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game information: Platforms:PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Developers:Darril Arts, Stormind Games Publishers:Modus Games Release Date:October 20, 2020 As a follow-up to 2018’s enjoyable stealth-based survival horror game Remothered: Tormented Fathers, Remothered: Broken Porcelain is both a sequel and a prequel – but that’s really just a polite way of saying I couldn’t make heads or tails of the chronology of its plot, and I’m not convinced its creators could either. Perhaps I was too distracted by its countless audio dropouts, freezes, broken controller inputs and baffling enemy behaviours to really be able to concentrate on straightening out the tangled threads of its nonlinear narrative. If nothing else, Remothered: Broken Porcelain is aptly named; like a shattered vase it lacks structure, each individual part is rough around the edges, and it’s not really worth the effort to try and piece them all together. At the very least the setting is an appropriately haunting one. Ashmann Inn is an antiquated hotel situated in a secluded snowy mountain region highly reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Shining. Certainly during its opening moments I enjoyed the eerie ambience of its dimly lit hallways as I, controlling the young protagonist Jennifer, indulged in a deadly game of hide and seek with the murderous, mind-controlled hotel maid Andrea (seemingly modelled on Annie from Stephen King’s Misery). But that enjoyment was about as short-lived as Stephen King’s career as a film director, because Remothered: Broken Porcelain simply can’t sustain the same level of cat and mouse tension that the original game could. This is largely due to Jennifer’s movement speed which is positively glacial in comparison to the swift gait of each enemy stalker. By the time you’ve slowly crouch-walked your way up behind one, they’ve already read a book, made a sandwich, and turned around and spotted you before the stealth attack prompt has managed to materialise over their head. Since attacking enemies from behind is your sole combat option for the most part, once detected your only course of action is to flee and hide until they’re no longer on high alert. This can also be problematic, as seen by the many times I went to hop into a locker and the ‘open locker’ button prompt failed to appear, resulting in me frantically shuffling back and forth trying to find it before copping the wrong end of a pair of sewing scissors in the jugular. The supernatural sensitivity of the enemy AI versus your own sluggishness and unreliable inputs doesn’t make for a fun stealth experience, just a frustrating one that made each area of Remothered: Broken Porcelain a chore to complete. A Bug’s Life Outside of these cumbersome enemy encounters, there’s surprisingly little else to do in Remothered: Broken Porcelain. There are significantly fewer environmental puzzles to solve than there were in Tormented Fathers, with only the occasional cracking of a safe combination to demand much in the way of lateral thought. Instead, Remothered: Broken Porcelain places an emphasis on Jennifer’s ability to temporarily teleport her consciousness into a moth and fly up to out of reach items or, in one instance, agitate a guard dog enough for Jennifer to slip by. It’s an interesting concept, but there’s no real scope for employing it outside of very specific story junctures, and when you do get to use it it’s like trying to pilot a remote-controlled drone through a room submerged in honey. The moth’s movements are seriously listless and it has a tendency to get stuck on parts of the environment. And since it can only be used in short bursts I’d often find myself switching to moth form, getting stuck in a wall on the way to my target, being beamed back to Jennifer, and then forced to wait for a cooldown timer to recharge before I could start the process over again. Jennifer’s moth ability might not be much fun to use, but at least it’s one bug that’s actually been included on purpose. Jennifer’s moth ability might not be much fun to use, but at least it’s one bug that’s actually been included on purpose. Elsewhere there are far too many game-breaking glitches to count. Aside from the aforementioned button prompts failing to appear when you’re trying to hide, there’s dialogue and ambient audio cutting in and out, characters getting stuck in scenery, game crashes, enemy stalkers pinning you between their body and the environment, confusing camera quirks, and more. It took me about 10 hours to complete my playthrough of Remothered: Broken Porcelain, but I’d estimate that at least a couple of those hours were a direct result of failing objectives due to glitches and retreading stretches after forced restarts. To developer Stormind Games’ credit, there has already been an effort to rectify many of these flaws – at the time of writing (some 48 hours after launch) there have already been three patches deployed for Remothered: Broken Porcelain’s PC version. However, while fixing technical issues is of course appreciated, it’s going to take nothing less than a significant overhaul to smooth out Remothered: Broken Porcelain’s garbled story. The plot jarringly shunts forwards and backwards in time while being only loosely connected by cutscenes that end far too abruptly. The only shining light as far as the story is concerned are the handful of playable flashbacks that centre around Jennifer and her best friend Linn. They’re easily the most well-written exchanges in the entire ordeal and are set prior to the madness descending on the residents of Ashmann Inn, meaning they’re mercifully devoid of any sloppy combat sections. Verdict Remothered: Broken Porcelain feels so incomplete that I'm surprised I managed to complete it at all. While Ashmann Inn is rich with suitably menacing horror movie-inspired interiors to explore, the actual encounters with its inhabitants are frustratingly clumsy and Jennifer’s moth ability is a poor substitute for the more cerebral puzzle-solving of 2018's Tormented Fathers. Add in a slipshod story structure and a raft of technical issues, and Remothered: Broken Porcelain is ultimately a hugely disappointing sequel. system requirements: Official Minimum Requirements Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Required) Processor: Intel Core i3-2120 (3.3 GHz)/AMD FX-4100 X4 (3.6 GHz) Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce GTX 660/Radeon HD 7870, 2 GB DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 30 GB available space Additional Notes: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system Official Recommended Requirements Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Required) Processor: Intel Core i7-4770 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X or better Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB / AMD RX 480 8GB or better DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 30 GB available space

It means saying goodbye to Google Hangouts Google has confirmed that users of its communications software Hangouts will have to migrate to Google Chat next year. The announcement comes less than a month after the launch of Google Workspace, the company’s rebranded collection of collaboration and productivity tools that includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Chat and Meet. Now it has been announced that Chat will be replacing Hangouts for everyone from next year. Chat will be free to use for consumers and available within Gmail and also as a standalone app. All of the Hangouts features will be preserved, along with some new Chat additions like suggested replies and emoji reactions. “Starting in the first half of 2021, everyone can begin upgrading from Hangouts to Chat,” explained Matthew Leske, Group Product Manager at Google Chat. “To ensure a smooth transition, we will help automatically migrate your Hangouts conversations, along with contacts and saved history. We'll share more specific guidance on what steps you can take when we begin the transition process.” A new place to hang out In the meantime, Google has also announced several changes for particular Hangouts users. Hangouts support will be dropped from Google Fi and Google Voice at some point early next year and the call phones feature will also soon be removed to comply with new regulations introduced in the EU and US.

