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  AppleInsider - Oracle reportedly in talks to acquire TikTok assets
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-18-2020, 11:42 AM - Forum: Apple Mac & macOS - No Replies

Oracle reportedly in talks to acquire TikTok assets

Chinese company ByteDance is looking to divest from TikTok’s U.S. operations on orders from President Donald Trump, and Oracle could be the firm that takes over.

Citing a person familiar with the matter, CNBC on Monday reports enterprise software specialist Oracle is throwing its hat into the ring as ByteDance eyes a lucrative TikTok sale.

Oracle is joining forces with a group of U.S. venture capital firms that currently own a stake in TikTok, the report said. While CNBC’s failed to specify which investors are working with Oracle, a report from the Financial Times claims General Atlantic and Sequoia Capital are on board with the plan that would see an acquisition of TikTok’s U.S., Canadian, Australian and New Zealand businesses.

Earlier this month it was reported that Microsoft was leading the pack with a potential bid topping out at $30 billion. Microsoft and Oracle’s group are “far ahead” of other companies that have expressed interest in the popular social media app, CNBC reports.

As noted in the report, TikTok is an odd target for Oracle, which concentrates its efforts on enterprise solutions. The app could, however, deliver valuable customer data for Oracle’s various marketing products.

Trump last week issued an executive order calling on ByteDance to divest from its U.S. TikTok business within 90 days. The new order supersedes a previous directive called on ByteDance to cut U.S. business ties within 45 days.

“There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance … might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States,” Trump’s said in the Aug. 15 order.



https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2020/08/...ok-assets/

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  Fedora - Contribute at the Fedora Kernel and GNOME test days
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-18-2020, 11:42 AM - Forum: Linux, BSD & Unix - No Replies

Contribute at the Fedora Kernel and GNOME test days

Fedora test days are events where anyone can help make sure changes in Fedora work well in an upcoming release. Fedora community members often participate, and the public is welcome at these events. If you’ve never contributed to Fedora before, this is a perfect way to get started.

There are two upcoming test days in the upcoming week. The first, starts on Monday 17 August through Monday 24 August, is to test the Kernel 5.8. Wednesday August 19, the test day is focusing on testing GNOME. Come and test with us to make the upcoming Fedora 33 even better. Read more below on how to do it.

Kernel test week


The kernel team is working on final integration for kernel 5.8. This version was just recently released and will arrive soon in Fedora. As a result, the Fedora kernel and QA teams have organized a test week for Monday, August 17 through Monday, August 24. Refer to the wiki page for links to the test images you’ll need to participate. This document clearly outlines the steps.

GNOME test day


GNOME is the default desktop environment for Fedora Workstation and thus for many Fedora users. As a part of the planned change the GNOME megaupdate will land on Fedora which then will be shipped with Fedora 33. To ensure that everything works fine The Workstation WG and QA team will have this test day for on Wednesday, August 19. Refer to the wiki page for links and resources to test the GNOME test day.

How do test days work?


A test day is an event where anyone can help make sure changes in Fedora work well in an upcoming release. Fedora community members often participate, and the public is welcome at these events. If you’ve never contributed before, this is a perfect way to get started.

To contribute, you only need to be able to download test materials (which include some large files) and then read and follow directions step by step.

Detailed information about both test days are on the wiki pages above. If you’re available on or around the days of the events, please do some testing and report your results.



https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2020/08/...test-days/

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  News - Mortal Shell: 7 Beginner's Tips To Survive The Hostile World
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-18-2020, 11:42 AM - Forum: Lounge - No Replies

Mortal Shell: 7 Beginner's Tips To Survive The Hostile World

Paying tribute to From Software's Dark Souls series, the Souls-like Mortal Shell forces you to learn its stoic and precise combat mechanics to survive an incredibly hostile world. While exploring the land of Fallgrim, you'll come to know its history and the residents that inhabit the chaotic setting. But as you dive deeper into the game, it becomes apparent that Mortal Shell takes a decidedly different approach to the Souls-like experience that you would expect. While it's much more inviting and accessible than many of From Software's games, it still possesses an edge that can easily cut down players who aren't prepared and focused.

