Many will remember playing RuneScape, the game being a popular favourite way back before large multiplayer online games flooded the video game market. From the village of Lumbridge to the battlegrounds of Castle Wars, players levelled and traded all within their browser for the past fifteen years, but that is all to change with the games relaunch, featuring new game engine and all.
Using a new visual engine and game client, RuneScape will no longer be played in your browser, instead sitting on your computer awaiting your adventures. The new adventure isn’t going to just change its location with a wide range of technical improvements including support for DirectX12 and Windows 10.
The graphics are clearly on a whole different level to the pixels and blocks that once strained your eyes as you mined for copper and tin, with new draw distances, water effects and dynamic lighting and shadows now welcoming you into the world on a whole new level.
Jagex isn’t stopping with the new game client, with Jagex promising further enhancements to the game’s visuals, including the inclusion of volumetric lighting, improved animations, and higher-resolution textures.
I remember starting back on RuneScape many years ago, and the new graphics definitely look to bring the urge to boot it up again to the surface. If you’re interested you can download the new game client here.
Last month, Google made a developer preview version of the upcoming version of their popular mobile operating system, named Android N, available for public download. This release included a number of great new features including split screen functionality and more. Now, a second version of the Android N developer preview has been released for use, which should come as a welcome update for current users of the developer preview as it includes a number of major bug fixes as well as some new functionality too.
Some of the bugs that are addressed in this updated developer preview address issues such as connecting to hidden Wi-Fi networks, pauses during multi window function and over 50 issues that had been reported through the public issue tracker. This doesn’t mean that Android N is ready for everyday use, though, and Google stresses that this is still an unstable preview build meant to allow developers and testers a chance to try out and help improve Android.
On the new features front, this build includes new support for the Vulkan 3D graphics API, launcher shortcuts defined by apps and support for Emoji Unicode 9 support. The addition of Vulkan is aimed entirely at developers and will assist in the development of games and 3D graphics heavy applications while also allowing them to be well optimized for low resource use and battery drain. Launcher shortcuts could make commonly used features in apps even easier to access, giving developers the ability to allow launcher shortcuts to point to a specific point in the app, such as messaging a friend or setting a route to home in a navigation app. Emoji support speaks for itself, but Google is moving away from the generic emoji used in previous Android versions in favour of more human looking designs.
Overall, this update should be a must-have for those already using the previous Android N developer preview, but there aren’t enough new features added in order to give a good reason for more people to adopt it unless some of the existing bugs were their main hang-up. As with the existing preview, this version can be gotten through the Android Beta Program on supported Nexus devices or flash their device manually.
When Microsoft released Windows 10 there were mixed opinions, with many saying that the unstable and unsupported features it presented meant that upgrading came at a risk. People then raised issues when they found that there were no Windows 10 update notes, a decision they eventually changed. Most recently they’ve come under fire due to the UWP, a system that’s been used in both their current releases and has even raised a developer to question their commitment to gamers. In order to help ease our questions, Microsoft has now released a roadmap showing what has, and what is to come.
In development is the ability to use a Windows or Android phone to store remote credentials to unlock your Windows 10 PC’s and use an app to unlock anything that runs Microsoft’s passport or Windows Hello systems. This will then be expanded with companion devices like the Microsoft Band 2 being used in two-factor authentication to unlock your PC’s.
Enjoy viewing your screen somewhere else? Microsoft is currently working on streaming Continuum-compatible devices to any screen connected to a Windows 10 PC while another feature they list is the ability to stream your entire PC experience to another PC. With Picture in Picture mode and the remote display experience also in the works, a key focus seems to be sharing the Windows 10 experience on a variety of devices.
With nothing achieved or cancelled at the moment, it will be interesting to see how these projects go and which ones come alive in the future. You can check out the roadmap here to see the long list of potential and upcoming features for yourself.
Adobe’s flash plugin has rapidly become extremely unpopular with web users due to its buggy nature and propensity to make browsers hang. As a result, HTML5 is the modern standard for viewing video content or animations which has made Adobe’s flash superfluous. Despite this, Flash can still be used to display adverts or video streams via certain services. The plugin’s reputation is abysmal and various companies including Google have snubbed Flash in recent months. On Thursday, Adobe released an emergency update after researchers discovered an exploit could deliver ransomware to PCs.
The company implored users to install this update as a matter of urgency because ‘drive-by’ attacks were causing havoc. Respected security software maker, Trend Micro warned Adobe about this phenomenon known as ‘Cerber’ in March. This particularly nasty form of ransomware employs a ‘voice tactic’ which reads a ransom note to create a sense of panic. Unfortunately, Adobe’s response wasn’t that swift if the reports regarding Trend Micro’s warnings are correct. This isn’t going to do Flash’s reputation any favours and I can’t see it being used for much longer in consumer applications. The majority of users required Flash to watch YouTube content. Thankfully, this isn’t the case any more and Google automatically sets to plugin to HTML5.
