Chronicle
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Google parent Alphabet is pruning its 'other bets'
Alphabet is changing. The Silicon Valley super-company, which serves as an umbrella for Google and smaller, riskier subsidiaries known as "other bets," was established in August 2015. Executives hoped that the reshuffle would satisfy investors, who wanted a better understanding of Google's expanding business portfolio, and encourage each division to become financially successful and independent. At the time, Alphabet had 10 companies under its purview: Google (Search, Android, YouTube and more), Access (Fiber broadband), Calico (aging), Capital (late-stage investment), DeepMind (artificial intelligence), Google Ventures (startup investment), Life Sciences (health), Nest (smart home appliances), Sidewalk (smart cities) and Google X, which still looked after Boston Dynamics (robots), Waymo (self-driving cars), Loon (internet balloons), Wing (delivery drones) and other so-called "moonshot" projects. That list has been amended over the last four and a half years. Many Alphabet companies have simply rebranded -- Life Sciences has become Verily, for instance, Google Ventures is now GV and Google X has dropped the word Google from its name. Of greater importance, however, are the "other bets" that Alphabet has created, killed and casually moved under Google management. Surprisingly, these decisions have accelerated over the last 12 months, highlighting Alphabet's changing ambitions and just how difficult it is to turn a moonshot into a billion-dollar business.
Google's cybersecurity project 'Chronicle' is in trouble
Chronicle started as a project within X, the Alphabet-owned moonshot factory, until it became its own cybersecurity company under Google's parent corporation. It was supposed to be an independent startup with its own contracts and policies -- at least, that's what CEO Stephen Gillett wrote when the business was launched. In June this year, though, Chronicle lost its status as an independent entity when it formally joined Google to become part of its Cloud security offerings. And according to a new report by Motherboard, that was one of the biggest reasons why Chronicle is "imploding."
Alphabet's cybersecurity company Chronicle will join Google Cloud
Alphabet's cybersecurity company Chronicle announced today that it's joining Google and will become part of Google Cloud. The cybersecurity company launched in January 2018, and it released its first commercial product, Backstory, in March. In a blog post, Chronicle CEO and co-founder Stephen Gillett said Google Cloud's cybersecurity tools and Chronicle's Backstory and VirusTotal are complementary and will be leveraged together.
Alphabet’s Chronicle finally reveals its cybersecurity moonshot
Last year, Google's parent company Alphabet announced Chronicle, a cybersecurity division spun out of X (previously Google X). Now, Chronicle has launched its first commercial product -- a global telemetry platform called Backstory. According to Chronicle, it's a bit like Google Photos, but for business network security.
Inside Chronicle, Alphabet’s cybersecurity moonshot
Fifteen years ago, cybersecurity could be boiled down to a simple strategy: Secure the perimeter. Experts fought against malware and other nefarious code by implementing firewalls and other point-of-entry defenses. Since then, however, companies have moved their operations online and allowed employees to bring their own devices (BYOD) to work. The so-called perimeter has dissolved in the process, forcing security practitioners to prioritize tracking, understanding and ultimately making judgments about the information flowing both inside and outside of their company.
Alphabet enters the cybersecurity business with Chronicle
Google parent company Alphabet has a new business and it's all about cybersecurity. Chronicle is an independent business under the Alphabet umbrella and it's aimed at helping companies find, track and stop cyber attacks. With two branches -- a cybersecurity and analytics platform, as well as a malware intelligence service called VirusTotal -- Chronicle will use its massive processing power and data storage capabilities to assist businesses in retrieving information more quickly than they can on their own as well as spot patterns based on years of data. "Add in some machine learning and better search capabilities, and we think we'll be able to help organizations see their full security picture in much higher fidelity than they currently can," said Chronicle CEO Stephen Gillett in a blog post.
