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The Morning After: Microsoft's Windows 10 search problem
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Ever since Windows 10 debuted, people have taken issue with its push to connect everything to Microsoft's cloud services. Generally, the tradeoff feels worthwhile when I'm using the OS, but yesterday morning, an unspecified server issue turned the search box -- the same one used to find local files when I need them -- into a useless blank area. Despite taking a crucial feature out of service for a few hours, Microsoft only said that the problem was server-side and advised rebooting. Particularly cautious users are editing the registry to pry Bing links out of their local search, and I can't say I blame them after this episode. Microsoft owes users a better explanation than this and should make sure it's impossible for offline features to get taken out when the cloud is having an issue. -- Richard
Apple will give the option to buy iOS and Mac apps as a bundle
The latest beta of Apple's Xcode development tool adds a small but nifty feature that will make it easier in some situations to buy apps you want to use across iOS and macOS. Developers who decide to take advantage of the feature will be able to bundle together different versions of an app into a single "Universal Purchase." If you buy one version, you'll then get access to the other automatically. As part of the same change, developers will also have the option to sell unified in-app purchases.
Windows 10's built-in search was down this morning (updated)
If the search bar on your Windows PC hasn't been working for the past couple of hours, know that you're not the only one -- and that there's no reason to panic. As spotted by The Verge, Windows 10's built-in search functionality has been down for many people since 8AM ET due to what appears to be a Bing outage. Typing anything into the search bar won't return any results, even if all you're trying to do is launch an app on your computer.
Harley Quinn is smashing her way into 'Fortnite'
Batman and Catwoman won't be the only DC characters to have made a Fortnite appearance. Sleuth Lucas7yoshi has discovered that Harley Quinn will soon be available to buy in the Item Shop as part of the larger 11.5 update. Not surprisingly, it's a plug for the imminent Birds of Prey movie -- you can play as Harley in her guises from both the new movie and Suicide Squad, complete with a baseball bat or mallet in place of the usual pickaxe. There's no sign of the classic jester outfit or the rest of the Birds of Prey crew, but it might do the trick if the movie has you eager for some Harley-themed mayhem.
Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser is leaving the company
It's the end of an era at Rockstar Games -- parent company Take-Two Interactive has revealed that Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser is leaving on March 11th. It wasn't clear just why Houser was departing (we've asked for comment), but Houser was already on an "extended break" that started in spring 2019. His brother Sam Houser is still with Rockstar as its president.
GeForce Now goes live for all users today
GeForce Now has arrived. After seven years of tweaking its delivery systems and gathering beta feedback, NVIDIA has finally unveiled the consumer version of its game-streaming ecosystem. GeForce Now streams games of all sizes to PC, Mac, Android and the NVIDIA Shield, and it works with players' existing libraries on Steam, the Epic Games Store and all other digital platforms. Games are capped at 1080p and 60 FPS.
‘Fallout 76’ adds human NPCs on April 7th
Fallout 76's long-awaited Wastelanders update will launch on April 7th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, finally adding with it non-playable human characters to the game. The free DLC was initially supposed to come out last year, but Bethesda delayed it in October. On the same day, Fallout 76 will also become available on Steam.
'The Wonderful 101' remaster smashes Kickstarter goal in hours
If anything demonstrates that gamers love a bit of cult nostalgia, it's the eye-watering success of Kickstarter campaigns pledging to bring former hits back to life. And that's absolutely the case with former Wii U title The Wonderful 101, the remastering of which obliterated its Kickstarter goal in less than an hour.
Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro gets a $300 price drop at Amazon
Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro is barely a few months old, but there are already good deals to be had if you're willing to be patient. Amazon is selling the base configuration of Apple's latest laptop for $2,099, a full $300 off its usual sticker price and a new low at the retailer. That's a significant deal for a system that represents a marked improvement over recent MacBooks (particularly the keyboard) and a good laptop overall with brisk performance, a great display and better sound than you'd expect from a portable. The 2.6GHz Core i7, 16GB of RAM, Radeon Pro 5300M graphics and 512GB SSD should be up to most tasks without flinching.
