Posts Tagged ‘terms’
PlayStation 4 DRM policies get a bit more complex: third-party publishers can dictate terms
Author: Jon Mitchell
Not so fast, vaquero. While Sony was cheered in heroic fashion for proclaiming that used games would be free and clear to operate on the PlayStation 4, it appears that the reality is actually a bit more complicated. Sony America CEO Jack Tretton has made clear today that while first-party titles will fit in with yesterday’s “hands-off” approach, third-party publishers will be allowed to throw some curveballs.
“There’s gonna be free-to-play, there’s gonna be every potential business model on there, and again, that’s up to their relationship with the consumer, what do they think is going to put them in the best fit. We’re not going to dictate that, we’re gonna give them a platform to publish on. The DRM decision is going to have to be answered by the third parties, it’s not something we’re going to control, or dictate, or mandate, or implement.”
That’s the new word out of Tretton’s mouth, which seems to indicate that players like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Treyarch and pretty much any PS4 game maker outside of Sony’s own umbrella can cobble together any combination of policies they want. In fact, you could easily argue that this arrangement is even worse than Microsoft’s scheme. On the Xbox One, at least gamers will be well aware of what rules apply to every single title; on the PS4, we’re envisioning a great deal of confusion surrounding which titles are in or out when it comes to secondhand playability.
Source: Polygon
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Sony CEO Jack Tretton: PS4 ‘still in development in terms of final specs and design’
Author: Tyler Evans
Sony’s PlayStation 4 statement last night notably consisted of no footage of the actual console– and now, Sony Computer system Entertainment of America CEO Jack Tretton says that’s because the company still hasn’t got it ready. In an interview with AllThingsD, Tretton stated that “we & rsquo; re definitely efficient in revealing usable game material, but we put on & rsquo; t have a mass-production box that we can highlight and pull out. That & rsquo; s still in advancement in regards to last specifications and design.”
He defended the decision to show it later on this year on the premises that looks aren’t as important as capacity: “You certainly look at it when you insert a disc, however for most people, it & rsquo; s behind a cabinet or on a rack somewhere and you invest all your time …
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PSA: Instagram’s new (and old) terms of service go into effect today
Author: Matthew Baker
Instagram’s controversy-ridden new terms of service (TOS) and privacy policy go into effect today, though they don’t contain the language that set off a frenzy of hysteria among users and the media last month. In truth, the short-lived, updated advertising terms actually benefited users, but widely-reported misconceptions led many to heap criticism upon the photo sharing platform. In response, Instagram ultimately chose to retract those changes entirely, with founder Kevin Systrom vowing “Instagram has no intention of selling your photos, and we never did.” Yet the company has gained more leeway by reinstating the previous advertising section of its service terms: specific details as to how Instagram may use your photos for advertising…
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Google Zeitgeist reveals the UK’s biggest search terms of 2012
Author: Charity Woods
As Brits look back on a year that included a Royal Wedding event, the London Olympics and other things, what were they hammering into Google this year? A British Isles-centric Zeitgeist has actually disclosed all the most significant search terms for the UK, one that’s topped by Euro 2012, soon followed by Olympic tickets. The royal bride-to-be was knocked to 4th spot by Whitney Houston, while Gangnam Style searches rounded out the top 10. Bond‘s most recent release got the top location for trending motion pictures, and PSY’s shark-jumping global hit was (unsurprisingly) the top trending tune. We’ve crammed all the curated top tens into the press release after the break– and we’re sure Google’s checking its numbers on the United States version as we talk.
Trending Searches UK 2012
- Euro 2012
- Olympic tickets
- Whitney Houston
- Kate Middleton
- April Jones
- Netflix
- Natwest online
- ipad 3
- Gary Barlow
- Gangnam StyleContinue reading Google Zeitgeist reveals the UK’s most significant search terms of 2012Filed under: Internet, GoogleComments.
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Skype terms of use reveal forthcoming video messaging feature
Author: Gabe Hall
Earlier this year, we learned that Skype was preparing to launch a new video messaging client, and an update to the service’s terms of use gives a few new details about the service, which will be part of Skype for Windows 8 when it rolls out. If you scroll to the end of Skype’s terms of use page, you’ll find an entry that allows Skype Premium users to “send and receive an unlimited number of Video Messages,” while those who aren’t Premium subscribers will only be able to send an unspecified limited amount (though they’ll be able to receive unlimited video messages). Premium users also have the benefit of not worrying about when their messages will expire, while others will need to save their video messages within 90 days or lose them…
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What can I use an infrared LED for, in terms of robotics or electronics?
Author: James Cliff
Question by Pete S: What can I use an infrared LED for, in terms of robotics or electronics?
Best answer:
Answer by Bob B
Infrared LEDs are frequently used for communications. A TV remote control is one typical example.
What do you think? Answer below!
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In terms of robotics what is the difference between joint motion and Cartesian motion?
Author: James Cliff
Question by : In terms of robotics what is the difference between joint motion and Cartesian motion?
