Free Solar Panels: Here's What the Fine Print Means - CNET

Everything companies mean with their power purchase agreements and solar leases spiel.

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Classic Korean real-time strategy game, Kingdom Under Fire, has allegedly been "hijacked by a crypto-scam company".

As spotted by Twitterer Tegiminis, Steam player Arsene Lupin – who's on a crusader to "write a review for every game in [their] Steam library" – posted a review on the game's Steam page, reporting that the "future is here, and it sucks" and claiming that whilst Kingdom Under Fire "was" a "RTS/RPG hybrid that launched in 2001", its current iteration runs "Locus Game Chain" in the background when you're trying to play, "demanding 80-100% of your CPU".

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the developer, Bloom Technology, was quick to respond and posted a wall of text explaining there had been "a misunderstanding" and that the developer has replaced the 22-year-old's RTS' P2P networking system - previously known as wargate.net - with its own, Locus Chain.

kingdom under fire, a korean rts on steam that originally released in 2001, has apparently been hijacked by a crypto scam company that says the blockchain acts as the master server lol pic.twitter.com/G1YNkeGyt1July 28, 2023

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"This technology will be a stepping stone and an excellent example of how online game developers, who sometimes go out of business because of high server maintenance costs, can save up tons of money and focus on building the games," the developer said. "Old online games can be revived at no significant costs, while modern online games can significantly reduce their service maintenance costs as well.

"As far as we know, Kingdom Under Fire is the first successful attempt to apply and operate a blockchain node as part of the game, so I understand that this is as misleading as it is unprecedented. Kingdom Under Fire was launched free through Early Access because of the need to test the environment in real-time. You can see the progress we have achieved so far and the track record in the Updates section on Steam to gauge how we actually make use of this new tech."

Interestingly, the game currently sits on an aggregate Steam user score of "Very Positive" – albeit from just 150-odd reviews – although another unhappy player surmises their issue with the game a little more concisely than Arsene Lupin, simply saying this in their review: "Blockchain go home".

Bloom Technology says: "Kingdom Under Fire: War of Heroes utilizes Locus Game Chain to provide online multiplayer capability without the need of an online game server. The game does not support cryptocurrencies or NFTs, and has complied with all Steam's guidelines and regulations." 

There is seemingly no mention of blockchain in the game's About section or its system requirements. 

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Newly leaked information for the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE (Fan Edition) indicates the upcoming budget smartphone may charge very slowly – at least wirelessly.

A listing for the device recently appeared on the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), a website created to promote wireless charging and its various standards. It shows the GalaxyS23 FE has been given a “maximum received power” rating of 4.4 watts. According to some theorizing by 9to5Google, it may take “three or more hours” to fully charge the phone using a wireless charger. There’s no information on how long it would take to charge through a USB-C connection. 

That’s certainly a long time just to charge a smartphone battery, especially in 2023. Anker, a company specializing in power banks and charges, states the average charge for a phone is around 30 minutes to an hour. So what gives? We don’t really know. Although to be fair, there is a good chance Samsung will equip the Galaxy S23 FE with tech to boost its charging capabilities. The last time the company launched a Fan Edition phone was Galaxy S21 FE, which supports 15W wireless charging. That’s not greased lighting, but it’s still better than what we’re seeing in this leak. 

Imminent launch

It is worth pointing out Justin Hume, Vice-President of Samsung Mobile in South Africa, recently told Android Authority that “there is an FE-sized gap between the Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy S23”. Hume goes on to say there will be “an announcement made” for a new Fan Edition device. He never gives a date; although the WPC post has a registration date of July 25. Some online theorize the date could mean Samsung is finishing up its paperwork before formally announcing the model. 

Putting two and two together, there's a good chance the reveal is coming sooner rather than later.

The listing also has what appears to be an image for the S23 FE on someone’s desk. The quality isn’t great, but it does showcase the front of the phone displaying the bezels around the screen plus the buttons on the right side. There’s no photo of the the rear, unfortunately, so what the rear lenses look like remains a mystery. Recent renders suggest the Galaxy S23 FE will have a camera system similar to the standard Galaxy S23.

As always, take this information with a grain of salt. We do believe the S23 FE will have better wireless charging capabilities even if the WPC post says otherwise. Presuming Justin Hume’s statement is true, the world will know for sure soon.

Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best cheap smartphones for 2023.  

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Compare Current Mortgage Rates in July 2023 - CNET

Stubbornly high mortgage rates make it more important than ever to compare offers from multiple lenders to find the best deal.

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Samsung’s $1300 Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra may seem like an overpriced entry into the Android tablet market – but there’s a pretty good reason Samsung released such an expensive device. It sells better than you’d expect.

