“Dutch hosting provider Antagonist announced their in-house developed technology that automatically detects and fixes vulnerabilities in their customers’ websites. The service is aimed at popular software such as WordPress, Drupal and Joomla. ‘As soon as a vulnerability is detected, we inform the customer. We also explain how the customer can resolve the issue. In case the customer does not respond to our first notice within the next two weeks, we automatically patch the vulnerability.’ Antagonist plans to license the technology to other hosting providers as well.”
iPhone 4 woes
Like clockwork my iPhone 4 has transformed from a snappy useable mini computer to a bog standard mobile phone. I haven’t even updated to iOS 6 yet and I’m already having RAM issues with everyday apps. I realize the processor clock speed is the same as the day I bought it, but with the slow march of progress comes increased hardware requirements.
It’s really quite clever, Apple did the same thing to the 3G with the release of iOS 4. Made it basically unusable as a smart phone – sure it could still make calls and send text messages, but try and open more than two tabs in the browser and you’re gonna have a problem.
It seems I can no longer switch between apps without iOS innocuously dumping me at the home screen, that brief flash is the operating system clamoring for memory and obliterating background applications. That song you were up to in your Music playlist? Whoops, I forget. That post you were composing in a forum reader app, that’s gone. Oh now you want Safari, allow me to freshly reload those two tabs you had open – oops, one of them is image heavy and uses Javascript, queue dump to home screen in 3, 2, 1.
It’s not enough to make the user envy for the latest shiny touchscreen wonder, Apple makes it a necessity by nerfing your current equipment. I almost wish they’d take out a page of Epson’s book and simply allow the product to cease functioning and demand I buy a replacement product to keep this insane consumption based economy running. At least that would be honest, sort of.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Actually a lot of fun. Haven’t finished the game yet. It’s your typical Call of Duty, ticks all the boxes. Quick time button mashing events in semi-cutscenes, overly punishing poorly explained sequences in which you will die – over and over again. Otherwise you’re pretty much invincible, just hide when you get hurt. No cover system is starting to make the game feel dated, the graphics also leave a lot to be desired in parts. If you’re a fan of the series, this has everything you want from a CoD game. If you’re not – this is just more of the same and is unlikely to impress. This is the first game in months that has held my attention for more than a few minutes, sometimes it’s nice to just shoot shit without thinking too much.
6/10
Total Recall (2012)
At the end of 21st Century, the Earth is divided into two territories — the United Federation of Britain (UFB) and the Colony (Australia) — after World War 3 devastates the remainder of the planet. Many residents of the Colony travel to the UFB to work in their factories via “the Fall”, a gravity elevator, which travels through the Earth.
Why? Because fuck you science!
4/10
Need For Speed Most Wanted
What a disappointment. If I was only given one word to describe this game – understeer.
Take all the cool shit from the original (custom wheels, paint, cheesy plot, freedom of vehicle choice for races) and throw it in the bin. Add vicious understeer to every car and force you to drive every car to complete races and you have the general idea. There’s no money, you don’t buy cars – you steal them. Each car unlocks more races, to be completed in that car (only). You use magical points to buy upgrades at any time, anywhere on the map, even while being chased by cops. There’s no safe houses, and you can switch cars to evade a pursuit – magic! It sounds like it should be easier than ever, but to keep you playing, they’ve made everything super hard instead of creating more actual game. 10 bosses instead of 15, shocking understeer, painful Burnout style replays of every crash and horrendous frame rates.
I could almost forgive all atrocities commited by Critereon except for the fixed car device. I want to choose what car I complete races in, why should I be forced to drive some shitty Porsche just to get to the boss – who’s car I have to not only beat in a race, but wreck! Then they give me the car, not wrecked! Ahhhrgghh.
3/10