Friday, March 11, 2022

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DuckDuckGo reverses course, will demote Russian propaganda in search results

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 05:43 PM PST

The search engine DuckDuckGo will be down-ranking sites that spread Russian propaganda and disinformation. In a tweet, founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg wrote that the privacy-focused search engine would be releasing updates that would ensure Russian disinformation sites rank further down in search results. Earlier this month, DuckDuckGo announced it would pause its relationship with Russian-state owned search engine Yandex.

Even if it's for the right reasons, putting a thumb on the scales of search results is an uncharacteristic move for the Pennsylvania-based search company. Unlike Google and major social media platforms, DuckDuckGo has neglected to filter out misleading content on vaccines or elections. A number of platforms including the Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram have started to demote posts from Russian state media. Google has been down-ranking search results from Russian state news agencies since 2017.

Known for being a "privacy-minded" search engine, DuckDuckGo does not track its users or sell data to third parties. The company primarily makes money from affiliate links and non-targeted ads. DuckDuckGo, which regularly donates to digital rights groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and non-profit newsroom The Markup, has also been embraced by conspiracy theorists and far-right groups in recent years. A number of studies highlighted in the New York Times found that Bing's search algorithm, which powers DuckDuckGo, surfaces more sites that promote conspiracy theories than Google.

Many fans of DuckDuckGo criticized the search engine for its decision on Russia, likening it to "censorship". It's unclear whether DuckDuckGo will make a wider effort to down-rank disinformation. 

Weinberg did not detail in his tweet which Russian propaganda sites DuckDuckGo would target, or whether the search engine will target other types of disinformation, such as on climate change or Covid-19. Engadget has reached out to DuckDuckGo with these questions and will update when we hear back.

Facebook will ‘temporarily’ allow Ukrainians to call for the death of Putin and Russian soldiers

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 03:34 PM PST

Facebook is changing a rule that prohibits users from calling for violence in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The change, which was first reported byReuters, allows people in Ukraine and a handful of other countries "to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion." People in Ukraine, Poland and Russia are also permitted to "call for death to Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko."

Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement that the company was "temporarily" allowing some posts that in the past would have been taken down under the company's rules prohibiting inciting violence. He added that the company won't allow "credible calls for violence against Russian civilians." The company will also take down specific credible threats against Putin and Lukashenko, according to a memo reported by Reuters.

"As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as 'death to the Russian invaders,'" Stone said. "We still won't allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians."

The change underscores just how much social media platforms are rushing to adapt their content policies amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Facebook has already taken several steps to limit the influence of Russian state media outlets and took down a network of fake accounts boosting pro-Russia propaganda. The Russian government has responded by banning Facebook.

'Call of Duty: Warzone' is coming to mobile

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 02:58 PM PST

Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale game, will soon have a mobile version. In a tweet, the game's publisher Activision announced it was hiring for a slate of new mobile roles. The upcoming Warzone will be the second CoD title adapted for mobile, following the release of Call of Duty: Mobile in 2019. Warzone fans are likely still enjoying Season 2, which was released last month. The release date of the new mobile game hasn't been announced yet, though games journalist Tom Henderson did note the title has already been added to Playtest Cloud, a testing platform for mobile games.

Fans of mobile games should expect to see more from the Activision universe. A mobile version of Diablo Immortal is in the testing stages and is expected to be released later this year. Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard—expected to finalize in fiscal year 2023—would give it control of Activision's enormously successful mobile gaming business.

The Santa Monica-based publisher will be drawing new recruits for the Warzone mobile game during a turbulent time for the company. Activision is facing lawsuits over allegations of sexual harassment and has fired or discliplined dozens of employees it deemed to be guilty. Meanwhile, QA testers at Raven Software—the Wisconsin-based Activision studio behind the original Warzone—recently unionized. Notably, most of the new mobile roles that Activision is hiring for are based at either Activision Mobile, its in-house mobile game studio in Santa Monica or Digital Legends, an Activision studio in Barcelona, Spain.

