Joshua Brown aged 40 from Ohio died in May 2016 in the first fatal Tesla accident. After more than a year since this unfortunate incident, the National Transportation Safety Board made public an in-depth report of 500 pages about it. Even though the investigation is still ongoing, this document reveals precious details about what really happened that day.

Tesla Model S is a Level 2 Autonomous Car

Even though Tesla company prides itself over owning one of the first autopilot systems on the market, the truth is not all in the title of this technology. It is important to understand that there are five levels of autonomous vehicles. The first one requires driver’s assistance all the time while the last one was not even developed yet but it entails no aid at all from a human part. Tesla S model is somewhere between level two and three.

This means that the car needs a person in the driving seat all the time. However, he or she doesn’t necessarily have to have their hands on the steering wheel. Nonetheless, the car system will notify them to take control of the vehicle whenever it is required. Therefore, they should be alert for the entire time of the trip. These details are crucial for the case of the first fatal Tesla accident.

The Company Took Measures to Avoid Repetition of First Fatal Tesla Accident

According to the NTSB report, the driver in the May 2016 crash, Joshua Brown, traveled 37 minutes out of a total of 41 minutes with the autopilot on. However, the board computer notified times the driver for seven that he needs to take control of the vehicle. These warnings were visual texts and auditive alerts as well. However, the passenger ignored all these notifications.

Since the accident, Tesla made some changes to its Autopilot system in order to avert any similar accidents in the future. Therefore, Tesla cars will not leave unanswered notifications without any solutions. If drivers ignore alerts, the Autopilot system will automatically turn off.

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For the moment, there are no authorities to regulate and protect users from cyber threat across the online dimension. There are many cases, reports, and professional interpretations that find this type of assaults as damaging as their counterparts in reality. On top of that, bad guys are using online platforms as propaganda to make their extreme beliefs known to others as well. Google promised to be among the first parties to hold the line against this online extremism.

U.K. Lawmakers Were on the Verge of Regulating Social Media Platforms Themselves

As of recently, U.K. legal apparatus condemned the internet as a nurturing environment for radical ideologies. In response to this affirmation, one of the pillars that hold the online world came up with proactive strategies to shatter this negative image. This is about Google company that is working on a series of new practices and policies with the sole goal to eliminate videos with messages related to terrorism.

On Sunday, Kent Walker, Google’s General Counsel, stated that his organization is going to employ its innovative technological projects to suppress this online extremism. After the recent attack in London with large casualties, U.K. officials were on the verge of proposing regulations to gain control over social media platforms. This action would have implied authorities are gaining access to sensitive user data.

Google Is Looking to Educate Users on the Impact of Online Extremism

However, a spokesperson for U.K.’s Home Office declared that lawmakers would not yet resort to such measures. Therefore, they are calling on tech giants to create for themselves a set of policies to force terrorists out of the online world as well.

 “The measures being implemented by Google, particularly those relating to hateful speakers, are encouraging first steps.”

However, the spokesperson urged companies to take matters further in this topic. One of the next strategies against extreme online messages will be giving access to more people to monitor new content on websites such as YouTube. On top of that, Google is going to use its innovative technologies to track down potential ISIS recruits. Once they are identified, the system will initiate redirections towards anti-terrorist videos.

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The world of GTA V has taken many independent extensions and forms. One of the most successful features of this game is Open IV. This is a popular modding tool that acts as an in-game editor and archive manager of mod folders. However, its developers were forced to put an end on their product distribution. They received a Cease-and-Desist letter on behalf of Rockstar lawyers regarding this program.

The Modding Tool Became Responsible for Reverse Engineering

Open IV has been multiplying the entertaining moments users enjoy in GTA V for almost ten years. However, the parent company of Rockstar, Take-Two, put an end on this modding tool. They sent an official notification to Open IV on June 5 in which the receiver was incriminated.

According to the content of the letter, Open IV was responsible for offering third parties a window into security layers of its software. Once inside, these cyber attackers made changes which are in violations with Take-Two.

The message admitted that these methods of reverse engineering were employed for interoperability ends only. On top of that, there were no leaks of original code or data to jeopardize the integrity of a company. Moreover, the GTA Online remained out of reach.

