Don't want forced Windows 10 updates? There's a tool to block them

Anthony Garreffa | Software & Apps | Jul 28, 2015 2:01 AM CDT

With the release of Windows 10 right around the corner, people are finding that the automatic installation of Windows 10 updates are annoying, and there are problems associated with some of the updates.

Microsoft has been listening to these complaints, releasing a new troubleshooting package, KB3073930, something that allows you to hide or block Windows driver updates. NVIDIA's driver updates were causing GeForce owners headaches with crashes with the latest updates included with Windows 10 build 10240.

This tool was developed for Windows 10 Insiders, but it will now work with normal users when Windows 10 launches on July 29. You can download the package from Microsoft Support.

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It's Kirby's time to run around in Unreal Engine 4

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jul 27, 2015 11:24 PM CDT

We've seen a considerable amount of old school games being teased on Unreal Engine 4, with Mario, Sonic and even Pokemon, but now it's time to see what a possible open-world Kirby game could look like in Unreal Engine 4.

It's Kirby's time to run around in Unreal Engine 4

For fans of Kirby, is this something you want to see happen? A massive, beautiful, next-gen Kirby game could be something that could happen in the future. While this is just a tease, there's no stopping the developers from making these games using Unreal Engine 4.

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New monitors from Samsung wirelessly charge your Qi-capable smartphone

Anthony Garreffa | Displays & Projectors | Jul 27, 2015 9:07 PM CDT

Samsung has unveiled the new SE370 series of monitors, with two sizes to choose from: 23.6-inch and 27-inch, both of which can charge your smartphone wirelessly. Both monitors feature Qi charging pads built into their base, which is an excellent feature to see Samsung use.

New monitors from Samsung wirelessly charge your Qi-capable smartphone

The new SE370 monitors from Samsung have a native resolution of 1920x1080, use a PLS panel, have a response time of 4ms, DisplayPort and HDMI connectivity, and support for Windows 10. Samsung says that the new SE370 monitors "declutters work areas by doing away with unnecessary cables and ports needed to charge mobile devices".

You can place your Qi compatible smartphone onto the charging area, with it glowing green with its LED, to show you that your smartphone is being charged. Senior Vice President of Samsung's Visual Display Business, Seok-gi Kim explains: "Technology should support, not interfere with, active lifestyles. Our customers increasingly rely on mobile devices to obtain information and interact with others; so by doing away with the clutter on their desks, we are helping them to use their mobile devices in a smarter way".

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343 Industries discusses decision to remove split screen from Halo 5

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Jul 27, 2015 7:30 PM CDT

343 Industries took some heat after it was announced Halo 5: Guardians won't support split-screen - and now the game developer is discussing its decision.

"The decision to remove split-screen support from Halo 5: Guardians was one of the most difficult ones we've ever had to make as a studio," said Josh Holmes, executive producer, in a blog post. "We know that for many of our fans, Halo has meant playing together with friends in the same room. We all have great memories of past Halo split-screen multiplayer matches."

Indeed, it looks like 343 Industries wanted to "deliver a true next-gen experience" and "tough choices had to be made." To help deliver the best gaming environment, there needed to be room for scale - and Halo 5 could have been comprised if a split-screen setting was included in the game.

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Israel focusing more on cybersecurity as it faces nonstop attacks

Michael Hatamoto | Hacking, Security & Privacy | Jul 27, 2015 6:25 PM CDT

Israel understands the importance of building a strong cybersecurity defense, as attacks on its critical infrastructure greatly increased over the past few years.

Israel Electric, responsible for more than 80 percent of Israel's power production and infrastructure, saw cyberattacks increase from a few hundred per hour in 2013 - up to 20,000 per hour in 2014, according to reports. The Israeli government and major businesses are on a cybersecurity hiring spree, trying to help defend against evolving threats.

"You can't be a good defender unless you understand the offense," said Amos Yadlin, former military chief and head of the Tel Aviv University Institute for National Security Studies, in a statement to Bloomberg News. "Therefore, defensive efforts must overlap to some degree with offensive efforts, including those of intelligence collection."