Facebook and Twitter remove Russian embassy posts denying Mariupol hospital bombing

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 02:31 PM PST

Major social networks aren't done cracking down on Russian misinformation following that country's invasion of Ukraine. As CNN's Donie O'Sullivan and CNBC report, Facebook and Twitter have both removed posts from Russia's UK embassy over false claims surrounding the bombing of a maternity hospital in the Ukraine city of Mariupol. Russia claimed without evidence that a woman in a photo of the destroyed hospital was a "beauty blogger" and that the photo was staged.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told O'Sullivan a Facebook post violated rules about content that asserts a "violent tragedy did not occur." Twitter's representative, meanwhile, told CNBC multiple tweets broke rules surrounding the "denial of violent events."

Russia has routinely promoted demonstrably false narratives surrounding the invasion of Ukraine, prompting Meta, Twitter, Google and others to restrict state-backed Russian media outlets like RT and Sputnik. In turn, Russia recently made it illegal for the media to contradict President Putin's official line on the war and has blocked Facebook and Twitter.

The removals aren't surprising given the stances of Meta and Twitter against Russia-based misinformation. However, there may still be room for more action. The Russian embassy in Geneva, for instance, has routinely shared unsupported claims about Ukraine on Twitter, including allegations a Ukraine paramilitary group was using Mariupol hospital patients and staff as human shields. We've asked Twitter for comment, but this suggests the fight over misinformation is far from over.

Microsoft outlines Steam Deck support for its first-party games

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 01:14 PM PST

You don't have to lean on a special tool to know whether or not a Microsoft game will play properly on your Steam Deck. The Vergenotes Microsoft has published a list of the Xbox Game Studios titles you can play on Valve's handheld, and it's mostly good news. Recent releases like Deathloop and Psychonauts 2 are listed as "Verified" (that is, known to play well), and you can expect 2017's Prey to thrive.

Forza Horizon 5 (and 4), Sea of Thieves, Fallout 4 and Quantum Break are some of the games labeled as "Playable." They should work, but you may need to spend extra time setting them up or dealing with quirks (such as using the on-screen keyboard).

You're out of luck if you want to play a few of Microsoft's best-known games, however. Gears 5, Halo: Master Chief Collection, Halo Infinite and Flight Simulator X are all deemed "unsupported" due to their anti-cheat tools.

This list only includes the games Microsoft offers on Steam. You'll have to install Windows (and lose official support from Valve) if you insist on playing the company's wider catalog. Microsoft said Steam Deck compatibility is up to individual studios, however, so don't be surprised if a previously unviable game becomes playable in the future.

Google is rolling out air raid alerts on Android phones in Ukraine

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 12:37 PM PST

As the conflict in Ukraine continues, Google is rolling out an Android feature it hopes will help people in the country stay safe. Ukraine's government asked Google to deploy an air raid alert system on Android phones, and it worked with the company to do so. Google says the feature complements the existing air strike alerts — it's based on alerts the government is already providing to its residents.

In the latest update to a blog post in which it details the steps it's taking to help Ukraine, Google says it has now suspended most of its commercial activities in Russia. Those include ads for all entities based in Russia, Google Cloud signups, payments on most services and YouTube monetization features for Russian viewers. Free services such as YouTube, Gmail and Search are still available in Russia for the time being.

Starting today, hotel owners in countries neighboring Ukraine can note on their business profile if they offer discounted or free stays to refugees. Businesses can share details on their business profile on Search and Maps about services and aid they're offering to refugees from Ukraine.

Google is also letting NGOs in Warsaw use one of its campuses to offer legal and psychological support to refugees. It previously announced similar support for NGOs in Slovakia, Romania and Hungary, as well as a $10 million pledge toward local organizations in Poland that are aiding refugees.

Meanwhile, Google's Threat Analysis Group has detected activity from FancyBear and Ghostwriter, hacking groups believed to have ties to Russia and Belarus, respectively. The team shared details about those threats earlier this week to increase awareness among those in the security community and those who may be at risk of cyberattacks.

In addition, the company says it has complied with an EU directive to remove Russian state-funded media websites from search results in the region. It's also removing more Russian media apps from Google Play.

Lego finally adds Princess Peach to its Super Mario sets

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 12:26 PM PST

Lego's Super Mario sets have been around for roughly two years, but there's been a conspicuous omission: namely, any of the leading women from the video games. The company is rectifying that soon, thankfully. Lego has marked Mar10 Day by introducing Princess Peach to its Super Mario Adventures range. Buy her Starter Course and you can defeat opponents like Lemmy, collect fruit, earn coins and ride a swing set.