Rockstar EULA Clearly Forbids Certain Practices no Matter Their Complexity

As a consequence, there were no major breaches to disrupt the online safety of either party. On the other hand, the end-user agreement or EULA pertaining to Rockstar comprises some important paragraphs that are relevant to this situation. The line in question clearly states that reverse engineering is forbidden.

“You agree not to… reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, display, perform, prepare derivative works.”

However, fans of mods don’t have to worry about being banned from the game. Especially when it comes to modifications in single-player mode, all players are free to use modding tools without ending up in the cheater pool.

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The latest addition to the Mass Effect collection transposes players in a future where humanity is just on the brink of populating the Andromeda Galaxy. While the visuals and new combat strategies managed to attract positive reviews, the game was not without criticism. The production was launched with numerous technical problems. Nonetheless, two months after its beginning, the game receives the patch updates it needed in the first place with glitch fixes and other compelling items and stories.

Upcoming Patch Updates Will Introduce a New Love Story

Mass Effect: Andromeda is about to receive one of its largest patches with the number of 1.08. Beside the fixed problems with both multiplayer and single player modules, there are other thick changes that can really turn the game around. For instance, players will receive more control over the aesthetics of the game. The patch updates contain an entire expansion for the character creator. Moreover, players will be able to alter the appearance of Ryder during Tempest mid-game.

However, by far the most significant new feature is the love story between Scott Ryder and Jaal, an angara character. In the present version, the main male character cannot engage with Jaal in a romantic relationship. On the other hand, the female version Ryder Sara can unlock this possibility if players want to.

Therefore, BioWare producers took advantage of the cultural background of the angara race which is tolerant and introduced a same-sex scenario in the game in a natural way. To create the right story, producers collaborated with the LGBT community. Their feedback represented a core engine that powers this new romance.

All writing, animation, and editing teams worked on the received LGBT concepts to transpose a new meaningful relationship in the game. They made sure that this story is fluid and as significant as the one between Scott and Sara.

Hainly Abrams Will Receive a More In-Depth Episode

An additional change that the patch updates will make it happen is a dialog adjustment between Ryder and Hainly Abrams. The latter is a transgender character, yet it didn’t convince the fans of its genuine personality through the original story. After such criticism, the company tweaked the episode when she is talking to Ryder to appear more fluid.

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To the delight of millions of fans, Andrej Sapkowski announced on Wednesday that he will collaborate with Netflix on a The Witcher television series. The Polish fantasy writer will serve as a creative consultant on what is expected to be Netflix’s own Game of Thrones.

Gerald’s Tale Is Not Over Yet

Sapkowski’s work has already gathered a cult following, the series of eight novels following the monster-slaying adventures of the witcher Gerald of Rivia, the bard Dandelion, the sorceresses Yennefer and Triss, and the last child of the Elder Blood, Ciri being read by billions of fans worldwide, the books being translated into over 20 languages.

In 2007, Gerald’s popularity grew astronomically after CD Projekt Red, an independent Polish video game developer adapted The Witcher into an open-world RPG. By the time The Witcher III : The Wild Hunt was released in 2015, millions of players were already hooked on the intricate relationship between the witcher, the two sorceresses, and the lion cub of Cintra. Then, CD Projekt announced that the story of the White Wolf ended with the Blood and Wine expansion and over 25 million hearts broke.

Now, thanks to Netflix, fans of The Witcher saga will not fade into oblivion. Apart from the author of the original series, who did not profit from the video game adaptation of his novels, the streaming giant also managed to seal the deal with Tomas Baginski, the man responsible for all three game intros and cinematic cuts. Jason Brown (The Expanse) and Sean Daniel (The Expanse and The Mummy) will serve as executive producers alongside Banginski and Jared Sawko will oversee visual effects.

It’s not yet clear which of the storylines will be featured in the Netflix adaptation, but if the streaming company hopes to match HBO’s success, they will probably debut with the witcher’s origin story. However, the training is described as torturous in nature, so Netflix may have a hard time sticking by the book.

All in all, here’s to Netflix, the company that is finally taking steps to fulfill the dreams of The Witcher fans. Let’s hope they convince Mads Mikkelsen to take on the role of Gerald of Rivia, the butcher of Blaviken.

