Google is updating Maps with more detailed information about national parks in the US to make them easier to navigate and potentially prevent from getting lost. When you search for a particular park on Android or iOS, you’ll now see photos and videos of its key attractions — say the Old Faithful or the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone — taken by others who’d been there before. 

Maps will now also highlight an entire trail from beginning to end when you search for it instead of just dropping a pin on its general location. You’ll even find details regarding its difficulty, along with information on whether it’s more suitable for walking, running or cycling. To make it even more informative, Google will show other people’s reviews of parks and trails, along with other useful details, such as where to find the nearest public bathroom. 

Since national parks are huge and are often confusing, Google will start highlighting park entrances later this month, as well, with Maps pointing you right to the trailhead. Finally, Google will make it possible to download offline maps for parks so that you don’t have to worry about not being able to find your way if you suddenly lose access to the internet. Downloadable maps will also available later this month. 

These features will initially roll out for national parks in the US, but Google plans to make Maps more useful to hikers around the world and will add more detailed information for national parks in other countries later this month. If you want to virtually explore a park first, though, you can hit up Google Street View where you can find imagery for dozens of national parks.

Looking forward to playing Endless Dungeon next month? Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait half a year longer to play the roguelite twin-stick shooter, because Amplitude Studios and Sega have pushed back its release date to October 19th. It was previously slated for a 2022 debut, but the developer ultimately announced a May 18th, 2023 launch date for the PC (Steam and Epic), Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. In a post announcing their decision, the team said they believe it’s important to spend extra time working on the game after all the feedback they received across all their OpenDev sessions. They also promised to announce a release date for the Nintendo Switch at a later date.

In addition to fixing the bugs and issues the testers had unearthed, the developers are planning to use the extra time to improve some of the game’s key elements. They’re working to make player progression feel less random and more organic, and they’re tweaking the economy so that all three resources — namely, science, food and industry — feel important to the game. “The scarcity of resources is important so that your decision of what to invest in feels impactful,” they explained. They’re also incorporating smaller changes, such as differentiating the districts from each other more and improving certain aspects of the game’s multiplayer mode. 

If you decide to wait instead of canceling your pre-order, you can get three additional free skins for Comrade, Fassie and Shroom. They’ll also be available at no additional cost for early buyers upon the game’s release for a limited time. Take note that since the Endless Dungeon‘s release has been delayed, its planned Closed Beta, which you’ll be able to access if you purchase the Last Wish Edition, will also be pushed back to September.

The six-part TV drama based on the story of The Pirate Bay, which was first reported in 2021, is going into production this fall, according to Variety. It's being produced by B-Reel Films, the same production company behind Midsommar, and LA-based indie distribution firm Dynamic Television has just acquired the worldwide rights for it. Presumably, that means it will be released to audiences around the world — legally, that is, so people don't have to use websites like The Pirate Bay to get a copy of the series. 

Before streaming services became widely available, a lot of people took to the high seas to download shows that din't air in their home countries or movies they missed in the theaters. The Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent index that allowed users to contribute magnet links others can access, was perhaps the most common first stop for internet users looking for content back then. 

Head writer Piotr Marciniak described the series as "a classic rise and fall story, a tragedy about flying too close to the sun, but also a timeless story of a generational conflict." It will apparently tell a character-driven tale focused on co-founders Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, and Gottfrid Swartholm who established the website as anti-copyright activists. Eventually, they found themselves Hollywood's enemy number 1, chased by anti-piracy agents, lawyers and the Interpol until they were found guilty of assisting in copyright infringement and sentenced to prison. 

As for what viewers can expect, director Jens Sjögren said:

"We are thrown between the driving perspectives – quick cuts between the basement full of computers to the conference rooms of Hollywood, from the offices in Washington via the concern felt at government offices in Stockholm, to meetings with financiers at Lake Geneva and then finally we’re back in the safety of the basement. A full throttle journey infused with paranoia, humor and deadly serious technical, emotional and political challenges."

The show doesn't have a release date yet, but Dynamic will share more details about it at the MIPTV Media Market event in Cannes on April 17th to 19th.

Google will implement a new rule for apps providing personal loans starting on May 31st that could help protect users from abuse and harassment. The tech giant has updated its policy (via TechCrunch) to prohibit cash lending applications from being able to access users' contacts list. They will no longer be able to access people's photos and videos, as well, whether they're saved on the phone itself or an external storage. 

This is but one of the changes Google has implemented over the past year, following multiple reports of harassment from certain markets, such as India, Pakistan, Kenya and the Philippines. It's common for loan apps to require access to users' phonebooks and media before they lend money. The fact that people can easily install these apps on their phones makes them look like a pretty convenient solution for sudden monetary issues. But since they typically charge exorbitant interest rates, a lot of borrowers end up having difficulties keeping up with payments. That's when the abuse begins. 

