Month: January 2014

AVG announces PrivacyFix Family and Web TuneUp to protect your privacy online

AVG announced two new products to protect user privacy online; PrivacyFix Family is a new Facebook app that allows parents and their children to share privacy settings to make sure everyone is sharing safely on the web. Web TuneUp is a new browser extension that monitors your internet activity to protect you against unwanted tracking.

“With 58% of parents we spoke to advising that they felt uncomfortable about their children sharing personal information online, we’re giving parents and children the guidance they need to make better privacy decisions on Facebook together in an easy and quick manner,” says Jim Brock, VP of AVG Privacy products. With PrivacyFix Family, parents can make sure their children are using safe privacy settings.

AVG PrivacyFix Family audit results

The Facebook app even works if parents and kids aren’t friends on the social network. “Parents don’t even know how to start with that conversation about Facebook privacy,” says Brock. By allowing parents and kids the ability to come together to make sure everyone in the family has safe sharing settings, without forcing kids to friend their parents.

PrivacyFix Family works in conjunction with AVG’s PrivacyFix Facebook app, which helps you audit your privacy settings across different social networks like Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn.

AVG also released a new product in beta, Web TuneUp, which is an extension for Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox. Web TuneUp helps monitor your browsing habits, alerting you to compromised sites, block tracking, and features a browser cleaner. The Web TuneUp extension provides a dynamically updated list of risky sites so users have the most up to date database. While browsers already include some phishing and malware protection, AVG’s Web TuneUp will be updated more frequently.

AVG Web TuneUp install

The extension is easy to use with toggles for different settings so you can tailor your web browsing experience. Do Not Track shows what data is collected about users and allows them to block them. The browser cleaner can clear your browser history, cookies, download history, and saved forms with a single click.

PrivacyFix Family will be launching in beta today and Web TuneUp is available to download here. AVG hopes to roll out the finished version of PrivacyFix Family in February.

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PlayStation Now brings streaming games to consoles, TVs, tablets and phones

Sony is finally ready to start rolling out its streaming gaming service it announced last year. The company announced its PlayStation Now service, which will use technology it purchased from Gaikai to stream games to its own consoles (PlayStation 4/3/Vita), televisions, tablets, and smartphones.

Cloud gaming is nothing new, with OnLive popularizing the technology until it was faced with bankruptcy in 2012. Streaming games will require low latency internet and moderately quick internet connections to make sure there’s no lag with input controls. Milliseconds of lag could kill the gaming experience so it’ll be interesting to see how Sony tackles the challenges of streaming games.

Streaming games also offers the distinct advantage of running on low powered hardware since games will be rendered on Sony’s servers. Devices like tablets and phones will only have to display the video stream, which isn’t very hard since most devices support streaming HD video from Netflix.

PlayStation Now should be a success if it can pull off being on as many platforms as possible, not just Sony’s PlayStation ecosystem. Polygon reports Sony intends on bringing PlayStation Now to non-Sony devices but will focus on rolling out the service to Sony devices first.

PlayStation Now will launch in a closed beta at the end of this month with plans to roll out the service summer of 2014. At the moment, only four PlayStation 3 games are playable using PlayStation Now, including The Last of Us, God of War: ascension, Beyond: Two Souls, and Puppeteer.

Source: Sony | Via: IGN

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2013 games news review

Slender the sequel.

Slender was undoubtedly one of the biggest viral games in history, and it wasn’t a surprise when a commercial sequel was announced. However, while the first game traded on grainy graphics and mystery, Slender: The Arrival had polished graphics, more of a story and more locations. All of this added up to… less success. In the same way that mobile game phenomenons have trouble repeating success (hello Draw Something 2), by the time Slender: The Arrival arrived, the world had moved on from lo-fi horror games.

SimCity disaster

One of the most anticipated games of the year, SimCity was released to glowing reviews and huge sales. However, the game can only be played with an internet connection. Apart from ‘always online’ being controversial in itself, it appeared that on top of EAs servers failing to meet demand, the game’s ‘Glass Box’ engine wasn’t really a justification for an internet connection at all. Players proved the game could indeed run without being connected to EA’s servers, and it also seemed that the Glass Box engine wasn’t quite as smart as advertised at all, with hilariously stupid traffic AI, and trees that made siren and car noises.

I love horses!

Minecraft 1.6 was released in May, with various fixes and improvements, including horses. It’s fair to say this was a popular addition to the creative survival sandbox game. We were inundated with excited comments about the addition of horses to Minecraft:

  • “YES! HORSES!”
  • “Horses! the new pig!”
  • “Horses are AWESOME and don’t forget the new carpets. I LOVE the horses”
  • “I AM GONNA NAME MY HORSES RALF AND PETE”

Minecraft 1.7, dubbed ‘the update that changed the world’, didn’t cause anywhere near the same level of enthusiasm.