You can team up with Mario or Luigi, of course, and you'll rack up more coins if you play with someone else.

The Peach Starter Course won't be available until August 1st, when it will sell for $60. A combo Cat Peach suit and Frozen Tower expansion set will arrive at the same time for $80. And there's more regardless of your character preferences. Lego will sell a Big Spike's Cloudtop Challenge expansion for $70 on August 1st, while a smaller Fuzzy Flippers add-on will cost you $20. Lego has also teased Peach's Castle, Yoshi's Gift house and Goomba's Shoe sets, although there's no US pricing for those as we write this.

We're wondering where the other characters are — there's no Daisy or Pauline, at least not yet. Still, this is welcome news if you've wanted a wider range of characters to play beyond Nintendo's signature plumbers.

First Super Nintendo World theme park in the US will open in 2023

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 11:58 AM PST

Nintendo fans in the US will soon be able to step into the world of Mario and Luigi. Universal Studios Hollywood announced that Super Nintendo World—a ride and interactive area in the style of the Super Mario videogames—will debut at the California theme park in 2023. It'll be the first Nintendo-themed park in the US and will follow last year's launch of the first Super Nintendo World in Japan.

The launch of the Nintendo park in Osaka was delayed by nearly a year due to the pandemic, and opened to a limited number of guests in March 2021. Hopefully, the California park will debut in a very different environment. Los Angeles County lifted its outdoor mask policy in public places earlier this month. But if the pandemic worsens, it's likely we'll see the park open with COVID-19 safety measures.

According to the Los Angeles Times, fans can expect an interactive area, a special themed-ride and (of course) plenty of themed shopping and dining. Super Nintendo World will be an expansion of the current Universal Studios Hollywood, and will be located in the lower area of the park. It'll be the first major expansion of the Hollywood park since 2016, when it debuted the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

What can fans expect from the US park? The original Super Nintendo World in Osaka has a ride where fans can race on a life-sized Mario Kart course, as well as a slower ride on Yoshi's island. While Universal representatives aren't giving details on which rides are coming to Hollywood, it's fair to say we can expect a heavy AR component and plenty of gamified experiences throughout the area.

Valve's Steam Deck is (mostly) ready to run Windows

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 11:40 AM PST

It's now realistic to install Windows on a Steam Deck, provided you're wiling to live with certain limitations. Valve has released Windows drivers for the handheld's Bluetooth, graphics and WiFi, helping you use the system properly if the Linux-based SteamOS isn't to your liking. The developer has also shared instructions on how to install Windows on its gaming machine.

As you might gather, though, it's not a simple process. Audio drivers remain "in the works," so you'll have to rely on a Bluetooth or USB-C audio device. You'll have to install Windows 10 (Windows 11 support is coming through a BIOS update), and there's no dual-boot option at the moment — you'll have to replace SteamOS entirely.

Valve warned that it can't provide support for Windows users. You can revert to SteamOS using a USB recovery drive if necessary.

The limitations might make a good case for buying a Windows-native alternative like the Aya Neo or GPD Win 3. If you prefer the Steam Deck hardware and don't mind the lack of a safety net, though, this might be the moment you've been waiting for. Windows not only promises more performance thanks to native code (no Proton here), but access to Destiny 2 and other games that were previously off-limits.

Nintendo stops shipping the Switch and other products to Russia

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 10:44 AM PST

Nintendo has stopped shipping its products, including the Switch, to Russia for the foreseeable future. "This is due to considerable volatility surrounding the logistics of shipping and distributing physical goods," the company told Eurogamer. It made the decision two weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, though it didn't mention the crisis in its statement.

The move follows Nintendo suspending sales of digital games in Russia last weekend. It said the Russian version of the eShop "is currently under maintenance following the suspension of transactions in Russian rubles by the payment provider."

On Wednesday, Nintendo delayed Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp indefinitely. The game was supposed to be released on April 8th, but the company said it was pushing back the debut of the military strategy game following "recent world events."

Other major gaming companies have withdrawn from Russia (and, in some cases, Belarus). Sony has halted PlayStation hardware and software sales there, while Microsoft put all sales in the country on hold. Ubisoft, Take-Two, CD Projekt Red, EA, Activision Blizzard and Epic have stopped selling their games there as well.