Agents for these services would mass send profanity-laden texts to all the borrower's contacts, including random acquaintances and co-workers, in an attempt to humiliate them into paying. Some would even go as far as to threaten them and their family bodily harm. As TechCrunchpreviously reported, the abuse got so bad for some people that it had driven them to suicide. 

In an attempt to keep these loan sharks under control, Google implemented rules for India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nigeria, Kenya, and Pakistan, requiring them to submit proof of approval and other documentation from the appropriate government agencies. In the US, Google banned payday loan apps with an annual percentage rate of 36 percent or higher way back in 2019. And in Pakistan, non-banking financial institutions will only be allowed to publish one lending app on the Play Store starting on May 31st.

The tech giant tightened its screening measures for lending apps a year ago in the Philippines, where I live. I still see an enormous number of loan apps when I look at the Play Store, though, and still regularly hear stories about users being hounded by their agents. Clearly, the stricter screening rules weren't enough, but Google blocking these application from accessing people's phonebooks sounds like a step in the right direction. 

April 19th. Open your calendar app and drop a reminder with an alarm for that date if you've been waiting for the console versions of the Final Fantasy "pixel perfect" remasters since Square Enix announced it in December last year. All six games in the series — the first Final Fantasy, II, III, IV, V and VI — are hitting the PS4 and the Nintendo Switch that day, and you can either buy them in a bundle or individually get the ones you want to play. 

Square Enix originally released the pixel perfect Final Fantasy remasters for the PC and mobile back in 2021 with new 2D graphics designed for HD displays, rearranged soundtracks and new gameplay features. The console versions of the games will also give you the option to switch between the old and the rearranged soundtracks, as well as between the default font and a new pixel-based font designed to recreate the original gaming experience. If you just want to play the games without grinding and running into enemies while exploring, you can turn off random encounters. And if you want to level up without putting too much time into it, you can switch on boost features to gain four times as much experience points. 

You can pre-order the whole bundle from the Nintendo eShop right now for $75, but you can also get the first three games for $12 each and Final Fantasy IV, V or VI for $18. The PS4 versions will be available for sale later. Whichever console you choose to play on, you can can get freebies (such as themes and avatars) with your digital purchase if you get the games by May 25th. Square Enix is also expected to sell physical releases of the remasters on its store, including an anniversary edition with figurines and an artbook that will set you back $260.

Back in February, Hello Games rolled out an update for No Man's Sky that overhauled the game’s virtual reality experience on all platforms. Now the developer has released another update that doesn't only bring new VR features, but also expands the game's lore and introduces new experiences. In the latest free update called Interceptor, a new corruption has spread throughout the universe, infecting planets until they turn into purple-hazed worlds growing purple crystals, twisting sentinel machines into new forms and giving rise to new enemies. 

Players may find themselves facing off against big spider-like and small crab-like machines, as well as corrupted drones, on these worlds. Hello Games says they're its most lethal antagonists yet and come armed with stealth tech, flamethrower and explosives. Players might also come across huge Sentinel capital ships that can provide them a challenging bout of space combat. In addition, the update gives players access to a variety of new Starship they can collect, powered by new tech and equipped with new features, such as an ability called the Anti-Gravity Well.

On the technical side of things, Interceptor brings improved visuals and new features for virtual reality that include wrist interface controls. Finally, this update comes with Xbox-focused improvements and was designed to enable smooth and consistent frame rate for visually complex scenes while playing on the console. 

Interceptor will be available for download today on PC, the PS4 and the PS5, the Xbox One and Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and virtual reality. 

Nintendo has been repairing Switch players' Joy-Con "drift" issues for free, even if they're no longer under warranty, in North America since 2019. Over the past years, it has launched the same program in France and Latin America. Now, the gaming giant has expanded its free unlimited repair service for drifting Joy-Cons to the European Economic Area (EEA), UK and Switzerland "until further notice." On its UK website (as first seen by Nintendo Life), the company said it's offering repairs in those areas "for responsiveness syndrome relating to control sticks." Further, it will fix the known problem for users even if it's "caused by wear and tear."

Switch players in Europe are already pretty well-protected with a warranty that lasts for 24 months instead of merely 12. When the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) urged an investigation into the Joy-Con drift issue back in 2021, it said 88 percent of the 25,000 complaints it received were from people whose controllers showed symptoms of the problem within the first two years. That means the standard warranty in Europe would be able to cover most people's repairs. But now players can get Nintendo to fix their controllers for free, even after their warranty is over.

While the BEUC called this development a "tangible win for consumers," it also believes it's a "short-term fix." In the end, Nintendo will still be allowed to sell a product with a known defect that leads to early failure, the group said, and that's something it hopes would be banned in Europe.

