STATES CHRONICLE – Blizzard made plenty of exciting announcements during this year’s BlizzCon. One of them told players StarCraft II will be made into a free to play title, and it turns out Blizzard kept its promise. You can already log in on Battle.net and enjoy the game without having to pay anything.

Here’s how to download StarCraft II for free

Before installing the game, make sure the game is compatible with your OS. It should work on both Windows of Mac, but older versions of these systems are unsuitable for the game to run. If you reach all the technical specifications, then you can go on Battle.net and search for the game.

If you don’t have an account, you have to sign up for one and, if you do, head over to the Shop and search for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. The page will show you a button called Play For Free, which will take you to the Account Management settings. There, you have to look for the game itself, which you can download directly from the page.

Blizzard prepared a surprise for those who had purchased Wings of Liberty before

In case you’re waiting for the full menu of StarCraft II, we have to disappoint you. Since it’s a free version of the game, it won’t offer you all the features available. What you get is the campaign for single player Wings of Liberty. If you want to play the others, you’ll have to pay $14.99 per campaign, or $39.99 if you want to get them all.

Some players have already purchased Wings of Liberty, but Blizzard did not forget them. All these players will be sent a code which they can use to download Heart of the Swarm for free. Hurry up, as you can claim this gift until December 8^th.
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STATES CHRONICLE – Over the past few months, YouTube has been on an intense mission to take better control of its content. While the platform managed to deal with extremist videos or intrusive ads, a new problem suddenly arose. A recent report revealed a worrying number of disturbing videos targeted at children which surfaced on the platform.

Disturbing videos targeted at children ended up on YouTube Kids

Recently, many people stumbled upon weird videos making use of kid-friendly characters. However, these videos were far from being appropriate for children, but they could easily end up in their suggestions. As soon as the company was informed about it, YouTube said it would prevent the monetization of such videos, and would prevent people from creating such content.

However, some videos might still escape these regulations. Therefore, the platform decided to impose a new age limit. This way, it hopes it will be able to perform a better filtering of the content. Also, this will change the flagging of videos, which will be labeled as inappropriate to view under certain ages.

YouTube will improve its filtering system

Juniper Downs, the director of policy at YouTube, explained how this new system should work.

“We’re in the process of implementing a new policy that age restricts this content in the YouTube main app when flagged. Age-restricted content is automatically not allowed in YouTube Kids.”

Just like any other platform displaying visual content, YouTube might sometimes have to censor some of it. Children are easy to manipulate through appealing videos, so viewing something inappropriate for their age can mean a lot. Therefore, the video platform requires better filters, especially for the special version of the app, YouTube Kids.

From now on, if a video published on the main YouTube app wants to enter YouTube Kids as well, it will undergo a lot of tests before being approved. This way, the platform can make sure nothing unsuitable escapes its filters.
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STATES CHRONICLE – The Google Play Store is often taken over by fake apps which somehow manage to pass the company’s security filters. This time, another app pretended to be the popular WhatsApp, and successfully tricked over one million users into thinking it was the real one. In the end, Google realized the app was fake, and removed it.

The fake WhatsApp app fooled over one million users

The impostor app was presented on the Play Store as Update WhatsApp Messenger. However, it was a fake version of the messaging service which displayed dozens of ads. All these ads were run through a malicious code, which sought to make money in an easier way.

The first ones to discover the app was fake were a few Reddit users. E_x_Lnc was the first one to notice something was wrong with the disguised WhatsApp, and informed everyone present in a subreddit on Android issues. Then, many others started analyzing the app and its source code, and confirmed it wasn’t official.

The app disguised itself so well that it was almost impossible for users to tell it was fake

Unlike other similar apps, the fake WhatsApp didn’t ask for permission to access private information. However, once the users had downloaded it, it could install on its own an APK (Android Package Kit), namely a regular Android installer, and camouflaged itself perfectly behind a blank icon. This way, it could go undetected among users.

Also, the fact that the app was fake was signaled by some space left after the name of the developer, WhatsApp Inc. This made it almost impossible for people to tell it wasn’t the real one, so over a million users downloaded the malicious application without even thinking there might be something wrong with it.