According to Samsung in an interview with TechRadar, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra accounted for 30% of the Tab S8 series, with most users opting to use it for productivity over consumption, at least in comparison to the Tab S8 and Tab S8 Plus.

Samsung’s Junho Park, VP (Director of Global Product Planning), told Techradar, “Customers are using the S8 Ultra for both productivity and entertainment, but the proportion of customers using the tablet for productivity is higher than the equivalent figure for the rest of the Tab S8 series.”

In other words, while the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra accounted for a third of total Tab S8 sales (Despite its price difference), users who selected it were intentional with their choice. Samsung says that people were more likely to be productive on the Tab S9 Ultra than other devices. And if you check out our Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra review, it’s pretty obvious why. Samsung did a great job of building an iPad Pro rival. The optimized One UI software, powerful hardware, and elegant keyboard accessory all came together to build a competent laptop replacement. There’s just one problem: laptops still exist.

Can a tablet really be productive?

With the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Samsung certainly hopes you think the answer is yes. Whether it’s true or not will depend on you. In my experience, tablets can be productive in a pinch. I’m not opposed to the concept. I have a OnePlus Pad with a keyboard and full access to Android apps. I've used a BlackBerry PlayBook to write school essays. I was a big advocate of being productive on a tablet with Microsoft’s Surface Pro. Excellent as the Surface Pro 9 and the (short-lived) Surface Pro X were, I’m now a big believer in the right tool for the job.

When it comes to productivity, laptops have an inherent advantage. They are built for working first and foremost. They come with keyboards and trackpads. They have access to peripherals and all sorts of extensible ports. They can run all software ever, whether directly as on Windows, or through systems like Parallels if you’re using one of the best MacBooks or best Chromebooks. More than a Tab S9 Ultra can ever dream of, a real computer like the MacBook Pro or the Surface Laptop is a versatile workhorse.

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Reddit Is Testing Its Own Version of Verified Accounts - CNET

You might see some accounts marked as "Official" on the social media site.

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The Best PSVR Games That Still Aren't on PSVR 2 - CNET

There are still some great original PSVR games that work on the PlayStation 5, if you have the right gear. We hope these get PSVR 2 updates soon.

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Best Multipoint Bluetooth Headphones and Earbuds for 2023 - CNET

If you're on the hunt for headphones and earbuds that can be paired simultaneously with two devices, check out these top models that have been reviewed by CNET's experts.

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Google's Genesis AI Tool Could Write the News. It Should Be Stopped - CNET

Commentary: Generative AI isn't fit to write news stories. We should ensure it stays away.

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WhatsApp is introducing Instant Video Messages to its platform which, as you can probably guess, allows people to send short video messages to chats.

According to the platform, you have up to 60 seconds to say whatever you want, be it wishing a friend happy birthday wish or giving them good news. Recording a video works similarly to recording an audio message. All you have to do is tap the microphone icon in the bottom corner to turn it into the camera option. Pressing and holding the button records the clip. Swiping up on the camera icon after holding it locks the video for a hands-free recording.

There are a couple of things you need to be aware of regarding the new feature. First, the videos will play without any sound although tapping the screen unmutes them. Second, the messages don’t take up the whole screen as they’re confined to a circular space. It’s a big enough view for most recordings, but be aware the sides of the clip will be cut off. Naturally, the end-to-end encryption the service is known for will be applied to Instant Video Messages to keep them secure.

The official announcement states this update is currently “rolling out and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.” So be sure to keep an eye for the patch when it arrives. It’s unknown if the messages are permanent or if they’ll automatically delete themselves after a period of time like Snapchat Stories. We reached out to Meta for clarification. This story will be updated at a later time.

Future safety upgrade

Meta is constantly testing out WhatsApp features, and if you were to take a look at the most recent beta, you’ll see the company is working on new safety tools for the platform. WABetaInfo recently stated that in the future, whenever you get a text from an unknown number, a window will appear to allow users to instantly block or report the person who contacted you out of the blue. Below those tools will be a series of suggestions on ways you can stay safe in chats and improve your security. On top of that, the report claims that Meta has plans to introduce a way to disable read receipts for those mystery numbers.

It’s unknown at the moment when the safety update will launch. If you’re on Android, you can try it out yourself by first joining the Google Play Store Beta Program then downloading the most recent WhatsApp Beta build. Spots are limited so there’s a chance you may not gain access.

If you are looking for ways to protect your online data, check out TechRadar’s list of the identity theft protection software for 2023. 

