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Microsoft's Build developer conference starts May 6th
Early May is going to be particularly busy in the tech world. Microsoft has announced that the 2019 edition of its Build developer conference will take place in Seattle between May 6th and May 8th. In other words, it starts just one day before Google I/O -- you're going to get a lot of news in a very short space of time.
Xbox Live will soon connect players on Android, iOS and Switch
You've had a degree of access to Xbox Live beyond Microsoft's platforms for a while, but usually just to chat with friends or see what they're playing -- deeper hooks are reserved for its own games. Soon, though, that support will become more substantial. A Microsoft session at the upcoming Game Developers Conference (noticed by Avers) mentions that Xbox Live will soon have a cross-platform developer kit that integrates the service into Android, iOS and Switch games. You'd have your achievements, clubs, friends list and "more" while on the move, and could pick up on some experiences where you left off.
Google's next I/O conference begins May 7th
If you're a fan of all things Google, you already have a date to mark on your calendar for 2019. Developer Till Kottmann has 'cheated' Google's I/O conference puzzle to reveal that this year's event will take place between May 7th and May 9th at the familiar Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View. We've since confirmed the timing with Google. While the news is likely coming sooner than Google anticipated, you might want to try solving the puzzle yourself if you're a coder -- Google is promising free tickets to those who decipher the clues as intended.
'Project Cars' developer is making 'most powerful console ever'
The studio behind hyper-realistic racing game Project Cars is moving into the console business – and it's making some bold claims. Ian Bell, CEO of Slightly Mad Studios, revealed on Twitter that the company has started work on "The Mad Box", which promises to be the "most powerful console ever built."
Alexa can control your home security system
It's now decidedly easier to control your home security system if you have an Echo speaker or another Alexa-powered gadget. Amazon has enabled a Security Panel Controller framework that lets you control security systems with your voice. You can arm or disarm them, specify certain modes (home, away and night) and simply check in. And yes, Amazon is well aware of the security implications. You have to manually enable disarming by voice, and you can specify an Alexa-specific voice code instead of shouting your PIN code to everyone within earshot.
StarVR puts its developer headsets on hold amid financial woes
StarVR's headset plans are facing a serious setback. The company has confirmed to UploadVR that it's putting its StarVR One developer program "on hold" a month after starting sign-ups due to both problems with its "key overseas shareholder" and while it's in the midst of becoming a private company. One of StarVR's main stakeholders, Starbreeze, both filed for reconstruction (akin to bankruptcy) in Sweden and had to grapple with an arrest for insider trading. StarVR itself, meanwhile, has delisted itself from the Taipei Exchange Emerging Markets over concerns about the state of the VR industry.
Anyone can use NVIDIA's physics simulation engine
NVIDIA isn't just showing off its Titan RTX GPU and some clever AI demos -- it also has big news for anyone interested in more realistic computer physics. The company is releasing its hardware-accelerated PhysX simulation engine as an open source project, making it accessible to virtually everyone. It's a recognition that the technology is useful for more than just convincing game physics, NVIDIA said. PhysX can help with more accurate AI and robotics simulations, including self-driving car technology. You could see vehicles and bots that are better-prepared for real-world conditions.
Microsoft opens the door to native ARM apps on Windows 10
ARM-based Windows 10 devices have improved in performance, but the software is another story -- without official tools to write native 64-bit ARM apps, it's been difficult to help these machines reach their potential. That shouldn't be an issue after this week. Microsoft has released Visual Studio 15.9, which gives developers the tools they need to craft native ARM64 apps. They can submit those apps to the Microsoft Store, too, although they can also release ARM apps elsewhere (or bundle them into releases for other chip architectures) if they'd prefer.
Alexa can wake up more of your smart home devices
You can certainly use Amazon's Alexa to turn on some devices, but that support is frequently limited. What if a device is in a low-power state and won't respond to your hue and cry? Amazon now has a solution. It recently added a "wake-on-LAN" control method that can turn on sleeping connected gadgets in the home that otherwise won't respond to voice control. Device makers just need to craft Alexa skills that use the new control to have it turn on TVs and other hardware on the local network.