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Android and iOS are racing each other constantly for the title of best mobile operating system. However, Android might have just gained this milestone, even if this is just until the next big thing. The company has been working on a project that is much less innovative, yet refreshing instead. Instant Apps is a bold move that wants to streamline the way users manage their smartphones.

Instant Apps Will Be Available on Android 7 and Older Versions

Instant Apps was one of the most popular ideas during Google I/O 2016 when the company introduced Android Nougat for the first time. By comparison, iPhone didn’t have and still hasn’t come up with a similar technology. After one year of silence since the initial presentation, Google resurfaced the project, and it is ready to launch it on Android 7 devices as well as older versions for both phones and tablets.

The new feature is all about accessibility and a time-saving approach. Instant Apps will run on the back end so as users will see only the results of its processing work. What it really does is that it allows people to enjoy the sleek experience of an app without actually downloading any software. While it doesn’t sound like a major update, it does save users from several issues.

The New Feature Saves Android Users Space and Time

First of all, the new feature might solve a big storage issue. There are hundreds of thousands of apps in Google Play. However, the limited space of a smartphone compels users to stick to only a basic selection. With Instant Apps, people can enjoy all the utilities of an app without the need to save some space for it.

Moreover, users can test software before buying it. Developers can offer a free version for consumers to form an idea about it. Finally, if users are really enjoying the experience, they can skip the visit to Google Play, and install or purchase the product right from Instant Apps.

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After a worldwide outage that lasted a couple of hours, WhatsApp is back on track. Nevertheless, the damage has already been done, users throughout the world complaining about the company’s lack of professionalism. In a world where social media reigns, WhatsApp’s silence during today’s outage was not welcomed at all.

What Happened?

Earlier today, WhatsApp users found themselves unable to access their accounts due to an unknown bug. Happily, it took the company only a couple of hours to fix the problems, restoring communications and leaving no user behind. WhatsApp apologized for the mishap, offering little explanation to what caused the problem in the first place.

“Earlier today, WhatsApp users in all parts of the world were unable to access WhatsApp for a few hours. We have now fixed the issue and apologize for the inconvenience,” an official statement says.

Paradoxically, users were not as troubled by WhatsApp’s short outage as they were by the company’s inability to release a public statement.

Silence Reigned on All WhatsApp’s Social Media Accounts

The company owns a Twitter account on which it used to post status reports from updates to problems, to official press releases. Obviously, this account was the first to be checked by confused WhatsApp enthusiasts. However, they were met by a tweet dating February 22, 2014, where the company was apologizing for yet another outage.

Its main Twitter account told a slightly different story, the last tweet dating back from August 23, 2016. The virtual missive talked about E2E encryption’s basic features. The second to last tweet dated from February 25, 2015, a clear sign that the messenger app is not a fan of Twitter.

Three years ago, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $22 million. It’s only natural that the company prefers to update its Facebook page more often than all the others, however, that too, was empty during the outage.

Now that everything is back on track, users are still angry at how WhatsApp handled the situation. Next time, the company should make time to announce any errors and an ETA on repairs.

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Nowadays, almost everybody owns a smartphone, so T-Mobile decided to help users enjoy a better internet connection. The company announced its plans of building the first nationwide 5G network. T-Mobile is going to be focusing more on geography than on speed, so don’t expect to conduct internet searches at light speed.

T-Mobile Set Out to Build the First Nationwide 5G Network

The carrier announced that it is going to use the radio airwaves that it previously purchased in a government auction. Because these airwaves are better at covering long distances, this project is going to make T-Mobile the first carrier to roll out a nationwide 5G network. Although it all sounds fantastic, the company announced that it will focus more on wider coverage than better internet speed.

T-Mobile wants to give its users better coverage everywhere in the US. This move comes against conventional views on a 5G network user hoping for better speed and high Internet connection. Nevertheless, with this nationwide 5G network, T-Mobile wants to give its customers the ability to manage more devices, not just a single smartphone.

Since most people have signed up for wireless plans, the company needed to make a new move to attract customers. As the nationwide 5G network is going to be based on more efficient technology, it might actually help the carrier gain more popularity.

The Nationwide 5G Network to Advantage T-Mobile As Well

This new network comes with advantages for the carrier. It may increase T-Mobile’s status and make it a nationwide network. This should translate into a great internet connection all over the US. Despite the fact that the company released this announcement, they have yet to start building the actual network. T-Mobile wants to get it done in less than two years.

