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'Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp' adds gardening to its list of chores
Collect fruit, trade it with villagers, build furniture, rinse, repeat. That's been the experience with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp thus far, and if it's getting tedious, know that there's an update coming soon that'll add some variety to the mix. Next month, you'll be able to start crafting clothes like shirts, pants and shoes. Players will also gain access to a garden. As you might expect, the garden is where you can plant flowers, and you can even water friends' flower beds for them.
'Mario + Rabbids' gets a free versus battle mode tomorrow
The Nintendo Switch is quickly becoming the go-to console for games with couch co-op and local multiplayer. Need more evidence? Ubisoft is adding a versus mode to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, one of the best Switch games available. "Each player has just three available actions per turn, and how you decide to invest them is a big part of the strategy here," a post on Ubiblog reads. "You may be accustomed to moving, attacking and using techniques for each of your heroes during every turn in campaign and co-op, but versus is a different story."
Tesla’s Model 3 patch adds futuristic features like an FM radio
Tesla's latest update for the Model 3 adds an FM radio and a tripometer. Let that sink in for a bit. Sure, plenty of cars don't have CD players anymore, but a radio is pretty standard equipment. Same goes for the tripometer. Actually, the tripometer missing is a little more egregious than the radio. Typically, the tripometer is used to measure how far you can go on a tank of gas, or, in the Model 3's case, a full charge. This is the sort of thing that illustrates Tesla was in such a rush to get the hardware out the door that it overlooked everyday features we take for granted.
Apple's macOS 'root' bug can be reopened by updating
After news broke of a devastating security flaw in its most recent version of macOS, Apple responded quickly by releasing a patch. Installing Security Update 2017-001 on either macOS 10.13 or 10.13.1 will resolve a problem that allowed anyone to login with admin access simply by typing the username "root" and leaving the password blank, but people have discovered there's another wrinkle. As Wired mentions, if someone is still on the initial release of High Sierra (10.13), and installs the patch, then later updates to 10.13.1, then the security flaw will return. It can be fixed by reinstalling the patch, but it's important for users to know that the computers won't restart itself, and it needs to be restarted before it will be secure. It's hardly impossible, but it could leave people insecure even if they think they've installed patches the right way, and probably explains why (when they can) companies wait for more testing before rolling out a patch. tl;dr: Mac owners, mash that update button -- reboot, check again to make sure you have all the updates, and if they need to install then reboot your system again once they're done. If you have any problems afterward with file sharing, then just take a look here for a fix.
Apple's High Sierra security patch affected Mac file sharing
Apple's latest update for macOS High Sierra hasn't gone well. As revealed earlier this week, the update included a bug that made it pretty easy for anyone to gain admin rights to your Mac -- an obvious privacy concern. Apple rolled out a patch for the issue, but it seems that's not without its problems either, as some users are now unable to authenticate or connect to file shares on their Macs. Fortunately, there's a simple fix. As Apple Insider reports:
Windows 10's 'Timeline' continuity tool arrives soon for Insiders
If you were bummed that this fall's Creators Update for Windows 10 didn't include Microsoft's version of Handoff, we feel you. But if you're a Windows Insider Program member, there's good news: Timeline will soon be available to folks in the Fast Ring. Cool, right?
EA is addressing the loot boxes in 'Need for Speed: Payback,' too
Most of the headlines surrounding Electronic Arts this fall have been about the loot box situation in Star Wars: Battlefront II. But Need for Speed: Payback has been dealing with the same pay-to-win progression issues since it launched a few weeks ago too. More than that, the game is an unstable mess and barely functions on Xbox hardware. Developer Ghost Games is addressing both of those with Payback's first big updates.
EA patches 'Star Wars Battlefront II' to address technical issues
EA has faced a Star Destroyer's worth of trouble over the just-released Star Wars Battlefront II, most notably the backlash over the micro transactions that were panned as too expensive while also encouraging a pay-to-win vibe. EA subsequently pulled all transactions (temporarily) from the game. The game had its own set of technical problems, as well, which have also been addressed by the development team in a new patch available now for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Google will 'fix' the Pixel 2's hidden menu button
Looks like the Pixel 2's "secret" menu button was just leftover code, after all. Google has confirmed to CNET that this was a bug, not a feature, and that it'll be patched out in the future. If you're still enjoying that new phone smell, open up the settings menu and double tap in the lower right while you still can.