The most important thing to remember from this story is to either uninstall Flash altogether or update to the latest version. Ransomware can be extremely worrying for users who aren’t familiar with how PCs operate and it’s imperative for company’s to stamp out any exploits. I do feel the future of Adobe Flash looks very bleak and I can’t imagine many people are going to miss using it. HTML5 is better for consumers in every possible way and an evolution of better software.
What kind of experience have you encountered using Adobe Flash?
Rust is a popular open world survival game, with you foraging and hunting in order to survive and build a shelter to survive in a barren wilderness amongst friends and foes. With over 100,000 positive reviews and only around 22 thousand negative reviews, the game can be considered a success but with its latest update assigning character gender by random chance, not everyone is happy.
Listed amongst a slew of updates, one of the latest features introduced into the game is the inclusion of female models, meaning you may be hunted down by male or female characters alike. How do you pick the new option? You don’t.
Listing it as a “sore subject for a lot of people”, the studio behind RUST has included female characters and figured out a way to make it fair if someone is a male or female character. In order to figure this out, they use a very simple piece of information, your SteamID. That’s all there is to it, your SteamID helps the game figure out if your character should be male or female, no judgement or choice in the matter, your name is all that matters to the game.
While some may not be happy with the choice the change in models does nothing to the game directly, so there is no unfair bonus or not, it’s purely the look of your character that changes and with more changes coming it will no doubt be modeled and changed again and again while the game is being developed.
It is the Model 3 that has been getting all the attention towards Tesla lately with its remarkable preorder figures continuing to balloon. It isn’t the only car that the California-based EV firm have been working on lately, with rumours beginning to show that they have also been looking to upgrade their existing sporty saloon, the Model S.
Tim Stevens of CNET has reported that an updated version of the Model S could be making its debut as soon as next week according to sources at Tesla. The changes made to the Model S are said to include a number of new features to make it more “luxury” in order to compete with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. The changes will also bring the Model S up to date with some of the features included in the Model X and Model 3, including new seats, ventilation and adjustments to the nose both aesthetically and functionally with the headlights employing LEDs. Of course, with all of these positive changes, the price is set to reflect the higher quality of the car, but the sources were unable to state exactly how much the price would be raised for this new Model S.
Tesla themselves have remained tight-lipped about the revision, issuing the following statement regarding it:
We don’t comment on rumor or speculation about future releases. Tesla is constantly innovating and adding new features to our vehicles to perpetually improve Tesla vehicles for our existing and future customers. We price our vehicles consistently throughout the world which requires us to adjust pricing to foreign currency exchange rates. We have let customers know that some price changes will take effect in early April. We always encourage those interested in purchasing Model S to place their order so they can start enjoying the many benefits of Model S today.
More news regarding this updated Model S will be covered as it becomes available.
Thankfully, A reddit thread has emerged, detailing all the “tweaks” introduced by the update, from those advertised by Sony to ones discovered by PS4 owners during their own investigations:
Detailed Tweaks:
User Scheduled/Created Events;
Play Together button – easily invite people in your party to the same game;
Friend online notifications can be turned on or off on a person to person basis;
Appear offline;
Remote play on PC/Mac;
Dailymotion Live Support for streaming, etc;
Teens (13-17) can now create their own accounts with limited access to play offline games, rather than having to use a sub-account;
Easier to search for communities by text, language, time zone;
You can now share OTHER people’s activities so your friend’s can see it too;
Tweaks to messaging – you can see short replies to messages without jumping to a different screen;
You can TAG other players when sharing video and screenshots (if you have your FB/Twitter permissions enabled, the tags will carry over to the sharing on those sites);
You can check the status of PSN (this is a feature? just use the website…);
USB music player is back;
Improvements to PS+ (improvements to managing online storage and ability to see friends who play the same games as you).
Unannounced Tweaks:
You can disable the screenshot on-screen notification (in Settings under Notifications) allowing you to take multiple screenshots in a row without the screenshot taken pop-up. The sound indicating the screenshot was taken still functions as normal;
Life From PlayStation Improvements:
There’s a search field on the game list now. Previously you had to use the “global” search, that’d return matches for everything (pre-recorded, videos, screenshots) and not just live streams;
You can pin up to three games that will stay on the top of the list. I watch Bloodborne and DS2 streams all the time, now I don’t have to scroll down every time to find them;
You can set a party member limit now. From 2-8 people;
Issue with early PS4s and >2TB HDDs has (probably) been fixed.
Asynchronous Compute has been one of the headline features with DX12. Pioneered by AMD in their GCN architecture, Async Compute allows a GPU to handle both graphics and compute tasks at the same time, making the best use of resources. Some titles such as Ashes of the Singularity have posted massive gains from this and even titles that have a DX 11 heritage stands to have decent gains. In an update to Async Compute, AMD has added Quick Response Queue support to GCN 1.1 and after.
