Month: April 2021

Enlarge (credit: Ars Technica)

Today's Dealmaster includes a number of noteworthy video game deals. Recommended titles such as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Disco Elysium are all discounted; other recent buzzy releases like It Takes Two, Little Nightmares II, and Nier Replicant are down to new lows; and Microsoft, Sony, and Valve have each kicked off Japan-themed "Golden Week" sales on their respective storefronts. We've picked out a few highlights from these offerings below. Beyond that, our deals roundup also has solid discounts on rechargeable batteries, USB-C chargers, wireless headphones from Sony and Beats, Logitech webcams, LG monitors, and Fitbit activity trackers.

Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Douglas Sacha)

Enrollment for $50-per-month broadband subsidies for US residents with low incomes or those who lost income during the pandemic will begin on May 12, the Federal Communications Commission announced today. The FCC also set up a new website at which people can sign up for the subsidies.

"As of May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to enroll in the program to receive a monthly discount off the cost of broadband service from an approved provider. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting https://getemergencybroadband.org," the FCC said.

Congress approved the subsidies in December, but it took a few months for the FCC to set up the program. The FCC had previously said enrollment would begin at the end of April. Check out this list of providers to determine whether your ISP is participating in the discount program. There's also a "Companies Near Me" tool that will become active closer to the May 12 start date.

Enlarge (credit: Baidu)

Baidu, China's leading search engine, is often compared to Google. And just as Google has spun off Waymo to commercialize self-driving technology, so Baidu is developing self-driving technology of its own. On Thursday, the Chinese search giant announced the launch of what it is calling China’s first paid autonomous vehicle service, known as Apollo Go.

Arguably, the service is better described as a shuttle service than a taxi service. Customers are picked up and dropped off from one of eight predefined stations. The initial service area is 2.7 square kilometers—a little over one square mile. The longest route in the network is 5 km (3 miles). That makes the service a lot smaller than the Waymo One taxi service in Phoenix, which has a service area of around 50 square miles.

Still, there's little doubt that Baidu is one of China's leading self-driving companies—and that China is the world's No. 2 market for self-driving technology after the United States. In total, Baidu is testing fully driverless vehicles in three Chinese cities and is testing its technology with safety drivers in more than two dozen cities. Baidu has even gotten permission to test fully driverless vehicles near its Silicon Valley offices in Sunnyvale.

Enlarge / Vials of the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 are seen at the Boris Trajkovski sports hall in Skopje as the country starts its vaccination campaign, after months of difficulties on April 16, 2021. (credit: Getty | ROBERT ATANASOVSKI)

Health regulators in Brazil say that doses of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine contain a cold-causing virus capable of replicating in human cells.

The unintended presence of the virus in the vaccine can “lead to infections in humans and can cause damage and death, especially in people with low immunity and respiratory problems, among other health problems,” Brazil’s Health Regulatory Agency, Anvisa, said Wednesday in a translated statement.

Russia has unequivocally denied the claim, lobbed legal threats at Anvisa, and accused the respected regulators of being politically motivated to reject the vaccine.

Enlarge / Developers of games like these will soon earn more money when they're sold through the Microsoft Store. (credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft is lowering the revenue cut it takes on games sold through its Microsoft Store on PCs from 30 percent to 12 percent, marking a new front in its uphill battle to take on competing game distribution platforms like Steam and the Epic Games Store.

"Having a clear, no-strings-attached revenue share means developers can bring more games to more players and find greater commercial success from doing so," Microsoft Head of Game Creator Experience and Ecosystem Sarah Bond wrote in an announcement post. "All this to help reduce friction, increase the financial opportunity, and let game developers do what they love: make games."

The new rate, which goes into effect on August 1, seemingly applies to games specifically and not to the general entertainment and utility apps that are also sold on the Microsoft Store platform, based on the language in the announcement. The change also doesn't apply to game development across the Xbox console ecosystem, where Microsoft will still take a 30 percent cut (as do other major console makers).

Enlarge / Brendan Hunt frequently posted videos about conspiracy theories to sites including YouTube and BitChute. (credit: Brendan Hunt/YouTube)

Over the past 20 years, Brendan Hunt increasingly bought into conspiracy theories. But unlike many others like him, he wasn’t just falling down the rabbit hole—he was the one digging it. In posts made to YouTube and other platforms, Hunt voiced support for a number of conspiracy theories. His journey began in the wake of 9/11 and reached its nadir two days after the attack on the US Capitol, when he posted a video titled “Kill Your Senators.”

Hunt was arrested shortly after posting the video, which was just the latest in a series of pointed threats against public officials that previously included a call for the “public execution” of Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Yesterday, a jury found him guilty on one count of threatening to assault or murder US officials. Hunt and his defense claimed his threats were just jokes made in poor taste, but the jury didn't buy it. He had dug himself in too deep.

Hunt has contributed to the furor around far-right conspiracy theories, including those about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, the Boston Marathon bombing, and, most recently, the “Stop the Steal” movement. The latter was a conspiracy theory that gained steam on Facebook in the wake of the 2020 presidential election.

Enlarge / The stark surface of Redonda Island is turning green again. (credit: Invertzoo)

Hundreds of years ago, Europeans were sailing the globe and “discovering” new parcels of land—and rats came along with them as stowaways. As crews made landfall on many islands, rats hopped off and made themselves new homes.

The rats prospered, out-competing, eating, or otherwise driving off native species, and fragile island ecosystems suffered. However, new research suggests that these remote, isolated ecosystems can bounce back relatively quickly after conservation groups eliminate the rats, a practice that is becoming increasingly common. And the changes caused by the rats’ removal are even felt in offshore ecosystems.

Rats actually harm coral

Rats are not picky when it comes to food. They’ll happily chow down on fruit, seeds, nuts, insects, and almost anything else they can stomach. This has a notable impact on the islands’ terrestrial habitats. But in a stark yet roundabout way, rats also harm marine habitats.