Increased performance for an increased price We might know the MSRP pricing of the AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs in the US, but that doesn't tell us much about European pricing. Typically, the prices numerically translate one-to-one (ie. Something that costs $100 excluding tax costs €100 including tax) but that isn't always the case. Meanwhile, a Danish retailer called Proshop has listed four Ryzen 5000 series CPUs with their details and prices on the German webshop. At first, we, along with a handful of other publications thought these were just placeholders, but the clever investigative work of ComputerBase confirms that these are in fact real prices. So let's dig into the numbers. The thing to note is that the Proshop prices, per EU law, include the VAT (Value Added Tax) in the purchase price, which in Germany is set at 19%. Do the math on that, and you'll realize that the pre-tax prices of the 5800X and 5900X parts in Europe are actually a hair cheaper than in the US, though the 5600X and 5950X are tad more expensive. Consumers also have better protection for their goods, with the EU mandating a 14-day 'preview period' on all online goods orders and a mandatory minimum 2-year warranty period, offered by the seller. Still, these prices are a steep increase over the Ryzen 3000-series parts, which by now have come down from their original MSRPs. Currently, these Ryzen 5000 prices are about 20% higher than the respective 3000 series parts, which is in-line with AMD's claims of increased performance. The chips from Proshop are expected to ship out on the 5th of November, though Proshop was unable to tell Computerbase about availability on launch.

game information: Developed by: Metronomik Published by: Sold OutGame Source Entertainment Genre(s): ActionAdventure First Released Aug 25, 2020 plate:Nintendo Switch.PC.PlayStation 4.Xbox One It’s rock versus EDM in a bid to bring equality and electricity to all the people in Vinyl City and yes--it’s exactly as ridiculous as that sounds. No Straight Roads is an action game that is pure punk rock down to its soul and DNA. Much like punk, it’s kind of a mess at times, and not always in a way that works in the game’s favour. It reminds me of a talented and good-natured garage band who really believe they can make it but need a bit of support to reach the top. That's part of the charm, though, and No Straight Roads features a lot of really good concepts and some absolutely excellent music to back them all up. In No Straight Roads, you play as the rock duo Bunk Bed Junction. The band is made up of the hyperactive lead guitarist Mayday and chill technical drum wizard Zuke, who live in the sewers of the futuristic Vinyl City where electricity is powered by music. No Straight Roads (NSR) is the name of the governing company which controls this power, and thus also music, and it's decided that EDM is king. May and Zuke want to bring rock music back to the city, but when they’re unjustly booted from a competition that might have seen them join NSR, they start to talk about revolution instead. The deal is sealed upon witnessing yet another blackout in the city where only NSR bigwigs have access to emergency power; all they do with it is throw sick EDM concerts. Thus Bunk Bed Junction decides to take out the top five NSR artists in music battles to rise to the top and bring electricity and musical equality back to the masses. This journey requires navigating the overworld which makes up Vinyl City. Here, you collect tubes of qwasa, the electricity this world runs on, and spend them to power faulty lights and other electronics in the area. Doing this earns you a small number of fans each time, which are the currency you can use to level up your skill tree and buy new abilities. You also find stickers that give your instruments of destruction passive buffs. This loop begins as an entertaining activity that encourage exploration, especially as it’s introduced before everything else, but it dwindles when you realize that qwasa is in far more supply than what you could ever hope to use--there’s not actually that much to repair, and more lucrative ways to get upgrades reveal themselves later on. The city itself ends up feeling small and compact as a result, and while I enjoyed finding the odd characters and other pieces of world building, I felt disappointed by how limited it ended up being. At the end of each area, you challenge the next NSR artist to unlock the next district. These battles are typically split into two segments: an approach and the actual boss battle against the artist. The approach is a series of small 3D platforming levels where you take down enemies, progressing past the various levels of security until you reach the boss. Movement is quite floaty, which works well for combat and avoiding attacks but makes platforming activities like jumping precise gaps and landing on a small surface much harder. It can also be difficult to judge depth in this game, especially when playing on the graphically stripped-down Switch version. This not only affects platforming but combat as well--judging the distance to an enemy can be tricky. It’s something I got better at as I played, and I definitely found it easier on PC with the higher detail and character shadows, but there were still frustrating moments where things didn’t line up how I expected. Battles take place in real-time, and enemies, including bosses, always attack in time with the music--but not always in the same way. There are several different classes of NSR robot, for example, who all jump and do a ripple of damage around them. Some will jump more times in a row than others, some on off beats. It will also depend on the song itself. The swell of an incoming chorus can indicate a different set of attacks from the boss; you learn to dodge on the beat or look out for certain attacks during parts of the corresponding songs. It ends up feeling really good when it works well, like you have a sort of sixth sense because you’re so in tune with the music. You also start to associate parts of the song with the motions you do to survive them and it becomes almost more like a dance than a video game battle. Mayday and Zuke play quite differently, with May having heavier melee attacks and Zuke being all about quicker combos--which feel especially good to nail in time to the music. They also have different special moves that you can unlock and equip, which can heal you, do ranged damage, or provide some other buff. Being able to choose and edit this loadout per battle gives you a lot of control over different strategies. For example, some bosses may stay further away and require more ranged attacks, so kitting the characters out to take advantage of this gives a tactical streak to the engagements. Playing solo, you can swap between both characters at a push of a button to use whoever is more suited, or you take advantage of couch co-op and have a friend take on the other role. I didn’t realise how different their playstyles were until my partner and I were arguing over the best method to take out a boss, realising we were trying to cater to each character's strengths. This became more evident when playing by myself. I expected to mostly stick to May but found myself really enjoying sapping between the pair. More importantly, I had to relearn how to play as a solo performer. Whichever character you’re not using won’t do a whole lot, which means you do far less damage playing solo. However, they regain health and energy for special moves so there’s a different strategy to it--battles can be longer but you feel much more in control of them, swapping for best use cases and survivability. Playing solo means you also aren’t plagued as much by the camera issues that come with co-op mode. The two-player camera made me curse--while playing docked