One of the problems with Async Compute is that it is relatively simple. It only allows graphics and compute tasks to be run at the same time on the shaders. Unfortunately, Async Compute as it stands right now will prioritize graphics tasks, meaning compute tasks only get the leftover resources. This means there is no guarantee when the compute task will finish as it depends on the graphics workload. Quick Response Queue solves this by merging preemption where you stop the graphics workload entirely, with Async Compute.
With Quick Response Queue, tasks can be given special priority to ensure they complete on time. Quick Response Queue will also allow the graphics task to run at the same time albeit with reduced resources. By providing more precise and dependable control, this allows developers to make better use of Async Compute, especially on latency/frame sensitive compute tasks. Moving on, we may see greater gains from Async in games as AMD allows more types of compute workloads to be optimized. Hopefully, this feature will reach GCN 1.0 cards but that depends on if the hardware is capable of it.
Sony has just announced on their official blog that the latest software update, version 3.50 will be unleashed tomorrow. This includes a host of new social features and the ability to stream PlayStation 4 games to a compatible PC or Mac. Here is a detailed run-down of the changes according to Sony:
New Social Features
Appear Offline
On your Profile tab, we’ve added a new option called ‘Online Status.’ From here, you can choose to ‘Appear Offline.’ This could be useful if you want to play games or watch movies without your friends knowing you’re online. You can designate if you would like to appear offline when you log-in or at any time from your Profile, or by holding down the PS Button on DualShock 4 to bring up the Quick Menu.
Friend Online Notification
Now you can choose to get notified when your friends come online. To receive notifications, select a player on your friends list, press Options, and select ‘Notify When Online.’
On the Events tab, we’re adding the ability to schedule gameplay sessions with your friends. Just select ‘Create Event,’ and you’ll be able to make an invitation for an upcoming gameplay session. Choose the day, time, game, and send it off to your friends. When your event starts, users who registered will automatically be added to a party so you can start playing right away.
You can also share an event to a group, or a community that you’re a member of. Once shared, the event will be sent as a message, or posted to a community wall, and members can register from there
Play Together
This feature allows all members of a Party to see what each person is playing so that you can easily join a friend’s game, or start a new game together.
Remote Play (PC/Mac)
With this update, we’re expanding PS4’s Remote Play capabilities to work with Windows PC and Mac.
Remote Play on PC / Mac is compatible with the following system software:
Windows 8.1
Windows 10 or later
OS X 10.10
OS X 10.11
You’ll be able to select from the following resolution and frame rate options, depending on your Internet bandwidth.
Frame rate : Standard (30fps), High (60fps) (Default: Standard)
You can use one DualShock 4 as the controller for Remote Play, which needs to be connected to your PC / Mac via a USB cable.
After the system software update launches, you’ll be able to download the Remote Play Installer here.
Along with PS4’s 3.50 system software update, PlayStation App version 3.50 is out tomorrow as well. The main new features of this update are as follows:
User Scheduled Event
Users can schedule gameplay sessions with friends
Dailymotion has been added to Live from PlayStation
Other players’ shared activities appear in your activities
That’s a look at some of the big additions in this update. Of course, there are lots of other refinements and improvements to the system software overall.
As you can see, this is a major system update and I’m most interested by the PS4’s Remote Play functionality. Sadly, the maximum bandwidth is only 720P but this could change in the future.
What do you think about the 3.50 system software update’s new features?
Microsoft has been keen on promoting their “one platform for all premise”. This meant that no matter what device you were using, be it your computer, a tablet or a phone, you would experience the same system. The concept of Windows Phone has recently been put in doubt, with major projects such as the porting of Android Apps to the platform being stopped and sales constantly decreasing. It would seem now that Windows Phones won’t be making any big steps anytime soon as the system is declared all but ‘on hold’.
Microsoft held their Build keynote on Wednesday, explaining all their big steps and their phones didn’t even get a mention. The reason it would seem is that, according to Windows chief Terry Myerson, it’s just not the right time for the “4-inch screen”. In his explanation, Myerson goes to say that “there will be a time for it to be our focus” and saying that while it is “a part of the family” the phones are not “the core of where I hope to generate developer interest over the next year”.
With the news that not all Lumia phones would be receiving the update to Windows 10 as previously promised among the collection of “updates not delivered” for Windows phones, it’s hard not to see the signs that the mobile OS will change from its new on hold status to something you’ll see anytime soon.
Are you a Windows Mobile user? Were you thinking of getting a Windows Mobile at any time? Having previously used one, I enjoyed it until the lack of support and apps meant that the experience was all but as thrilling as first advertised. Leave us your thoughts in the comments below about what Microsoft needs to do to make their mobiles as catchy as their PC’s and laptops.
