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Sony has confirmed that its next-generation PlayStation 5 will launch for the holiday season next year, and also confirmed more details about the system.

The first thing to note is that the next-generation in the console series is in fact called PlayStation 5. It will launch in time for Holiday 2020, according to Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment. Some other details were also spilled by Ryan today, including a big change to the controller for the PS5 console.

Ryan says that the company wanted to re-imagine how the sense of touch can add to the immersion of video games. To that end, the new PS5 controller will scrap the long-lasting "rumble" technology in the DualShock line, and replace it with haptic feedback. This means that there is a wider range of feedback from the controller, so that "crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field."

Another change to the PS5 controller is the incorporation of adaptive triggers. This has been incorporated into the L2 and R2 triggers on the controller and will enable developers to "program the resistance of the triggers so that you feel the tactile sensation of drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain."

Sony has announced that Facebook integration is no longer supported on the PlayStation 4 system. So what does that mean for users?

From today, Facebook integration has been scrapped on the PS4 console. This means that players will no longer be able to record and then upload their gameplay clips to the social network for their friends to see. Trophy unlock activity also can no longer be shared with Facebook friends. Friend finder is also out, which was a feature that used your Facebook account information to help you find friends on Sony's network.

So all share options (screenshots, videos, music, trophy details, links, broadcasts, etc.) can no longer be shared from your PS4 console to your Facebook account and friends. Profile pictures imported from Facebook will no longer be used either, so if you imported your profile picture from Facebook you will have to set up a new one.

The support page for the change does not give any reason why Sony has abruptly ended support for Facebook integration. However, Kotaku did reach out to Facebook and it seems that the social network is hoping to restore the integration soon.

A one-of-a-kind 'Nintendo PlayStation' console - a relic of a rocky and ultimately doomed partnership between Sony and Nintendo - is up for sale.

In the 1980s, Sony and Nintendo were collaborating on games console hardware. Nintendo had partnered with Sony to produce a CD-ROM add-on that could be used for the standard SNES console. It would use a format called Super Disc with the rights retained by Sony in agreement with Nintendo. Along with the add-on for the SNES, Sony was developing its own Play Station system, which was a hybrid containing the standard cartridge port for Nintendo games and the CD-ROM drive for games on Super Disc.

Trouble started however when Nintendo realized that Sony had an upper hand in software licensing as it retained control of Super Disc, and the Japanese gaming giant then approached Philips seeking a more favorable agreement over a partnership. As a result, the 1991 consumer electronics show saw both the introduction of the hybrid Play Station system from Sony, and the surprise announcement of a new partnership between Nintendo and Philips (which Sony had no prior warning about).

Despite trying to repair their issues over the next couple of years, Nintendo and Sony ultimately went separate ways with Sony deciding to focus on a new console for the next generation of gaming which we now know as the original PlayStation. During the negotiations as many as 300 prototypes were reportedly developed of Sony / Nintendo console hardware.

A legal firm is seeking a class action lawsuit against Epic Games because its popular Fortnite game is too addictive.

Calex Légal is representing the parents of two children in arguing that Fortnite is designed to be addictive, and that Epic Games did not warn customers about the dangers. The firm, based in Montreal, is seeking authorization for a class-action lawsuit and inviting parents concerned about their children's dependence on the video game to come forward.

"We dug into it and we realized there was a strong case for it," said Alessandra Esposito Chartrand, a Calex Légal attorney, reports the CBC.

The suit cites a decision made by the Quebec Superior Court in 2015 that determined tobacco companies had not warned customers about the dangers of smoking their product. This duty to inform is what Calex Légal is focusing on. Furthermore, Chartrand claims that the game is actually made purposely to be as addictive as possible.

"Epic Games, when they created Fortnite, for years and years, hired psychologists -- they really dug into the human brain and they really made the effort to make it as addictive as possible," she said. "They knowingly put on the market a very, very addictive game which was also geared toward youth."

The creators of South Park have 'apologized' to China after the show is reportedly banned in the country and it's exactly what you expect.

It has been reported that South Park is banned on the Chinese Internet, after last week's episode "Band in China". The episode follows dimwit Randy Marsh - father of Stan, a geologist, the voice of pop sensation Lorde, and the entrepreneur behind Tegridy Weed - on a journey to China to find more customers for his product. His visit instead gets Randy sent to a work camp where he has to speak praise of the communist party.

At the same time, Randy's son Stan is trying to film a biopic for his several-weeks-old death metal band Crimson Dawn, but finds out that he has to censor topics ranging from Winnie the Pooh to the Dalai Lama in order to appease Chinese censors and make money in the country.

The episode even shows a Chinese censor in military uniform erasing things that Stan writes down, or erasing things he types on his laptop.