on the Switch, the combination of physical distance from the screen and lower resolution can exacerbate all the aforementioned depth issues. In overworld environments, only the primary player can control the camera, so it only really works if one player moves through the city while the other just allows themselves to let the game bring them forward between areas. It's better during levels because the camera is fixed and will often pan out to accommodate both players. However, if the camera is at its limit it makes the action very difficult to parse, and will drag players at the edge into the field of view and often into harm's way. A few times our controls would bug out and stop functioning all together, and while I have had it happen in single-player mode too, it seemed much more egregious when two people were involved. My partner and I still managed to play through every level together, but it wasn’t without frustration and it took easily twice as long as my solo playthrough because of it. That said, there are some especially unique and well-thought-out levels, boss ones especially. Each boss has their own distinct style and subgenre of EDM. One will have you dodging dozens of digital projectiles in a virtual underwater world against a digital Cutecore idol. Another has you in a surrealist artist’s weird mirror world with deep Psydub synths where she pops in and out of dimensions split between May and Zuke. I was always impressed with whatever new weird wonderful thing No Straight Roads had to throw at me but by far, the best part was always the music. During the levels you’ll see a metre between rock and EDM in the centre of your screen. Each phase you make it through will push it to rock and then reset back to EDM for the next phase, but the reason this is so damned cool is because the music reflects this change. The EDM tracks are still absolutely banging, but the introduction of heavier rock elements of guitar and drums as the metre pushes over feels powerful. One of my favourite stages starts out as a young virtuoso’s piano recital which you crash in a very “Are we the baddies?” moment. The electronics intermixed with the just stunning piano melody was already great, but hearing the rock seep in made it even better again. You can hear that you’re winning as the songs get meatier with additional layers of sound. It makes you feel as though you really do wield the power of music and can change the atmosphere around you. It’s incredibly impactful. No Straight Roads feels best when you can lean into the musical nature of it, but the game doesn’t always make this easy. My relationship to No Straight Roads changed depending on how well I was performing. When you're doing terribly, it feels terrible, because things can snowball so quickly with the feeling of missing the beat, taking huge damaging hits and running into frustrating bugs. When you are doing well, it is completely engrossing. You feel one with the music--listening to it, reacting to it, and changing it. At its best, I was treating the game like a musical album--headphones on, controller in hand, and fully immersed in the music. Now that I’m actually decent it feels like a great session game I can experience in about three or four hours, or pick single tracks to play through in order to try for high scores. It’s quite a contrast to my 18-hour original save file filled with multiplayer failings and unnecessary busywork. And while the story is silly and dumb, it’s still got heart. The jaunt of rock rebellion has some real lessons to share, about why people love music, what drives their passions, and whether or not those reasons are good ones. This is backed up by a great cast of voice work. May’s voice is full of life and fire while Zuke’s feels perfectly patient. In fact, pretty much the whole cast feels fitting. The main antagonist Tatiana especially has a voice like rich butter I could listen to for hours with wonderful and interesting inflections. There's also a wonderful sense of culture here that draws from the studio's Malaysian home. The South-East Asian accents and colloquialisms are unique and lovely to hear; full sentences are spoken in Malay and subtitled in English. There’s even one music snob with an Australian accent which feels like a believable testament to my country's proximity to the region. My time in No Straight Roads was torn between true enjoyment and wanting to hurl my controller at the screen. Between camera issues, bugginess, and other weird little problems (especially in multiplayer mode), there’s enough to put a damper on the whole experience. However, The characters, bright futuristic world, imaginative boss battles, and excellent music act as wonderful antidotes. Once I eventually got into the groove, I found a really special and evocative musical experience in No Straight Roads. But I had to work pretty hard to get here. No Straight Roads asks a bit of its fans, but I’m glad I put the effort in and I’d gladly buy the t-shirt. WINDOWS Minimum; Système d'exploitation Windows 7 Processeur Intel i5-3570 ou AMD FX-8350 Mémoire vive 6 Go de RAM Stockage 25 Go Carte graphique NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2 Go/AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 Configuration recommandée Système d'exploitation Windows 10 (dernier Service Pack) Processeur Intel i7-4770 ou AMD Ryzen™ 5 2600 Mémoire vive 16 Go de RAM Stockage 25 Go Carte graphique NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 Go/AMD Radeon™ RX 590

Attachments from untrusted sources are opened in an isolated sandbox Malicious attachments are often used by cybercriminals as a means to gain access to an organization's network which is why Microsoft has developed its Application Guard for Office which is now available in public preview. Application Guard for Office opens files downloaded from untrusted sources in an isolated sandbox in order to prevent them from gaining access to trusted resources. The sandbox has the ability to automatically block malicious files from exploiting vulnerabilities, downloading other malware or doing anything else that could impact a user's device or data. Senior Office deployment engineer Eric Wayne provided further details on how the sandbox helps protect users from malicious files in a blog post announcing that Application Guard for Office is now in public preview, saying: “Files from the internet and other potentially unsafe locations can contain viruses, worms, or other kinds of malware that can harm your users’ computer and data. To help protect your users, Office opens files from potentially unsafe locations in Application Guard, a secure container that is isolated from the device through hardware-based virtualization. When Office opens files in Application Guard, users can securely read, edit, print, and save those files without having to re-open files outside the container.” Application Guard for Office Microsoft's Application Guard for Office features works with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Microsoft 365. However, the feature will be turned off by default for customers with either Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 E5 Security enterprise plans. In order for admins to turn on this feature, their organization's endpoints must be running Windows 10 Enterprise edition version 2004 (20HI) with the KB4566782 cumulative update and the Application Guard for Office Feature enablement package installed. At the same time, users must remove Application Guard protection from a document to enable an untrusted document to access trusted resources, according to a support document from Microsoft. By opening files from untrusted sources in an isolated sandbox, Microsoft is making it easier for organizations to protect themselves as well as their employees from email-based threats and malicious documents.