Usually, Google’s security filters detect these spaces, and can tell this is a malicious attempt to trick users. However, this was no regular space, as it was disguised with the help of a Unicode character. Fortunately, soon after the Reddit users flagged the app, the company removed it from the Play Store.
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STATES CHRONICLE – Blizzard Entertainment gained large experience in the esport industry starting with the StarCraft series. However, the company didn’t rush to turn its successful shooter Overwatch into a competitive field at first. Instead, it allowed users to grow into a tight-knit community and help developers improve the game. Nonetheless, the time has come for Overwatch to step forward as an esports league. It is going to have the financial support of HP and Intel for that.

By 2020, eSports Will Be a $1.5 Billion Worth Market

Thanks to its international success, Overwatch had it easy to lure in investors and grow into a competitive shooter game. HP announced that its Omen by HP brand is going to be a major sponsor for the Overwatch league. This collaboration is slated to last for more than one year.

Both HP and Intel announced their support for Overwatch transition to an esports league during BlizzCon 2017 in Anaheim, California. According to various reports, this gaming industry is expected to reach a value of $1.5 billion in three years.

As a result, Overwatch League tournaments are going to use Omen by HP computers and displays exclusively. The hardware in its turn will be powered by Intel’s new Core i7 and i9 processors.

Blizzard has already begun to manage team owners and inspire local teams to join their competition. There will be a preseason period on December 6 while the official action will begin next year on January 10.

Overwatch Will Become an Esports League with the Support of Intel and HP

At this point, 12 new teams are in the race. None of them has joined any other esports league so far. They represent various nations from Asia, North America, and Europe. Some of the teams like Seoul Dynasty or Cloud9 have already revealed inside specs with the intention to spark interest in the event.

Both Intel and HP intend to support the Overwatch community throughout any upcoming competitive events outside the league as well. All three parties delivered official statements that mark the beginning of a fruitful collaboration. Overwatch League will equip teams with top-end technology while the companies will take advantage of the momentum the shooter grew within the gaming industry.

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STATES CHRONICLE – Samsung and Apple have been dueling with the occasion of numerous patent lawsuits for six years now. The company alleges that its rival infringed patent rights for mobile design. However, Samsung intends to avoid or lower the multimillion dollar award it has to pay to Apple. After years of patent lawsuits with no conclusive outcome, a judge ordered the dispute to return to the original court.

Apple and Samsung Went through Numerous Patent Lawsuits in Six Years Only to Return to the Original Court

Samsung failed to receive a positive reaction when it requested retrial from Judge Koh, then the Federal Circuit. However, on Sunday Judge Lucy Koh gave a new direction to the legal battle between Apple and Samsung. At the official’s order, a new retrial will take place within the original court.

The new lawsuit will decide whether Samsung should indeed cover Apple’s $399 million award for patent infringement or not. This new legal dispute ignores a December decision coming from the US Supreme Court. It was only ten months ago when the court closed the case claiming that Samsung has no justifiable reason to cover compensations for Apple.

Judge Koh Claimed that the Supreme Court Didn’t Respect the Letter of Law in a December Ruling

“The Court finds that the jury instructions given at trial did not accurately reflect the law.”

The original award of $399 million represented the compensation Apple should receive based on Samsung’s profits that were recorded with its Galaxy line. However, the Supreme Court considered that the award should reflect only those parts of devices that were copied from its rival.

In the lawsuit that Apple opened in 2011 against Samsung, documents claimed that Galaxy S copied iPhone’s design. The similar elements concerned the rectangular front face that features round edges and the grid of colorful icons against a black screen.

On the other hand, the law requires that the entire product should be taken into consideration when it comes to patent lawsuits. This is the conclusion that Judge Koh reached which she also used as leverage to order a new retrial.

Google Facebook and HP advocated for the abolishing of the reward. They claimed that the conclusion of the lawsuit would only set numerous technological advancements back which are beneficial for the modern community. However, other giant companies such as Tiffany, Crocs, and Adidas sided with Apple. They found the reward justifiable.

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STATES CHRONICLE – The day the Leviathan prestige raid was launched in Destiny 2, a team managed to beat the game in just two hours after it became available. This was supposed to be the hardest mission for players that would give them enough challenges to keep them occupied for days. Yet Clan Redeem needed only 4 minutes to triumph and win absolute prestige across Destiny 2 community.

However, their achievement lost its shine when the footage of their raid came to surface. Users were able to see that the players took advantage of a bug to outwit the game and cross the finish line in record time.

The Controversial Bug Gives Players Endless Ammunition

The developer of Destiny 2, Bungie, thought congratulations were in order for Clan Redeem. They were among the first squads to take their new feature, Leviathan prestige raid, for a ride in two hours following the launch. They were also the ones that achieved the impossible by completing the raid in record time.

