'Assassin's Creed' and 'Watch Dogs' lead Jade Raymond has left Ubisoft

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/20/jade-raymond-leaving-ubisoft/

The driving force behind some of Ubisoft's most successful franchises and best moments is no longer with the game maker as of today. Jade Raymond, executive producer on Assassin's Creed II, Watch Dogs and Splinter Cell: Blacklist, has left the company after ten years of service, the company announced. To do what, exactly? That's anyone's guess. She's been in the AAA space for a good portion of her career, working on The Sims Online prior to joining Ubisoft and being a key voice in the creation of the first two Assassin's Creeds. Given her experience running Ubisoft's Toronto studio, though, it might not be much of a stretch to imagine her going indie and assembling a quick and nimble team entirely of her own -- it wouldn't be the first time we've seen it happen.

In an interview with Metro last year, she lamented that she'd love to make a game where it was a challenge for an elderly player character to even make it to the bus stop, but went on to say that when you're dealing with a $100 million budget that type of experimentation just isn't possible. Maybe this will be her chance. Either that or she could go majorly left-field and start brewing craft beer.

[Image credit: ZCooperstown/Wikimedia Commons]

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Ubisoft

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China allegedly using iCloud to secretly collect user data

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/20/china-icloud-data-attack/

Notorious for the constant surveilling and censorship of its people, the Chinese government appears to be at it again -- this time with Apple iOS users. According to a report from GreatFire.org, a website that focuses on privacy matters, China has secretly started collecting iCloud data through what's known as a "man-in-the-middle" intrusion; basically, the attacker eavesdrops by independently connecting to the user and making it seem as if it's a private connection, when, in fact, it isn't. Chinese Security expert Zhou Shuguang suggests that the network service providers are likely being told by the authorities to use fake trust certificates, making it rather easy for them to conduct these attacks.

The purported SSL attack on iCloud by China officials comes as Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have just been released in that country, where there's estimated to be upwards of 100 million people using an iPhone. At the same time, this issue is hot on the heels of Apple announcing it would begin storing personal data in servers in China, as it looked to improve cloud features like iMessage and others. Back then, Apple said all info would be encrypted, adding that data center providers were not going to "have access to the content." Still, it's unclear at the moment if that's related in any way.

We've reached out to Apple for comment on the matter and will update this story if we hear back.

Photos by Will Lipman.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Apple

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Via: Quartz

Source: GreatFire.org, Zhou Shuguang (Chinese)

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New White House efforts help secure your payments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/19/white-house-payment-order/

American banks and stores may already be planning to tighten your payment security, but the White House wants to give those efforts a boost. President Obama has signed an Executive Order that will require the federal government to both issue more secure chip-and-PIN (aka EMV) payment cards and upgrade terminals to match. This isn't just for protecting day-to-day staff expenses -- it also means that pensions, Social Security and veteran payments (all of which tend to go through official debit cards) should be safer. There should also be fewer risks when you're buying from federal locations like national parks and the passport office.

Additional moves should improve protections against identity theft, whether or not you're on the government's dime. The order will have federal investigators share more of their evidence with companies when looking into data breaches. It will also refine IdentityTheft.gov to make it easier for you to report (and ideally, recover from) fraud, while partnerships with both Citi and MasterCard will respectively give account holders free monthly credit score updates and identity theft support. There's only so much these new measures will do, especially when chip-and-PIN security won't arrive in earnest until 2015, but it's hard to object to better security.

Filed under: Misc, Internet

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Via: New York Times

Source: White House

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Fitbit's new wearable looks like a watch, crams in GPS and a heart rate monitor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/19/fitbit-surge-leak/

It's been a while since we've seen a new Fitbit product, but according to a leak obtained at The Verge, that's because the company's been working on something a little special. The Fitbit Surge is a "fitness superwatch" that houses two must-haves for serious running types: GPS tracking and a heart-rate monitor. Crucially this would mean the wearable can monitor your activity without having to haul around your smartphone. (The likes of the Galaxy Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus aren't all that well-suited to a jog in the park). The leaked marketing materials also suggest it will priced at $249 and will still be able to monitor all the less intense calorie burning done on stairs and your commute to work. Borrowing from the smartwatch category, the Surge is also promising smart notifications for calls and texts, as well as music controls. According to The Verge, the watch is rumored to launch in three colors (black, slate and tangerine) in the next few weeks, likely alongside the pair of more lightweight Charge fitness trackers - also leaked in marketing materials. C'mon guys, tighten up that security. We've reached out to Fitbit for more.