Microsoft already has a fix for that severe WiFi security exploit (updated)
The "Krack Attack" WiFi encryption security flaw is more than a little frightening, but you should already be relatively safe if you're using a recent Windows PC. Microsoft has released a patch that fixes the vulnerability on all supported versions of Windows (effectively, 8 or later). Windows isn't as susceptible to the flaw as Linux-based platforms like Android, which don't demand a unique encryption key, but this fix may have a significant impact simply through the sheer ubiquity of Windows in the computing world.
'Rainbow Six Siege' update could make your PS4 crash (updated)
With more than 20 million players, it's safe to say that Rainbow Six Siege is still going strong. But, a new console crashing bug could put a damper on the good times for fans of the tactical shooter. At least on PS4, anyway. Gamers have been tweeting about the issue since the release of the title's latest patch, and Ubisoft has confirmed it is looking into it. For the time being, though, it doesn't have a fix. "Players have reported a crashing issue regarding the party invitation. We are cooperating with Sony on this issue and would advise you to not use this feature until a resolution is found," the developer said in a statement on its support site.
Now all 'Overwatch' players can visit Junkertown
At Gamescom last month, Blizzard teased fans of its hero shooter Overwatch with a new map: Junkertown. The escort map across the post-nuclear Australian wasteland was opened up to PC test realm players a week later, but now it's live on all platforms for all players.
‘NBA 2K18’ gets emergency patch to fix data-wiping Xbox One bug
2K Sports' latest basketball title, NBA 2K18, had a serious zero day bug that wiped away user progress, items and in-game currency in the online MyCareer mode. While it reportedly only affects players on Xbox One, both console versions are got a patch that supposedly fixed this issue.
Download macOS High Sierra on September 25th
Come September 25th you'll be able to give macOS High Sierra a shot for yourself and see how little it (superficially) differs from the update that came before it.
Microsoft unlocked 1080p Mixer game streaming on Xbox One
Testers have had their hands on the customizable Xbox One interface for a bit, and Microsoft has listened to their suggestions. Specifically, the home screen now supports up to 40 pinned items and your background image will be easier to see, according to a post on the Xbox forums. More than that, you can broadcast your gameplay via Mixer at 1080p. There are a handful of other tweaks (like support for Arabic and Hebrew languages), so be sure to check the links below. Or, if you're a member of the Alpha Ring preview, the patch might already be on your console.
Blizzard preps aging 'Warcraft 3' multiplayer for future changes
So this is a bit strange: Over 15 years later, Blizzard has added a public test realm to its premier real-time strategy game, Warcraft 3. Overwatch (also made by Blizzard) fans know that the PTR is where experimental features and modes are tested before going wide to the full player population. In Warcraft's case, this is to test out new map pools for 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 multiplayer. Updates that address slow matchmaking, lag and that add automated tournaments and a "ladder board" are planned as well.
Vizio adds the streaming apps its new TVs were missing
One of the more unique features of Vizio's smart TV lineup is that some models use an Android tablet to cast streaming services to the displays. That's rather than having apps baked directly into the TVs themselves. The TV manufacturer is rolling out an update for its 2017 models that adds apps directly to the displays themselves -- no casting necessary.
'Rocket League' packs tons of freebies in its 'Anniversary' update
No, cross-console multiplayer isn't in today's Anniversary update for Rocket League. But thankfully there's enough (free!) stuff on offer here to take some of the sting off of Sony's sustained stubbornness. We're talking Rick and Morty customization options -- including a Mr. Poopy Butthole topper -- new music, fresh cars and the ability to change your ride's engine audio. Oh, there's a new stadium to tool around in as well. The update will start rolling out later today, at 6pm Eastern.
Microsoft patches Windows XP to stop foreign hack attacks
Last month, Microsoft took what it called the "highly unusual" step of patching older Windows versions like XP against the WannaCrypt ransomware virus. It's doing the same in June to protect against attacks that are potentially even more sinister. "This month, some vulnerabilities were identified that pose elevated risk of cyber attacks by government organizations, sometimes referred to as nation-state actors or other copycat organizations," security manager Adrienne Hall wrote in a blog.
Bioware will address more 'Mass Effect: Andromeda' issues soon
Mass Effect: Andromeda launched in rough shape, with issues affecting everything from character creation to in-game animations and facial expressions. In April Bioware laid out some of the issues it planned to fix and while some have already been addressed via updates, the next patch will also attempt to untangle some stickier problems like LGBT representation. According to the changelog, v1.08 will update the game so that a male Ryder player will have a same-sex romance option available within the squad. Beyond making Jaal available as a companion, it also means that someone using Scott Ryder can earn the game's achievement for completing three romances while sticking to same-sex partners.