“Congratulations to Clan Redeem for being [the world’s] first to complete the Prestige Raid by a margin of only four minutes! Good game.”

However, Bungie kept silence when it was discovered that the team exploited a bug to secure their success. This flaw has been around since September, and it became known as the coil glitch. One of the players has even said in the footage of their legendary raid that they were taking advantage of this weakness.

The glitch consists of a source of ammo located on the Wardcliff Coil rocket launcher. As Destiny 2 players have limited ammunition, clan Redeem was able to unlock endless gunpower.

The Destiny 2 Community Debates Whether This Win Is Legit or a Cheat

So far, the Destiny 2 community is split into two sides. On the one hand, some fans of the game condemn the way Clan Redeem go their ‘world first’ status. They should have adopted fair play. By knowingly exploiting the glitch, the team of players gave the impression of cheating.

On the other hand, other members of the community are calling the legendary raid as valid. Since the developer didn’t inform players on the glitch and it didn’t fix it, the glitch can be seen as a general perk.

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STATES CHRONICLE – Volvo has been trying to find a more confident voice ever since it changed leadership in 2010. Under the guidance of China’s Geely, the automaker managed to aim for the top. As of recently, its refurbished performance brand Polestar announced a new product direction focused on high-end electric cars only. The first entry in this new futuristic chapter is a 600HP plug-in hybrid sports coupe, Polestar 1.

The Auto Market Is Currently Making a Right Turn to Reach for Hybrids

On Tuesday, Volvo’s Polestar announced its new vision for the first time. The performance brand turned into the latest rival to behemoths like Tesla, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz thanks to its first top-notch hybrid sedan.

Volvo has earlier stated that it is going to pursue only modern, electric models in the near future. This vision leaves the outdated gas motors behind and welcomes instead gas electric, battery electric hybrids, and plug-in hybrids. Mazda, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, and Ford are other traditional companies that promised to work with electric parts only from now on.

Polestar 1 Is Slated to Reach the Longest Range for a Plug-in Hybrid

Polestar’s first hybrid will be ready in 2019. The 600-horsepower sports coupe will be able to cover 93 miles after one charge. This performance delivers 75% more results than the Chevrolet Volt. Volvo also claimed that this is the longest range for a rechargeable vehicle.

Another innovative feature in Volvo’s upcoming electric car is the Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension. These refined suspension and transmission promise flexibility. People will be able to change settings for personalized suspension for better ride and handling.

While the design is going to keep the platform of the 90-series cars, Polestar representatives claimed that half of the parts would be brand new. Most of the materials will use carbon fiber for a weight reduction and a lower center of gravity.

Volvo has also relied on tech gimmicks for its plug-in hybrid to offer better comfort for people in modern times through. One of these innovations is the “phone-as-key” system. Polestar 1 owners will be able to enter their cars without a key.

Image source: Polestar.com

STATES CHRONICLE – Researchers have recently discovered a weakness in the WPA2 protocol. Any hacker within the Wi-Fi range of a device could exploit it. This way, private data such as e-mails, passwords, and other personal information were left unprotected. The exploit is known as the KRACK attack and could have easily inserted malicious content into devices without owners finding out about it.

Attackers Have to Be Within Wi-Fi Range to Penetrate Systems

The name comes from Key Reinstallation Attack. Experts were aware of this digital threat for some weeks now. However, they decided to find a solution before delivering the news to the world.

The scheduled announcement was set for 8 a.m. Monday, East Coast time. Nonetheless, Internet users uncovered the secret mission earlier on Sunday. They came across the threat on one of researchers’ Github account.

The hacking method works by attacking the core of the WPA2 protocol itself. It records better results when it comes to devices with Linux, Android, and OpenBSD. It can even inject malware in mobile terminals.

However, the Krack attack can cause a lot of damage for Windows and macOS as well. Thanks to this vulnerability, hackers can gain access to files that are usually encrypted by the Wi-Fi encryption protocol.

The Krack Attack Forces Nonce Reuse to Exploit the Third Part of a 4-Way Handshake

Hackers can penetrate the security layers by ‘forcing nonce reuse.’ Usually, WPA2 is in charge of protecting wi-fi networks. However, an attacker within the range of the Wi-Fi can initiate key reinstallation attacks. Through this technique, they can read sensitive data that people thought were safely encrypted.