Filed under: Wearables

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Source: The Verge

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Google gives you the tools to build apps for Android 5.0 Lollipop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/19/android-lollipop-developer-tools/

The official Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade for your phone may be weeks away, but Google has delivered all the ingredients for you to make Lollipop-ready apps. The search firm has released both the finished Lollipop developer kit and a fresh batch of stripped-down Android test releases for Nexus 5 and 7 devices. There's also a new round of Material Design guidelines and assets to make sure apps look at home in Google's flatter aesthetic. This won't help much if you just want to try all the whiz-bang features, but you'll definitely want to hit the source links if you're a software creator.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Google

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Via: Matias Duarte (Google+)

Source: Android Developers Blog

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Dyson tackles the humidifier, kills water-based bacteria with UV light

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/20/dyson-hygienic-mist-humidifier/

In a launch presentation in Tokyo, Japan (apparently the company's favorite place for new product launches), Dyson tackled the surprisingly sketchy hygiene issues that come with more typical humidifiers. To prove how gosh-darn better Dyson's Hygienic Mist humidifier is, the company's microbiology team (which of course it has) incubated water with bacteria to see how a typical humidifier transmits that to a room. A selection of agar jelly plates grossly demonstrated how that bacteria spreads around a room. However, in an early comparison, with the same concentration of bacteria in the water, Dyson's test humidifier, with UV light cleansing the water, knocked out 99.9 percent of the bacteria -- the current model manages this in three minutes. The device launches in Japan in early November, priced at 60,000 yen (roughly a hefty $560) and we've got the rest of the engineering details after the break.

Naturally, the new product tries to dovetail in the company's know-how from other families: Dyson's folded in its air multiplier technology too (making the design pretty similar to its fan), expanding the range compared to rival humidifiers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it also doubles-up as a fan in the summer. The air itself is also measured by an intelligent thermostat, keeping the air "comfortable", according to Dyson's Tom Bennett, and consistently adjusting its output accordingly. There's a three-liter tank, which can apparently ensure 18 hours of air-based moisture. It's beneath this reservoir (where the water mills around) that the UV light does its trick, squashing bacteria inside before it's taken up and sprayed as a mist across the room. It's also qualified for the "quiet mark" in the UK, benefited from Dyson's acoustic know-how. It barely makes a hiss. There's no word on roll-out outside of Japan just yet, but it looks like Dyson is working to ensure all that R&D pays off.

Filed under: Household

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Article: Convergence In The Internet Of Things Is Priming The Tech World For A Major Cultural Shift

Editor's note: Artyom Astafurov is the chief innovation officer at DataArt and co-founder of DeviceHive. To anyone who is tuned into the tech world, it should not come as earth shattering news that machine-to-machine (M2M) technology and the Internet of Things have hit a major convergence point i...

http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/18/convergence-in-the-internet-of-things-is-priming-the-tech-world-for-a-major-cultural-shift/?ncid=rss

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Article: Disney rendered its new animated film on a 55,000-core supercomputer

Disney's upcoming animated film Big Hero 6, about a boy and his soft robot (and a gang of super-powered friends), is perhaps the largest big-budget mash-up you'll ever see. Every aspect of the film's production represents a virtual collision of worlds. The story, something co-director Don Hall ca...

http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/18/disney-big-hero-6/?ncid=rss_truncated

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New MasterCard combines a fingerprint sensor with NFC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/17/mastercard-zwipe-fingerprint-sensor-nfc/

For awhile now, there's been a number of companies trying to simplify payments for everyone. Google did so with Wallet and, most recently, Apple announced it would be doing something similar with the soon-to-be-launched Apple Pay, among others. Not surprisingly, MasterCard's, synonymous with paying for stuff, is working on a product of its own. In partnership with Zwipe, a company that focuses on biometric tech, MasterCard has built a charge plate with a built-in fingerprint sensor and NFC, albeit for trial purposes. The Zwipe MasterCard, as it is currently known, is said to be extremely secure -- all data is stored directly on the card, rather than an outside database, for example.

It'll be simple to use too; you put tour thumb on the sensor, point it toward the terminal, the card makes sure it's really you and voila, kind of like how Apple Pay works using Touch ID. Zwipe says it is already working on a standardized card, which is designed to support all payment terminal expected to be released next year. Theoretically, it could be adopted by more credit card brands, like Visa, American Express and Discover, but we shall see.

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals

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Via: Digital Spy

Source: Zwipe

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Article: Microsoft opens up to Truecaller to help Windows Phone users pick out spam callers

Swedish startup Truecaller has announced a partnership with Microsoft that will see its Live Caller ID feature arrive for Windows Phone users. Founded in 2009, Truecaller is a cross-platform call and contact management service, claiming more than 85 million users globally. It's like an internatio...