In this guide, we're breaking down some critical tips for players diving into Mortal Shell for the first time. Even veteran Souls players are in for some surprises with this game that pays tribute to From Software's Souls series. Forgoing a familiar RPG system with leveling and stat-management, Mortal Shell puts precise and tactical combat mechanics front and center. In addition to learning the flow of combat, you'll also have to come to grips with the bizarre world to explore, even if it means devouring poisonous mushrooms to survive. So with that, here's a quick breakdown of how to survive in the world of Mortal Shell.

Be sure to check out more of our coverage of Mortal Shell, including info on how to activate the game's hard mode, along with our full Mortal Shell review.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal...01-10abi2f

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  Xbox Wire - Next Week on Xbox: August 10 – 14
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-18-2020, 08:41 AM - Forum: Xbox Discussion - No Replies

Next Week on Xbox: August 10 – 14

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox, where we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox One and Windows 10 PC! Every week the team at Xbox aims to deliver quality gaming content for you to enjoy. To find out what’s coming soon to Xbox, read on below and click on each of the game profiles for pre-order details (dates are subject to change).


Brunch Club – August 11

Brunch Club – August 11

A 1-4 player food fight frenzy, with a seasoning of pop culture. Work together to complete a selection of delicious challenges. Test your ability to remain calm in the kitchen with your friends and be prepared to try, try, and try again! Order a side of arcade action with a range of mini games from two player versus mode in Face Off, to building bridges in Five Second Rule keeping your food off the dirty surfaces.


Car Mechanic Simulator Classic – August 11

Car Mechanic Simulator Classic – August 11

Become a car mechanic who must diagnose, make repairs, order the necessary parts, and contact the demanding customers. The tasks set for the player are not the easiest ones — there are more than seventy-variety of scenarios in total. The creators supplied several vehicles and hundreds of elements, so finding the defect itself can be problematic – yet very satisfying.


Escape From Tethys – August 12

Escape From Tethys – August 12

Xbox One X Enhanced – You’re trapped, alone, and cold on a distant planet. Pursued by a droid with only one purpose: killing everything. You must find an escape. Explore the hostile environment, find secret upgrades and new weapons, and finally make your escape from this dark, hostile planet. In this action adventure metroidvania.


Hyper Scape – August 11

Hyper Scape – August 11

An urban futuristic free-to-play battle royale where 100 Contenders engage in FPS close-quarters and fast-paced matches to become the next global superstar. Fight your way through the 7 unique districts of Neo Arcadia, a virtual city featuring imposing landmarks that bring verticality to the next level. From sky-scraping towers to open plazas, from streets to rooftops, Neo Arcadia will push you to constantly adapt to your surroundings.


Metamorphosis: Xbox Edition – August 12

Metamorphosis: Xbox Edition – August 12

Play as Gregor, turned into a tiny bug, and set out on an extraordinary journey to unravel the mystery of your transformation. Metamorphosis is a first-person adventure set in a surrealist world where your newfound abilities are your last and only hope for redemption.


Prehistoric Dude – August 12

Prehistoric Dude – August 12

A mini metroidvania game during the stone age which tells the story of Dude, a friendly caveman who loves ham! Explore three different scenarios while looking for Dude’s delicious lunch! Face enemies, master obstacles, learn new skills and make Dude even stronger!


Zero Strain – August 12

Zero Strain – August 12

Zero Strain is a fast-paced shooter set in a series of top-down arenas, where strategic use of offense and defense are critical to surviving each challenge. MOBA elements mixed with frenetic shoot’em up action for a unique and rewarding experience in neon wireframe presentation.


The Alto Collection – August 13

The Alto Collection – August 13

Xbox One X Enhanced – Join Alto and friends as they set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Race down alpine slopes, over windswept dunes, through ancient woodlands and the long-forgotten ruins of both critically acclaimed titles: Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey. Along the way you’ll pull off daring backflips, grind over rooftops, and leap over vast chasms as you journey to discover what mysteries lie beyond the horizon.


The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines – August 13

The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines – August 13

A twin-stick fantasy shooter centered around the ability to stop time. You’ll play as Gregor, a newly recruited member of the Eternal Fellowship, and an Ambassador of Time. Just as you are learning to use your newfound powers, the Fellowship’s capital city is mysteriously destroyed! As one of the only remaining fellows, you must find those responsible and return Tamaris to its former glory.