Best answer:
Answer by Starrysky
Joint motion is measured on a polar grid (circular, with center at the joint) that shows angle and radius.
Cartesian motion is measured on a rectangular grid, with X and Y axes that cross anywhere the user wants. Sometimes the zero center is at the target, sometimes it is at the beginning of the motion.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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What is haptic research in terms of robotics?
Author:
Question by : What is haptic research in terms of robotics?
I get that it has to do with grasping…but thats about all I know. What are applications of work done in haptics?
Best answer:
Answer by sectrix
Haptics is using a computer to communicate a sense of touch. If graphics are a computer communicating visual information, haptics are a computer communicating tactile information.
It is not the same as a a human communicating to a computer a tactile information.
Now think, if we could use computers to communicate physical sensations – how could that be useful?
What do you think? Answer below!
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OnStar Amends Its Terms Of Service To Allow For Tracking Without Consent
Author: Troy Barnes
Vehicle assistance service OnStar has always struck me as slightly creepy, but I can appreciate its utility unfamiliar locations and emergency situations. And the notion of a company tracking your location constantly is apparently as reassuring to some as it is disturbing to me.
But I doubt even those optimistic souls would find it reassuring to learn that OnStar now reserves the right to record your location, speed, and so on “for any purpose, at any time” to “any third party” provided the information is anonymized.
The changes to the TOS (noted by Jonathan Zdziarski, and also reported at Reuters) were announced this week and, to be fair to OnStar, sent to their subscribers in full. And the major changes are right there on top (PDF). But that’s cold comfort to anyone concerned with their privacy.
Sharing anonymized information isn’t anything new for users of online services. Unless you actually opt out, it’s likely that most of the stuff you use online is being tracked, and that data sold in some way or another. Most companies are careful about anonymizing data, but not all data can be anonymized. A GPS record is rather hard to decouple from identity, since an intact record of a day or a week will plainly yield home and workplace locations, among other things.
Cross reference that with the data they now sell to “credit card processors and/or third parties we contract with who conduct joint marketing initiatives with OnStar,” and you’ve got a nice little database of easily identifiable individuals going.
It should be noted that there’s some tension here regarding what’s private and what’s public information — certainly it can easily be found out from voting, property, and tax records where someone lives and works. And the make and model of your vehicle is easily discernible by anyone nearby.
But that’s a misleading way to think about it; customers agree to the TOS with the implicit understanding that their location and speed would be used for the services they pay for, and if necessary shared with law enforcement. Not only now does the TOS essentially say that as long as they take your name off it, they can sell your data to literally anyone who wants it, but they now will also continue to collect that data even if you don’t use OnStar.
Again, to give OnStar credit, they say right away that you can totally deactivate their data connection by telling a representative that you want to. Hopefully the opt-out process is as easy as they say. But it’s a little odd that a company with whom you have no connection other than a piece of hardware in your car should want or be able to access that information. If you’re really intent on being invisible to them, search for OnStar and your vehicle make and model to find where the GPS unit is, and simply disconnect it.
To be honest, this really isn’t such a big deal, but it’s always discouraging to see companies with sensitive data taking the route of companies like ISPs and carriers, whose data handling practices are highly suspect. Furthermore, the legitimacy of the data sharing relies on the effective anonymization of this GPS data, and they have not convinced me that they are doing this effectively. If you have OnStar, this might be a good time to question whether the utility of the service really outweighs the potential for abuse.
Update: five minutes after posting this, I was contacted by OnStar, who wishes to make clear that “OnStar has and always will give our customers the choice in how we use their data. We’ve also been very open with our customers about changes in services and privacy terms.” I agree with the latter, but clearly the former is not true. Customers appear to have a choice between using the service and not using the service; subsequently what data is collected and how it is used appears to be entirely OnStar’s decision.
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Microsoft and Wistron come to terms in royalty agreement, Android and Chrome OS now targeted
Author: Ian Simpson
We’re seeing a heavy surge in Microsoft’s relentless pursuit of licensing deals in light of recent patent-infringement claims. Wistron Corp, a spinoff of Acer, is the latest company to make an agreement with Microsoft in a string of lawsuits and royalty clashes that’s spanned the course of two months. While we’ve seen Android suppliers such as Itronix and Velocity Micro come to agreements with the folks in Redmond, as well as others like Motorola and Barnes & Noble becoming courtroom fodder, this is the first time Chrome OS has been targeted. Wistron’s an ODM (original design manufacturer) that supplies other companies with computers, tablets and e-readers using either Google OS, so it’s not necessarily a surprise that it signed up for the Microsoft lawsuit prevention plan. Scant details are available aside from the fact that royalties will be collected as a result. Now that Chrome is involved, it not only shows that Team Ballmer isn’t backing down, it appears to have even more companies in its crosshairs — we just wonder who’s next on the list. Full (albeit brief) PR after the break.
Continue reading Microsoft and Wistron come to terms in royalty agreement, Android and Chrome OS now targeted
Microsoft and Wistron come to terms in royalty agreement, Android and Chrome OS now targeted originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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