The Joy-Con drift, characterized by the Switch detecting movement even though the player isn't touching the controllers' analog sticks, has been a consistent source of frustration for gamers for a long time now. Nintendo has had to face lawsuits accusing it of selling Joy-Con while knowing that they're "defective." And while company president Shuntaro Furukawa acknowledged the problem and apologized for it back in 2020, it remains an issue that plagues fans to this day. 

Artificial intelligence has reached a new level of interest ever since ChatGPT burst into the scene. The AI chatbot with its eerily human-like responses has lit a fire under many tech giants and smaller tech companies that are now rushing to release their rival offerings. US President Joe Biden, however, wants them to be careful and make sure that their products are safe before opening them up to the public. According to AP and Reuters, the president has met up with his science and technology advisors, which include academics and executives from Google and Microsoft, to discuss the "risks and opportunities" of artificial intelligence.

While the meeting likely won't culminate in a banning of ChatGPT like what happened in Italy, the president doesn't seem to be convinced that AI is perfectly safe at this point in time. When asked if AI is dangerous, he responded: "It remains to be seen. Could be." He told the group:" "Tech companies have a responsibility, in my view, to make sure their products are safe before making them public...AI can help deal with some very difficult challenges like disease and climate change, but it also has to address the potential risks to our society, to our economy, to our national security."

The White House told the news organizations that the president also used the opportunity to discuss "the importance of protecting rights and safety to ensure responsible innovation and appropriate safeguards." Further, he talked about his previous calls on Congress to pass legislation that would protect kids' privacy online. 

It doesn't sound like policies were made and big changes were planned during the meeting. But Russell Wald from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence told AP that the president has set "the stage for a national dialogue on the topic by elevating attention to AI." Last year, the Biden administration also released its Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. It's meant to guide the design and deployment of AI and other automated systems in a way that protects "the American public in the age of artificial intelligence."

Google has changed its tune and removed the file creation limit it quietly implemented for Drive over the past weeks. In a Twitter announcement (via Android Police), the Google Drive account said it's rolling back a "system update to... item limits" that was made to "preserve stability and optimize performance." The tech giant said it only ever impacted a small number of users, but it's now exploring alternative approaches to ensure stable performance for all. 

Several Drive users have encountered an error showing their upload had failed and that they couldn't exceed a creation limit of 5 million items since February. A Google spokesperson recently confirmed to Ars Technica that it had instituted a 5 million file creation cap to "prevent misuse of [its] system in a way that might impact [its] stability and safety." While Google didn't mention the cap in its new announcement, that's precisely how it described the change it has decided to roll back. 

Google caught flak not just for putting a ceiling on how many files a user can make, but also for not warning people about it. The creation cap affected paying users, after all, even those subscribed to the highest Google One tier that's supposed to provide up to 30TB of storage. It was very much possible to hit the file number cap before reaching that storage limit for those who frequently make or upload smaller files. In addition, Drive doesn't have a counter that could warn users that they're approaching the 5 million file creation cap.

Bottom line, it wasn't the best approach to prevent Drive misuse, and not telling users about it beforehand was perhaps as bad the limit itself. Google promised in its announcement that if it decides to incorporate changes to the cloud storage service in the future, it will communicate them to users in advance. 

Virgin Orbit has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a few days after officially shutting down its space launch operations. The private space company has been burning money for a while now and reported a loss of $49.2 million in its last fiscal quarter. It tried to raise money in late 2021 by going public through an SPAC merger that was expected to raise $483 million for the company. However, it ultimately got less than half of that amount in gross proceeds. 

While Virgin Orbit carried on throughout 2022, its financial issues came to a head after its "Start Me Up" mission didn't quite go as expected. It was supposed to be a historic event as the first orbital launch from UK soil, but it failed to reach orbit due to a dislodged fuel filter. The company went into operational pause and furloughed most employees after that, in mid-March, as it sought new investors. And by the end of last month, it extended its employee furlough, because it wasn't able to close any deals. 

Virgin Orbit's late-stage discussions with Texas-based investor Matthew Brown, who was going to put $200 million into the company, reportedly broke down. It was perhaps the perfect deal for the launch provider, since that amount would've been enough to give the investor a controlling stake. A previous report by CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter said Sir Richard Branson didn't want to own the company anymore, even through the bankruptcy process, and that the Virgin Group had been rushing to find new sources of funding and buyers before the news broke. 

On March 30th, the company officially shuttered its space launch operations due to lack of funding. It flew a total of six flights from 2020, though only four of which were able to put satellites in orbit. According to Financial Times, Virgin Orbit said it expected to report $33.1 million in revenue and a net loss of around $191 million for the 2022 fiscal year. The company's search for a buyer will now proceed while protected by Chapter 11, though the process could culminate in the business being wound down if it doesn't find a new owner.