Windows XP source code has leaked on the internet
Considering everything we’ve been through this year, we’re surprised that Microsoft hasn’t been hit by a massive leak yet. This isn’t a massive leak however, it just looks like the source code for (arguably the best) Windows OS version XP has leaked in an online forum.
And that’s not all, as the leak includes the source code for Windows Server 2003 and other Microsoft operating systems, according to ZDNet reports. The leak appeared on 4chan of all places — you know the online imageboard that’s more often than not associated with online trolls and extremists? Yeah, the one and only. According to the sources (we didn’t have the need to check it out ourselves yet), the leak comes in the form of a 42.9GB torrent file listed in the forum. “In addition to XP and Server 2003, the contents of the torrent include older operating systems like Windows 2000, Embedded (CE 3, CE 4, CE 5, CE, 7), Windows NT (3.5 and 4). There’s also files from Microsoft’s very first OS, MS-DOS, as well as Windows 10, ZDNet adds,” TNW reports on the physical files available. Although this may not mean much to the average Joe — it’s an absolute goldmine for programmers and network engineers the world over. This means that anyone can download and implement the source code in their personal capacity without buying the software. Not that you should — it’s pretty illegal.
Even stranger, though, is the fact that the compiled download folder also includes a bunch of QAnon conspiracy videos and Bill Gates propaganda videos, which may point to the whole thing being an elaborate stunt.
Source: TNW
Twitter will shame you for retweeting without reading
A few months ago, Twitter started testing a feature that would notify you it knows you didn’t read an article before retweeting. This was all done in a bid to limit the spread of misinformation — something the world was plagued with in addition to COVID-19 during 2020.
It’s such a simple feature, but we reckon it could have a large enough impact. Instead of trying to police people, make people question and police themselves. It’s something that can be implemented easily, and shaming people into rethinking their retweets isn’t a bad idea. Everyone has that moment to think about it before they retweet ‘Do I really want to spread this information?’ Twitter’s just bolstering that feeling by prompting you if you haven’t actually clicked the link. The feature calls you out when you try to retweet an article that you haven’t opened on Twitter. The prompt will mention that “headlines don’t tell the full story.” You’ll have to confirm that you want to share it even if you haven’t read it, potentially. “Twitter says its motivation is to ‘help promote informed discussion’… Encouraging people to at least read the article they’re sharing seems like a smart way to promote media literacy and stop some of the knee-jerk reactions that can make misinformation viral,” The Verge explains.
After the initial test, Twitter reported that users opened articles 40% more after being prompted to do so, and that the number of people opening articles before retweeting increased by 33%. The feature will now roll out to everyone.
Source: The Verge
Amazon’s Luna takes on Google Stadia gaming format
Because Google Stadia was such a great success (notice the sarcasm here), more companies are experimenting with the new phenomenon called cloud gaming. The latest entry into the world of not gaming on a physical gaming system, is Amazon with its new service called Luna.
Luna is a streaming service that affords gamers access to new AAA games on pretty much any device. Because of the cloud-gaming format, there will be no physical game, as well as no download, which is ideal if you don’t have enough data, but not ideal if you live in a country without cloud servers. Which is the case with Google’s Stadia gaming service in South Africa and many other countries. Luna will be available on Fire TV, PC, Mac, and iOS devices (through web apps), while it’s coming soon to Android devices. Although details are a bit sparse at the moment, it looks like users will have to subscribe to things called ‘channels’ to gain access to certain games. We reckon it’ll be similar to Twitch, as Amazon owns the game streaming platform, or it may even be completely integrated with Twitch. At launch, there will be a channel called Luna+ that offers multiple games from different genres, including Resident Evil 7, Yooka-Laylee, and Control. “Luna+ would cost $5.99 a month at first, with more games to be added (and presumably a price hike),” TNW reports.
What makes this interesting for South Africans, however? Well, Amazon is one of the few big tech companies with actual servers in our country in the form of AWS. So the possibility of Amazon Luna actually working here is far more than it is with Google Stadia.
Source: TNW
Netflix teases Resident Evil CG anime series set for 2021
Just as we thought the Resident Evil game series can’t have a better year with the announcement of Resident Evil: Village, Netflix goes and drops a trailer for an upcoming CG anime series based on the game franchise.
According to reports, Netflix is apparently working on a live action show as well as this newly announced animated series. The new trailer is for what they call Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. It’s a“CG anime” series that will debut in 2021 sometime — we don’t have more detail on a release date as the trailer simply mentioned the year. Lucky for us, 2021 isn’t that far off and honestly, 2020 was close enough to a real zombie apocalypse that we didn’t need any more RE right now. What we can deal with though, is more of Clair Redfield and Leon Kennedy. From the trailer, it’s not completely clear who the villains are (except for the zombies, duh). But we do see the return of our favourite iconic RE protagonists, which means this is set to be a wonderfully zombie-brutalising affair featuring a chemical-obsessed horror. We’re so ready for it. “Capcom’s Hiroyuki Kobayashi will produce and supervise the series. Veteran anime studio TMS Entertainment (the company that released Akira and Lupin the 3rd) will also produce. Quebico, whose leader Kei Miyamoto produced the Resident Evil: Vendetta movie, will handle the animation production,” Engadget reports.
Either way, we’re keen to see what 2021 offers up in terms of Resident Evil content, from the next-gen console title RE: Village to this anime series we don’t know how we’ll be able to keep up.
Source: Engadget
