Technology - Google News

Get an Amazon Echo Dot for Just $9 Today - Lifehacker
Samsung has reportedly fixed the Galaxy S10 fingerprint recognition issue - The Verge
Bethesda hopes you'll pay $100 a year for private 'Fallout 76' worlds - Engadget

Get an Amazon Echo Dot for Just $9 Today - Lifehacker

Posted: 23 Oct 2019 11:45 AM PDT

If you're an Amazon Prime member—and we haven't scared you off from smart speakers altogether just yet—now might be your chance⁠ to finally pull the trigger. Right now, Amazon Prime members can buy an Echo Dot, which normally sells for $49.99 on the site, for just $8.98. You can use your Echo to read the news, listen to audiobooks or just use it as a fancy alarm clock (as I do); you'll also get a free month of Amazon Music Unlimited out of the deal, which you can cancel at any time.

If you aren't an Amazon Prime member yet, you can always sign up for a trial and cancel before the month ends, too. Wondering how to protect yourself from being spied on? Maybe don't be so quick to install any skills or actions from third-parties or independent developers with little or no reviews. You can head to Amazon's website to read more about the Echo Dot. We suggest acting quickly, as the sale probably won't last long.

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Samsung has reportedly fixed the Galaxy S10 fingerprint recognition issue - The Verge

Posted: 23 Oct 2019 01:57 PM PDT

Samsung has released a patch for the Galaxy S10 and Note 10's fingerprint reader, fixing a problem discovered by The Sun that could allow anyone's fingerprints to be used to unlock an S10 with certain types of screen protectors attached (via Reuters).

According to Android Central, the update is only available for S10 and Note 10 devices in South Korea for now, although it should be rolling out to additional countries in the near future.

The company previously warned users that unsanctioned screen protectors could cause issues. Samsung's official support site already notes that "unofficial, scratched or dirty screen protectors may cause the fingerprint sensor to malfunction." But there's a big difference between "malfunction" and "allow anyone to get into your phone," which likely explains the speed at which Samsung is getting this update out.

Samsung previously explained the problem by noting that the ultrasonic fingerprint was mistakenly "recognizing 3-dimensional patterns appearing on certain silicone screen protecting cases as users' fingerprints." As a temporary solution, Samsung recommends that users either remove the problematic screen protectors in question and reregister their prints or use a different authentication method (like a regular password) until the patch is released.

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Bethesda hopes you'll pay $100 a year for private 'Fallout 76' worlds - Engadget

Posted: 23 Oct 2019 12:19 PM PDT

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Bethesda is betting that Fallout 76 fans are willing to pay extra for creature comforts -- so much so that they'll pay more than they did for the base game. The developer has launched a Fallout 1st subscription that offers a few exclusive conveniences and other perks for $100 per year, or $13 per month. Most notably, 1st members can create private worlds for them and up to seven other people. You don't have to worry that a troublemaker will come in and ruin your experience, in other words. Friends can join these worlds without a subscription, so you don't have to persuade your pals to sign up just to get some relative peace and quiet.

You'll also get an unlimited-capacity Scrapbox for your crafting components and a Survival Tent that serves as a placeable fast travel point with basic amenities. If cosmetics are your thing, you'll also get 1,650 Atoms per month to spend, a members-only armor outfit and a pack of exclusive emotes and icons. Any Atoms and Scrapbox resources you collect will still be available if you drop your subscription.

There's some degree of value here when it costs money to host private servers. At the same time, this could easily rub some gamers the wrong way. Bethesda recently delayed its big free update, Wastelanders, to the first quarter of 2020 -- it may feel like the company is prioritizing an additional revenue grab over improving a game whose reputation is less than sterling. Features like the Scrapbox and Survival Tent could theoretically have been added to the core game without much hassle, either. Fallout 1st may be appealing if you're deeply invested in the shared-world RPG, but it could have a harder time attracting everyone else.

Via: Kotaku

Source: Bethesda (1), (2)

In this article: av, bethesda, fallout, fallout 1st, fallout 76, games, gaming, internet, personal computing, personalcomputing, ps4, services, subscription, video games, xbox one

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