A simple, colorful gaming mouse Not every PC product has to be an advanced piece of technology. Especially when it comes to peripherals, many are happy with something affordable and from a reliable brand that can glide across the desk, handle gaming combat and maybe even look good. The Logitech G203 Lightsync is one of Logitech’s G gaming brand’s cheapest mice ($40 MSRP but sometimes selling for $30). It’s a cute little rat with a basic, standard design. But RGB pops on this basic design, and with it available in black, white and, as of today, lilac and blue, there’s a color to fit every personality. Unfortunately, the G203 Lightsync’s feel isn’t accommodating enough to please fit all types of hands, precluding it from being in the conversation for best gaming mouse. Logitech G203 Lightsync Specs Design and Comfort of Logitech G203 Lightsync When first released in April, the G203 Lightsync came in white or black. As of today, the mouse is available in lilac or blue too. No longer are you dependent on RGB to bring some color to your life. And while in hindsight the black version may look more premium than the lilac and white test units I have, sometimes you just want to loosen up and get a peripheral that looks fun. The problem is that Logitech didn’t take the extra step in making the blue and lilac’s rubber cable’s match the rest of the mouse. The lilac comes with a white cable and the blue one with a black cord. It’s like Logitech had a bunch of cables lying around from the white and black versions and lazily attached them to their new colorways. With my lilac mouse, the white cable just looks awkward. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide if you want a mouse that matches its cable or a unique color. White is also lively when the RGB’s on, but the mouse is already so basic that the standard white look with the dull, gray scroll wheel almost make it look like any forgotten mouse in an office. The G logo looks extra playful and kid-like when wrapped in white and RGB. The lilac, meanwhile, is a welcome pastel shade that isn’t as hard on the eyes as, say, the shade of purple in the Cooler Master Caliber R2 gaming chair (although that shade makes an appearance in the scroll wheel). Logitech can take things to the extreme when it comes to gaming mice. Take the Logitech G502 Lightspeed, boasting all sorts of features, like adjustable weights, a thumb rest and powerless charging. The G203 Lightsync, on the other hand, is back to basics. Its shape and button layout are nothing new. A rubber cable continues pushing the tale of mediocrity. But when you put the G203 Lightsync in your hand, the story starts changing. It’s nothing innovative, but the plastic chassis is slightly textured, making it feel a touch more premium than your standard, matte plastic. It’s still ABS, but it was so nice that I reached out to Logitech to confirm it wasn’t something better, like low-grade PBT. Contrastingly, the G203 Lightsync is a little too flat for my liking. I have larger hands for a woman my size and prefer a higher hump -- one that kisses my palm in a palm grip and is nearing it in a claw grip. The big bumps on the Asus ROG Chakram or MSI Clutch GM30 are exemplary. At 4.59 x 2.45 x 1.50 inches, the G203 Lightsync is a little shorter and less wide (at the widest point) then the SteelSeries Rival 3 (4.75 x 2.3-2.64 x 0.85-1.49 inches), another budget gaming mouse. The $50 Asus ROG Strix Impact II is also a little longer than the G203 Lightsync (4.8 x 2.3 x 1.5 inches). At 3 ounces, Logitech’s colorful pointer is a hair heavier than the Rival 3 (2.7 ounces) and ROG Strix Impact II (2.8 ounces). If this mouse looks familiar, it’s because it’s incredibly similar to the Logitech G203 Prodigy. The biggest difference is in the RGB capabilities. Both have 3 RGB zones (the left side of the ring around the base, the right side and the center and G logo). However, the G203 Lightsync introduces Color Blend, which provides a gradient effect across the three colors selected. You can program RGB via Logitech’s G Hub software (more in the Software section below). The colors selected in the color picker might not exactly match the LEDs on the mouse, but the hues will blend like watercolors for a finale that won’t disappoint. Combined with the commendable range of colors the G203 Lightsync comes in, this may end up being the best-looking part of your gaming setup. Gaming Performance of Logitech G203 Lightsync The sensor inside the G203 Lightsync has a small CPI range compared to some pricier gaming mice on the market (the Razer Basilisk V2, for example, goes up to 20,000 CPI). But a max CPI of 8,000 should be sufficient for casual gamers. In fact, many pro gamers prefer gaming at lower CPIs, and I found myself comfortable at 1,7000 CPI. If you want greater range, however, this budget mouse isn’t for you. Logitech told me the sensor here delivers a “20x increase in power efficiency” compared to the sensor in the G203 Prodigy, although their CPI range is the same, and Logitech didn’t confirm the sensor model or other sensor specs. While we’re on the subject of CPI the G203 Lightsync has a CPI button south of the scroll wheel that’s easily reachable. That button’s also decently offset from the scroll wheel, which doesn’t slide freely and instead offers precise, notched movements. So I wouldn’t worry about hitting the CPI button accidentally much if at all. Occasionally, I inadvertently touched the CPI button with fast flicks, but the button’s so raised that I would only hit its side, as opposed to accidentally activating it. With Borderlands 3 and Overwatch, I enjoyed zero tracking issues at 1,700, 200 (the lowest) or 8,000 CPI. The mouse’s PTFE feet helped the mouse glide around nicely,as did the light weight. But there are mice that are more generous with their PTFE offerings. The G203 Lightsync has 4 small pieces on each corner, so to speak. The Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini, for example, feels like it’s gliding on ice, with PTFE stretching the length of the underside’s most southern area. You get 6 programmable buttons total: the 2 side buttons, CPI switch, scroll wheel and left and right click buttons. The left and right clicks felt sharp and certain during gaming. Clicks were quicker than many but not the snappiest I’ve felt (the Roccat Kain 100 Aimo is a winner here). Some mice’s left and right clicks have a cumbersome feel, forcing the fingers to do some work to make a big hunk of plastic and metal move. Instead, the G203 Lightsync’s left and right click buttons snap back back in place before you can think about it and feel pretty light to actuate too. Logitech's not-so-secret formula behind all this is the buttons’ “metal spring button tensioning system.” The G203 Lightsync’s scroll wheel has firm notches that made it easy to scroll through and land on the right weapon Borderlands. If you have a lot of scrolling to do, however, you may wish for a wheel that scrolls faster or freely. The mouse’s side buttons, meanwhile, proved accessible during battle. They have a satisfying click, but when quickly activating it mid-game, they can feel mushy with their minimal travel and thin stature. A few times I accidentally pressed the left click button when trying to press the forward side button with a palm grip. All my minor complaints were less noticeable when using the back buttons for productivity, such as to go back and forth when browsing the web or when using a palm grip instead of a claw grip. You’re dealing with a standard rubber cable