Metaplay debuts Unity-based SDK to help scale mobile games

Metaplay, known for its fully customisable backend for game development, has debuted a Unity-based SDK to help developers scale their mobile games.

Developed over four years in collaboration with top-tier game studios in Helsinki – including Metacore, Dodreams, and Nitro – the Metaplay SDK is designed to empower developers and studios in creating top-tier online mobile games that can scale as they grow.

Teemu Haila, Co-Founder and CPO at Metaplay, said: “Since...

22 January 2024 | Development Tools

Google enables WebGPU by default in Chrome 121

Google has enabled WebGPU support by default in the latest version of its Chrome browser, Chrome 121. WebGPU is a new web standard that provides low-level access to GPU hardware for high-performance 3D graphics and general purpose computing using JavaScript APIs. 

WebGPU support is now enabled on devices running Android 12 or later powered by Qualcomm and ARM GPUs. Support will expand to more Android devices in the near future, including those still on Android 11. The rollout...

19 January 2024 | Android

GitHub rotates credentials following vulnerability discovery

GitHub has rotated encryption keys following the discovery of a vulnerability that could have enabled threat actors to steal credentials, the company revealed Tuesday.  

The Microsoft-owned firm said it first became aware of the high-severity security flaw tracked as CVE-2024-0200 on 26 December 2023. After investigating the issue and verifying there was no evidence it had been exploited in attacks, GitHub moved swiftly to rotate potentially exposed keys the same day as a...

17 January 2024 | Developer

Apple may enable sideloading in Europe ‘in the coming weeks’

Apple is reportedly planning to allow iPhone and iPad users in Europe to install apps from third-party app stores—potentially within a matter of weeks. 

The move from Apple comes in response to mounting regulatory pressure from European lawmakers demanding more competition in the app ecosystem.  

According to Apple insider Mark Gurman in Bloomberg’s “Power On” newsletter, Apple engineers are racing to launch support for app sideloading on European iOS...

16 January 2024 | App Stores

Open source wins concessions in new EU cyber law

The European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) has undergone substantial revisions, bringing relief to the open-source community.

Back in April, the Python Software Foundation (PSF) had expressed concerns about potential repercussions for CPython and PyPI if the initial form of CRA were to be enacted.

The primary worry was that, in the course of providing open-source software, the PSF and the Python community might assume legal responsibility for security issues in products...

15 January 2024 | Open Source

Brave Search now answers coding queries

Brave Search has integrated a new AI feature called CodeLLM designed to provide high-quality answers to coding-related queries. 

CodeLLM summarises potential solutions located across the web and generates step-by-step explanations to common coding problems. It aims to save developers time by delivering concise and actionable responses without having to sift through dozens of search results.

The AI is powered by a large language model called Mixtral which can generate...

11 January 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Valve clarifies what AI content it will allow on Steam

Valve has introduced new guidelines regarding what kinds of AI-generated content it will allow developers to include in games published on Steam. The move comes as AI tools that can automatically generate images, text, code, and other content have become more advanced and widely available.

In a post earlier today, Valve said it is updating its submission process to require developers to disclose if and how they used AI tools to create content for their games. Developers must...

10 January 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Apple releases Xcode 15.2 with Vision Pro support

Apple has released Xcode 15.2, a major update that paves the way for the upcoming Vision Pro headset set to hit the shelves on 2 February.

The new Xcode version introduces support for the Vision Pro headset through the integration of the visionOS SDK, opening up opportunities for developers to craft immersive visionOS apps tailored for this cutting-edge device.

With a focus on refining the visionOS experience, Apple's release notes indicate that Xcode 15.2 incorporates...

9 January 2024 | App Stores

Computer science pioneer Niklaus Wirth dies aged 89

In a sombre start to the new year, the world of computer science mourns the loss of Niklaus Wirth—a stalwart figure known for his influential contributions to programming languages, methodology, software engineering, and hardware design.

Born on 15 February 1934 in Switzerland, Wirth was a luminary in the field and celebrated for his development of several groundbreaking programming languages including ALGOL W, Pascal, and Modula-2. Wirth died aged 89 on 1 January...

4 January 2024 | Languages

App Store antitrust case is ‘firing on all cylinders’

Jonathan Kanter, the head of the Department of Justice's antitrust unit, is intensifying the case against Apple over its App Store policies.

According to the Financial Times, Kanter – who assumed the role in November 2021 – has stated that the investigation is now "firing on all cylinders."

For years, regulators, businesses, and enforcers have sought to dismantle Apple's tightly integrated iOS ecosystem. Despite Apple's staunch defence, recent developments indicate a...

2 January 2024 | App Stores