Yubico is making it easier for businesses to buy its YubiKeys
A growing number of companies are looking at hardware authentication security keys as a trusted and convenient way to protect sensitive corporate data. Indeed, Google has recently launched an open source project to help advance the uptake of this technology. But for companies with hundreds of employees, ensuring the right people have the right keys can be a huge logistical undertaking and added expense. As such, security key maker Yubico has launched an enterprise service to help businesses integrate the tech into their operations more easily.
Sony's PlayStation business is slowing faster than expected
Back in 2018 Sony made it clear that its games department would be slowing down as it prepared for the next generation PlayStation. Now it's released its quarterly results which go beyond a "slowing down" to illustrate a much more significant drop in revenue for the business.
Apple is offering onsite repairs in some US cities
For the longest time, getting repairs for an Apple device as an everyday user has usually meant either visiting a store or mailing it in -- and both are pains if you either don't have the time or would rather not lug a heavy iMac or Mac Pro to the local mall. If you live in the right city, though, you might not have to. MacRumors has noticed that Apple is now offering onsite service in a handful of US cities, including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco. As with many services like this, Apple appears to be using a contractor (Go Tech Services) and asks you to book an appointment that might include an "onsite visit fee" in addition to any costs for the repair itself.
Google open-sources the tools needed to make 2FA security keys
Security keys are designed to make logging in to devices simpler and more secure, but not everyone has access to them, or the inclination to use them. Until now. Today, Google has launched an open source project that will help hobbyists and hardware vendors build their own security keys, and contribute to the technology's ongoing development.
Microsoft made a Nike Air Max 90 Xbox but you can't buy it
The Super Bowl is right around the corner, so here come all the brand collabs. To celebrate Sunday's showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, Xbox, EA Sports and Nike have joined forces to create a limited-edition custom Xbox One console. Inspired by the special edition Nike x Madden NFL 20 Air Max 90 sneakers unveiled yesterday, the all-white console features red and blue details representing the EA Sports logo and NFL Shield, as well as the iconic Nike swoosh.
Amazon has 150 million Prime members now
Amazon's latest earnings release is one for the books, with one major win. It now has 150 million Prime members around the world, which is a huge step up from the 100 million it announced back in 2018. This is despite the increase in Prime membership fee from $99 to $119 a couple of years ago.
Ninja's management firm is 'actively seeking to diversify' its talent pool
Bridget Davidson helped establish the League of Legends Championship Series nine years ago. Back then, competitors brought their own equipment to world-class tournaments and Riot Games wasn't sure if anyone would tune in to the online stream. The premiere LCS finals lasted three days in June 2011, and nearly 1.7 million unique viewers watched the show online. It was considered a success and Davidson continued to help Riot grow its esports venture. Eight years later, the 2019 League of Legends World Championship drew in a peak concurrent viewer count of 44 million, with an average of 21.8 million online audience members per minute. Hologram music groups performed at the opening ceremony and Louis Vuitton designed the trophy case.
Sega Europe is moving to recycled packaging for PC games
Remember when PC games came in a box and you had to buy them at a store? Apparently that's still a thing. To curb pollution and waste, Sega Europe is committing to using 100 percent recycled and 100 percent recyclable packaging for its PC games. The company promises that the boxes and manuals will have a premium look and feel, so collectors can still display their games with pride. The packing materials are printed with water- and vegetable-based inks to further cut down on waste. Even the shrinkwrap is recyclable.
Discord drops the activity feed and game library you weren't using
Do you use Discord to launch games and keep up with the latest gaming news? No? You're not the only one. Discord is dropping both the Activity Feed and Library from its chat app as of today. The feed wasn't doing a good job of keeping people updated and "added bulk," the company said, while the Library tab and the Universal Game Launcher just haven't been "useful" to players.
Calendar app Fantastical switches to a subscription for its Mac and iOS apps
Fantastical, one of the oldest and most loved calendar apps on Apple devices, just received its biggest update in years. The most significant change is that Fantastical is now a universal app you pay for through a subscription. As such, you don't need to purchase separate licenses to use the app on multiple devices. Developer Flexibits has also introduced a new tier that allows you to check out Fantastical's basic functionality for free.
Google spent a record sum rewarding researchers for hacking its products
Google is not messing around when it comes to its bug bounty program. Last year it paid out $6.5 million to researchers that reported vulnerabilities -- almost double the $3.4 million paid out in 2018. The largest single award was for $201,337, which was given to Guang Gong of Alpha Labs, who discovered a major exploit on the Pixel 3.