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Spyware tries to lure gamers through fake in-game voice apps (updated)
Malware targeting gamers usually tends to revolve around the games themselves, such as fake copies of a hot new shooter or deceptive in-game items. Well, it looks like these attackers are mixing up their strategy: Malwarebytes Labs has found spyware spoofing an in-game voice chat app. At first, it steers you to a fake website offering Razer's Comms software. If you're eager enough to click the Windows download link, you instead get a script that tries to harvest your logins and other sensitive info. A cursory glance suggests that it's (poorly) written by Russian cybercriminals renting their services.
Razer Comms for Android keeps in-game chat alive when you leave your PC
It can be tough to leave in-game voice chats -- step away to walk the dog and you may miss an important strategy session. You'll stay in the loop with Razer's new Comms for Android, though. The free app improves on rival clients from Steam and Teamspeak by supporting both voice chats and text while on the road; you won't have to miss out on either team banter or private messages. Comms for Android is also useful if you're still sitting at your desk, as it lets you respond to SMS and turn down calls through its Windows equivalent. The mobile software is available now through Google Play, and Razer promises that iOS users will get Comms sometime in the first quarter of 2014.
Razer Comms voice chat launches in open beta with an always-on overlay (video)
Dedicated gamers are very familiar with loading chat apps like Teamspeak or Ventrilo to coordinate their multiplayer sessions, but such software usually sits in the background -- it's hard to tell who's speaking without switching apps and losing focus. Razer's new Comms open beta may just give players a chance to stay in touch without those rude interruptions. The Windows app provides the obligatory home for group voice and text chat, but its real standout is an optional on-screen game overlay that will keep the conversation going, either with a full window or a minimalist ticker that shows who's speaking. Razer's war on lag persists here, as well: Comms' servers reportedly minimize delays and hiccups in the heat of battle. Not everyone will need the beta when many games already have chat baked in. Those that want a more consistent experience, however, can give Comms a spin today.
Rogue Signal: The unwritten communication rules of EVE PvP
Perhaps more than any other MMO, EVE Online's gameplay relies very heavily on communication between players. I have recently returned to World of Warcraft and gotten a character into Outlands. 62 levels after coming back, it still grates on me a bit that very few people utilize voice chat for both PvE and PvP content. Sure, WoW's in-game voice codec is terrible, but it certainly beats having nothing. I have come to realize that players coming from the opposite perspective are sometimes surprised and occasionally uncomfortable with the mentality of EVE players when it comes to text and voice communication. This guide aims to instruct a new player in the ways of communication in EVE. Text communication is perhaps the easiest to grasp for a new player. The key difference between text chat in EVE and text chat in many other games is the sheer volume of available channels. By default, every player is in the channel for their local chat, their corporation, and their alliance (if applicable). In addition, there is an uncountable number of channels out there that you could be chatting in.