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2014/10/16/microsoft-opens-apis-truecaller-help-windows-phone-users-pick-spam-callers/

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Google's new Chromecast is coming, but you won't notice a difference

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/16/google-chromecast-fcc-h2g2-2a/

Last night an apparently refreshed model of Google's Chromecast streaming dongle popped up in FCC filings (as pointed out by Zatz Not Funny), just like the original did in March last year, but don't get too excited. Unfortunately, the documents don't show any real difference that we could find, and missing features like support for 5GHz WiFi will still be missing whenever the H2G2-2A hits the streets. Need more confirmation? Six members of the Chromecast team took part in a coincidentally-timed AMA on Reddit this afternoon, and according to Google Jacky Hayward "we don't have any new user-facing features planned for this device." Whatever changes there are in the new model "it will have the same features as the original and most users won't notice a difference."

Of course, that doesn't stop us from thinking of features we would like to see in a new device, and the AMA did result in a few new nuggets of information. Beyond the recent "Backdrop" feature to give users more choice in terms of the info that pops up on their screensaver, there's a new Chrome OS files app coming (seen in developer builds, and as of today, in the beta channel) that will let users cast photos and video directly from Google Drive. They're also "looking into" gapless playback for Google Music, are working on smoother transitions for the device, and plan to "continue to innovate" when it comes to HDMI-CEC.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Via: Zatz Not Funny

Source: FCC, Chromecast Team AMA (Reddit)

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Archos is launching a GearVR competitor that costs just $40

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/16/archos-vr-headset/

We may not know how much GearVR will cost, but we're reasonably sure that Archos is already trying to undercut Samsung and Oculus head-mounted effort. The French company is busting out the wittily-named Archos VR Headset, a Rift-like device that's compatible with any smartphone that measures between 5 and 6-inches. The kicker here, of course, is that the device will retail for £25 in the UK, roughly converting to $40, which would put it well beneath the - frankly insane - $200 figure an unnamed Samsung official told VentureBeat during New York Fashion Week. If you're interested in trying one out, it'll be available at some point in November, and we hope that the GearVR isn't too far behind.

Filed under: Wearables, Samsung

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CHART OF THE DAY: Half Of All iPad Owners Have A Tablet That's At Least Two Years Old (AAPL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-half-of-all-ipad-owners-have-a-tablet-thats-at-least-two-years-old-2014-10

Apple introduced its iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 on Thursday. The iPad Air 2 is thinner and faster than its predecessor, while the iPad Mini 3 didn't see any internal improvements. Both tablets, however, now come with Touch ID, which allows them to make online payments through Apple Pay (there's no NFC for any retail use, however).

The new iPads face an uphill battle, though. Based on Localytics data from September charted for us by BI Intelligence, 48% of all iPad owners around the world still own iPad models that are at least two years old — that includes the first iPad, iPad 2, and third-generation iPad. This comes as no surprise; iPad owners tend to upgrade their tablet hardware more like laptop hardware (every 3-4 years) as opposed to phone hardware (every 1-2 years). With very few new features to show off this year, except for Touch ID, Apple might have a difficult time persuading current iPad owners to upgrade to one of its new tablets.

SEE ALSO: CHART OF THE DAY: The Fastest Internet Speeds Aren't In The US

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Blocks' modular smartwatch will talk to your iPhone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/15/blocks-modular-smartwatch-using-tizen/

Blocks first unveiled its modular smartwatch with a plan to use Android Wear, much as Project Ara smartphone will use a special version of Android. However, there has been a change of plans -- and it's good news if you're not of the Google persuasion. The team now says that it's using a version of the open source Tizen platform that should support Android, iOS and Windows Phone, so you probably won't have to give up a favorite device just to try this out. The Blocks team also has access to Intel's newest processors thanks to a prize from a recent design challenge, and modules will have removable covers that let you change both the style and functionality of your wristwear. This is still an incredibly ambitious project that may not pan out as planned, but it's evident that the pieces are quickly falling into place.

Filed under: Wearables, Samsung, Intel

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Source: Phonebloks

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Lenovo is building a new smartphone brand to compete with Xiaomi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/15/lenovo-is-building-a-new-smartphone-brand-to-compete-with-xiaomi/

Samsung and Apple may be the two biggest names in smartphones in the western world, but in China it's all about Lenovo and Xiaomi. The two companies are among the most recognizable brands in the region, but Lenovo wants more: it's about to create a new smartphone company for the Chinese market. While the new brand name hasn't been announced, Lenovo says that it will officially open for business in April of 2015, and will focus on branded applications, consumer engagement and, like Xiaomi, selling devices online. The company's core brand isn't out of the running, though -- Lenovo phones will still be available through local carriers and retailers.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Lenovo

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Source: Wall Street Journal

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