces an uphill battle in getting web developer adoption when the establishment sign-in services are open to hundreds of millions of internet citizens, but it does have The Times' online crossword section, OpenPhoto and Voost as early poster children -- and anything that lets the privacy-minded join the party has our vote.
Sword of Fargoal 2 and the iControlPad 2 both head to Kickstarter
Two big followup iPhone projects are looking to Kickstarter for funding. First up, the developers of Sword of Fargoal 2 have launched a US$50,000 campaign. The first game in that series was a relatively early hit on iPhone. The sequel has a much larger scope and is expected to hit several platforms, including iOS. Supporters can get copies of the game's soundtrack, extra versions of the title or see their name in the game or a song. I imagine this project will be funded before long. Meanwhile, the people behind The iControlPad are working on a second version of the popular iOS controller. They've launched a $150,000 Kickstarter campaign, which is a not insignificant goal, but you can get a version of the finished product for as little as $69. More generous backers can pick up better versions of the controller, which is supposed to eventually include not just controls for iOS (and other Bluetooth) devices, but also a full keyboard, and a number of other buttons. It seems like a nice device. While $150k might be a little high, the controller's popularity will probably get it funded. Both of these projects come from solid backgrounds and sound very cool. We look forward to seeing just how both of these fundraising efforts come out.
Guild Wars 2: Account linking and you [Updated]
You are surely aware that Guild Wars 2 is nearing its headstart and launch dates. You might also know that players of both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 have a bit of incentive to link their accounts. The Massively team has been getting a fair few questions about the ins and outs of account linking, so this here is a bit of a knowledge dump that'll hopefully sort out some problems.
Amazon, Apple stop taking key account changes over the phone after identity breach
By now, you may have heard the story of the identity 'hack' perpetrated against Wired journalist Mat Honan. Using easily obtained data, an anonymous duo bluffed its way into changing his Amazon account, then his Apple iCloud account, then his Google account and ultimately the real target, Twitter. Both Amazon and Apple were docked for how easy it was to modify an account over the phone -- and, in close succession, have both put at least a momentary lockdown on the changes that led to Honan losing much of his digital presence and some irreplaceable photos. His own publication has reportedly confirmed a policy change at Amazon that prevents over-the-phone account changes. Apple hasn't been as direct about what's going on, but Wired believes there's been a 24-hour hold on phone-based Apple ID password resets while the company marshals its resources and decides how much extra strictness is required. Neither company has said much about the issue. Amazon has been silent, while Apple claims that some of its existing procedures weren't followed properly, regardless of any rules it might need to mend. However the companies address the problem, this is one of those moments where the lesson learned is more important than the outcome. Folks: if your accounts and your personal data matter to you, use truly secure passwords and back up your content. While Honan hints that he may have put at least some of the pieces back together, not everyone gets that second chance.
Mountain Lion 101: Sharing and Twitter (but not Facebook yet)
Mountain Lion adds direct Twitter support in the OS, just as iOS users have had for a while. If you haven't set up your Twitter account yet, you'll want to go into System Preferences, and then choose Mail, Contacts & Calendars to set up your various accounts. Just like on the iPhone and the iPad, you can now set up certain cloud services in OS X. Your iCloud and mail accounts are in there (for Microsoft Exchange, Gmail, Yahoo!, and AOL), but there's also now logins for Twitter, Vimeo and Flickr as well. Logging into those is as easy as logging into the main sites, and especially if you share information and links often on social networks, it could make things a lot easier for you. The one big drawback is that Facebook integration is not yet included in the OS. It was tested during the beta, but it won't be available to the public until a software update this fall. Until then, you can still log in and set up your other various accounts. Also, as has been pointed out on Twitter itself, the Mountain Lion tweeting option via the Share button opens the Twitter website only -- it doesn't (yet) work with native clients like TweetDeck, Twitter for Mac or YoruFukurou.
Flipboard officially launches on Android, in multiple app stores and for more countries
Popular newsreader Flipboard is finally officially available on Android, coming out of beta and Galaxy S III exclusivity. As seen in the latest test version, it now supports integration of shared articles from your Google+ feed alongside Twitter and Facebook feeds, and has also added support for YouTube video feeds (all of these are now available on iOS as well). Beyond the Google Play app market, it's also available in the Amazon Appstore, Nook Store and Samsung Apps, so slinging the APK to your Android device of choice should be too difficult. We gave the final release edition a quick run through ourselves and found it just as smooth on a Samsung Galaxy S II as it has been on any iPhone or iPad, and being ICS-ready out of the gate is a nice touch, although we couldn't force it to switch to landscape viewing. Another handy toggle is the option to go full screen with no menu bar up top, if you need a few extra pixels on your display (optimized for screens up to 7-inches in size). Article sharing is also here and like other Android apps, shares to any services you have installed, not just Twitter or Facebook. The final update is news that Flipboard is launching fully localized editions for Germany, Korea, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands, in addition to the existing localizations for Japan, France, China, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. All of the details are in the press release after the break, or you can check out pretty much any app store to give it a try yourself. Update: It's out! As of 1AM or so. Hit the source link to grab it from the Play Store.