Apparently, the Chinese authorities didn't see the humor in the episode and reports are that South Park is now banned on the Chinese Internet. Matt Stone and Trey Parker responded to the news in a fashion we've come to expect over the years from the minds behind South Park. While it clearly makes fun of the Chinese reaction to the episode, it also takes aim at the NBA.

While the release of the OnePlus 7T is coming soon, there are already leaks regarding the OnePlus 8 series.

CashKaro and OnLeaks have published renders of the upcoming OnePlus 8 smartphone based on schematics from a source within the company. The leak shows that the OnePlus 8 will trade in the notch of the OnePlus 7T, and the pop-up selfie camera of the OnePlus 7 Pro, for a punch-hole cam in the 6.5-inch curved display itself. OnePlus 8 will be the first OnePlus non-Pro smartphone to feature a curved display.

Like the OnePlus 7T and 7 Pro, OnePlus 8 will feature three camera lenses on the back.

The bottom speaker also appears to have a smoother edge than previous OnePlus series. The overall dimensions of the smartphone are estimated at 160.2 x 72.9 x 8.1mm (9.3mm when including the bump for the rear camera lenses).

Another big detail in the leak is the support for wireless charging. OnePlus has put effort into fast charging with some of its previous models. The OnePlus 7T comes (and 7 Pro) come with a 30W (5V/6A) charger for speedy charging. However, with competitors offering wireless charging it was an expected step for OnePlus to make.

Microsoft has revealed an attempt to identify and target e-mail accounts related to the U.S. 2020 Presidential Elections by a group with suspected links to Tehran.

Tom Burt, Corporate Vice President, Customer Security & Trust at Microsoft, revealed in an article that a group he identified as Phosphorus had targeted accounts linked to an election campaign for the U.S. 2020 Presidential Election. Microsoft believes that the attack originates from Iran and is linked to the Iranian government.

During August and September, Microsoft observed more than 2,700 attempts to identify consumer e-mail accounts belonging to specific Microsoft customers. 241 of these accounts were later directly attacked and four were compromised. Microsoft would only say that the targeted accounts are associated with a U.S. presidential campaign, current and former U.S. government officials, journalists covering global politics and prominent Iranians living outside Iran.

However, sources told the Reuters news agency that U.S. President Donald Trump's re-election campaign was specifically targeted, but the operation was unsuccessful. Responding to the report, Tim Murtaugh of the Trump campaign said it has no indication that any of its campaign infrastructure being targeted.

Apple has announced that it will repair some iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus handsets for free as they may become unusable due to a component failure.

The Cupertino giant did not specify what component is leading to the failure of some iPhone 6s series handsets to power on, but it did say that the issue is limited to units manufactured between October 2018 and August 2019. It established a homepage for its free service program where users can check if their handset is eligible for a free repair.

If you have an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus that suddenly won't power on then it might be caused by this component issue. To find out, visit the repair page and enter the serial number of your model and it will inform you whether or not it is eligible for a free repair.

Affected iPhone 6s models can be repaired at any Apple Authorized Service Provider, an Apple Retail Store, through Apple Support's mail-in service. Owners who previously paid to have an iPhone 6s repaired that would have been eligible for free repair can contact Apple for a refund.

The program covers affected iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices for 2 years after the first retail sale of the unit.

It should be noted that Apple may restrict or limit repair to the original country or region of purchase, which might complicate things if the handset was imported from a foreign source.

PayPal has dropped out of the Libra Association, the first financial backer to leave the group backing the Libra digital currency.

Facebook's ambitions to launch a digital currency that can be used worldwide for payments have hit constant roadblocks. PayPal has continued to this shaky start by dropping out of the Libra Association, the organization that would oversee the development and deployment of Libra and associated products.

"PayPal has made the decision to forgo further participation in the Libra Association at this time and to continue to focus on advancing our existing mission and business priorities as we strive to democratize access to financial services for underserved populations," PayPal said in a statement.

"We remain supportive of Libra's aspirations and look forward to continued dialogue on ways to work together in the future. Facebook has been a longstanding and valued strategic partner to PayPal, and we will continue to partner with and support Facebook in various capacities."

Libra has also been subjected to probes and attacks from politicians and bureaucrats the world-round, who see Libra and other digital currencies as a threat to the financial system. Facebook's chequered history on its handling of user data is another commonly cited reason for opposing the proposed digital currency.

A mother is warning about the dangers of social media 'challenges' after her 12 year old son is badly burned doing the so called 'Fire Challenge'.

Viral challenges are far from new. For years, people have essentially performed silly or stupid stunts on video and posted it online. We all remember the ALS challenge phenomenon that prompted millions of people to dump cold water over their heads and then challenge others to do the same.

