Apple’s new protections for kids could force PBS to pull its apps
By Andrew O’Hara Tuesday, June 11, 2019, 08:55 pm PT (11:55 pm ET)
Paula Kerger, Public Broadcasting Company president and CEO, warns that the popular “PBS Kids” streaming app may be pulled from the App Store due to Apple’s new privacy policies covering apps marketed to children.
Young girl using an iPad mini
Kerger aired concerns about the App Store in an interview at Recode’s 2019 Code Conference on Tuesday, saying the guidelines will prevent PBS from accurately evaluating whether its content and game features are working. Further, the rules could hinder the broadcaster’s ability to increase its apps’ effectiveness as educational tools.
Apple recently announced plans to limit data sharing in apps marketed to children. Starting Sept. 3, apps in the kids section of the App Store will no longer be able to integrate third-party advertising or analytics software. They also will not be allowed to transmit in-app data to third parties.
While the change is meant to have a positive impact by protecting children, it seems some companies developing beneficial software might be affected as an unintended consequence. PBS, a non-profit organization, does not aim to make money from kids, Kerger explained.
“We’ll have to pull down the apps, and we have millions of kids that are using our apps. So it’s a challenge,” she said. “We’re not selling stuff to kids.”
The PBS Kids streaming app has millions of users who would be negatively impacted should the app shutter. Kerger is reaching out to Apple in hopes of opening up a dialogue on how to best move forward. “Sit down and talk to us,” she implored to Apple and other platform operators.
Apple officially announced the new changes coming to apps intended for children at its Worldwide Developer Conference at the beginning of June.
The company has faced scrutiny over its handling of third-party apps that market device monitoring and parental control features that seemingly compete with its own Screen Time feature in iOS. In April, a New York Times report highlighted what appeared to be the targeted removal of apps designed to help users limit the time they and their children spend using devices like iPhone and iPad. Apple contested the claim, saying apps were pulled for their overzealous application of potentially invasive MDM technology.
Following an outcry from developers, Apple eased up on restrictions pertaining to apps that rely on MDM and VPN tech. Still, in an update to its App Store Review Guidelines, the company maintains “apps may not sell, use, or disclose to third parties any data for any purpose.”
Xbox One successor Project Scarlett slated for Holiday 2020
Microsoft has finally detailed its next-generation console Project Scarlett, a system Xbox head Phil Spencer says is both the “foundation of our future on in console and the formation of our future in the cloud.”
The new system is powered by a custom-designed AMD processor the Project Scarlett team says is 4 times as powerful as the processor powering Microsoft’s current generation forerunner, the Xbox One X.
Along with that, the Project Scarlett team says the new system will offer 120 frames-per-second, 8K capable hardware, and hardware accelerated raytracing when the system launches in Holiday 2020 alongside Halo Infinite.
During the presentation, the Xbox team reiterated that Project Scarlett is the next step in many of the plans Xbox has set into motion over the last few years. Though the announcement only briefly touched on the system’s technical specs, the team behind the console says it represents the biggest technological jump between generations to date and is built with the cloud and game streaming in mind. The console tease followed moments after the company announced its current-generation plans to offer both game streaming and console streaming through Project xCloud, a service set to go live this October.
Cyberpunk 2077 is Now Available for Pre-Purchase on Steam!
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure story set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification. You play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality. You can customize your character’s cyberware, skillset and playstyle, and explore a vast city where the choices you make shape the story and the world around you.
June 3rd : New Preview Alpha Ring 1906 Update (1906.190531-1540)
Starting at 2:00 p.m. PST today, members of the Xbox One Preview Alpha Ring will begin receiving the latest 1906 Xbox One system update (Build: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1906\18362.4043.190531-1540).
DETAILS:
OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1906\18362.4043.190531-1540
Available: 2:00PM PDT 5/31/19
Mandatory Date/Time: 3:00 AM PDT 6/1/19
Fixes:
My Games and Apps
We have fixed the issue with DLC for games is not showing when you go to Manage games.