With all the new releases that seem to come out on an almost weekly basis, it is hard to forget about some of the older games that paved the way for you to enjoy today’s releases. The PS4 has reminded us of two such games, with surprise releases of Bully And Manhunt now showing that some old games are worth rebuying.
Bully was released in 2006 and is kinda like a junior GTA. You play as Jimmy Hopkins, a rebellious teen who was dumped at Bullworth Academy by his parents. The Academy is no picknick, with players expected to survive against bullies, absent-minded teachers and a busy school day with everything from a slingshot to stinkbombs.
Manhunt, on the other hand, was released in 2003 and was quite controversial upon its release and still is even to this day. With a mix of violence and stealth, the game sees you play as James Earl Cash, a death row inmate who is promised his freedom in exchange for surviving in a city filled with people who want him dead.
Two games that shaped many lives are now available on the PlayStation store in Europe (they could also be released in North America when the store is next updated) and both retail for £11.99. With both games upscaled to 1080p with features such as Trophies, Remote Play and share play, it would seem that they are keen on bringing the PS2 games to the PS4 with all its modern perks. You can find Bully here and Manhunt here, with Bully already receiving 960 reviews since its release on the 22nd.
Ark: Survival Evolved sees players face everything from the extinct Dodo to Trex’s as they build tribes and try to uncover the mysteries of the ARK. While riding a Trex is kinda cool, and building a mobile fortress on a plesiosaur is even cooler, we did wonder what would happen around easter time on the island. Have no fear because the game has now been updated to include bunnies.
What would easter be without eggs? You can now collect these bunny eggs and turn them into some interesting decorative items, such as bunny ears. If that wasn’t enough you can turn your Procoptodon into a giant bunny, eggs hidden its pouch and all. The giant eggs can also be painted to add a decorative flair to your base.
If you were getting bored of the Trex then be warned, as the ferocious Bunny-Dodorex will be roaming the ARK this week, which may force you to explore the new areas that have also been included in this patch. Felt safe in the snowy mountains or swampy regions? Then why not try exploring the caves that will now appear in those areas, featuring high-end loot, artifacts and even more information about the origins of the ARK.
With the swamp cave looking like we are about to get attacked by Aliens and the snow caves containing angry Yeti’s you may want to come ready to run the next time you brave the ARK.
Last year we reported that the FCC (US Federal Communications Commission) may be moving to outlaw the practice of adding custom software to routers. The misunderstanding was cleared up with the FCC saying that they wouldn’t ban the practice, enabling people to customise their routers with their own software and tweaks in safety. It would now seem though that one manufacturer has done just that in response to the FCC’s new rules.
TP-Link is one of the largest routers manufacturers, offering hardware choices to people all over the world. Libre Planet, however, found that they may also be the first to start locking down their firmware, their evidence being the support conversation that shows TP-Link are starting to lock down the installation of open source and custom firmware on their devices.
TP-Link state that they are doing this in order to comply with FCC regulations regarding customizations on wireless routers, the very thing we were told wouldn’t happen! The result could be that third-party software, many of which are open-source, would become illegal if you attempted to place them on your router, something many do due to the support, features and quick security updates often found in open source software.
Do you customise your router’s software? Do you think it’s a good idea for people to be able to do this or is it a better idea to ensure everyone uses the same software?
When people think of e-books most will associate the word with the Kindle, Amazons e-reader. The reason being is that the kindle has become the symbol of e-readers, with the electronic ink making the original device easier to read than a traditional screen and the latest version including everything from Netflix to Angry birds. If you own a kindle though you may want to update otherwise you won’t be able to use their online services.
Revealed by Amazon, anyone using an outdated version of kindles software will need to update by March 22nd, 2016 or they will lose the ability to download books from the cloud, access the kindle store or even use other services provided by the device.
Failure to install the update by this date will provide users with the following message:
Your Kindle is unable to connect at this time. Please make sure you are within wireless range and try again. If the problem persists, please restart your Kindle from the Menu in Settings and try again
If you find this message on your kindle after March 22nd you will have to do a manual update to regain access to kindles services. Below you have a list of the version that each type of kindle will need to be at in order to keep using the services.
Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
1.2.1
Use Wireless
Kindle 2nd Generation (2009) *
2.5.8
Use Wireless
Kindle DX 2nd Generation (2009) *
2.5.8
Use Wireless
Kindle Keyboard 3rd Generation (2010) **
3.4.2 or higher
Use Wi-Fi
Kindle 4th Generation (2011)
4.1.3 or higher
Use Wi-Fi
Kindle 5th Generation (2012)
4.1.3 or higher
Use Wi-Fi
Kindle Touch 4th Generation (2011) **
5.3.7.3 or higher
Use Wi-Fi
Kindle Paperwhite 5th Generation (2012) **
5.6.1.1 or higher
Use Wi-Fi
Kindle Paperwhite 6th Generation (2013)
No Update Needed
No Update Needed
Kindle 7th Generation (2014)
No Update Needed
No Update Needed
Kindle Voyage 7th Generation (2014)
No Update Needed
No Update Needed
Kindle Paperwhite 7th Generation (2015)
No Update Needed
No Update Needed
For more information regarding how to update or how to find out your software’s current version, please check out Amazon’s post here.