Well, how about you set yourself on fire? Incredibly, a small number of people seem to have done this. It was reported this week that a 12 year old Michigan boy had suffered second degree burns after his friend set him on fire. Amazingly, the goal was to post the video of this "challenge" online.

The boy spent four days in hospital after his friend sprayed him with nail polish remover and then lit him up. His mother, Tabitha, has warned about the dangers of social media challenges.

"I just want everybody to know that these challenges, or whatever they're watching on YouTube, is not worth risking your life," she said, reports NBC News.

Rockstar Games has provided details about the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC, including that it will be a Google Stadia launch title.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is available for PC platforms from November 5, with pre-orders available from the new recently launched Rockstar Games Launcher from October 9. The PC version of the first in the Red Dead Redemption series to launch on the platforms comes with some new content and bonuses as well.

Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC features a range of graphical and technical enhancements for increased immersion along with new Bounty Hunting Missions, Gang Hideouts, Weapons and more.

Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC also includes free access to the shared living world of Red Dead Online featuring all previously released improvements and the latest content updates for the complete online experience including Frontier Pursuits and the specialist Roles of Bounty Hunter, Trader and Collector for players to progress through and earn unique rewards.

For those who choose to pre-order from October 9 to October 22 on Rockstar Games Launcher, Rockstar will also throw two free games. You can choose your two free games from Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andrea, Bully: Scholarship Edition, L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition, and Max Payne 3: The Complete Edition.

Samsung says that its expensive Galaxy Fold can handle up to 200,000 folds during its lifetime before it can be expected to break due to wear and tear. Can it?

CNET put it to the test with a device built by SquareTrade. The device folded and unfolded the Samsung device for hours until it failed. It clocked up a reported 119,380 folds - which were achieved in around 14 hours - before the screen and hinge were damaged from the folding and unfolding.

Of course, the test doesn't really reflect real-world use of a Galaxy Fold as owners who have coughed up so much money are unlikely to carelessly fold and unfold the device for hours nonstop.

Samsung says that 200,000 folds accounts for around 100 folds per day for five years. Whether or not the CNET / SquareTrade test can cast doubts on that is up to you to determine once you check out the CNET video.

Be warned, it was live-streamed for almost twelve hours.

EA Sports confirms that a bug exposed some personal information of some players signing up for FIFA 20 Global Series.

In a bizarre incident, some players who were trying to sign up for the new FIFA 20 Global Series saw that the registration form was already pre-loaded with information of other people. Some popular live-streamers reportedly had their personal information exposed due to the registration bug.

EA Sports acknowledged the bug and estimated that around 1,600 people had been directly affected by it. Exposed information included e-mail addresses and date of birth. It has since identified the cause of the issue and has patched it up.

"Player privacy and security are of the utmost importance to us, and we deeply apologize that our players encountered this issue today," EA Sports said in a statement.

It has been reported that Disney has blacklisted Netflix ads across multiple of its properties as it prepares to jump into the streaming deep end.

Disney is soon to make quite the splash with Disney+, its video streaming service that will go head to head with the big boys including Netflix, Amazon, and others. According to the Wall Street Journal, Disney had informed employees earlier this year that it would not accept any advertisements across its services for any rival streaming services.

In the meantime, it has reportedly come to a compromise with every streaming service except for one pretty significant rival: Netflix. The WSJ reports that Netflix ads are not permitted across Disney's TV networks ahead of the launch of Disney+.

Disney+ was launched in the Netherlands on September 12, and will be launched in the United States and Canada on November 12, followed by Australia and New Zealand on November 19. It focuses on film and television content (incudling original programming) from its properties, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox.

A study showed that people now type out text on their mobile devices almost as fast as they can with a conventional keyboard on a PC.

After years of social media interaction, people type almost as fast now on mobile devices as they do using a traditional keyboard on a PC. A study co-wrote by ETH Zurich, Cambridge University, and Aalto University in Finland gathered data from more than 37,000 people who participated in speed typing tests on smartphones and PCs.

The fastest typist on a phone maxed out at around 85 words per minute (wpm). Keyboards can enable type speeds up to 100wpm. Most people hit between 35wpm and 65wpm on devices, while those aged between 10 and 19 years old tended to be around 10wpm faster than older participants in the study.

"Such a large amount of experience transfers to the development of typing skill and explains why young people, who spend more time with social media, communicating with each other, are picking up higher speeds," said Dr Anna Feit, researcher at ETH Zurich.

Another interesting detail is how type speed on mobile devices is helped by auto-correct, but hindered by predictive services. It seemed that participants used up noticeable time overall making sure a predicted word is correct, whereas auto-correct eliminated the need for a few thumb taps regularly enough to make a positive difference.