Tech

Poll: Has Your Family Bought A Second Switch To Play Animal Crossing: New Horizons 'Properly'? – Nintendo Life

Published

5 years ago

March 28, 2020

Resisting this beauty was hard to begin with, but it’s even harder if you’re sharing your island with someone else.

The reception of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has arguably exceeded the lofty expectations of even the most discerning fans, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Millions of people are enjoying the game around the world and there’s been an outpouring of love for it across social media. It’s been a big topic in our conversations with family since release and a welcome distraction with COVID-19 dominating news channels across the globe.

That’s not to say reaction to the game has been universally positive, though, and there is one particular decision Nintendo made for this Switch entry that’s still a sticking point for many gamers; namely, the fact that you can only have one island per Switch. That isn’t one island per copy of the game, mind; that’s one island forever (more-or-less) tied to your console, regardless of how many copies of the game you buy.

The ‘One Switch, One Island’ policy was perplexing from the beginning. Nintendo added same-console multiplayer to the game which enables up to four players to run around the island together with one taking the ‘leader’ role, but the limitations while playing this way quickly become clear after the initial novelty wears off. The fun of playing Animal Crossing has always been customisation and the ability to personalise everything about your village. Few other games cater to the whims of an individual quite like this one, and in some ways having to share feels like it goes against the game’s design.

In New Horizons, progress is locked to the primary resident – the Resident Representative that names the island and kicks things off – with other Switch users living on the same landmass having to share resources. You’re getting a diet version of the full-fat experience reserved for the main player, and while it’s still fun to catch bugs and fish, you’re missing out on a lot.

It seems to us that more and more people are living the Johnny Two-Switches lifestyle, and not just core gamers.

It’s unsurprising, then, that people are looking to invest in second consoles for their family members and loved ones. In Japan there’s been a swift uptick in the number of consoles sold, and that’s understandable given the quality and wide appeal of the game (it debuted at Number 1 in the UK charts, too). This writer used it as an opportunity to upgrade to a Switch with better battery life while doing a family member a solid and selling them our impeccably maintained ‘old’ Switch at a great price. Everyone’s a winner, not least Nintendo.

We imagine that we weren’t the only ones with family investing in the system just for Animal Crossing. In fact, that same relative is thinking that they may now need a second console for someone else living under the same roof, a person whose experience with gaming begins and ends with Animal Crossing: New Leaf on 3DS. It’s highly likely that their household—which previously had zero Switches—will have two before long. Say what you like about the policy, but from a business perspective Nintendo certainly knows what it’s doing with ‘One Switch, One Island’.

The simple fact is that the game is good enough to make a new console a sound value proposition and investment. Played a little (or a lot) every day, Animal Crossing can last for years as the seasons change and things cycle in and out. From that perspective, £250 for a Switch Lite and a copy of the game is an excellent deal. £500 for two Switch Lites and two copies of the game may well seem steep, but for those with the disposable cash it still offers great value and lets two people have the full and ‘proper’ Animal Crossing experience. After all, nobody wants human neighbours in Animal Crossing, do they? That makes things far too real.

Up to eight people can live on one island, but are they really getting the full experience on a single console?

Despite being an unpopular decision, it doesn’t appear to be stopping people from going out and buying another Switch, plus another copy of the game for the family. New Horizons has had an excellent start in sales terms in the week since release, but we’re very interested to see how the game affects Switch sales over the coming weeks and months, especially seeing as Nintendo’s first-party output for the rest of 2020 remains largely unknown beyond the Xenoblade Chronicles remaster. Switch has a stellar line up of system-selling software already, but New Horizons appears to be encouraging a wave of more casual gamers to put down money three years after the console launched.

Our impression of the game’s positive effect on Switch console sales is largely anecdotal at this stage, though, and we’d like to see how many Nintendo Life readers have also bought a second Switch for their household primarily due to Nook and co. Feel free to answer the poll questions and let us know how many of you are now living with two (or more!) Nintendo Switches under one roof.

How many Switches have you got in your household? Go ahead, feel free to make us jealous in the comments below.

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Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

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