“It’s something that, personally as a gamer, I’ve wanted for a long time, right? As soon as you start playing PC games, you’re like, okay, I want something that gives me the full fidelity of experience with really great inputs that I can use in the mobile space. The first time, I think I wanted something like this was back in the 1990s, you know, when I was first playing PC games.”
Gabe Newell is, I think it’s fair to say, very excited about the Steam Deck. After a short delay and much, much excitement, the portable PC is finally here and it’s quite possibly Valve’s most exciting piece of hardware to date. Or the most exciting piece of Valve hardware since the last one, at least – the much-heralded Steam Machines which caused much excitement upon their announcement in 2013 but never really gained a foothold with Valve moved to assure people the platform wasn’t entirely dead just three years after the machines came out in 2015.
The amount of interest in Steam Deck is in stark contrast to the shrug that met the Steam Machines back then, but it’s not really so different in its approach – indeed, the Deck’s simply an extension of the work done with the introduction of Big Picture mode that laid the groundwork for the Machines, and a further, more focussed repositioning of PC gaming away from the desktop.
“I think of everything we try to do as a sort of block,” Newell says of how Steam Machines informed the Deck. “You’re building the wall and you have to build a bunch of the components as you go along. The Steam Controller has had a big impact on our thinking on input technologies and I think one of the big takeaways from the Steam Machine is we came to the conclusion that if we want to push these kinds of initiatives, we really need to do it in-house where we can solve all the problems that we see as being of greatest significance both to gamers and to software developers.”
I’ve spent a few weeks with the Steam Deck and have been impressed with what Valve’s achieved, though the device doesn’t come without some caveats. It’s a fiddly, sometimes unwieldy thing – the fiddliness part of the territory when it comes to PC gaming, and also when it comes to wrangling as much of Steam’s library onto a portable machine. Part of the fun – and frustration – comes from seeing how your back catalogue fairs on the machine, but I wonder how much newcomers to Valve’s ecosystem are being catered for, and whether it might broaden the gaming audience in the same way the Switch did when it first launched back in 2017.
Valve’s sticking to its commitment to review the entire Steam back catalogue when it comes to working on Steam Deck – though by their own admission it’s not exactly realistic, with some games such as VR-focussed ones not making much sense when it comes to the current iteration of the hardware.
“I think if we ignore the fact that it’s a gaming device and just look at it in terms of price performance, and for its CPU and GPU, it’s a great device there,” says Newell. “So I think we’re comfortable, ignoring the fact that it’s a gaming device, that it’s gonna fit in there. But it is a gaming device and that’s where it’s got its most compelling applications.
“One of the things that’s been interesting to us, we’re super hard on the entry level price point, and then our customers come back to us and far and away they’re ordering the most expensive SKU that they can. It’s interesting, these are all early adopters, you know, but they’re saying you should have given us, you know, more storage more, you know, performance, more memory, and we would have probably been buying it. That’s interesting, and that will probably shift as we start to ramp up and catch up to demand, and we’ll see a shift over time to the lower price, sort of more entry level SKUs.”
What’s really fascinating, though, is where Valve see Steam Deck going next. It’s a long-term project – and one with brighter prospects than the likes of the Steam Machines – that could take PC gaming into some interesting places if Newell’s musings on where he sees the next five years of the device are anything to go by.
“Some of the conversations we’re having with software developers are like, okay, this is great – but let’s try to figure out what the next generation of the deck looks like,” he says. “What do we want in terms of solutions for mobile gaming, for mobile PC gaming? Does that open the door to new things? We’ve been a fan of biometrics for a long time in terms of using that, and this is a good way, given where your hand positioning is – that gives you an opportunity to do stuff there.
Prototyping for Steam Deck began around four years ago, but the device’s genesis came with the introduction of Big Picture mode back in 2012.
“You know, all of these things relate to each other, right? A lot of the technology that we might be using and future versions of that comes, you know, from technology that we have to develop for VR. And then if you flip it around and you look at that as like a highly performant mobile PC gaming device, you sort of say, well, why can’t I have that in a tetherless integrated VR solution?
“With headsets, you have a lot more ability to do things like neuromodulation or the direct sensors and stuff on people’s heads, or you’re looking at information that’s easy to convey through sensors close to somebody’s hands. All of these things tend to snowball over time, and with each one of them we think what are we going to learn? What are we going to help software developers do? How does that translate into building compelling solutions for gamers?
“Longer term, we may end up finding that there are interesting mobile-specific opportunities. If you start putting cameras on these things you may find that there are classes of game experiences that are really dependent on those…. Pokémon GO is a great example of an application that doesn’t make sense in any way for desktop.
“But it’s dependent on a set of facilities that today haven’t really existed in PC gaming, the opportunity with subsequent versions of Steam Deck is to start to look for those kinds of applications or those kinds of capabilities, and see what sort of applications that enables. So once we start having unique gaming technologies in future versions of Deck that’s when it would make a lot more sense to try to come up with custom applications and capitalise on it.”
The progress made on the software side has been rapid – making it a hard thing to pin down for poor Digital Foundry, but at least suggesting that there’s still much progress to be made on the devices which day one users will be receiving.
Pokémon GO on PC? It’s not quite the end-game I’d anticipated when asking Newell about long-term plans for Steam Deck, but it’s enlightening all the same to see where he sees the device heading, and a logical step for Steam to head into one of the most lucrative and popular areas of gaming. There’s some way to go, as well as a fair few hardware iterations, so it’s not as if it’s happening anytime soon – and Valve’s going to be plenty busy over the next few months just keeping up with demand for its new machine.
“We’re certainly going to ramp up production as fast as we can,” he says. “In fact, that’s a lot of what we’ve been doing over the last six months, working with our suppliers to figure that out. We also fully expect – and one of the great things about the PC marketplace is – hopefully we’re gonna see other people looking at this and saying we can ship products like this as well. So not only are we going to be trying to fill demand, but hopefully other PC manufacturers are going to recognise that the pieces are in place. And the demand for this kind of solution is high enough that they’re going to figure out how to ship similar devices as well.
“The good news is demand is high. The bad news is due to the pandemic, the demand for all sorts of electronics has just skyrocketed – if you talk to Intel or AMD or Nvidia or Ford Motor Company, consumer demand has shifted. If you can’t go to restaurants and you can’t go to movies, you’re gonna buy nicer houses, and you’re going to buy more expensive electronics. There’s just been a huge surge, and it’s just taking a while for the capacity to catch up.”
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.
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.
X
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.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
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.