here. There’s fancy braiding or paracord here, so you can expect some cable drag to deal with; however, at this price that’s not unreasonable. Software for Logitech G203 Lightsync The G203 Lightsync has a 32-bit Arm microprocessor that allows you to customize profiles with Logitech G Hub software. There's also supposed to be a profile in onboard memory, but I couldn’t get that to work across 2 review units and 2 PCs. As someone who switches computers frequently, this is a huge disappointment. However, considering you can sometimes get this mouse for as little as $30, I can be forgiving. I’ve reached out to Logitech about my issues and will update this review if I can fix the problem. I had no problems controlling the G203 Lightsync’s RGB with G Hub. More advanced presets include Screen Sampling, which mirrors colors on your screen and Audio Visualize, which flashes color to the beat of sound coming from your PC, and you also get some standards, like a Color Wave rainbow. You can also sync lighting with other Logitech products with Lightsync branding, but this only works with some presets G Hub is also where you program the 6 available buttons, including extensive commands, launching apps and macros. The CPI button toggles through 5 CPI settings, which you can set to any number from 200-8,000. That’s a nice leg up over the many mice that limit you to 50 or 100 CPI increments. Bottom Line The Logitech G203 is a pretty thing that’ll make great arm candy for anyone seeking a basic, yet reliable, gaming mouse. Its range of available colors and gorgeous RGB combine with a pleasant texture for a no-frills, enjoyable package. There’s nothing groundbreaking here though. The G203 Lightsync sometimes sells for $40; if you can find it for $30, it competes better against rivals. At $30, the SteelSeries Rival 3 is steep competition, offering similar gaming performance and RGB lighting locations. Whether or not the G203 Lightsync’s color options are enough for you to consider this low-profile mouse will depend on your taste. Meanwhile, the Asus ROG Strix Impact II Electro Punk is pricier but also tempting when it comes to aesthetics. If you’re really like basic, the Logitech G203 Prodigy is under $30 but has fewer RGB customization options and only comes in black. Sadly, the onboard memory didn’t work with either of my 2 review units, so you might want to think twice if that feature’s important to you (like it is to me). But the G203 Lightsync is a reliable mouse that glides nicely with a delightful design. It’s hard to find a mouse with this much personality, and don't forget: Gaming’s all about having fun.

game information: Developed by: Nintendo EAD Tokyo Published by: NintendoiQue Genre(s): PlatformerAction3D First Released May 23, 2010 plate:Wii It may be easy to take one look at Super Mario Galaxy 2, see the same gravity-altering traps and spherical worlds from its predecessor, and dismiss this as a by-the-numbers sequel to the superb original. But by assuming you know what to expect from Mario's latest adventure, you would be doing yourself and this game a great disservice. This is not only the new standard against which every 3D platformer must now be judged, but it also seamlessly integrates so many elements from Mario's 2D roots that it stands toe-to-toe with even its genre-defining progenitors. Every aspect of this game is absolutely bursting with joy. The vibrant artistic design immediately welcomes you into this colorful world, and the catchy soundtrack deftly mixes classic tunes with new compositions to provide the perfect backdrop for your goomba-stomping, star-snatching fun. But it's the expertly designed levels that will keep you coming back, even after you've seen everything this game has to offer, just to experience it one more time. This is an instant classic that belongs alongside the best games Nintendo has ever created. Things are once again rotten in the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser has taken Princess Peach prisoner for the umpteenth time, forcing Mario to momentarily put his plumbing gig on hold to rescue his fair lady. The best thing that can be said about the story is that it mostly stays in the background. A few lighthearted exchanges between Mario and his foes precede major battles, but there is only a brief break in the action before you get back to flinging fireballs and cracking shells. In fact, Galaxy 2 is much more streamlined than its predecessor. The elaborate hub world that has appeared in each of Mario's previous 3D adventures has been scrapped and replaced by an easy-to-navigate map that lets you hop right into the next level. Galaxy 2 has less downtime than the original, ensuring you're always engaged and entertained. And you'll be happy to jump right into the action because Galaxy 2 is a long and often challenging adventure. There are lots of different activities to take part in, but everything comes with the same prize: a shining star. It takes 70 of these celestial bodies to make it to the end of the game, but there are many more hidden throughout the universe waiting to be discovered. No matter what you're doing in Galaxy 2, everything feels just right, thanks to the ultraprecise controls. It's a breeze leaping between walls, performing deadly butt-stomps, or jumping across lava-filled pits. There is an unabashed joy in movement that makes even running around the colorful worlds and taking in the uplifting atmosphere feel special. The camera does an admirable job of framing the action, giving you a clear view even when you're dancing on the ceiling in a reverse-gravity room or leaping between floating meteors in space. There are a few times where the angle is less than ideal, making it difficult to line up an exact jump, but for the most part, the camera performs its duty with flying colors. The wealth of different objectives in Galaxy 2 is mind boggling. Just about every star introduces at least one new mechanic, generating a truly stunning degree of variety. Whether you're grabbing onto the talons of a powerful bird, competing in score-based challenges for a monkey that's wearing sunglasses, or slamming into enemies while ice skating, you're constantly presented with a new activity. Even though many of these situations only appear once or twice during the course of the game, they're all fully fleshed out and incredibly fun. It's really interesting how varied objectives can be even within the same level. The first time you enter a level, you may have to zip down a sand slide at breakneck speed, dodging cactuses and nabbing coins all the while. But when you enter the level again to try for a different star, you may have to navigate an underground obstacle course from a side-scrolling perspective. Because your goals are constantly changing and always at a high level, Galaxy 2 never gets stale or predictable. If the huge variety of goals doesn't sound like a big enough change, there are also power-ups that further mix things up. One of the few weak spots in the original Galaxy was a lack of interesting power-ups to play around with, but that has been rectified here. The most notable addition is Yoshi, the lovable dinosaur with the prehensile tongue. Once on this green fellow's back, you can point at enemies or objects with the remote and swallow them whole. You can snatch up a spiny and then shoot it like a projectile, inhale a pepper to receive a massive speed boost, or chow down a bulb to light up hidden pathways. There's also a power-up that lets Mario roll around like a Goron from