League of Legends accounts compromised
Given League of Legends' immense popularity, we knew it was only a matter of time before a large-scale hacking attempt succeeded against Riot Games' MOBA juggernaut. The firm sent out an email this weekend notifying EU West and EU Nordic and East customers that their account details may have been compromised. PC Gamer reports that players' "email addresses, encrypted account passwords, and dates of birth have been leaked." Riot bigwigs Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck posted an apology on the EU West forums and implored users to change their login credentials, as "more than half of the passwords were simple enough to be at risk of easy cracking."
Spiral Knights celebrates 3,000,000 registered accounts
Spiral Knights seems to be doing pretty well for itself. The latest official dispatch proudly states that the game currently has three million registered accounts in total, which is certainly a sign of good health. To celebrate, the development team is running a small promotion: all Elevators will cost no energy to use from now until Saturday at 5 p.m. EDT. Players under the effects of an Elevator Pass will see the two free days added on, so all players who want to take advantage of this will be able to. The dispatch also reveals that the team is hard at work on developing new features for the next year, including new missions, more accessible DLC, and improvements to both combat and guild systems. All in all, if you're one of the three million account holders, it sounds like the game is going to provide you with more fun stuff to do in the future... and if not, well, you can always start the road toward four.
Studios join forces to form Gamer Safety Alliance
This week is Gamer Safety Week, and before you laugh at the thought of getting injured while playing your favorite MMO, we should point out that the safety has more to do with your accounts than your person. Nine major game companies have joined forces to form the Gamer Safety Alliance, an organization that seeks "to break down traditional competitive barriers and share information and best practices within the computer and video game industry." Participating firms include Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Turbine, NCsoft, Nexon, Square Enix, Sony Online Entertainment, MindCandy, and En Masse Entertainment. SOE leads things off with a lengthy article on how to protect yourself from account fraud.
Last chance to join Star Wars Galaxies sunset
In June, we broke the sad news that Star Wars Galaxies would be shutting down this December. But if you were hoping to check out one of the best sandbox MMOs in existence before the final curtain falls, you're running out of time. According to Sony Online Entertainment, only accounts that are active and in good standing on September 15th will be eligible for the sunset period and events, so if you want to play, you'll have to plan ahead and reactivate your account one last time to make sure your account is active on Thursday. After that, your account will remain active for free until December 15th, when the galaxies are closed down for the last time. Confused? Mepps on the official forums has an even more detailed explanation for all the caveats and what-ifs you can dream up. Players meeting the criterion will also find that their accounts are flagged for free access to other SOE games (including EverQuest II and DC Universe Online) from October 15th to the end of the year, further sweetening the deal. Finally, although the SWG TCG will remain in operation as long as the game does, loot cards cease being redeemable after September 15th, so grab your free loot cards while you still can!
The Mog Log: Far too much accountability
Sometimes, it's really hard to figure out what in the world Square-Enix is thinking. I don't really make a habit of defending Square on principle; I defend stuff that's defensible in the first place. There are decisions that might seem odd, but they make logical sense and can actually be defended in the correct light. That's mostly a function of trying to see a reasonable set of decisions and reasonable motivations amidst what can sometimes seem baffling. It's not always an easy road. And then there are times when I can't even start to decipher what in the world anyone in the management train was thinking. Even when I do decipher the thought process that led to the action, it's the sort of thing that leads to some mixture of bafflement and irritation at the overall lack of thinking. That's my reaction when I look at the whole Square-Enix Account merger fiasco for Final Fantasy XI -- something that could have been a great idea but wound up just being an overall terrible execution.
GamersFirst's Fallen Earth account transitions begin today
Today's the big day for Fallen Earth and GamersFirst account integration, and the Icarus team has posted a brief how-to on the game's official website. Fallen Earth will go dark at approximately 5:00 p.m. EDT, and "the process is expected to take quite some time." When the server comes back up, players will need a free GamersFirst account to log in, and they'll also be prompted to merge their old Icarus accounts with the new account before continuing. Credit card payment information will automatically transfer, but Paypal users will need to manually update their info on the account settings page. Finally, ClickandBuy will no longer be an option for subscription accounts, and the Fallen Earth team is inviting former users to continue their subs via Paypal or traditional credit card payments. Icarus also points out that today's migration has nothing to do with either game content or the impending free-to-play conversion (i.e., subscriptions will still be required for game access after today's merge is complete).