When you go to a website, you are often met by an onslaught of advertisements. For everything from custom-built PC’s to the latest diet trend, advertisements are everywhere. Sadly they may not be the only thing appearing on your computer with the use of malicious adverts appearing more and more often. In the recent onslaught though even the BBC was caught running malicious adverts on their site.
Major websites were hit by the “malvertising” attack which sees malicious adverts uploaded to third party advertising companies which then give these adverts out to other sites. The harmful “malverts” included your everyday malware and even file-encrypting ransomware, a type of software that is making and appearance more and more these days.
Trend Micro first reported on the malverts on Monday, only to have a similar post held off till Tuesday from MalwareBytes Labs while they contacted several advertising networks in the hope of getting the malicious adverts removed.
With large groups like the BBC, Newsweek, MSN and the New York Times all being exposed to the malicious adverts it may be a good time to check that your anti-virus software is up t o date and do a thorough scan of your system.
Blizzard has many game series in their name, with the Warcraft game series soon to get its own movie. Another popular series from the company is the Diablo series, featuring angels and demons fighting it out for years and years now. Now 16 years after its original release, and a sequel, Diablo 2 gets a patch.
Diablo 2 last received a patch back in 2011, but now five years later the game gets its next update. First released in 2000, those who want to sit back and enjoy the classic game will now find it easier to play on modern systems.
The patch addresses several things but the major points are the ability to play the game on windows 7, 8 and even 10 without the need for “XP mode”. If you are more of an OSX user, the game should now also work on your system.
If you still need another reason to play it, the game now features enhanced cheat-detection and hack-prevention capabilities. In the original post, the author makes it clear that this is but the first step and that “it does not end there”.
Given the graphics update for Diablo III and now this, could the Diablo series be seeing new life soon? If you feel like trying out the game, check out the Blizzard store, where both Diablo 2 and the Lord Of Destruction expansion are only $9.99 each (£7).
The problem you often find when you play any game with items is that you end up torn between looking good and actually being good. Some of the best look items I’ve ever found in games are mid-tiered, meaning that while they look awesome playing with them actually makes me weaker than I could/should be. This is a problem commonly found with games, but Diablo III has you covered if you felt like you needed a little more style thanks to its new cosmetics patch.
Typically without buying the collectors edition (something that is rather hard to find these days), you were limited in how amazing you could look thanks to the limited pets and wings available for your characters.
The latest patch (2.4.1) is a small one by many standards, but will add a wide range of graphical choices for your characters, from the Wings of Kokabiel making you look like a fairy demon to the Star Helm and Pauldrons calling you to battle in space.
Below you can find just a few of the new items and pets that you will be now able to quest for and upon receiving, look like a true warrior.
The lovely pet Galthrak
Yeti pet
Cow King pet
Quinquennial Sword
Star Helm and Pauldrons
Wings Of Kokabiel
When you play a game do you look for style or are you one for the stats the items bring? Is there a way to find a balance? Give us your opinion on if stats or looks are more important in games
Whether Windows 8 mobile users have waited patiently for the update to Windows 10 or not is something the upgrade numbers will show, but up until now they haven’t had any other choice than wait. At least, if they wanted to keep their current Lumia phones powered by the older operating system. At first the update was promised to arrive in December last year, then it was January before being pushed to February, only to be postponed again.
The newest reports indicate that those were the last delays and that Windows 8 users will get the ability to upgrade to Windows 10 this month, after the monthly service update is completed for the Lumia 950 models. I should, however, point out again, that this isn’t officially confirmed information, at least not yet.
Microsoft plans to roll-out the update as an opt-in upgrade, allowing the users the choice to upgrade or not. At least at first. Once it has been verified that there aren’t any critical bugs or trouble with the upgrade, it will be pushed to compatible phones automatically.
With smartphones being as vital a component in people’s live these days, it is good to see that Microsoft takes its time to polish the operating system and make sure that everyone will get a great experience out of it instead of trying to stick to deadlines and then release a buggy product. It’s not something they can afford to do and the won’t.
It is an update that is well worth waiting for as I can say first hand that Windows 10 is an awesome mobile operating system. It takes a little time to get used to, as any change, but after a day, you won’t be missing any previous system. That is at least if you use your phone for communication where you’ll find all the popular instant messengers and similar things, but you might not find your favourite game on there yet.
