Month: September 2021

Enlarge / Vanguard-protected titles like Valorant will require more security features when running on Windows 11. (credit: Riot Games)

We already know that Windows 11 will officially require a TPM 2.0 module and Secure Boot support for installation when the operating system is released on October 5, but it looks like Riot Games' Vanguard anti-cheat software will be getting in on the fun, too. Users running Vanguard on Windows 11 systems have seen pop-ups notifying them that a TPM 2.0 module and Secure Boot support will both need to be present and enabled before Vanguard-protected games like Valorant will run on a Windows 11 PC. PCGamer reports that those requirements do not appear to apply to Windows 10 users, at least not yet (any Windows 10 system bought or built within the last five years or so will usually include TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot support, though one or both may be disabled by default).

Vanguard is already notable for the low-level access it has to your system—it uses a kernel-mode driver that launches when Windows boots, whether you're playing a game that requires it or not. Shut down Vanguard for any reason, and you need to reboot Windows before you can launch a protected game. Services like Easy Anti-Cheat also advertise kernel-level protection.

These kernel-level services do work better than anti-cheat services that run in "user mode" with most of your other apps, but buggy or compromised kernel-level software can also potentially cause more instability and security problems. They also aren't foolproof; external hardware can still be used to get around kernel-level anti-cheat software, and many online games rely on user reports to identify and ban cheaters.

Enlarge / The new Whoop Strap 4.0. (credit: WHOOP)

Subscription wearable-maker Whoop just launched its successor to the two-year-old Whoop Strap 3.0. The Whoop Strap 4.0 doesn’t depart from the company’s core goals, aesthetics, or subscription model. Instead, the performance-focused training device gains blood-oxygen and skin temperature monitoring for more accurate health tracking.

Like all Whoop Straps before it, the Whoop Strap 4.0 comes free with a subscription to the Whoop app. Starting at $18 per month for 18 months (you pay more for shorter subscription terms), the service offers deep, personalized training metrics, analysis, and guidance focused on training load, rest and recovery, and avoiding injury and overexertion.

The Whoop Strap itself is only meant to collect data. That means there are no screens, no buttons, and no vibrations. The device is simply an observer, and the latest version has shrunk 33 percent while adding SpO2 and temperature sensors into the mix.

Enlarge / Toyota's first modern battery EV will be the bZ4x, due in 2022. (credit: Toyota)

Toyota was an early pioneer in hybrid electric vehicles, and it has sold more than 18 million hybrids since the introduction of the first Prius in 1997. But it's fair to say that the world's largest automaker has been left behind in the shift toward battery EVs.

That situation looks like it's set to change. On Tuesday, Toyota announced that it will spend $13.6 billion (¥1.5 trillion) on batteries between now and 2030. Of that money, $9 billion (¥1 trillion) will go toward battery production, with a planned output of 180 to 200 GWh/year by the end of the decade.

"What Toyota values the most is to develop batteries that its customers can use with peace of mind. Especially, we are focusing on safety, long service life, and high-level quality to produce good, low-cost, and high-performance batteries," said Chief Technology Officer Masahiko Maeda.

Enlarge / To reach our climate goals, we'll need to stop building these. (credit: Education Images/Getty Images)

A massive amount of fossil fuels will need to stay in the ground if the world is to reach its goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5ºC, a new study shows. A paper from faculty members at the University College London uses modeling to decipher what would need to happen for a 50 percent chance of reaching this climate goal, concluding that a lot of our fossil energy reserves will have to stay in the ground. The paper further explores the consequences for the countries, businesses, and people involved.

In 2015, 196 parties signed the Paris Climate Agreement, which is aimed at keeping global average temperatures under 2ºC, with 1.5ºC as the preferred target. Since then, documents like the International Panel on Climate Change's report on reaching 1.5ºC have indicated that the world needs to start cutting fossil fuels now to reach this target.

The new paper reaffirms the notion that we need immediate, sharp declines in emissions. The study builds on a piece of research from 2015 that looked at the possibility of hitting the 2ºC goal. The earlier work used modeling to suggest that, globally, one-third of all oil reserves, half of gas reserves, and more than 80 percent of coal reserves need to remain unused to reach the goal. The new UCL paper’s recommendations are even stricter.

Enlarge (credit: Clipchamp)

Microsoft hasn't updated its old Windows Movie Maker software since 2012, and it hasn't even offered the old version for download since 2017, leaving Windows users to fend for themselves when it comes to beginner-friendly editing and sharing of video clips. That situation will hopefully change thanks to Microsoft's acquisition of Clipchamp, a web-based video-editing tool. Clipchamp includes a variety of built-in templates for family-video editors, Twitch and YouTube streamers, and businesses putting together ads or other branded videos.

Microsoft hasn't made specific announcements about where and how Clipchamp will be integrated into its products, but it hinted that the app "is a natural fit to extend the cloud-powered productivity experiences in Microsoft 365," implying that the web version will be a part of Microsoft's subscription service in the future. Clipchamp is "also a great fit for Microsoft Windows," which currently only offers very basic video editing via the built-in Photos app. Microsoft's current tools definitely aren't up to the level of iMovie, which Apple offers for free to macOS, iOS, and iPadOS users.

Whatever comes of the Clipchamp acquisition, it won't be included in the initial version of Windows 11 when it's released on October 5. But Microsoft's Panos Panay shared a brief teaser video of a revamped Windows 11 Photos app, which may at least improve upon the barebones version in Windows 10.