Month: July 2024

Enlarge / Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney. (credit: Epic Games)

It's been a whirlwind journey of stops and starts, but AppleInsider reports the Epic Game Store for iOS in the European Union has passed Apple's notarization process.

This paves the way for Epic CEO Tim Sweeney to realize his long-stated goal of launching an alternative game store on Apple's closed platform—at least in Europe.

Apple announced plans to allow third-party app stores on iOS in the region earlier this year, complying with the letter of the law (though some say not the spirit) as required by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which was enacted in hopes of making platforms more open and competitive.

Enlarge / Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney. (credit: Epic Games)

It's been a whirlwind journey of stops and starts, but AppleInsider reports the Epic Game Store for iOS in the European Union has passed Apple's notarization process.

This paves the way for Epic CEO Tim Sweeney to realize his long-stated goal of launching an alternative game store on Apple's closed platform—at least in Europe.

Apple announced plans to allow third-party app stores on iOS in the region earlier this year, complying with the letter of the law (though some say not the spirit) as required by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which was enacted in hopes of making platforms more open and competitive.

The true identity of nosy next-door neighbor Agatha—played to perfection by Kathryn Hahn—was the big reveal of 2021's WandaVision, even inspiring a meta-jingle that naturally went viral. Now Hahn is bringing the character back for her own standalone adventure with Agatha All Along. Based on the first trailer, it looks like a lot of dark, spooky fun, just in time for the Halloween season. The nine-episode series is one of the TV series in the MCU's Phase Five, coming on the heels of Secret Invasion, Loki S2, What If...? S2, and Echo.

(Spoilers for WandaVision below.)

WandaVision was set immediately after the events of Avengers: Endgame (but before Spider-Man: Far From Home), with newlyweds Wanda and Vision starting their married life in the town of Westview, New Jersey. Wacky hijinks ensued as the couple tried to lead a normal life while hiding their superpowers from their neighbors—especially Hahn's nosy Agnes. Each episode was shot in the style of a particular era of sitcom television, from the 1950s through the 2000s. The couple noticed more and more jarring elements—a full-color drone, a voice calling out to Wanda over the radio, neighbors briefly breaking character—hinting that this seemingly idyllic suburban existence might not be what it seemed.

Enlarge / Vehicles for sale at an AutoNation Honda dealership in Fremont, California, US, on Monday, June 24, 2024. (credit: Getty Images)

After "cyber incidents" on June 19 and 20 took down CDK Global, a software-as-a-service vendor for more than 15,000 car dealerships, forum and Reddit comments by service tech workers and dealers advised their compatriots to prepare for weeks, not days, before service was restored.

That sentiment proved accurate, as CDK Global last expected to have "all dealers' connections" working by either July 3 or 4, roughly two weeks' time. Posts across various dealer-related subreddits today suggest CDK's main services are mostly restored, if not entirely. Restoration of services is a mixed blessing for some workers, as huge backlogs of paperwork now need entering into digital systems.

Bloomberg reported on June 21 that a ransomware gang, BlackSuit, had demanded "tens of millions of dollars" from CDK and that the company was planning to pay that amount, according to a source familiar with the matter. CDK later told its clients on June 25 that the attack was a "cyber ransom event," and that restoring services would take "several days and not weeks." Allan Liska, with analyst Recorded Future, told Bloomberg that BlackSuit was responsible for at least 95 other recorded ransomware breaches around the world.

Enlarge / Nike announced the Adapt BB as "a Self-Lacing Basketball Shoe" with app-controllable LEDs. (credit: Nike)

In 2019, Nike got closer than ever to its dreams of popularizing self-tying sneakers by releasing the Adapt BB. Using Bluetooth, the sneakers paired to the Adapt app that let users do things like tighten or loosen the shoes' laces and control its LED lights. However, Nike has announced that it's "retiring" the app on August 6, when it will no longer be downloadable from Apple's App Store or the Google Play Store; nor will it be updated.

In an announcement recently spotted by The Verge, Nike's brief explanation for discontinuing the app is that Nike "is no longer creating new versions of Adapt shoes.” The company started informing owners about the app's retirement about four months ago.

Those who already bought the shoes can still use the app after August 6, but it's expected that iOS or Android updates will eventually make the app unusable. Also, those who get a new device won't be able to download Adapt after August 6.

Enlarge (credit: Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

This story was originally published by ProPublica.

Investigating how the world’s largest software provider handles the security of its own ubiquitous products.

After Russian intelligence launched one of the most devastating cyber espionage attacks in history against US government agencies, the Biden administration set up a new board and tasked it to figure out what happened—and tell the public.

Enlarge (credit: DragonImages | iStock / Getty Images Plus)

A bunch of eighth graders in a "wealthy Philadelphia suburb" recently targeted teachers with an extreme online harassment campaign that The New York Times reported was "the first known group TikTok attack of its kind by middle schoolers on their teachers in the United States."

According to The Times, the Great Valley Middle School students created at least 22 fake accounts impersonating about 20 teachers in offensive ways. The fake accounts portrayed long-time, dedicated teachers sharing "pedophilia innuendo, racist memes," and homophobic posts, as well as posts fabricating "sexual hookups among teachers."

The Pennsylvania middle school's principal, Edward Souders, told parents in an email that the number of students creating the fake accounts was likely "small," but that hundreds of students piled on, leaving comments and following the fake accounts. Other students responsibly rushed to report the misconduct, though, Souders said.