A great year for Simulators

It’s been a long time coming, but 2013 was the year we finally had to admit the massive popularity of apparently mundane Simulators. The stars were undoubtedly Euro Truck Simulator 2 and Train Simulator and the silly Surgeon Simulator 2013. Euro Truck Simulator 2 goes from strength to strength, with an almost constant feed of updates, and the launch of its very own social network World of Trucks.

GTA V.. on PC?

No mention of 2013 can avoid Grand Theft Auto V. Rockstar’s sprawling sandbox sequel was the most hyped game of the year, and it arguably deserved it. Beautiful to look at, with tons of innovations, and best of all the huge Los Santos environment to explore. The elephant in the room is of course the so far unannounced PC version. We expect it six to eight months after the console release, but with no word from Rockstar, PC gamers could be getting nervous. We’re still convinced it will happen, and there’s no reason for Rockstar to rush in to making an announcement.

The Sims are back. WooHoo?

The Sims 4 was confirmed at this year-s Gamescom in Cologne, and a few week-s later EA told us it would arrive in Fall 2014 on PC and Mac. The new sims are going to be more emotional than ever before, and they’ll affect the game in new ways. Negative emotions won’t necessarily be a bad thing – a sad sim might be better at writing emotional books than a content one, for example. Our commenters were more excited about the return of ‘WooHoo’!

LucasArts closes: the end of an era.

In April, Disney closed the iconic LucasArts studio, which made the point and click adventure genre huge in the 90s. Despite it’s catalog of great titles like Monkey Island, Sam & Max and Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis, in recent years it had been focused on exploiting the Star Wars franchise with much less success. Former LucasArts employees, let go after Sam & Max was cancelled, moved to TellTale games which has made the point and click genre great again.

More Plants, more Zombies.

One of our favorite casual games got a sequel this year. Plants vs Zombies 2: It’s About Time was released in the summer, with a great campaign of time traveling zombie defence. The biggest change wasn’t the gameplay or story, but making Plants vs Zombies 2: It’s About Time freemium. If you want to speed your progress, you can pay to unlock levels, rather than playing to get all the necesary stars. While there are lots of opportunities to pay, it doesn’t actually spoil the game, which is refreshing.

EA puts an end to the ‘Online Pass’

EA surprised everyone by canceling its ‘online pass’ system for games. Introduced as a way to combat perceived losses in the second-hand market, online passes meant that if you did buy a second hand game, you’d have to pay again if you wanted to play online. It was never popular, and removing it was a good PR move.

PES 2013 doesn’t make it rain

The soccer wars were as hot as ever in 2013, and with a new game engine to show off, it seemed as if Pro Evo might turn the tables on its more popular rival FIFA. But it didn’t work out that way. We first learned that game would not have rain, as Konami hadn’t had time to work with the new engine long enough, and to make matters worse it lost the right to show most European stadiums. FIFA 14 also had its fair share of bugs, but was still a huge success.
Better luck next year, PES.

20 best free games for Windows 8

At first, there were only a few games for Windows 8, but half a year later, things are very different. Whether you’re looking for shooter, platformer, or realtime strategy game, there are lots on offer and among the (unfortunately) large number of bad games, you can find some real gems. Below is a list of games for Windows 8 that are just waiting to be played.

Windows 8 Games

Jetpack Joyride

In Jetpack Joyride, you use your jetpack to run and fly nonstop through a never ending landscape. Just like other endless runner games, the only difference is in the obstacles and gold coins you find along the way. Great graphics and a catchy soundtrack make for a light-hearted game that’s not too difficult.

Jetpack Joyride on Windows 8

Judge Dredd vs. Zombies

In Judge Dredd vs. Zombies, you have to defend Mega-City One from a zombie attack. Using different weapons, you clean out zombies from different areas over the various levels of the game.

Judge Dredd vs Zombies on Windows 8

Roman Empire

In Roman Empire, you take on the role of power-hungry Caesar. Your goal? To conquer Europe. You’ll have to vanquish neighboring villages, create alliances and make spur of the moment decisions.

Roman Empire on Windows 8

Monkey Flight

Fans of Angry Birds will enjoy Monkey Flight. Helped by special objects, the aim is to launch the monkeys so that they pick up the floating fruit.

Monkey Flight on Windows 8

Mortar Melon

In Mortar Melon, the aim is to throw watermelons from the left edge of the screen into a randomly positioned basket. This becomes more difficult when obstacles like rotating blades are added to the mix and the difficulty increases with each level.

