piggybacking
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Respawn will ban 'Apex Legends' players who mooch on their teams
Ever dealt with a teammate in an online game who was clearly there just to leech on your success? You might not have to in Apex Legends. As part of a broader update on its plans, Respawn has warned that it will issue temporary bans to players who piggyback -- that is, mooch off the success of their teammates without participating in matches. The policy won't take effect right away, but it could result in permanent bans in "extreme cases."
Singapore teen dealt 18-month probation, internet ban for WiFi stealing
While folks have been receiving various forms of punishment after jacking somebody's lingering WiFi signal without consent, it looks like the poor internet-addicted teenager from Singapore just barely missed out on the maximum fine. Proclaimed as the first victim of Singapore's newly-enforced Computer Misuse Act, the 17-year old Garyl Tan Jia Luo picked up 18 months of probation (some of which will be at home) instead of jail time, but what's potentially worse is the fact that he is not allowed to access the internet during his stint. Apparently, the judge felt this was the best way to break him of his internet addiction, and also recommended that the kiddo receive treatment for his online gaming obsession. Of course, we're sure his school grades will plummet and he'll miss out on a critical amount of technological development during the next 1.5 years, but hey, serving up justice is what it's all about, right? So if you're stuck in Singapore without a connection to the digital world, hold out just a bit longer for that free nationwide variety before hopping onto whatever jail-bait WiFi signal you find floating around.[Via TechDirt]
California State Assembly mandates WiFi warnings
Just in case you didn't already know how to "secure" (ish) your home WiFi network, the California State Assembly is making sure that you do. Assuming the Governator signs Assembly Bill 2415, starting October 1, 2007, your new neighborhood-friendly WiFi router sold in California will have to come with a security warning, a sticker, or "other protection" to alert consumers to the ultra-scary problem of "piggybacking." As the bill puts it, piggybacking, is "becoming a serious issue for people who reside in densely populated areas." Funny, because we always thought that free access was the best part about the democratization of WiFi, and most definitely not a "serious issue" -- but leave it to the California State Assembly to spoil our fun. [Via Reuters, thanks, David]
