Because Sony has a tendency to get hacked, it may not be a bad idea for users to throw in an extra security step for good measure.
Sony has just enabled two-step verification on the PlayStation Network, giving users an extra layer of protection.
You can enable it by going to Settings -> Playstation Network Account Management -> Account information -> Security. There, you should see a new 2-step option. If not, check that your Playstation firmware is up to date.
Two-step verification is a form of security that has users confirming their identity on two separate devices. In recent years it has popularly been enabled via cell phones. Using either authentication apps or text messages, users can confirm that they themselves are the ones trying to login to their account. The service will send a message to their phone with a code, and that code is used to authenticate. Many companies now use two-step verification, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
Back in 2011, the PlayStation Network was hit with a major hack, compromising 77 million registered users. It forced Sony to shut down the network for two months as it tried to get things under control. It forced many users to call their banks and get new credit cards sent. It also came to light that the PSN was painfully unsecure. Later that year, the PSN was hit with another attack, albeit it wasn’t as disastrous as the first one.
Just last year, Sony Pictures was hit with a massive email hack, leaking millions of emails onto the internet. They revealed the inner bickering of Sony executives, and details of how many movie projects were stifled by corporate meddling.
Sony isn’t the only company in gaming with two-step verification. Xbox users can enable two-step on their Microsoft accounts as well. Nintendo has yet to enable two-step verification, but considering the way in which things are going, it wouldn’t be too surprising if it enables it sooner rather than later.
Users can enable two-step on their PlayStation 4’s under the Account Management menu, or enable it online.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.