The vulnerable point, in this case, is the four-way handshake that any consumer activates the moment they join a wireless platform. The third part of this protocol has the authority to resend a fresh encryption key if it doesn’t receive the right response. It can repeat the procedure for numerous times.

Therefore, a reinstallation is ordered, and the KRACK will make sure it takes full advantage of this moment. The attack forces the nonce reuse to let it bypass the encryption.

Experts Advise Users to Wait for a Patch or Rely on Trustworthy Protocols for Web Encryption

However, the threat wasn’t as dangerous as it was initially thought. The vulnerability is better suited to trap bigger fish such as corporations and government departments that accept connections from Android and Linux devices. However, attackers have to position themselves within Wi-Fi range in order to hack into the system.

Researchers advise users to stop using Wi-Fi connections until they receive a patch with a solution to Krack. If this step is impossible for some, they should make sure they use HTTPS, STARTTLS, Secure Shell, and other trustworthy protocols for Web encryption.

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STATES CHRONICLE – Razer is one of the few manufacturers of products intended mainly for the gaming world. This means that the company stands at the core of numerous communities of players for whom each new product is an exciting adventure. Therefore, there’s no wonder that ideas started flowing the moment Razer teased them with a massive event on November 1st. The announcement came in the form of a poster. The image features a gamer in fascination with a new small gadget. Therefore, fans immediately thought of Razer’s first gaming smartphone.

Razer Acquired This Year Nexbit

The rumors are not as farfetched as they might seem. Razer’s teleportation into the mobile market is bound to happen at some point. That’s because the company purchased Nextbit this year. The startup has already launched a smartphone called Robin. The next similar project might have just as well the Razer logo on it.

On top of that, Nextbit claimed back in September that it is preparing a new mobile product. As this is the first launch under the Razer ownership, chances are the new gadget will talk gamers’ language only.

Razer’s First Gaming Smartphone Might Sport Cutting-Edge Processor and Graphics Chip

While there are no confirmations of the big November 1st unveiling, Razer has already sparked enthusiasts’ imagination. Since the company specializes in gaming concepts only, the presumable smartphone will surely develop this unexplored side of the mobile world.

Therefore, people are looking at a beastly processor and a smooth graphics chip that can accommodate real gaming productions. Angry Birds, Pokemon GO, Candy Crush Saga, and other such famous apps are not precisely what pro gamers are wishing for themselves. Therefore, if Razer found a way to incorporate world-renowned titles into a mobile platform, the company will be in for huge success.

Razer fans have to wait until November 1st to discover what’s their next adventure in the gaming hardware world. Until then, new theories will come up in expectation of the big event.

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STATES CHRONICLE – Apple excited its customers with promises of new emojis. According to the latest iOS beta software release for developers, the company kept its word. However, there are other changes in store for the public underneath these eye-grabbing layers of graphics. The second beta build of iOS 11.1 is welcoming back the 3D Touch multitasking feature. Apple received numerous complaints due to its decision to kill this function.

The New iOS Beta Software Comes with 59 Unique Emoji Designs

On Monday, tech behemoth Apple revealed access to the latest build for its operating system. However, only Apple users that enrolled in the dev program can download this new upgrade. In the meantime, the other iPhone clients can unlock the most recent public version of iOS 11.0.2.

The fresh update looks like it was profoundly interested in the emoji-related content. The second iOS beta software adds a brand new set of Unicode 10 emoji which means that Apple delivers its promises. The bundle has no less than 59 unique designs.

Some icons have been publicly announced earlier. Enthusiasts are already familiar with Zombie, Bearded Person, Breastfeeding, Woman with Headscarf or Person in Lotus Position.

The food section has also received novelties such as Coconut and Sandwich. On top of that, the set includes the indispensable diversity in faces. To wrap things up, there are additional colored hearts and dinos.

The update syncs the keyboard perfectly with the emoji list for seamless access to such designs. Once users type in the first letters of Emoji names, the message box will offer a popup with suggestions. This feature is called Predictive Text.

iPhone Users Will Access Multitasking Again with 3D Touch Gesture

The other primary focus of the new update is the 3D Touch multitasking. This feature takes advantage of the sensitivity of the screen. By pressing on the left side of the display and swiping right, users can summon the app switcher.

The 3D Touch gesture will replace the double-press of the home button. As for those iPhones that dropped the home button, people have to scroll up the virtual home bar and then pause the action in the middle of the screen to access multitasking. This is why the return of the 3D Touch gesture will simplify protocols for them.

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