the Zelda series, a special suit that gives you the ability to create clouds in midair, and a drill for digging through soft dirt. All of these power-ups build on their most basic functions as you get deeper into the game, forcing you to look beyond your preconceptions to use them in unique ways. Although most of the game is in 3D, letting you explore the environments with few restrictions, there are also 2D sections that are just as entertaining to run through. These stages are exceptionally well designed, going much further than the standard running and jumping for which Mario is known. In certain cases, gravity is your biggest opponent. Rooms will change their gravitational pull at a moment's notice, turning the walls or even the ceiling into your temporary floor. At other times, you'll be running along without a care in the world when you'll come across a pool of water floating above your head. These brief forays into swimming give you a chance to avoid cheep-cheeps and slow-moving urchins before you exit once more onto dry ground. Levels freely shift between the two perspectives. You'll be floating lazily around as bee Mario and then all of a sudden you'll be in a 2D world, swinging on vines and nabbing coins without an extra dimension to distract you. These 2D levels are a great changes of pace from the free-roaming action and are as inventive and fun as every other section of this game. While attempting to nab every star within these stages you should also keep an eye out for hidden comet coins. These special tokens summon a comet that gives you a new challenge to experience. Sometimes, you need to sprint through a world as fast as possible, running at top speed and performing long jumps so you can shave off precious seconds. Other times, you must collect purple coins or defeat a boss without taking any damage. The comet challenges are the most difficult goals in the game, but it's a blast to sink your teeth into these levels to try to overcome their punishing traps. In one stage, you create clones of Mario with every step you take and you lose health if you touch one of the clones. Trying to coordinate your movements so you can still make it to the end without running into your clones can be difficult, but when you finally outsmart yourself and nab that star, it's extremely rewarding. Most of Galaxy 2 starts out relatively easy for platforming veterans, but there are plenty of stars that will push you to your limits, and these prove to be the most satisfying to earn. Many of the levels end in boss fights, which are just as varied and exciting as the other aspects of the game. One of the early battles has you take on a slithering dragon that floats above a craterous moon. It flies dangerously overhead, showing off its colossal might, before it dives toward the surface and borrows underground. That's your chance to attack its glowing red pustules, but it's not easy. Dragons don't like to be punched, and it floods the screen with a wall of fire to keep you from poking its weak spot. Every boss requires a different strategy to overcome, and it's a real treat figuring out what needs to be done and then going in for the kill. The Bowser battles are particularly impressive. He is absolutely gigantic in this game, and striking him down is immensely satisfying. There is nothing quite like bringing down a treacherous foe who has been hounding you, and Galaxy 2 does a fine job of making its bosses big and imposing enough to ensure they are rewarding to conquer. The incredible action is tied together beautifully by the visuals and music. This is a gorgeous-looking game. The levels may be home to snapping piranha plants and explosive bullet bills, but they are eminently welcoming. The attention to detail is outstanding. From the puffs of smoke billowing from the chilly rabbit's snow-covered cabin to Mario's graceful spin when performing a triple lutz, every aspect of this game looks incredible. But the music is even more impressive. Using a great combination of classics and new material, all of the music fits the action perfectly. The older songs have been remixed, and what's most interesting is how they sound even better than they did before. For instance, the haunting theme from Bowser's levels that first appeared in Super Mario 64 now has a choir singing the higher sections, and it adds an eerie note that will send shivers down your spine. Galaxy 2 is a game you do not even have to touch the controller to enjoy. The sights and sounds are so enthralling that you can just sit back, relax, and take in everything. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is simply an outstanding game. It never rests on its laurels for a second, constantly presenting new objectives and mechanics to push you to never before seen places. Even the two-player mode offers new abilities and delights, making it even more fun to play with a friend by your side. Everything is so well designed and so entertaining that it's easy to get sucked into this world for hours. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is so phenomenal that it's difficult to imagine where Mario could possibly go in the future. But that's hardly your concern now. Mario proves that he is still the king of fun.

Only seven percent of international airlines proactively block fraudulent emails As travelers wait to hear back from airlines about new flights now that travel bans are being lifted, new research from Proofpoint has revealed the majority of international airlines are leaving their customers exposed to email fraud. Although the travel sector has always been a potential target for cyberattacks, the pandemic has provided cybercriminals with new opportunities to target global travelers. In its examination of the 296 member airlines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Proofpoint discovered that more than half (61%) of these organizations do not have a published DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) record. This makes these airlines potentially more susceptible to cybercriminals spoofing their identity which increases the risk that their customers will be targeted in email fraud attacks. Additionally, a massive 93 percent of global airlines have not implemented the strictest and recommended level of DMARC protection. This setting and policy is known as “Reject” and it is capable of blocking fraudulent emails from reaching their intended targets. Proofpoint's research shows that only seven percent of airlines are proactively blocking fraudulent emails from reaching the inboxes of their customers. DMARC adoption By failing to implement adequate email protection, international airlines are leaving themselves open to phishing, impersonation attacks and other unauthorized use of corporate domains. However, DMARC adoption levels to differ from region to region. Out of the regions classified by IATA, China & North Asia has the lowest level of DMARC adoption with 85 percent of airlines operating in the region having no published policy at all. This is followed by the Asia Pacific region (70%), EMEA (57%) and The Americas (43%). When it comes to proactively protecting their customers against email fraud, China & North Asia fares the worst with 100 percent of its carriers not having DMARC's Reject policy in place followed by EMEA (93%) and APAC and The Americas (both at 89%). Using strong email protection is highly recommended for all organizations as it will prevent cybercriminals from impersonating your brand and launching phishing attacks on your customers.