Windows 10 is designed to be the next step for Microsoft’s operating system, with internet functions built-in alongside apps and new gaming technologies designed to help users make the choice to move that little bit easier. With Windows 10 now a recommended update you would expect that some users would be hopeful of the new operating system, something that may not be the case if it keeps removing programs from your system without telling you.
So the major benefit of the internet is that you can quickly update your system, no longer do you have to wait weeks for the latest security patch or game update as you can quickly update anything you need or download something entirely new within hours or even minutes. It may come as a surprise then with groups like LifeHacker noticing that some programs they have on their system seem to be removed after doing an update. In this case, they found the system information tool Speccy had been removed, giving you only an empty file icon and a question of why?
The current theory is that it is removing outdated apps and drivers when it does an update, a good theory but still one that should worry people. Hopefully, this is not an intentional feature, otherwise, users could soon find their programs and software removed from the system, finding out only days later when they need them the most.
I’ve yet to upgrade to Windows 10 personally, and with “features” like this, I can’t say I will be anytime soon.
AMD have been pushing hard to improve their software experience, as well as improving the frequency of graphic driver updates, helping them better compete with the relentless release of Nvidia’s Game Ready drivers. So far, their new system has been a big improvement and today is no exception, as AMD push the release of the latest Radeon Software Crimson Edition.
Version 16.2.1 is marked as a “non-WHQL” release, so basically a beta release. However, the driver comes with the CrossFireX profile for the latest AAA release, Far Cry Primal. On top of that big profile release, you can also expect some game specific bug fixes for Fallout 4 as well as Rise of the Tomb Raider.
FreeSync users have cause to celebrate too, we hope, as AMD is also including a bug fix for choppy display on systems that use both FreeSync and CrossFire at the same time, which I’m sure you can imagine is a frustrating issue for a system that’s meant to provide a smoother visual experience.
Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.2.1 Highlights
Crossfire Profile available for
Far Cry Primal
Resolved Issues
A black screen/TDR error may be encountered when booting a system with Intel + AMD graphics and an HDMI monitor connected
Choppy gameplay may be experienced when both AMD Freesync and AMD Crossfire are both enabled
Display corruption may be observed after keeping system idle for some time
Fallout 4 – Flickering may be experienced at various game locations with the v1.3 game update and with AMD Crossfire enabled
Fallout 4 – Foliage/water may ripple/stutter when game is launched in High/Ultra settings mode
Fallout 4 – Screen tearing in systems with both AMD Freesync and AMD Crossfire enabled if game is left idle for a short period of time
Fallout 4 – Thumbnails may flicker or disappear while scrolling the Perk levels page
Far Cry 4 – Stuttering may be observed when launching the game with AMD Freesync and AMD Crossfire enabled
FRTC options are displayed on some unsupported laptop configurations with Intel CPU’s and AMD GPU’s
Radeon Settings may sometimes fails to launch with a “Context Creation Error” message
Rise of the Tomb Raider – Corruption can be observed at some locations during gameplay
Rise of the Tomb Raider – Flickering may be experienced at various game locations when the game is left idle in AMD Crossfire mode under Windows 7
Rise of the Tomb Raider – Game may intermittently crash or hang when launched with very high settings and AA is set to SMAA at 4K resolution
Rise of the Tomb Raider – Lara Croft’s hair may flicker in some locations if the Esc key is pressed
Rise of Tomb Raider – A TDR error may be observed with some AMD Radeon 300 Series products after launching the “Geothermal Valley” mission
The AMD Overdrive memory clock slider does not show original clock values if memory speeds are overclocked
World of Warcraft runs extremely slowly in quad crossfire at high resolutions
Known Issues
A few game titles may fail to launch or crash if the Gaming Evolved overlay is enabled. A temporary workaround is to disable the AMD Gaming Evolved “In Game Overlay”
Star Wars: Battlefront – Corrupted ground textures may be observed in the Survival of Hoth mission
Cannot enable AMD Crossfire with some dual GPU AMD Radeon HD 59xx and HD 79xx series products
Fallout 4 – In game stutter may be experienced if the game is launched with AMD Crossfire enabled
XCOM 2 – Flickering textures may be experienced at various game locations
Rise of the Tomb Raider – The game may randomly crash on launch if Tessellation is enabled
Core clocks may not maintain sustained clock speeds resulting in choppy performance and or screen corruption
If you want to download the latest AMD Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.2.1 drivers, you can hit up the official AMD site right here.
Fallout 4 is still going strong and I’m sure many of you are either still walking the wasteland or, at least, you’re planning to get started on the latest Bethesda developed epic. The new update brings a lot of patches and they’re certainly welcome, as with such a big game it’s inevitable that there will be a lot of bugs.
The new patch brings with it a few general performance improvements, which are always a welcome addition for any format, as well as support for add-ons, more metal and wood door variants, and a nice range of bug fixes. Can’t say I’m bothered about the new doors, though, as with PC mods, I’ve already got dozens more than standard anyway.