RuneScape announces Hearthstone-like card game
Hearthstone's success is hard to ignore in the industry, and it doesn't take much effort to connect the dots between that title's growth and Jagex's decision to develop an in-game card battler for RuneScape. The UK-based studio announced that it's making Chronicle: RuneScape Legends to be played inside of its popular MMO. Chronicle takes place inside a "magical book" that challenges players to use deck-building to create quests that can be completed through PvE and PvP card battles. "Your opponent will be creating quests in parallel with you, but watch out as they might try to steal your weapons or gold," the website states. "At the end of your quests you do battle, with the last person standing the victor!" According to Eurogamer, Jagex has been working on Chronicle since the beginning of the year to be released sometime in 2015 for the PC, Mac, and mobile devices. Chronicle is currently accepting beta sign-ups.
RIFT 2.4 brings challenging instances to bear
Ah, smell that? That's the smell of a big new content update in the air. And also many bugs that have been fried on the metaphorical bug zapper. But mostly an update. RIFT has upgraded to 2.4: Beyond Infinity, and that means a ton of additional content to be conquered and plundered. At the core of Update 2.4 are three new instances: the Infinity Gate raid, the Realm of Twisted Dreams dungeon, and the Infernal Dawn chronicle. An additional raid, Planebreaker Bastion, will be coming in weeks ahead. Update 2.4 also raises the PvP prestige cap to 90 with new gear and weapons, adds more hairstyle options, plugs in cross-shard instant adventures, and improves the new user experience. As you patch up, you can read the official notes and our preview of the update.
To Infinity Gate and beyond: Previewing RIFT 2.4's instances
RIFT's 2.4 update is expected to land next week with a big, meaty thud that tells you it's packing some serious content. While 2.4 is peppered with many nice bullet points, including cross-shard instant adventuring and new PvP ranks, the bulk of it is devoted to instances, more instances, and even more instances. Namely, a 20-person raid (with a second one to follow), a new five-person expert dungeon, and a two-person chronicle. Trion Worlds took us on a whirlwind tour of RIFT's four new instances, giving us an oh-so-brief taste of the terror and exhilaration that is to come. Care to join our raid group to see?
America's Cup book dives into Larry Ellison-Steve Jobs friendship
The San Francisco Chronicle has been running weekly excerpts of The Billionaire and the Mechanic, and today's sample (behind the Chron's paywall) is worth a look. This recently-published nonfiction book, written by Chronicle staffer Julian Guthrie, tells the story of Oracle founder Larry Ellison's pursuit of the Americas Cup yachting prize and the unlikely allies (including car radiator mechanic Norbert Bajurin) he enlisted along the way. In this week's excerpt, Ms. Guthrie covers the long-enduring friendship between Ellison and Steve Jobs. The tech industry titans used to hike together, vacation with their families in Hawaii and sometimes just stroll Ellison's Japanese-themed gardens as they discussed the nature of greatness. (Jobs voted for Gandhi as a moral and political paragon; Ellison nominated Napoleon Bonaparte.) Among the first face-to-face encounters between Jobs and Ellison, she wrote, was an incident where the two neighbors had to sort out a peacock problem; Jobs had received a small flock of peacocks as a gift and the early-morning birdcalls were driving both men batty. Ellison (who is active in animal welfare and conservation) had a solution. Jobs should tell the bird-brained gift givers that he had to put the peacocks in a shelter for their own good; his crazy neighbor Larry was losing his mind over the noise and hinting that he was researching good ways to cook peacock. There are lots of other intriguing details in the excerpt -- including the role Ellison played in getting Jobs his Gulfstream jet after his return to Apple -- but you'll need to be a Chronicle subscriber or get your hands on the physical paper -- or the book -- to read them all. photo courtesy Oracle
Funcom unveils armory-like Chronicle for The Secret World