Cool box, though. The Avengers are failing to assemble for Intel’s new Marvel’s Avengers branded CPUs, which apparently don’t include the new game by Crystal Dynamics. Intel announced its new 10th Gen Core KA (A for Avengers) line of CPUs co-branded with the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers game on Tuesday, posting a trailer to their Twitter that showed off new box art by muralist Tristan Eaton. The actual CPU box shows up at the end of the trailer, and you can kind of make out a mysterious disclaimer in the bottom-left corner. Now, thanks to momomo_us spotting a listing for the CPU at the Vietnamese store KCC Shop, we can see what it says: “Game Not Included.” That’s an odd choice for such an enthusiast product. Aside from individual retailer decisions- KCC Shop’s listing includes a picture of a corgi dressed like Captain America, but it's unclear if that will be included. If not, the only thing that’s special about this “collector’s edition” processor is the box. Marvel’s Avengers releases for PS4, Xbox One and PC on September 4th.

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game information; Platforms:Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Stadia Developers:Thunder Lotus Games Publishers:N/A Release Date:TBA 2020 If playing through The Last of Us Part 2’s bleak world is like taking a cold shower, Spiritfarer's is something closer to sliding into a warm bubble bath. Unexpectedly playing these two games side-by-side this month was a bit jarring, as both tackle the heavy topics of death and those left behind in its wake – but while the former does so through dark, unrelenting realism, the latter instead offers a colorful, feel-good hug. And though I do love The Last of Us Part 2, Spiritfarer undoubtedly sails alongside it as one of my favorite games of the year. While genres can be helpful to quickly explain the structure of a game, Spiritfarer has defied all my best attempts to label it. One could say it’s a story-driven base management 2D action-platformer visual novel metroidvania, but I’d rather just say it’s unique. Its closest analogue might be something like Animal Crossing as you sail on, upgrade, and rearrange a boat full of friendly spirits that ask you to complete tasks for them (if, instead of leaving town, your villagers eventually told you they were ready to die and asked you to do it, that is). Regardless of labels, the result is a gorgeously animated adventure that finds plenty of charm and excitement in what could easily be a gloomy subject. You play as Stella (accompanied by her adorable cat Daffodil, who can optionally be controlled by another player in local co-op), who must take over as the new Spiritfarer: a mythological ferrymaster who sails an ocean full of fantastical islands in search of spirits to house and, eventually, bring to their final rest at the Everdoor. That task will take you to beautiful villages full of rice fields, snowy lighthouses, and even bustling spirit cities as you collect resources and upgrade your ship in ways that let you explore more of Spiritfarer’s expansive map. Controlling your boat is as simple as picking a spot on the sea chart, the vast majority of which starts tantalizingly hidden. Once you’ve set a destination, your ship will automatically chug along to it, leaving you with plenty of time to kill and a boatload of tasks to do. Spirits could ask you to build them a house, collect certain items, or visit specific islands, but you get to decide which of their quest lines to prioritize. You could spend your travel time fishing off the aft and then experimenting with your catches in the kitchen to discover recipes, chatting with your spirit friends to learn more about them, building structures to make new resources available (like an orchard to grow fruit trees), and plenty more. Spiritfarer’s day-night cycle always made it feel like I had more to do than time to do it all in, but there was little penalty to going slow beyond missing my self-imposed deadlines. As a result, it’s a fun challenge to juggle and weave these jobs together efficiently, but never one that felt punishing. It’s a fun challenge to juggle jobs efficiently, but never one that feels punishing. There are also buildable crafting stations that turn raw materials like wood and ore found on islands into usable items through simple but cute button-timing minigames – like a loom that lets you turn different fibres into thread, and then thread into fabric. The progression of finding one type of material to make a thing needed for an upgrade that lets you find the next tier of material is a bog-standard affair, but I did appreciate how little “grinding” Spiritfarer asked of me. As long as I was exploring (which I wanted to do anyway) I could generally find what I needed swiftly enough. In fact, all throughout Spiritfarer, I found myself having to unlearn habits games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing have drilled into me. There’s an impulse toward maximum efficiency – having every station working on a thing at all times; processing all your raw materials as soon as you get them; always making sure you’ve got seeds in your garden and a literal bun in the oven. And while you can play that way, Spiritfarer doesn’t actually demand a fast pace, and doing so turns mundane tasks like melting ore to ingots and watering plants repetitive fast. Eventually, I realized that I could just plant stuff when I needed a certain veggie or make ingots when they were asked for, which turned those tasks back into amusing asides instead of constant chores. Phantom Pains The spirits you pick up along the way are all unique characters, each with their own story to uncover, house to build, and even favorite foods to learn – and while they may start out looking like the generic spirits you see on islands, bringing them onto the ship reveals their true form as some sort of anthropomorphic animal. Whether it’s the lovably obnoxious frog man Atul or the enchantingly posh deer Gwen, they’re all endearing additions to your rapidly growing mobile village. Each one of them represents a mini story of their own as well, both in unraveling their actual life before death and the literal quest line you’ll follow to make their stay comfortable. Even if some characters are less lovable than others (I’m looking at you, Giovanni), they’re all wonderfully written. Keeping spirits happy through good food and good hugs (the hug animations for each one are just the greatest thing) will also let them pitch in on your journey, sometimes collecting resources or growing plants. Without spoiling them, one of my favorite guests even just gives you cute drawings they made. But the biggest thing a new spirit will bring is a request for a home of their own. Fulfilling that order asks you to not only find the resources needed to build their abode, but also to find enough space to fit it alongside all the other structures in a complex game of afterlife Tetris. Crucially, few buildings are a simple box shape, usually having odd parts that jut out and slanted roofs that ultimately force your deck into a jumble of ladders and platforms no matter how many space upgrades you buy to make it bigger. It undoubtedly makes it harder to navigate (an issue Spiritfarer has generally, as it’s also annoyingly difficult to do certain simple things like correctly interact with a spirit when they are standing in front of a door), but I loved that this encouraged a wild, patchwork look instead of a boring stack of apartments. Few buildings are simple boxes, stopping your boat from being a boring stack of apartments. The layout of your ship isn’t just for aesthetics, either. Each new passenger also