Technology - Google News

Microsoft's Edge Extensions Store Has Reportedly Been Hosting Illegal Copies Of Nintendo Games - Nintendo Life
Facebook's Reportedly Working on a Smartwatch so It Can Hoover Up Your Health Data Too - Gizmodo
Samsung has pulled Galaxy S20 FE’s One UI 3.1 update - SamMobile

Microsoft's Edge Extensions Store Has Reportedly Been Hosting Illegal Copies Of Nintendo Games - Nintendo Life

Posted: 13 Feb 2021 02:30 AM PST

Microsoft's Edge extensions store is believed to have been hosting "illegal copies" of classic games like Mario Kart 64, Super Mario Bros. and various other titles like Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man and Tetris. Even the Microsoft-owned IP Minecraft was unofficially available.

According to The Verge, the developers behind these listings were not Microsoft, Nintendo, or "any other" related parties. Although the pages were taken down right away, some user reviews for these game uploads supposedly date back to last October - meaning these listings have essentially gone unnoticed until now.

Adding to this, the official "Microsoft Edge Dev" Twitter account allegedly went to the extent of promoting these "vintage" games. Here's an image, that was apparently taken before the tweet was deleted, calling on all Mario Kart lovers:

One daring individual by the name of @olynative on Twitter took a chance with the Mario Kart 64 extension and said it downloaded a ROM of the game.

Some of the listings that are now no longer available apparently clarified that they had no affiliation with the game companies who made the titles. Obviously, this still doesn't cut it.

"IMPORTANT: This emulator is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Nintendo. All graphics, games, and other multimedia are copyrighted to their respective owners and authors. This game is for ALL Mario fans!"

Once again, action has now been taken and the majority of these game listings have been removed. We doubt Nintendo's ninjas would have been too impressed had they come across them. Crisis averted.

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Facebook's Reportedly Working on a Smartwatch so It Can Hoover Up Your Health Data Too - Gizmodo

Posted: 12 Feb 2021 06:46 PM PST

Illustration for article titled Facebooks Reportedly Working on a Smartwatch so It Can Hoover Up Your Health Data Too — Photo: Olivier Douliery (Getty Images)

Apparently unsatiated by hoovering up users' personal data on its platforms, Facebook's hoping to get its mitts on their health data as well. The company's reportedly building a smartwatch as its next foray into hardware, and the device could debut as soon as next year, according to a Friday report from the Information.

The smartwatch is said to run on Android, though it's unclear whether it will use Google's Wear OS as Facebook is reportedly trying to build its own operating system for future hardware ventures, according to people with direct knowledge of the device who spoke with the outlet under the condition of anonymity. The watch will reportedly access the internet via a cellular connection, so no smartphone needed, and have messaging, health, and fitness features.

Naturally, all of these features will boast baked-in compatibility with Facebook's existing platforms, as the company is undoubtedly looking to leverage its vast social network to get an edge over Fitbit, Apple, and other titans in the smartwatch space. The device will let users track their workouts with friends, get in touch with their trainer, and offer some kind of quick chat feature without having to pick up a smartphone. Down the road, Facebook also plans to makes its devices compatible with health and fitness products from companies like Peloton, as well as launch versions capable of interacting with Facebook's future devices, like the line of augmented reality glasses it's reportedly cooking up.

Facebook aims to debut the first version of its smartwatch by next year, with plans for a second-generation rolling out as soon as 2023, one person briefed on the timeline told the Information. While the report didn't get into specific price points, it claims "Facebook is expected to sell its watch near the cost to produce it," which is a tactic the company's used with its Oculus virtual reality headsets.

Per the Information, Facebook's chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer said at an all-hands meeting for employees in December that the company planned to continue its push into hardware and increase its investments in wearable devices. The smartwatch would join Facebook's growing hardware ecosystem, which includes its Oculus VR headsets and Portal video-streaming devices along with several rumored projects purportedly in the works. Facebook did not immediately answer Gizmodo's request for comment, but we'll update this blog when they do.

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Given Facebook's track record of privacy missteps, this newest venture seems like a disaster waiting to happen. The company's dropped so many red flags over the years to indicate that forking over your health data to them is a very dumb idea. If this smartwatch does end up seeing the light of day (the report said that development's pretty far along, but Facebook could still can the project), I give it two or three months before the scandalous headlines start rolling in followed by Facebook issuing yet another half-hearted apology.

We've been through this cycle so many times, guys. I'm tired.

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Samsung has pulled Galaxy S20 FE’s One UI 3.1 update - SamMobile

Posted: 12 Feb 2021 03:07 AM PST

Samsung had started rolling out the One UI 3.1 update to the Galaxy S20 FE a few days ago. However, the company seems to have pulled the update, and it is no longer available to download. The Galaxy S20 FE was launched last year with Android 10, but it received the Android 11 update with One UI 3.0 two months ago.

The latest update for the Galaxy S20 FE is no longer available through OTA or Smart Switch. It is still unclear as to why Samsung pulled the One UI 3.1 update for the Galaxy S20 FE. However, it is possible that the firmware had some bugs, and the company could've pulled it to fix those issues. Last month, Samsung had pulled the Galaxy S10's One UI 3.0 update as well but resumed the release a few days later.

The One UI 3.1 update for the Galaxy S20 FE was largely rolled out in European markets and brought features such as Zoom Lock in the camera app and the ability to remove location data from photos while sharing them. Samsung might resume the rollout to the Galaxy S20 FE within a few days. If you are a Galaxy S20 FE user and have already installed the One UI 3.1 update on your smartphone, have you noticed any bugs, performance issues, or reduced battery life? Let us know in the comments section below.