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Best Running Shoes for Women in 2023 - CNET

I logged miles with 13 different running sneakers while pregnant -- here’s how they measured up.

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Automakers Plan New EV Charging Network with 30,000 Chargers - CNET

The move will almost double the number of public fast chargers across the US and Canada.

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Last year, Amazon Web Services, Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom came together to create the Overture Maps Foundation (OMF) in an effort to create and provide open-source data for third-party mapping software. Their efforts have borne fruit as, after eight months of work, the organization releases its first open dataset.

With this launch, it could give third-party developers the opportunity to create navigation apps that could very well rival Apple Maps and Google Maps. The OMF states in its announcement that the dataset contains a ton of info split across four different “layers”. And these categories include “data on over 59 million places”, the world’s roadways, plus “administrative boundaries” such as regional names for certain locations. 

If you look at the map posted on the official website, the OMF’s release covers most of the planet. It, however, excludes far-off regions like Northern Canada. 

(Image credit: Overture Maps Foundation)

Use cases

These categories have been formatted in the organization’s Overture Data Schema, which has been specifically designed “for developers to quickly understand”. The goal with this launch, alluded to earlier, is to offer free, easy access to an interoperable, mapping API (application programming interface). Both Apple and Google normally charge developers to access their own APIs, so this endeavor could disrupt their business.

It’s unknown if and when we’ll begin to see any apps using OMF’s dataset; although this tech could appear in other software besides smartphone maps. It’s possible we could see this information used in autonomous driving vehicles, logistics, education, gaming, even the metaverse, according to a statement by the Linux Foundation. 

If you’re a developer interested in this dataset, you can download it from OMF’s website although it appears you do need to become a member of the foundation first. This is a work in progress so the organization is asking for feedback through its GitHub page. 

Much-needed competition

The question is will this effort be enough to dethrone Apple Maps and Google Maps? It’s hard to say. Since its founding, the OMF has gotten new members such as Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute) and Cyient. Everyone involved is pitching in by providing their own mapping data to further develop the API. It’s all one big collaborative effort by some of the world’s biggest tech companies to nurture “next-generation map products” that don't rely on data from just two corporations.

On the other hand, this is Apple and Google we’re talking about. Attempts have been made to topple these giants to no avail. TomTom, for example, has provided its own location-based services to other companies in the past like Microsoft in order to compete with Google only to come up short. Google Maps still reigns supreme claiming over 10 billion downloads from the Play Store.

It’ll be interesting to see what comes from this. The extra competition could force the dominant apps to reinvent themselves in a way that greatly benefits the consumer or, at the very least, offer more choice.

• TechRadar's list of the best running watches for 2023

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More Banks Boosted Savings Rates to 5% APY or Higher This Week - CNET

Experts expect savings rates to remain high for now. Here's what you need to know.

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Threads, the Instagram-based social media app, is finally getting a long-awaited new feature that’s sure to make it much more inviting to current and new users.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the news on his Instagram broadcast channel: “Threads started rolling out an option for a chronological feed of only people you’re following and added translations too.” This means that you’ll finally have a feed showing posts from people you follow, versus a feed featuring random verified users.

You’ll need to have Threads installed on your phone and update to the latest version, which is version 293 on either Google Play or the App Store, to see the new tab. Once you update, check the app and you’ll see “For You” and “Following.” Click on the latter and now you only see posts from followed accounts.

Threads needs to get a few things right first

Adding a Following feed is one of the best and most important moves that Threads could have made, as users are near guaranteed to use and stay on the app longer if they can actually keep tabs on the people they follow and care about. Not to mention that the closer it gets to Twitter in functionality, the better chance it has to truly compete with and eventually take the place of Twitter.

It doesn’t hurt that Twitter has been constantly rolling out perplexing and terrible updates, making it nigh unusable at times, with the latest being a bizarre and ridiculous renaming of Twitter to simply ‘X.’

While this is one of the most requested features that’s finally gotten implemented, there are still plenty of tools that Threads needs to be properly fleshed out. First, it needs Direct Messages, as there’s no way to privately contact other users on the app. Users will go to other sites for the feature and limit time spent on Threads.

Second, Threads needs a Trending tab, as it allows users to stay informed about the latest news, world events, social issues, and popular discussions. And while this feature can often cause arguments across the Twitter platform, it also vastly increases engagement and site retention, which are right now very much needed for it to survive long-term.

It also needs proper search, as right now you can only look up other accounts and not general topics, making it harder to curate timelines. And finally, Threads badly needs a desktop mode in order to boost its dwindling engagement, as the mobile-only strategy that worked well for Instagram doesn’t seem to be working nearly as well for Threads.

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