Mortar Melon in Windows 8

My Country

In this copy of SimCity, your mission is to build a bustling metropolis. You’ll have to build and place various buildings, roads, and other utilities to create the necessary infrastructure. If the people are happy, revenues will increase and your building plans will be safe, but if you don’t manage to organize the construction well, you’ll find that building flies out of control.

My Country on Windows 8

3D Boat Race

3D Boat Race lets you compete on the water in high speed boats. Arch-shaped goals show you the route to the finish.

3D Boat Race on Windows 8

Paper Dash

This game is a remake of the classic, Paperboy. The main character is a paperboy and you need to steer him around the obstacles that he’ll find on his route.

Paperdash on Windows 8

Parking Mania

The noble art of parking is recreated in Parking Mania. The aim is to park your car in a particular space. Just as in real life, however, this isn’t always easy – there’s little room to maneuver and the best spots are already occupied by other cars. Along the way, you pick up coins and other bonuses.

Parking Mania on Windows 8

Radiant Defense

This is a colorful tower defense game. In your role as commander of a space station, you have to defend it against external attacks. Slow down your opponents by positioning defensive towers and walls.

Radiant Defense on Windows 8

3D Marble Tracks

3D Marble Tracks is an interesting mix of mini golf, bobsled racing, and billiards. You’re going to need a lot of patience and a steady hand to get to the end!

3D Marble Tracks on Windows 8

Shuriken Ninja

In this puzzle, you play the part of a ninja. Use your shuriken stars and throw them to create chain reactions so that they hit several targets at once.

Shuriken Ninja on Windows 8

SoulCraft

This time we have an action-packed role-playing game full of sinister characters. In Soulcraft, you fight your way through a colorful fantasy world as an angel, demon, or human being, building up your character by gaining experience in combat, weapons, and objects.

SoulCraft on Windows 8

Trick Shot Bowling

Trick Shot Bowling is a classic bowling game where you can choose to play against the computer or real opponents. Decide for yourself where to aim and how hard to bowl the ball so that you can create a particular effect.

Trick Shot Bowling on Windows 8

3D Paperball

Throwing a screwed up ball of paper helps to release tension. In 3D Paperball, these paper balls are virtual ones and you can show off your basketball skills by hitting the trash can in various different scenarios.

3D Paperball on Windows 8

Agent P Strikes Back

This fun adventure stars Perry the Platypus, a character from the animated series Phineas and Ferb. The idea of the game is simply to jump between platforms and defend yourself against a series of animals that Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz has released to wreak havoc.

Agent P Strikes Back on Windows 8

AirHockey

A good game for two people, AirHockey is classic game room entertainment. In Windows 8, the floating discs you play with become touch-sensitive controls.

Airhockey on Windows 8

Drift Mania Championship 2

Drift Mania Championship 2 is a fun racing game with good graphics and a catchy soundtrack that makes full use of the motion sensors built into your tablet.

Drift Mania Championship 2 on Windows 8

Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek

The idea behind this game is a mystery and your job is to find the hidden objects and clues in the scene. The graphics are very good and full of details. The soundtrack also helps create an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.

Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek on Windows 8

Guns 4 Hire

In this fast-paced action shooting game, characters are armed to the teeth. The control system is similar to that of Command & Conquer.

Guns for Hire on Windows 8

What do you think are the best games for Windows 8?

Original article by José María López on Softonic ES.

McAfee rebrands itself as Intel Security

McAfee, the security software purchased by Intel in 2010, announced during this year’s Consumer Electronics Show that it will re-brand itself as Intel Security. In addition to the name change, Intel Security will also offer some of its products for free.

During a presentation at CES 2014, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said that “Intel plans to offer element’s of McAffe’s… security solutions for mobile devices for free”. The company is expected to announce more changes to its product line within the next few months.

Krzanich gave no reason for the change, but it seems as if Intel wants to expand its name in the online security world, as well as distance itself from the McAfee name, as founder John McAfee has been the subject of news scandal in recent years (as well as creating this bizarre video on how to uninstall McAfee Antivirus).

Despite the name change, however, the newly rebranded Intel Security will retain the shield logo.

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Tinder coming to Windows Phone, thanks to 6tindr

Tinder, the popular dating app for iOS and Android, will soon be available on Windows Phone via the unofficial 6tindr app, according to developer Rudy Huyn’s Twitter account.

Huyn, a developer known for creating quality unofficial Windows Phone apps including 6tag for Instagram and 6sec for Vine, is adding to his repetoire one of the last big apps, Tinder, that’s still missing from Windows Phone.