Imagine that -- keeping an upcoming feature of The Secret World a secret! Yet Funcom pulled it off, announcing today via a letter from creative director and senior producer Ragnar Tornquist the aptly named new player record that will actually chronicle a player's journey through TSW. Starting now, players active within the last four days can log into Chronicle and check out their stats on their profile page and compare themselves with players across the world using the PvP and PvE leaderboards. But that's only the beginning. Tornquist goes on to say, "We have a lot of great features planned, and we will be integrating the service more with the game and also, hopefully, with mobile devices and social networks in the future. We are going to add more stats, more features, more leaderboards, and more user control. We might also look at giving rewards tied to your status and standing on Chronicle." The beta is public so the team can gather as much community feedback as possible, so jump in, check it out, and give your feedback to help shape Chronicle's future. [Source: Funcom press release]
RIFT: Storm Legion expansion coming this fall
The RIFT army cannot be stopped, and neither can Trion Worlds' incredibly hard-working team. Trion officially announced today that RIFT's first expansion, Storm Legion, will be hitting the stores this fall. Executive Producer Scott Hartsman said that the expansion will "triple in size" the amount of content and territory that players currently have. "RIFT: Storm Legion is about more, more, more," he said. Storm Legion will open up two new continents for play: Dusken (a horror-themed continent) and Brevane (which hosts the cradle of Telaran civilization). Another major city will join the map, the dual-faction town of Tempest Bay. Each continent will feature its own storyline, with the promise by the devs that the term "story" will feature far more heavily than mere busy work. The main story of the expansion is driven by Crucia, the Queen of Storms, who's bringing her huge entourage to Telara through the Infinity Gate. Players have much to anticipate when the expansion releases. In addition to the new continents, the expansion will increase the level cap to 60, add capes to our wardrobes, experiment with a player housing system called "dimensions," introduce seven new dungeons and three new raids, add a crafting tier, and see another Chronicle join the roster. Players will also get to play with four new souls, one for each calling (Warrior, Rogue, Mage, and Cleric). Finally, for the brave at heart, the expansion will bring the immense colossus to terrorize the realms, and these open-world colossus battles are supposed to be like nothing we've ever seen before. Get excited for RIFT: Storm Legion by watching the trailer after the jump!
Shadow of the Colossus film still in the works, Chronicle director Josh Trank signed on
Wait, there's still a Shadow of the Colossus film being made? The film is still in progress, according to a report today from Deadline that puts Chronicle director Josh Trank in the director's seat. It appears Sony Pictures signed Trank pretty recently, and the company is already interviewing potential writers to work with him.According to the report, Trank requested the job from Sony. Given the slow-moving process of the project (we've been hearing about it for three years) and the lack of a ... ya know, script or anything, it seems to still be early in production.Team Ico's third project, The Last Guardian, has been just as slow to get out of the gate – the studio hasn't released a game since 2005's Shadow of the Colossus.
RIFT's 1.7 patch filled with content, coming soon
What's next for RIFT? Well, the 1.7 patch, for starters. The update is called Carnival of the Ascended, and if it sounds a bit festive, it is. Telaran weddings are in the offing, as Trion is introducing a marriage mechanic to its fantasy MMO. There's also the new River of Souls Chronicle, which the official forums bill as an "undead adventure for two." A new master mode dungeon is coming too, as is an expert dungeon overhaul with more options and better loot for endgame avatars. Finally, there's a free weekend coming your way on January 19th, and you can return to Telara (or check it out for the first time) for no charge through January 22nd.
NCsoft releases Lineage II Goddess of Destruction trailers
Lineage II's Goddess of Destruction update has been a long time in the making, but it looks like release is drawing near if the updates to the long-running fantasy title's website are any indication. NCsoft has posted two new videos centering on the expansion, both of which function as primers for players chomping at the bit to get their hands on the game's largest ever update. The first clip is a Lineage II history lesson of sorts, and it takes viewers on a quick journey through all of the title's chronicle updates before launching into a highlight reel of the upcoming content patch. The second video has a bit of narrative feel to it, but it's also got plenty of action, and frankly it does a great job of whetting our appetite for the Goddess expansion that's scheduled to go live this fall. Check out both clips after the cut or on the official Lineage II website.