Verizon, one of T-Mobile competitors, stated that this is just a PR stunt. T. AT&T declined to offer a comment on this statement. Both Verizon and AT&T have tried working with a 5G network by using higher-frequency spectrum. This delivered a higher speed, but it is limited in geography, a glitch that T-Mobile is determined to solve.

If T-Mobile’s promises are real, the carrier could gain even more loyal customers, slowly taking over the American market.

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Well, it appears that we are, once more, regaled with a tale of terror and madness from Red Barrel Studios, the creators of critically-acclaimed Outlast, probably one of the frightening games since Penumbra. If you thought that it was over, then guess again! On the 25^th of April, Red Barrel Studios released the sequel of Outlast and, by the looks of it, the game hasn’t been any scarier than now. Here’s what we know, so far, about this amazing and blood-chilling game.

Outlast 2 – Characters and Setting

As you probably know by now, the first Outlast game focused on the haunting and death-defying experiences of Miles Upshur, an investigative journalist, who goes to the Mount Massive Asylum, a psychiatric institution, in order to investigate the strange happenings that occur there. Little did Upshur knew that the asylum is actually a giant maze and he is the lab rat trapped inside it.

Moving on, in the second installment of the game, you, as the player, take the role of Blake Langermann, a cameraman, who follows his wife to Temple Gate, a town located in a heavily wooded area, to investigate the cult formed around an ominous character named Sullivan Knoth.

As expected, the player will have to do all it takes in order to escape Knoth’s fanatics and monsters. As a small insight into the game’s mind-boggling Universe, Langermann’s fight for life begins with the murder of an unknown woman, whose body is discovered deep in the Arizona desert.

Gameplay and General Considerations

Gameplay-wise, we have to admit that we’re quite impressed with the developer’s steadiness. Instead of opting for something more on the line of open-word with tons of weapons and other ways to deal with monsters, Outlast 2 relies on the same flee or hide system.

This means that, if you see something resembling a monster or a cultist, the best thing to do is to either run like there’s no tomorrow or to find yourself a nice and cozy place to hide. We were especially impressed by the cornfield scene, where you had to do your best in order to stay out of the flashlights’ beams.

Basic game mechanics such as running have been improved to give you that true feeling of terror each time someone is chasing you. And to top it all up, there’s hardly a moment of respite in the game. What do you think of Outlast 2? Share your opinions with us.

Image source: Red Barrel Studios

When the Creators Update for Windows 10 was initially announced, users were thrilled that they had the option of postponing all future updates – for a limited time, but still an improvement. Now that the update is making its way to all Windows-operated computers, Microsoft is urging users not to install it manually due to stability issues.

The Latest Update Comes with Issues of Its Own

Usually, updates are meant to fix certain bugs or software problems, but Microsoft managed to create an update that comes with plenty of issues of its own. While the company’s official blog post didn’t provide any details on the nature of the problems, it seems like some users experienced connectivity problems with their Bluetooth LE devices after installing the Creators Update.

More Details on the Update

According to Microsoft, the initial phase of the update targets newer devices which scored well during ISV app and OEM hardware tests. After confirming improved user experience, Microsoft was planning to release phase two, meaning a wider, more general rollout.

Until now, the millions of people who did receive the update, provided extensive feedback to the company, notifying them of various bugs and issues. Thanks to the Feedback Hub app, all users who enabled the full version of their diagnostic settings while running the app, received specialized help and associated diagnostic data.

At the moment, after analyzing user feedback, Microsoft is:

• Documenting all issues while also providing extensive information to all affected users.
• Updating Windows and working with all ISV app, PC, and accessory partners at fixing all problems.
• Deploying a block that prevents the buggy app from affecting other devices.

Seeing as Microsoft is following these three major steps when dealing with update update issues reported by users who were targeted for this phase, those who manually download the app bypass all these steps, putting their devices at risk. For that reason, the company is urging all customers not to manually install the Creators Update.

Removing the Creators Update

Microsoft made it easy for all individuals to remove the existing update. All one has to do is go to Start, click on Settings, and choose Update and Security. A Recovery option should be available. Select it and look for the Go back to the previous version of Windows 10 option. Click the Get started button right under it.

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