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Android 13 DP1 for some Pixel devices includes a Camera Obfuscator app - XDA Developers
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 Sequel And Warzone 2 Officially Announced - IGN - IGN
The King of Fighters XV - All Super Moves (4K60) - IGN

Android 13 DP1 for some Pixel devices includes a Camera Obfuscator app - XDA Developers

Posted: 11 Feb 2022 01:30 AM PST

Google has finally released the first Android 13 developer preview build for its Pixel devices. The update packs a host of new features and changes that will make their way to users with the next major Android upgrade, including new APIs, developer tools, new Quick Settings tiles, and more. In addition, Android 13 DP1 for some Pixel devices also packs a Camera Obfuscator app that Google hasn't mentioned in its announcement post.

According to Android Police, the Camera Obfuscator app is preinstalled in Android 13 DP1 for the Pixel 6. It appears to be an image-sharing app that lets users strip all metadata from shared images, but it's intended for internal Google use only. As Android Police explains, the app can open images or receive an intent for a shared image and then obfuscate it. While stripping metadata from a shared image, the app also shows a progress bar that says "Obfuscating image."

As shown in the attached screenshots, users can either obfuscate images from within the Camera Obfuscator app before sharing or open the share menu on a different app, like Google Photos or Gallery, pick Camera Obfuscator from the share sheet, and then obfuscate the image.

Screenshots: Android Police

On the surface, obfuscating an image using the app removes all metadata from an image. But Android Police speculates that it could be doing more behind the scenes, like stripping out other data found in JPEG files. Interestingly, the Camera Obfuscator app isn't available in all Android 13 DP1 images. As mentioned earlier, it is available on Google's flagship Pixel 6, but not on the Pixel 4 or the Pixel 4a 5G.

At the moment, we don't have any further information about the Camera Obfuscator app. But the idea behind it is rather simple. It helps Googlers share images with family and friends without leaking info about upcoming camera features or other changes. Since Google accidentally included it in the first Android 13 developer preview release, we believe that the company could be working on new camera features for its Pixel lineup.

It's worth mentioning that the Camera Obfuscator app is likely not related to Android 13, even though it's the first time we've seen it. Mishaal Rahman says that Google has used it internally before, but the company doesn't usually ship it in production builds.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 Sequel And Warzone 2 Officially Announced - IGN - IGN

Posted: 11 Feb 2022 10:56 AM PST

This year's Call of Duty release will be a sequel to 2019's Modern Warfare, Activision Blizzard announced today. It will be developed in tandem with a new Warzone release that will be "designed together from the ground up."

Call of Duty fans can be expect a "all-new playspace and a new sandbox mode" for Warzone 2. Both the Modern Warfare sequel and Warzone will be powered by a new engine.

Let's start with a look ahead:
✅ COD 2022 is a sequel to MW 2019, and being designed with a new #Warzone experience (both led by @InfinityWard)
✅ A massive evolution of BR, with an all-new playspace and new sandbox mode
✅ A new engine powering both the new game and #Warzone
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) February 11, 2022

Development on both games will once again be led by Infinity Ward, which previously worked on Modern Warfare 2019 and Call of Duty: Warzone. Both games are among the most successful Call of Duty games ever made, with Warzone in particular becoming a major fixture of the battle royale scene.

The Call of Duty 2022 news was released as part of a community update that also includes info for Season 2 of Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone. Activision Blizzard is promising more than 30 improvements ahead of the next season's launch on February 14, including fixes to blockages in Modern Warfare's multiplayer.

The announcement comes amidst ongoing unionization efforts at Raven Software, a key support studio in the Call of Duty ecosystem. Earlier this year, Raven Software's QA engineers went on strike to draw attention to their cause.

The future of Call of Duty has also been a key question amid Xbox's recent Activision Blizzard acquisition. While Infinity Ward did not announce the platforms for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2022 or the new Warzone, Microsoft has promised that Activision Blizzard games will be released on PlayStation "beyond existing agreements," meaning that PS5 owners can expect to play this year's releases alongside their compatriots on Xbox Series X|S.

The Entire Raven Software QA Unionization Timeline: The Story So Far

Today's announcement is a welcome refresh for Warzone in particular, which has dealt with everything from bugs to a cheating epidemic. When Call of Duty: Warzone was released in 2019, we called it an "enjoyable battle royale despite making some serious concessions to depth." Nevertheless, it was also "teeming with good ideas." Perhaps Warzone 2 will be an opportunity for Infinity Ward to make good on some of those ideas.

Infinity Ward has not yet announced a release date for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2022 or the new Warzone, but fans can likely expect them sometime in November.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

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The King of Fighters XV - All Super Moves (4K60) - IGN

Posted: 11 Feb 2022 08:00 AM PST