Boomerang Fu – August 13

Boomerang Fu – August 13

Slice and dice your friends with boomerangs in this frantic physics party game. Join a crew of your favorite foods as you grill, chill, and spill your enemies. Discover ridiculous power-ups and stack them together in deadly combinations.


Darkestville Castle – August 13

Darkestville Castle – August 13

Live the adventure of Cid, the demon of Darkestville, a laid-back being of pure darkness that will see his evil routine life disrupted by The Romero brothers, a group of demon hunters hired by Dan Teapot, Cid’s arch enemy. Follow CId through an epic quest full of danger, intrigue, and ridiculous premises in this point-and-click adventure game.


Faeria – August 13

Faeria – August 13

With its unique living board, Faeria will challenge you with truly strategic card battles. Craft your deck, shape the battlefield, and fight for victory with this strategy game like no other. Build exciting decks and shape the battlefield as you fight epic battles. Raise mountains, build forests, fill lakes, or harness the sands of the deserts. Choose your path to victory.


Through the Darkest of Times – August 13

Through the Darkest of Times – August 13

Berlin 1933. Unspeakable horrors and suffering sweep across the world. Few would stand and fight the monstrosity that was the German Reich. Will you? Lead an underground resistance group Through the Darkest of Times.


Bite the Bullet – August 14

Bite the Bullet – August 14

In this roguelite RPG shooter, you must eat enemies, bullets, and more to power-up your character, weapons, and abilities. Gun down zombies, robots, and giant mutant bosses with a barrage of bullets before chowing down on their corpses to craft new weapons, unlock new abilities and special attacks, and transform into a powerful Zombro form to smash foes.


Cooking Simulator – August 14

Cooking Simulator – August 14

Take control of a highly polished, realistic kitchen equipped with all kinds of utensils and stands. Unlock and master over 60 recipes or use dozens of lifelike ingredients to cook everything you like. A simulator spiced up with a dash of real-life physics!


Dying Light: Hellraid – August 14

Dying Light: Hellraid – August 14

No one knows where the strange arcade machine came from. One day the residents of the Tower just found it in the basement after an odd power outage. They took it upstairs unaware that their find is a gateway to another realm. Shake up your Dying Light experience by using this eerie device to access a completely new game mode based on Techland’s currently-on-hold first-person fantasy slasher Hellraid.


EA Sports UFC 4 – August 14

EA Sports UFC 4 – August 14

In EA Sports UFC 4, the fighter you become is shaped by your fighting style, your achievements, and your personality. No matter how or where you play, EA Sports UFC 4 puts you at the center of every fight. Pre-Order UFC 4 today and receive exclusive fighters like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, plus exclusive customization packs.


The Explorer of Night – August 14

The Explorer of Night – August 14

A minimalist platformer, where you need to help the main character to get out of the forest, inhabited by unfriendly enemies and dangerous traps. In the game you will find interesting puzzles, boss fights and cute story.


Linn: Path of Orchards – August 14

Linn: Path of Orchards – August 14

Step out of your conventional platforming habits and delve into the dynamic and rotating world of Linn, a modern puzzle platformer set in a fantastic and mysterious ancient world. You are in control of Aban, an exotic guardian of nature, on her journey through a lost sky temple. Help Aban on her divine mission to rejuvenate the ancient Tree of Light.


Of Tanks and Demons III – August 14

Of Tanks and Demons III – August 14

A new game with the vibe of classic arcades of 80s. Collect photons, shoot demons, buy new tanks, and improve them – but don’t solely rely on brute force. Sometimes you need to outsmart your enemy, not just outgun them with bullets.




https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2020/08/...ust-10-14/

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  News - Blog: Game composers and the importance of themes – Part 3
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-18-2020, 08:41 AM - Forum: Lounge - No Replies

Blog: Game composers and the importance of themes – Part 3

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.


This is a photo of composer Winifred Phillips in her production studio at Generations Productions. Phillips is known for her music for several well known games and game franchises, including LittleBigPlanet, God of War, Total War, Assassin's Creed, and The Sims.

By Winifred Phillips | Contact | Follow

Hi!  I’m video game composer Winifred Phillips, and welcome to the third installment of my five article series based on the presentation I gave at this year’s online Game Developers Conference that took place this past March.  My talk was entitled “From Assassin’s Creed to The Dark Eye: The Importance of Themes” (I’ve included the official description of my talk at the end of this article).  In my presentation, I discussed the music I composed for several video game projects, including Assassin’s Creed Liberation (Ubisoft), God of War (Sony Interactive America), LittleBigPlanet (Sony Interactive Europe), Homefront: The Revolution (Deep Silver), Speed Racer (Warner Bros Interactive), Spore Hero (Electronic Arts), and The Dark Eye: Book of Heroes (Wild River).