Let’s take a quick look at what you can expect to find when you update your game to version 1.4:
New Features
General performance improvements
Support for add-ons
Additional art customization added to Workshop:
Super Mutant clutter including meat totems, meat bags and meat cart
Raider clutter including raider poles, cages and tents
Abstract and portrait paintings
Variety of new signs
More metal and wood doors variants
Fixes
General stability and performance improvements
During “Getting a Clue” quest, Kellogg’s desk will remain a working container
During “Rocket’s Red Glare”, resolved issue where companions could not be dismissed after completing the quest
Fixed an issue with “Kremvh’s Tooth” quest item not spawning properly
Settlements under attack will now display an updated message with the results of the attack if player does not respond
Fixed an issue with screen effects not clearing away properly after using a scope
Fixed an issue with trying to sprint while in third person with a minigun equipped
Rank 4 of Demolition Expert perk now properly increases the area effect of explosives
The Scrounger perk now includes additional common ammo types
Fixed an issue where Calvin Whitaker would disappear in Vault 81
Fixed an issue where Ninja and Sandman perks combined would apply the incorrect damage bonus
Fixed an issue where Rank 3 of Grim Reaper’s Sprint did not fill critical meter properly
Fixed an issue with key cards not spawning correctly in Vault 75
Fixed an issue where enemies would stop spawning during “Airship Down”
Being in first person while wearing power armor and quickly switching weapons will no longer cause the Pip-Boy to be stuck
Fixed an issue with the autosave counter getting incorrectly reset
Fixed issue that would cause the Pip-Boy menu to turn invisible while swimming
Fixed an issue where scrapping larger quantities of a single item would inadvertently scrap a legendary item
Fixed issue where exiting workbenches would cause third person to stop working properly
The Scribe can now be assigned consecutive settlements properly
Fixed issue with duplicating scraps shipments
Fixed issue with vendors not properly exchanging caps after several consecutive transactions in a row
Fixed issue with the quicksave and autosave message persisting through loading screens
Fixed an issue where updating to the latest patch would cause Options settings to reset back to default (Xbox One)
Fixed an issue with loading save with a placed object in water, not properly floating
Metal Gear Solid V is one of the biggest and best games in the series, sure the story is still as whacky as ever, but the action on offer is some of the finest we’ve seen from Konami in a long time. To keep the action going, the FOB mode of the game in continuing to develop and Konami has now released three new items that players will be able to develop online within the game.
Revealed on the game’s official website, the three new items are the D.Mine Marker and Cam Marking DVC, the non-lethal semi-automatic sniper rifle AM MRS-73 NL, the UA-Drone (Sleep), a general purpose UAV that can be used under the non-lethal security settings.
The good thing about these items is that they’re all under the online development settings, so when you start to develop them, they’ll continue to do so even when you’re not playing the game.
Higher-grade versions of the marking devices for configuring your own unique layout of cameras and landmines. Develop these to be able to place more of each around your bases!
D.MINE MARKER[★8] CAM MARKING DVC.[★8]
In addition, the Cloaked in Silence expansion for Metal Gear Online 3 will be hitting the Japanese market on March 15th, but unfortunately, there is no official word on when we can expect to see it in America or the EU, but fingers crossed that it will launch on or around the same time.
AM MRS-73 NL[★8]
A Grade 8 non-lethal semi-automatic sniper rifle. Specify non-lethal, long-range weaponry in your FOB Security Settings to equip this to your guards and add some extra kick to your base defenses.
UA－DRONE(SLEEP)[★8]
A general-purpose UAV for use under the non-lethal security setting. Its onboard grenade launcher fires rounds loaded with sleep gas, to give any intruders an unexpected nap.
The new updates will be available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, as well as PC, so don’t worry, none of you will be missing out on the action.
In this day and age, most laptops and devices come with a wireless adapter built-in, even the latest Raspberry Pi includes wireless. This is lucky for when you can’t get to the router in your house, or the cable just won’t reach your favourite seat, or when your ethernet connection is disabled by an update.
Some people found this out the hard way this morning when Apple published an update over the weekend which disabled the ethernet port in the El Capitan distribution of their operating system. The reason for the disabled port? An update for the System integrity protection system, a system designed to keep your computer secure by disabling malicious kernel extensions (kext) (the equivalent of drivers for Windows or Linux users). Sadly a small update blacklisted the ethernet ports kext.
While an update was quickly released to fix the issue, some people still had the issue of it disabling their system before they were able to update to the latest version. The idea is that it’s all done behind the scenes, without you having to select the update or even know about it, kexts are updated silently. These updates run even if you have disabled the standard automatic update.
Do you use cabled connections or are you constantly on the wi-fi? Could you live with the other? What would you do if someone accidentally disabled the wireless in your computer, laptop or even your phone?