Tinder uses a social network structure based on your Facebook profile and a ‘like or dislike’ categorization to create potential love matches.  Tinder will show you profiles of people anywhere from 1 to 100 miles away. If you’re interested in meeting and swipe yes, and they do the same, both users will receive a notification. If only one user is interested, the other party will not be notified.

While both Vine and Instagram now have official Windows Phone apps, many users have chosen to stick with Huyn’s unofficial app. He’s also developed a Wikipedia app that’s been backed by the Wikimedia foundation, as well as the only Snapchat app, 6snap, currently in the Windows Store. His previous success and the already massive popularity of Tinder on iOS and Android bodes well for the success of 6tindr.

Windows Phone users, on the other hand, will be grateful to finally be including in the mobile dating game.

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Rdio and Shazam team up to create playlists from your tags

Rdio and Shazam have teamed up to make your life a bit easier with automatically generated playlists from your Shazam tags. The new feature in Shazam will allow you to integrate the app with your Rdio account. Once your accounts are linked, you’ll find a new playlist called “My Shazam Tracks” in Rdio for all the songs you’ve tagged with Shazam. This is a great way to remind yourself which artists you want to look up or what song you want to add to a playlist later.

There are rumors that Google Play Music will be integrating a similar feature with Google’s Sound Search though the feature hasn’t been turned on yet. The guys over at the Google Operating System blog have found a URL where Play Music will create a playlist of searched for songs. You can check it out yourself by clicking on this direct url.

Today’s update will be available in both Shazam Free and Shazam Encore, so there’s no additional cost to your Rdio subscription. The updated Shazam apps should be hitting the Apple App Store and Google Play soon. There’s no word whether Windows Phone users will get the feature.

Download Shazam: Android | iOS

Download Rdio: Android | iOS

Source: Rdio | Via: Android Police

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Kindle for iOS gets new flashcard feature

Amazon has updated its Kindle for iOS app with a new flashcard feature to help students study. The update also includes improved search, updated X-Ray results, and performance improvements.

The new flashcard feature integrates with Amazon’s X-Ray for Textbooks features and will create flashcards from terms, highlights, and concepts that X-Ray thinks is important. Students should find the new feature for reviewing key concepts and notes from a book.

Instant search is also included in this update, which offers up suggested queries as you’re typing. Search for annotations, bookmarks, and highlights can now be filtered easily.

The dictionary has also been redesigned with an iOS 7 look and feel. The interface makes it easy to switch to another language or a purchased dictionary.

Download Kindle for iOS

Source: Kindle (iTunes)

Via: 9to5Mac

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Vine web profiles arrive with “TV Mode”

We showed you how to reserve your own vanity URL for your Vine web profile and today, those profiles go live. Vine’s web profiles feature a simple stream of your Vine feed once you log in. You can either enter in your user name and password or use Twitter’s login system.

Vines in your feed play automatically as you scroll down, same as the Vine mobile apps. Users will also be able to “Like,” Revine, Tweet, comment, and share videos on Facebook. There’s also an expanded menu with options to report the video, go to the post’s page, get an embed code, and email. Unfortunately that’s the extent of what you can do with Vine’s web profiles. There’s no section to explore Vines from users who you don’t follow nor is there a way to upload video clips.

Vine web profile expanded menu

Once nice touch Vine included with web profiles is “TV Mode,” which allows users to view individual Vine videos in full screen. You will lose the ability to see and make comments but you can use your arrow keys to move through your feed.

vine_web_tv_mode

To check out your own Vine web profile, head over to vine.co.

Download Vine: Android | iOS | Windows Phone

Source: Vine Blog

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Steam, Origin brought down briefly in separate attacks

Both Steam and Origin were taken down last evening by separate denial of service (DDoS) attacks but service has since been restored. Valve and EA’s game distribution platforms were targeted by different hacker organizations for no apparent reason other than for the lulz. Ars Technica speculates these attacks could be related to the attacks against YouTube user PhantomL0rd.

EA’s Origin service was first to go down at around 7PM PST, affecting all its games which require an internet connection. Even the Battlefield companion app, Battlelog, suffered service outages. Hacker organization, Derp Trolling, has taken responsibility for this attack and the attacks on League of Legends, Battle.net, and DOTA 2 in recent days.

DerpTrolling Gabe StarbucksDerp Trolling has a strange obsession with Valve co-founder, Gabe Newell

Steam went down soon after, preventing access to Steam Cloud and the Steam Store. While Steam was also hit with a targeted DDoS attack, it was a separate attack by Twitter users @LARCENY_ and @chF.

Service for both Steam and Origin are back to full functionality, though that doesn’t mean much for Battlefield 4 users facing the usual server issues.

Via: Ars Technica

Images via Derp Trolling

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