In the previous article, we took a look at how thematic material was employed in subtle ways within two of my video game projects – Assassin’s Creed Liberation and Homefront: The Revolution.  We considered how repetition can reinforce the significance of musical themes, particularly when they are associated with specific narrative ideas, and we talked about how repetition can work to make musical themes memorable and meaningful.  But we all know that repetition can get stale if we don’t approach it creatively.  So that brings us now to the topic of variation – how to keep themes feeling fresh.

Variation


An image excerpted from a presentation given in March 2020 at the GDC online conference. The talk was presented by video game composer Winifred Phillips.

A zoomed-in detail image from the presentation given by award-winning video game composer Winifred Phillips during her GDC 2020 talk in the first-ever online conference. Phillips was discussing her music from LittleBigPlanet for the PSVita.To date, I’ve worked on six LittleBigPlanet games (pictured above) – four in the main franchise and two DLC games.  While the music in LittleBigPlanet can be very melodic, the melodies don’t tend to be repeated from one level to another.  Because of this, the music has an episodic quality that suits LittleBigPlanet’s episodic gameplay structure very well.  Sackboy moves from one world to another, and the music completely changes.

There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule, and it’s a good example of theme and variation in the LittleBigPlanet universe.  In LittleBigPlanet Vita, developed by Tarsier Studios for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Sackboy explores a world called the “Land of Odd” – which includes Marianne’s garden of living puppets and clockworks.  The music I composed for this level included a melody featuring the sound of clockworks and a solo ingénue voice.  Later on in the game, that same melody returns during a boat race – except now it’s twice as zany and carried by a hyper trumpet. Here’s what that was like:

[embedded content]

While repeating melodies are few in the LittleBigPlanet franchise, they definitely stand out and get noticed, especially when they’re expressed in two dramatically different arrangements.  Not all projects will offer the chance to introduce such extreme variation.  It’s an example of how far the variation technique can go.  And when variation isn’t enough and we need to go further, we can break our themes apart and use fragments of them instead of the whole.

Fragmentation


Depiction of the official logo from the Spore Hero video game from Electronic Arts, as included in the article by Winifred Phillips (video game composer).The music I composed for the video game Spore Hero was very thematic, including lots of repeating melodies.  One of the most important of these melodies figured prominently in the main theme, and was a pretty long melody that took awhile to fully state.  So it was a puzzle, trying to figure out how to make that melody recur in the game.  When it wasn’t possible to present it in its entirety, I used it as a highly-recognizable fragment consisting of five notes:

This five-note fragment became extremely useful in Spore Hero.  Here it is in the game’s opening menu:

[embedded content]

And here it is in the character creation menu:

[embedded content]

Likewise, here is that five note fragment as it appeared in the game’s most important and frequently-used stinger:

[embedded content]

Finally, here’s a little fun fact – the Spore Hero theme gets pretty heroic towards the end of the game – and this version of the theme got licensed from the publisher and used in a trailer for Avengers Endgame, the highest grossing movie of all time. So here’s a look at that:

[embedded content]

Just goes to show that a flexible theme can be used in a lot of different ways, especially when we break it into fragments.

Conclusion


So now we’ve explored how variation and fragmentation can add utility to our themes. In the next article in this series, we’ll take a look at how recurring themes can enhance different types of gameplay, and how a compelling narrative rationale for thematic recurrence can be a powerful tool for a game composer.  Until then, thanks for reading!


From Assassin’s Creed to The Dark Eye: The Importance of Themes


An image depicting the official logos of the game projects included in the GDC 2020 presentation, "From Assassin's Creed to The Dark Eye: The Importance of Themes." This presentation was delivered by video game composer Winifred Phillips during the GDC 2020 online conference in March.

(Game Developers Conference Session Description)

Through an exploration of her work composing music for games such as Assassin’s Creed Liberation, God of War, LittleBigPlanet and the upcoming RPG The Dark Eye: Book of Heroes, composer Winifred Phillips will examine the potential of thematic music to enable a game to stand out as special and unique.