Minecraft is a popular game, with people building everything from a castle to a self-farming industry with everything from lasers to spells. One thing that has barely changed since the game was released was the combat, with every player dashing around with sword and shield dodging the other players bows. This is all set to change in Minecraft 1.9, the combat upgrade.
Designed to shake up Minecraft combat system, weapons will be getting specific special attacks, a cooldown delay between each swing of a weapon and duel weaponry. Alongside the close-quarters combat, new shields and special arrows will force you to switch up your combat with every battle.
Other changes include The End being extended and the infamous Ender Dragon now being able to return to the world of the living to strike at you once again. Beware, a new mob, the Shulker, joins the battle alongside the skeleton riders, all looking to make you fight harder for greater rewards in a game that were seen as a builders fantasy.
Do you play Minecraft? Are you a creative player, building castles in the sky or someone who likes to hunt down the undead and creepers as they let out their final hiss? Did the combat need updating and if so, what do you want to see updated next?
From deserts to tropical islands and even the Himalayas, the Far Cry series has seen us take on everything from wild beasts with claws to hired mercenaries with guns. This is nothing compared to what is coming with the new game in the series, Far Cry Primal, looking to send you back in time to an age of feral sabertooth tigers and giant wooly mammoths. If this wasn’t enough for you to survive against, one day one you can expect to receive a whole new challenge in the form of the Expert Mode.
Like many games, Far Cry has always been about challenging the players but allowing you to experience the game as you feel comfortable, be that by taking damage and having to retake the island that you swore to free from madmen or taking a casual stroll amongst the bullets as you go about freeing countries before lunch time. The Expert Mode is more for those who want to feel the pressure of the hunt, with enemies getting a buff to everything while Takkar, your character, suffers more from even the slightest wound.
While a nice feature the day one patch will also feature improved stability and performance, with player collision and AI overhauls being amongst the list of fixes and changes, the full list of which you can below.
Expert Mode Changes
Players’ health has been halved compared to Hard difficulty.
Reduced players aim assist.
AI shoots faster by 1/3
Enemies in combat are not shown on mini map by default (they appear only if they are tagged).
It takes the AI a longer time to “forget” you when you hide
The aim assist box is reduced for several weapon types (bow, club, spear)
The player damage is reduced
Other Fixes:
Stability & Performance
Optimization and stability have been improved
Improved lighting
Weapons & HUD
Improved reticle display
Wildlife & AI
Improved beast companion behavior
Fixed rare animation issues
Improved visual of the mammoth when it destroys objects
Improved animal fighting behavior when triggering a fight
Design & progression
Tweaked and balanced XP rewards
Tweaked the damage ratio of certain recipes
Improved overall balancing
Gameplay Fixes
Improved animations of weapons on fire
Fixed issues with lit weapons during cinematics at night
Improved player navigation and small collision issues
Improved camera transition and minor collision issues on cinematics
People can’t wait for their new favourite game, with trailers and advertisements teasing and tempting you into saving every world from a threat or every road for a quick race. One of the former games is the eagerly anticipated XCOM 2, a game which has had some issues with their initial release version.
According to lead designer, Jake Solomon, the game’s technical problems are “the first thing we talk about when we come in in the morning”. With such a high-profile release, when the game runs badly for people they get upset quite vocally, as is the case with XCOM 2. While they are working on fixes for a range of things, with small hotfixes being released commonly, large fixes for things such as the framerate issues are “coming soon”.
In fairness, the game seems to only have problems at rare and random intervals, with most players being able to enjoy the game with no issues (or at least, minor ones). Some of the things that bugged players was the camera pauses for a second after kills or certain events in-game, something which Solomon claims responsibility for saying “that stuff’s on me… if things can be sped up they certainly will”.
It’s nice to see people making games that feel so passionate about their creation, even after the initial paychecks. With releases such as Aliens: Colonial marines damaging companies reputations beyond repair for a lot of fans and gamers, having a good aftercare package is essential these days.
There are always risk with upgrading your software, even more so with software that is still in a testing phase. We’ve all been through the pain of updating your computer and having it stop working, now it would seem that some users of the latest build for Windows 10 Mobile are experiencing the same thing.
Despite the single known issue, some users have been reporting that the Lumia 550 has a whole other problem. The error is that it doesn’t pick up when it’s charging, meaning your battery can only go one way, down.
Neowin reports that in their own testing they were not only left unable to charge their phone but it was also no longer recognised when it was plugged into a PC, meaning the default response of using Windows Device Recovery Tool’s was impossible.
There is a major problem with this, if you want to update your phone you require at least 50% battery, so once you fall beneath that not only can you not charge your phone but when a fix comes out, you won’t be able to update and get it.
While there are always problems with the “fast ring”, as Microsoft calls their initial group of testers for new builders, this problem will possibly cause some people to lose their phones altogether, a rather serious problem.