System
Various Narrator fixes.
Various Localization fixes.
Known Issues:
Audio
Headsets are not being assigned to the users profiles and not working correctly.
Profile Color
Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.
Now Available on Steam Early Access – Barotrauma, 15% off!
Barotrauma is Now Available on Steam Early Access and is 15% off!*
Overcome crisis and the unrelenting pressure of a frozen ocean. Flee or fight alien lifeforms, explore a strange new world in Jupiter’s orbit, command your crew and craft equipment in a tense 2D experience.
Pokemon Sword & Shield: New Raid Battle Details Shown At E3 2019
During a Nintendo Treehouse Live segment directly following Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct presentation, we learned more about Pokemon Sword and Shield's Max Raid Battles. The games' producer, Junichi Masuda, and director, Shigeru Ohmori, were on stage detailing some of the features we were first introduced to during the June 5 Pokemon Direct; this included a demo of a Max Raid Battle, in which four players team up to take down an incredibly powerful Pokemon.
In Sword and Shield, Max Raids involve Dynamaxed Pokemon, or Pokemon who have become huge in size and more powerful. Up to four players can queue up to Raid, and once they're all ready, they each choose one Pokemon to take into the battle. In this case, the Max Raid Pokemon was a giant Steelix, who was shown in silhouette before the battle.
Once in the Raid, each player chooses their next move like any other Pokemon battle. Previews of these attacks seem to appear in the top-left corner of the screen, signaling each Pokemon's next move--they're icons representing things like attacks or defensive moves like Reflect. This seems to be a feature designed to help players strategize during the Raid.
Additionally, we saw that the Max Raid Pokemon can (or will) put up a barrier shield at some point in the battle. A five-section meter for this barrier appears under its HP, and the Pokemon will not take damage until the barrier has been broken, like how a Substitute works. The barrier seems to be unaffected by the involved Pokemon's type advantages or stats, so even weaker Pokemon can contribute to taking down the barrier. In this particular demo, once the barrier fell, Steelix's defense and special defense harshly fell, making it easier to take it down. After the Max Raid Pokemon's HP is knocked out, each player has a chance to catch it.
Learn How Death Is Tied To Life When Oninaki Releases On Switch This August
We first found out about action role-playing game Oninaki during a Nintendo Direct presentation earlier this year, in February. With this in mind, Square Enix Live has now locked in a release date. It’s arriving in a few months time, on 22nd August.
To help promote the launch announcement, Square Enix released a new reveal trailer – highlighting some of the mysteries that Kagachi will encounter on his epic adventure between the world of the living and the realm of the dead.
In case you forgot, Oninaki is developed by the team at Tokyo RPG Factory – which previously worked on I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear.
Is this a game you’ve been looking forward to playing? What did you think of I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear? Tell us below.
Download A Demo Of Dragon Quest Builders 2 On 27th June
If you’re still on the fence about Dragon Quest Builders 2, perhaps a demo will help you decide whether or not you’re ready to move onto the second entry in this relatively new Minecraft / Dragon Quest crossover series.
At Square Enix Live, the Japanese company announced a demo for the game would be released here in the west on 27th June. Here’s a description about it from the Nintendo of America Twitter account:
Explore the Isle of Awakening and get to grips with the basics of building
Alongside this announcement, was a new trailer featuring an enthusiastic voiceover. Take a look and have a listen below:
Tell us if you’ll be trying out this game before it arrives next month.
Linux Kernel 5.2 Will Address Industrial Operations, Two-Factor Authentication
Currently, at release candidate 3, the Linux 5.2 kernel is coming soon and promises to offer quite a host of impressive new features and improvements. Lets take a look at some of the highlights.
New Features
Fieldbus Subsystem
One of the new features that should excite anyone who deals with automated industrial systems is the introduction of the new Fieldbus Subsystem. Fieldbus is crucial in connecting different systems in industrial environments, and with this addition, the Linux kernel can now natively communicate with field instruments (such as those used in manufacturing plants) as a part of a control system.