By employing musical themes, a composer can infuse a game with a strong sense of character and originality.

According to research, music heard during activities is remembered vividly. Coupling this with the innately memorable nature of themes allows a game composer to create an indelible musical signature for any game. This talk will examine composition techniques that extend the life and utility of themes. Variation, development, figures, fragmentation, and motifs will be explored, along with examples of themes in combat, menus, cutscenes, and stingers. Finally, dynamic music construction will be considered, including workarounds to enable effective themes within interactive systems.

Takeaway


Using examples from several games, Phillips will discuss specific composition techniques designed to enhance the utility of thematic content. Attendees will learn how themes may be incorporated into specific game music asset types. Also included in the discussion: composition adjustments required by interactive music constructs.

Intended Audience


This session will present inspirational ideas for composers seeking to create distinctive musical signatures for their game projects. Discussion of thematic use within different types of game music assets may be helpful for audio developers engaged in preparing music design documents. The talk will be approachable for all levels.


Popular game music composer Winifred Phillips works in her music production studio.Popular music from composer Winifred Phillips’ award-winning Assassin’s Creed Liberation score is currently featured as a part of the Assassin’s Creed Symphony World Tour, which kicked off in 2019 in Paris with performances by a top 80-piece orchestra and choir. As an accomplished video game composer, Phillips is best known for composing music for games in five of the most famous and popular franchises in gaming: Assassin’s Creed, God of War, Total War, The Sims, and LittleBigPlanet.  Phillips’ other notable projects include music for the triple-A first person shooter Homefront: The Revolution (Deep Silver), and numerous virtual reality games from such accomplished developers as Supermassive Games, High Voltage Software, and Armature Studio.   She is the author of the award-winning bestseller A COMPOSER’S GUIDE TO GAME MUSIC, published by the MIT Press. As the foremost authority on music for interactive entertainment, Winifred Phillips has given lectures at the Library of Congress in Washington DC, the Society of Composers and Lyricists, the Game Developers Conference, the Audio Engineering Society, and many more. Phillips’ enthusiastic fans showered her with questions during a Reddit Ask-Me-Anything session that went viral, hit the Reddit front page, received 14.9 thousand upvotes, and became one of the most popular gaming AMAs ever hosted on Reddit. Follow her on Twitter @winphillips.  



https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2020/08/...es-part-3/

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  News - Epic Games is now also suing Google over ‘anti-competitive’ Android policies
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-18-2020, 08:41 AM - Forum: Lounge - No Replies

Epic Games is now also suing Google over ‘anti-competitive’ Android policies

Fortnite dev Epic Games captured headlines yesterday by its coordinated effort to update Fortnite to bypass strict mobile payment rules, having Fortnite removed from Apple’s App Store as a result, and swiftly filing a lawsuit against Apple for anti-competitive behavior, all in a matter of hours.

Google, slower to the punch, also opted to remove Fortnite from its first-party Google Play Store last night for the same reasons as Apple.

Now, following its lawsuit against Apple and Google’s own removal of Fortnite, Epic has filed a similar lawsuit against Google (via The Verge), though there are some key differences between the two cases due to how each platform owner handles their mobile ecosystems.

Google, for one, does not have as tight of a grip on Android as Apple keeps on iOS, but Epic argues in its lawsuit that Google’s claims that Android is an open platform no longer ring true. The core complaints are the same: Epic is asking the court to “end Google’s unlawful monopolization and anti-competitive restraints” in markets for Android app distribution and payment processing for app-related purchases.

Google does allow other developers to host their own storefronts on Android–both Amazon and now Epic have launched apps that do just that–but Epic argues that Google eliminates “competition in the distribution of Android apps using myriad contractual and technical barriers.”

Epic’s own fraught history with Google Play provides a perfect example of what the lawsuit is taking issue with here. Rather than launch through Google’s first-party Google Play Store and forfeit 30 percent of its revenue to Google, Epic first launched its own launcher for Fortnite outside of the Play Store. But, as Epic vocally highlighted earlier this year, downloading any sort of app or launcher outside of the Play Store requires Android users to jump through a series of hoops that take the form of “scary, repetitive security pop-ups,” which put third-party apps at an immediate disadvantage according to an April 2020 statement from Epic.