Bungie joined its peers in taking a stance on the conflict on Wednesday. It said players in Russia and Belarus will still be able to play the free base Destiny 2 game and have access to any expansions or content they bought before then. However, they'll no longer be able to purchase currency or DLC such as The Witch Queen.

Pinterest expands shopping features with in-app checkout

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 10:00 AM PST

Pinterest is moving deeper into e-commerce with some more features it announced at its annual advertiser summit. The platform says users have long been asking for a way to shop directly on Pinterest and you can now complete some purchases without leaving the app. 

The in-app checkout feature is currently in beta for some Shopify sellers in the US. Pinterest plans to expand access in the US this year. It will contact folks who run stores through Shopify with more details soon.

The company also announced a feature called Your Shop at Pinterest Presents. It calls this a "personal shopping concierge" that will provide users with their own personalized shopping pages. It'll recommend creators and brands based on your preferences and activity. The feature is in beta for some US users. Pinterest plans to expand Your Shop to all US pinners this year ahead of an international rollout.

In addition, Pinterest says it will be easier for sellers to upload catalogs to the platform and keep prices up to date. Using a trends tool, sellers in the US, UK and Canada will be able to view real-time search data, see trend recommendations and learn more about their audiences. The trends tool will be available in other countries later in 2022.

Pinterest is following in the footsteps of Instagram by adding its in-app checkout. Instagram has had a similar feature since 2020. Meta's app added a dedicated shopping section toward the end of that year.

Earlier this year, Pinterest added a feature that lets users see what a piece of furniture will look like in their home before they buy it using augmented reality.

Meta Quest 2 fitness data will be available outside of VR

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 10:00 AM PST

The Quest 2 headset's fitness tracking has been helpful for staying in shape, but there's been a major catch: your stats weren't viewable outside the headset, making it impractical to check your progress or combine it with info from other apps. That won't be an issue before long. As of April, Meta will make your Oculus Move fitness tracking data available through the Oculus app on Android and iOS, and will sync progress with Apple Health on iOS.

There are no mentions of syncing Move data with Google Fit or other Android platforms, but Meta said it was "exploring" future tie-ins. The company made clear that Oculus app and Apple Health syncing are strictly opt-in features, with end-to-end encryption on Meta's servers. Your stats won't influence ads on Facebook or other Meta services.

The expansion was arguably necessary to make Oculus Move relevant for more people. There's a good chance you don't rely solely on VR for workouts, and you probably don't want to return to your headset just to check your calorie burn. This upgrade lets you treat VR as just one piece of a larger fitness puzzle, and might persuade you to try a headset if you were hesitant before.

The 'Overwatch 2' PvP beta will go live in late April

Posted: 10 Mar 2022 09:53 AM PST

Despite months of silence and years of delays, Overwatch 2 is definitely still a thing and Blizzard finally has a substantial update to share. The beta for the sequel's 5-on-5 PvP mode will go live in late April on PC, and interested players are able to sign up today via the official site. 

This test is a big deal for the franchise, considering the current Overwatch PvP standard is 6-on-6. The beta includes 5-on-5 battles, four fresh maps, the new Push mode, upgraded heroes (Orisa, Doomfist, Bastion and Sombra), a revamped ping system and the new character, Sojourn. A closed alpha for Overwatch 2 PvP launched today for Blizzard employees, Overwatch League pros and small groups of other, special players. 

This is all good news for PvP mode, but in terms of PvE, it's cause for pause. Blizzard apparently needs more time to work through the sequel's PvE mode, and that's why it's breaking out PvP — a known quantity — for testing first. 

"We are changing our release strategy by decoupling Overwatch 2's PvP and PvE experiences from one another to get new PvP content into your hands sooner, while we continue to work on PvE," the Overwatch team said in its update today. Breezing past the terrible sound of "decoupling," it seems like Blizzard is having more difficulty implementing its new PvE mode than anticipated.

Game Director Aaron Keller said in his video update that there will be additional PvP public beta tests throughout the year, and he promised to provide more frequent updates about Overwatch 2 in the future.

"We recognize we haven't communicated well, haven't kept you up to date, and honestly, we've let you down when it comes to delivering Overwatch content," Keller said, with not a lie in sight.
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