Android will natively support foldable phones
Samsung said it would unveil its foldable phone features at its developer conference, and Google is willing to help out. The company is introducing native foldable device support in Android to let apps and interfaces adapt to phones that can bend on a whim. You could watch a movie on a folded screen while you're on the bus, for instance, but have the video resize for the unfolded screen when you're at home. And this isn't just a theoretical exercise -- Google is working with multiple device makers who plan foldable Android hardware, Samsung included.
Amazon is letting companies trap Alexa in office equipment
Alexa for Business launched last fall, giving companies the opportunity to use Alexa as a superefficient office assistant. At launch, an Amazon Echo could be paired with existing office equipment, but according to Amazon, many organizations say they'd prefer Alexa to be built directly into existing devices, to reduce the amount of technology that needs to be managed. So that's what Amazon has done.
Google limits third-party access to Gmail and other account data
Google isn't just shutting down the consumer version of Google+ as a response to privacy concerns. The company is gradually rolling out a change to its developer tools that will give users much more control over privacy permissions for their account data. Much like permissions in recent Android versions, you'll get permission requests one at a time for various services. You could grant access to Drive, for instance, but turn down Gmail or Calendar permissions.
Twitter bug sent some DMs to developers for over a year
A bug in one of Twitter's APIs may have caused unauthorized developers to receive some users' direct messages and protected tweets. Twitter says it hasn't yet discovered evidence that a developer actually received such data, nor does it believe that such information was misused, but can't say for sure that it didn't happen.
It's official: Playing as Oddjob in 'GoldenEye' was cheating
I thought this secret would go to the grave with me, but alas, my hand has been forced -- I have a confession to make. Back in gaming's early glory days, when Rare's seminal Nintendo 64 first-person shooter GoldenEye was the only game that really mattered, I would always play as Oddjob against my younger (clueless) sister. I told her the only reason she couldn't hit me was because her aim was rubbish and I was just better than her, but I knew it my heart this was a lie. Now the game's creators have ratted me out.
Tweetbot falls victim to Twitter's incoming developer changes
We've known for a long time that Twitter's third-party apps would bear the brunt of the platform's API revamp, and even though those changes aren't due to come into effect until tomorrow, they're already causing trouble. Today's update to Tweetbot for iOS has hastened many of the issues developer Tapbots previously feared. Automatic timeline refreshing is now disabled, so no more real-time updates. Its Apple Watch app is gone, and push notifications for mentions and DMs will be delayed by one or two minutes, while push notifications for likes, follows and quotes has disappeared completely.
Alexa will soon be available in even more cars
Amazon is giving more automakers access to the tools needed to integrate Alexa into their vehicles' infotainment systems. The company released its Alexa Auto software development kit today, making the tools accessible to all developers via GitHub. Integrating Alexa into vehicles gives users easier access to the assistant's skills while they drive, and they can take advantage of functions like weather reports, notifications, smart home controls, media streaming and the many third-party skills accessible through Alexa. Some other functions supported by Alexa Auto -- including navigation, calling and local search -- will be particularly useful for drivers.
Android P's final test release is here
Android P just edged one step closer to completion -- Google has released the final preview version of its upcoming mobile OS. The beta includes the system behavior you can expect in the completed version on top of the usual bug fixes. There are bound to be small tweaks after this, but it's otherwise full steam ahead for the finished software's launch sometime later in the summer.
Twitter tightens requirements to get rid of 'low quality' apps
Twitter's efforts to fight spam are now focusing more on the apps generating that junk. As of today, every developer who wants to use Twitter's app toolkit has to go through an account application process that verifies both use cases and a creator's adherence to the social network's policies. The process had been available since November, but it'll be mandatory from now on -- and Twitter is promising to enforce it within 90 days. Combined with a 10-app limit, Twitter is hoping this will cut down on spam-producing and "low-quality" apps.
Facebook accidentally sent developer reports to app testers
While Facebook is still reeling from it's Cambridge Analytica scandal, it has been trying to clean up its image as a company that plays fast and loose with your privacy. Unfortunately, there's yet another issue. According to TechCrunch, Facebook accidentally leaked analytics reports from developers to app testers.
More iOS apps are on the way to help with your health regimen
At the end of March, Apple announced a new feature coming alongside iOS 11.3, Health Records, which gave users access to their medical data and allowed them to share it with a running tally of hospitals and clinics. Today at WWDC, the company released an API for developers and researchers to make their own 'ecosystem of apps' to harness Health Records information, and implied that some would arrive as early as this fall.