Due to this alleged guise of openness, Epic’s lawsuit now says that “Google’s actions force app developers and consumers into Google’s own monopolized  ‘app store’—the Google Play Store. Google has thus installed itself as an unavoidable middleman for app developers who wish to reach Android users and vice versa.”

“If not for Google’s anti-competitive behavior, the Android ecosystem could live up to Google’s promise of open competition, providing Android users and developers with competing app stores that offer more innovation, significantly lower prices and a choice of payment processors,” continues the lawsuit.

That crux of the argument, that more competition would benefit mobile users and developers alike, mirrors Epic’s lawsuit against Apple as well. In both lawsuits, Epic paints its attacks as altruistic rather than moves made out of its own self interest or pursuit of higher profits.

While an end to what Epic describes anti-competitive platform monopolies would allow Epic to fully launch its own competing storefront to both platforms on equal footing as first-party offerings and reap the financial benefits of its own (comparatively generous) revenue share deals, Epic maintains that these lawsuits are about the principle of the matter and, as such, the company isn’t asking the court for monetary compensation in either case, only that Google and Apple be made to embrace some healthy competition.



https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2020/08/...-policies/

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  (Indie Deal) Memories Of Mars & Maximum Games Sale
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-18-2020, 03:07 AM - Forum: Deals or Specials - No Replies

Memories Of Mars & Maximum Games Sale

Memories Of Mars at a historical 60% OFF
[www.indiegala.com]
Explore, Survive & Make Memories of the Red Planet, Mars
https://youtu.be/5fdFe8ic2sQ

Maximum Games Sale, up to -90%
[www.indiegala.com]
Stay Inside, Stay Safe and Enjoy Good Games.
Check out IndieGala on Twitter, YouTube & Facebook[www.facebook.com]


https://steamcommunity.com/groups/indieg...4819216639

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  (Free Game Key) Quake 3 Arena - Bethesda Launcher (NOT For STEAM)
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-18-2020, 03:07 AM - Forum: Deals or Specials - No Replies

Quake 3 Arena - Bethesda Launcher (NOT For STEAM)

Quake 3 Arena

- From 17th 12PM until 20th 12PM ET

- Login to Bethesda Launcher to claim it (no need to install it)
- Just relogin if you having issues
- Bethesda Launcher Link
- https://bethesda.net/en/game/bethesda-launcher
- After you login, the game will appear in your library

?GrabFreeGames.com ?Twitter ?Steam Curator ?Facebook[fb.me]?Discord[discord.gg]
❤️Support us: ✔️HumbleBundle Partner[humblebundle.com] ✔️Fanatical Partner[fanatical.com]


https://steamcommunity.com/groups/GrabFr...8878015922

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  Microsoft - Build resilient applications with Kubernetes on Azure
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-18-2020, 03:07 AM - Forum: Windows - No Replies

Build resilient applications with Kubernetes on Azure

Welcome to KubeCon EU 2020, the virtual edition. While we won’t be able to see each other in person at KubeCon EU this year, we’re excited that this new virtual format of KubeCon will make the conference more accessible than ever, with more people from the amazing Kubernetes community able to join and participate from around the world without leaving their homes.

With everything that has been happening, the last year has been an up and down experience, but through it all I’m incredibly proud of the focus and dedication from the Azure Kubernetes team. They have continued to iterate and improve our Kubernetes on Azure that provides enterprise-grade experience for our customers.

Kubernetes on Azure (and indeed anywhere) delivers an open and portable ecosystem for cloud-native development. In addition to this core promise, we also deliver a unique enterprise-grade experience that ensures the reliability and security your workloads demand, while also enabling the agility and efficiency that business today desires. You can securely deploy any workload to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to drive cost-savings at scale across your business. Today, we’re going to tell you about even more capabilities that can help you along on your cloud-native journey to Kubernetes on Azure.

Improving latency and operational efficiency


One of the key drivers of cloud adoption is reducing latency. It used to be that it took days to get physical computers and set them up in a cluster. Today, you can deploy a Kubernetes cluster on Azure in less than five minutes. These improvements benefit the agility of our customers. For customers who want to scale and provision faster, we are announcing a preview of ephemeral OS disk support which makes responding to new compute demands on your cluster even faster.