unlocks a corresponding resource-gathering minigame. For example, Gwen’s has you sail into a cloud of spectral jellyfish to catch them as they float by, while Atul turns thunderstorms into an opportunity to literally bottle lightning. There’s no real combat in Spiritfarer, but these exciting encounters fill a similar role and transform the roofs and ledges of your floating town into a platforming jungle gym. Suddenly, layout is incredibly important if you want to efficiently collect jellies, offering real challenge to this otherwise peaceful experience – and while I don’t want to spoil anything, the combination of sight and sound in a later one of these genuinely made for one of the most magical experiences I’ve had in any game recently. Styx and Stones Platforming prowess comes in handy off the boat too, as islands are dotted with hidden chests full of special items, like rare seeds, recipes, or just tons of money. There’s rarely anything too difficult here, but it’s still fun to explore forests and mines alike in search of secrets, all the while talking to the frequently hilarious spirits who live there full-time (some of whom have amusing, if simple, sidequests for you too, like going to other islands to sell rap albums). And while ship upgrades like an ice-breaking hull open up new parts of the sea to explore, unlockable platforming abilities like a double jump or glide will let you access previously unreachable areas on land, giving you a reason to revisit old locations in what is a surprising but not unwelcome metroidvania twist. The backtracking can get a little tiresome at times, especially as more and more of the map opens up to you, but the way Spiritfarer chains along tasks is impressive. It took me more than two dozen hours to complete, and I always felt like I had a clear goal I was working toward during that time despite rarely having an explicit “main” objective to lead me. New spirits will come and go from your ship, offering new resources which then unlock new areas that unlock new spirits that unlock new abilities and so on and so forth. This formula does become predictable toward the end, but the characters and locations you see are still so wonderful and diverse that I could have gladly kept going if there were additional spirits to recruit. But as they come, so do they also go. That’s the cruelest trick Spiritfarer plays: it has you feed and hug and fall in love with these cute, quirky characters, having them help out around the boat and building them lovely custom homes… and then they have to leave. That part of the job is explicitly explained to you at the start, but the first time I had a spirit ask to go to the Everdoor and leave this world I found myself genuinely in denial. I selfishly delayed it as long as I could, and when I ultimately gave in, taking them there was a shockingly affecting act. Spiritfarer displays a masterful use of color alongside one of my favorite soundtracks in years. Spiritfarer has a lot to say about both life and death, and the way it says it is largely well done. Not all the characters are as impactful as others, but the ones I did connect with really did make me sad to say goodbye. But while it’s undoubtedly somber, Spiritfarer is never a downer. It’s an unrelentingly feel-good game, staying positive (much like the warm hugs Stella so often gives) right to the very end, even when it’s tackling some very heavy stuff. Part of the reason for that is in its art and music, which are just phenomenal. The way Spiritfarer uses color (especially as the time of day shifts) is spectacular, and all its animations – from unique hugs to your kitty cat playing with a ball of light – are impressive as hell. Its music is also some of my favorite in any game from recent memory, up there with the likes of Ori in its orchestral beauty. Even though there were always tasks to complete, I’d frequently find myself just standing at the bow of my boat with the UI turned off, watching the sunset and enjoying the moment as I sailed to a new island. Verdict Spiritfarer is a gorgeous mix of an action-platformer and an Animal Crossing-style town manager that stands out as one of the most unique and enjoyable games I’ve played all year. Its lengthy campaign is full of charming characters with somber, touching stories, even when the tasks between them can occasionally lose their shine. But with little pressure to grind or hurry like so many other resource collecting games, the journey to Spiritfarer’s Everdoor is definitely one worth savoring. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Microsoft® Windows® 7 SP1 Processor: Dual Core 3.0 GHz Processor Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: DirectX 10-compatible graphics card with at least 1GB of video memory DirectX: Version 10 Storage: 7 GB available space RECOMMENDED: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

New campaign uses Mac developer's Xcode projects to spread dangerous malware Security researchers at Trend Micro have discovered a new campaign which utilizes developers as a means to spread the XCSSET suite of malware to unsuspecting Mac users. XCSSET is a new Mac malware strain that is capable of hijacking Apple's Safari web browser and injecting malicious JavaScript payloads that can steal passwords, financial data and personal information. The malware, which can also be used to deploy ransomware, was first found inside developer's Xcode projects. Xcode is a free integrated development environment (IDE) used by developers on macOS to create applications for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Trend Micro's researchers provided further insight on their discovery in a blog post, saying: “This scenario is quite unusual; in this case, malicious code is injected into local Xcode projects so that when the project is built, the malicious code is run. This poses a risk for Xcode developers in particular. The threat escalates since we have identified affected developers who shared their projects on GitHub, leading to a supply-chain-like attack for users who rely on these repositories as dependencies in their own projects. We have also identified this threat in sources such as VirusTotal, which indicates this threat is at large.” XCSSET malware While cybercriminals often use phishing emails and spam to spread other types of malware, this new campaign takes advantage of the fact that developers often share their work online in order to spread XCSSET. Trend Micro has already discovered Xcode projects infected with XCSSET on GitHub as well as on VirusTotal which means that this new Mac malware is now making its way around the web. Once XCSSET finds its way onto a vulnerable system, the malware targets any installed browsers and uses vulnerabilities to steal user data. On Safari, XCSSET takes advantage of a bug in the browser's Data Vault as well a second vulnerability in the way the Safari WebKit operates. The first bug allows the malware to circumvent macOS’ System Integrity Protection (SIP) feature to steal Safari cookies while the second bug allows an attacker to launch universal cross-site scripting (UXSS) attacks. According to Trend Micro, the UXSS bug can be used to steal user's information but also to modify browser sessions to display malicious websites, change cryptocurrency wallet addresses, harvest credit card information from the App Store and steal credentials from a variety of other sources such as Apple ID, Google, PayPal and Yandex. In order to avoid accidentally spreading the XCSSET malware, Trend Micro recommends that Xcode project owners triple-check the integrity of their projects “in order to definitely nip unwarranted problems such as malware infection in the future”.