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Survey: Drivers still want steering wheel, pedals in self-driving cars

Michael Hatamoto | Electric Vehicles & Cars | Jul 27, 2015 5:49 PM CDT

Forty-four percent of drivers don't like the idea of self-driving vehicles as a personal vehicle, with 41 percent preferring a vehicle that allows for human takeover ability, and just 15 percent approve of a fully capable self-driving vehicle, according to a survey from the University of Michigan Transport Research Institute.

The survey revealed men and younger survey participants approve of self-driving vehicles on a larger scale, while women and older drives have major concerns. And it looks like drivers want a steering wheel and pedals, just in case they feel the need to take over.

"Self-driving vehicles are often discussed in regard to their potential safety, energy consumption and environmental benefits," said Brandon Schoettle, a co-author of the study, in a statement published by NBC News. "However, less attention has been paid to considering the actual level of automation, if any, that drivers desire in their vehicle."

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US official: Time to battle Islamic State's social media abilities

Michael Hatamoto | Internet & Websites | Jul 27, 2015 5:30 PM CDT

Republican House representative Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, believes it's time for the United States to begin striking back against the Islamic State's cyber commanders.

"What they are saying is 'attack military installations and attack police officers,'" said McCaul, while speaking on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos. "The chatter is so loud and the volume so high that it's a problem that's very hard to stop and disrupt in this country."

"We need to take the fight over there a little stronger. And we need to hit these guys, these cyber commanders, that are sending these Internet directives out to attack, attack, attack in the United States." However, trying to figure out how to "take the fight" to Islamic State in the online world will be rather challenging - there are at least 100,000 Tweets per day from 50,000 suspected Islamic State-influenced Twitter accounts.

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Leading tech experts seek ban on killer robots on the battlefield

Will "killer robots" end up causing harm to humans, especially with militaries interested in developing robots that would be able to engage human forces?

Telsa and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, physicist Stephen Hawking, and more than 1,000 scientists and engineers have signed an open letter to prevent a future open arms race focused on killer artificial intelligence. The idea of robot regulation was mentioned earlier in the year, and there appears to be growing momentum to make sure things are kept within human control.

"AI technology has reached a point where the deployment of [autonomous weapons] is - practically if not legally - feasible within years, not decades, and the stakes are high: autonomous weapons have been described as the third revolution in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear arms," according to the letter.

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Bethesda considered Boston as Fallout 4 location years ago

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Jul 27, 2015 3:39 PM CDT

Bethesda may have waited until June to announce Fallout 4, but the studio had a great interest in having the game take place in Boston for years now. In fact, the location was decided before Skyrim was released in 2011, and developers started thinking about Bean Town in 2008.

"Long ago... Pre-Skyrim. The ideas for Fallout 4 started right after Fallout 3 and have gotten worked on and been percolated since 2008," said Pete Hines, VP of Marketing at Bethesda, in a statement to GameSpot. "We're talking about its infancy, we're talking about jotting some stuff down, we're talking about, 'I want to do it in Massachusetts, and have it be about this, this, and this."

Fallout 4 game development started after Skyrim had been supported "for several years," and the studio was comfortable moving on to the next project.

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Your Destiny Guardian will be supported for next decade

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Jul 27, 2015 2:07 PM CDT

Bungie has a long-term plan for Destiny, and gamers will be able to support their current Guardian for quite some time. It turns out, with Bungie's current 10-year support plan, gamers may not need to make a new character - or switch - anytime soon.

"We certainly take it seriously that Destiny is a ten-year thing," said Luke Timmins, engineering lead for the Destiny video game, in a statement to GamesRadar. "It's a long-term thing and with these adventures that we're adding my contract to you - and any player - is that your Guardian will always be there. We're going to keep adding new stuff for you to do and I'd hope you'll look at The Taken King and be like, 'I'm looking forward to logging on again and hooking friends online.'"

Destiny: The Taken King is scheduled for launch on September 15, and it looks like Bungie plans to support your characters for a while. The expansion will be available for $40. In addition, it looks like Bungie is already working on a new "upcoming title," so Destiny fans will be quite busy.

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