Latency isn’t just about the length of time to create a cluster. It’s also about how fast you can detect and respond to operational problems. To help enterprises improve their operational efficiency, we’re announcing preview integration with Azure Resource Health which can alert you if your cluster is unhealthy for any reason. We’re also announcing the general availability of node image updates which allow you to upgrade the underlying operating system to respond to bugs or vulnerabilities in your cluster while staying on the same Kubernetes version for stability.

Finally, though Kubernetes has always enabled enterprises to drive cost savings through containerization, the new economic realities of the world during a pandemic mean that achieving cost efficiency for your business is more important than ever. We’ve got a great exercise that can help you learn how to optimize your costs using containers and the Azure Kubernetes Service.

Secure by design with Kubernetes on Azure


One of the key pillars of any enterprise computing platform is security. With market-leading features like policy integration and Azure Active Directory identity for Pods and cloud-native security have always been an important part of the Azure Kubernetes Service. I’m excited about some new features we’ve added recently to further enhance the security of your workloads running on Kubernetes.

Though Kubernetes has built-in support for secrets, most enterprise environments require a more secure and more compliant implementation. In the Azure Kubernetes Service, being enterprise-grade means providing integration between Azure Key Vault and the Azure Kubernetes service. Using Key Vault with Kubernetes enables you to securely store your credentials, certificates, and other secrets in state of the art, compliant secret store, and easily use them with your applications in an Azure Kubernetes cluster.

It’s even more exciting that this integration is built on the back of an open Container Storage Interface (CSI) driver that the Azure team built and open sourced for the entire Kubernetes community. Giving back to open source is an important part of what it means to be a community steward, and it was exciting to see our approach get validated as it was picked up and used by the HashiCorp Vault team for their secrets integration. Our open source team has been hard at work on improving many other parts of the security ecosystem. We’ve enhanced the CSI driver for Windows, and worked on cgroups v2 and containerd. If you want to learn more about how to secure your cloud-native workloads and make sure that your enterprise is following Microsoft’s best practices, check out our guide to Kubernetes best practices. They will teach you how to integrate firewalls, policy, and more to ensure you have both security and agility in your cloud-native development.

Next steps and KubeCon EU


I hope that you have an awesome KubeCon EU. As you go through the conference and learn more about Kubernetes, you can also learn more about Kubernetes on Azure with all of the great information online and in our virtual booth. If you’re new to KubeCon and Kubernetes and wondering how you can adopt Kubernetes for workloads from hobbyist to enterprise, we’ve got a great Kubernetes adoption guide for you.



https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2020/08/...-on-azure/

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  News - Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel #56 – Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 08-17-2020, 06:29 PM - Forum: Nintendo Discussion - No Replies

Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel #56 – Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Main

Welcome back to another edition of Box Art Brawl, the weekly bout of regional box art variants where you decide which one wins.

Last week we looked at Yoshi’s Island in the East and the West, and after some deliberation it was decided that the European / North American cover was the best by approximately two votes to one. It’s that big Nep-Enut that clinched it, we reckon.

This week we’re celebrating yet another anniversary: the twentieth birthday of the Paper Mario series which debuted on the Nintendo 64. In honour of the occasion, we recently asked you to rate all the games in the series and for this round we’ll we looking to the celebrated GameCube entry – once again we’re engaging in an East versus West contest!

So, which paper-thin combatant will float like a butterfly and tear its opponent to shreds? Let’s take a look at this week’s fighters…

Japan


JP

Carrying the name Paper Mario RPG in Japan, this cover has a lovely rich red border and the titular Mario bursting out of the middle. It’s hard to get a bad shot with all the paper-style character key art looking as good as it does, but the fact that this is framed on the box as a shot of a pop-up card construction makes it doubly great.

What else is there to say? Crafty Nintendo is the best kind of Nintendo. We think this looks spectacular.

Europe / North America


NAEU

The version we got in the West features Mario reading a map, and although it doesn’t have the pop-up card look of the Japanese variant, we still love how the characters pop out thanks to their use of bold colouring against the faded background. The logo is strong, too. Personally we think the Japanese cover just edges it, but it’s not up to us, is it?


So, which one is the best? Pick your favourite from the two options below and hit ‘Vote’ to let us know:

That’s it for this week – feel free to check out our complete history of the Paper Mario series if you fancy, and we’ll catch you next time for another round of Box Art Brawl. Who knows, there might not be any anniversaries next week!



https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2020/08/...year-door/

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