Hyperspace Beacon: Beyond the scope
You only have to go as far as the official forums to see the concern over what Star Wars: The Old Republic is offering. I have a major question: Do the concerns have merit? I had an unofficial discussion with my editor, Bree Royce, about the whole idea of complaining to a large gaming company like BioWare. Although I maintain that there is far too much complaining about features that the game will never have, Bree argued that the potential players of the game should continue to complain at every opportunity. What other way can they motivate a top-tier gaming company to deliver the game they want? After some thought, I agreed, but what happens to player desires that exceed the game's scope? I would like to think that developers would re-evaluate the scope of the project if enough people complained, but in truth, that level of reconstruction is expensive. For a game that is already as expensive as SWTOR, I just don't see it happening. The few things that have been changed, like the size of the lightsaber hilts and the Wizard title, are really small things. However, things like taking space combat out of the tunnel are a bit more time-consuming, not to mention costly, and so they are less likely to be changed. But as Bree suggested to me, what other avenue do players have? What I'd like to talk about this week are a few of the top desires of the community, desires that push the scope of SWTOR. I will give the reasons I believe they are pushing the scope of the game, but I would really like to have your involvement. Why do you think these things were implemented the way they were, or why will they not be implemented? Step beyond the break to see my thoughts.
New Lineage II project in the works
Korean imports are all the rage these days, what with TERA inching closer to open beta and release, Aion maintaining a small but faithful North American playerbase, and ArcheAge beginning to turn heads in the West. Not to be outdone by all the young whippersnappers is Lineage II, NCsoft's stalwart PvP-focused title that's been lopping off heads and parading around in skimpy armor since 2004. The official Lineage II website brings word of a new, untitled expansion in the works, complete with a lengthy lore entry -- focused on the goddess Shilen -- and a brief bit of video footage. We don't have many details on the expansion content, but we'll keep our eyes peeled, as Lineage II has always provided significant bang for the buck with its meaty (and free) chronicle updates. In the meantime, check out the video after the break.
Lineage II readies Freya update
NCsoft's Aion and City of Heroes may get more press here in the States, but the workhorse of the Korean MMORPG maker's worldwide stable continues to be Lineage II. The long-running fantasy title is gearing up for yet another substantial update, with the much-anticipated Freya patch scheduled to hit the public test server on July 29th. Lineage II's updates have always been rather meaty (and free of charge, provided you have an active subscription) and Freya is no different. Included in the patch is everything from new weapons, armor, and abilities to entirely new overland and dungeon areas. Small touches aren't left out either, with new social emotes -- including partner dances -- scheduled for inclusion, as well as reduced teleportation fees and an increase in available quest journal space. The patch notes have yet to be released, but you can get a sneak peek at the projected additions on the Freya wiki page. Additionally, mark your calendar for the Freya reveal festivities and don't forget to read the official press release. Finally, check out some of the new armors after the cut. [Thanks Justin!]
Chronicle: An elegant way of tracking your bills
Let's face it: paying bills is not fun. There's the $75-plus monthly AT&T bill (assuming $40 voice + $30 data + $5 text messages) for your iPhone, the $25-plus broadband bill that your iPhone, iPad, and Mac use, as well as a host of other recurring bills that make life that much more fun and, well, livable: gas, electricity, water, car payments, etc. While paying your bills and watching your bank account decrease at the same time may not necessarily be fun, LittleFin Software's Chronicle makes it a bit more enjoyable.
EVE Evolved: Storytelling in EVE Online
Storytelling is a major part of most MMOs, with each game having its own unique back-story and fiction. Fantasy settings like Everquest's world of Norrath have even been made into novels and some original fantasy literature like Lord of the Rings has conversely made its way into the MMO scene. Quests and expansions in an MMO usually lead the character through an interactive story where the player assumes the role of a hero. Although space-borne MMO EVE Online doesn't share that pattern and the the game's storyline doesn't develop during play, storytelling may actually be more important to EVE than it is to its fantasy counterparts. In the same way that EVE lends itself spectacularly to making videos, the EVE community has created some awesome fiction and there are some incredible real stories of in-game events. Combined with the wealth of prime fiction and the regular release of official chronicles, it's clear that storytelling is a big deal in EVE.Read on as I delve into the EVE storyline and the various forms of storytelling that players can expect to take part in. If being part of epic events and telling the story sounds like your cup of tea, perhaps EVE is for you.
