It has to be said, for a service supposedly designed around private communications, SnapChat is looking decidedly bad at protecting people’s privacy. Designed as a tool to keep text and picture communication private by deleting messages from a user’s phone up to ten seconds after it’s viewed, users of SnapChat who value the service for its discreet, secret nature have often found themselves bitten in the ass with privacy-compromising bugs: First was the hack that SnapChat first denied, then later had to admit WAS a problem, whereby all but the last two digits of the phone number of all SnapChat users could be determined. This directly lead to a second problem whereby it was possible for people to determine you had SnapChat installed even if you didn’t know the other party, forcing SnapChat to add a user-enabled “delist” option. That’s without mentioning the controversial “second look” feature, recently added, that will allow one message per day to be viewed a second time at the recipent’s request.

Apparently to try to encourage use of the system by legitimate users – and to curb the use of the service by automated services (“robots”) to send spam to its users – Snapchat recently implemented a new verification system giving a simple test for its users to complete to verify they are human. The system takes the form of a visual identification test – users will be shown a grid of icons, each containing a white shape, some of which will be the iconic “ghost” shape that SnapChat uses in its logo; and just have to select the ones with the “ghost” in.

Now, visual tests to prevent bots are nothing new – Microsoft’s own KittenAuth system is another such example. KittenAuth combines pictures of cats with those of dogs and other furry animals; and asks users to simply pick out all the cats from a randomly-generated selection. The reason KittenAuth works, but SnapChat’s “Human Test” doesn’t, is cats have hundreds of breeds and thousands of colour variations, leading to a whole variety of different looks. We humans are very good at recognising cats as cats no matter how different they look, but computers are not as intelligent at grouping together similar things when they look very different.

SnapChat’s “Ghost” logo, however, is always a certain shape, size and colour, making it instantly very recognisable and the perfect thing for a “robot” to look for. To prove it, Georgia Institute of Technology student Steven Hickson spent less than 30 minutes and 100 lines of code to create a bot to do just that. Steven’s proof of concept script compares the colour, pattern and distance between points of the white object in each icon on SnapChat’s randomised authentication screen and works out from these which match a “ghost” and which do not, with extremely high accuracy. For the more technically minded, an detailed explanation of the bot and its source code can be found on Steven’s Blogspot.

For those of you who prefer a simpler explanation of why this Account Verification is just another example of SnapChat not even trying: Pattern Recognition is a function of computing that has been possible now for many years, even decades; and is used for such things as working out the sounds to be made when a piece of music is played on a CD or MP3 file, to creating 3D models that can be used in architectural designs or sent to a 3D printer to make toys, tools and even food out of. As for colours, even popular artwork creation programs like Photoshop and GIMP have a “Select by Colour” option that can pick out parts of an image with the same or similar colour as what it’s told to look for. So when a system designed to fool computers and let in humans can fail by the most simplest of computing abilities today… one has to wonder whether SnapChat give a damn about keeping their service secure and keeping spam out at all; and every user should question their faith in such a company who are quickly building up a sizeable list of negligent practices.

So at E3 2013 (yes I realise it was forever ago) Nintendo announced the next Smash Bros. on WiiU and 3DS, and ever since then they’ve been trickling info about the game.

So that’s what Smashdate! is here to do, keep you up to date on all the new announcements. Now this one is going to be a bit heftier than the ones that will follow due to the fact that we have started so late and the luscious pool of Brawl news has been rising since its announcement.

The Fighters Return:

Mario

The Italian Plumber is dropping his Toolkit into the fray once more. Mario is no big surprise to anyone he’s been in Smash since the start and with his healthy mix of range and average damage means that Mario has become a main for allot of Brawlers and a first choice for any newcomers to get to grips with the game

Luigi

Little Bro is back to show his Brawling prowess. Once again Luigi gets his opportunity to smack his big bro down a peg. With his floaty jump arc and heavy hitting smashes Luigi is not everyone’s first choice but he has worked his way into my heart with a safe spot as my second, so if you come at me you can be sure I’ll be sending some Green Thunder back your way

Peach

Kidnap victim no more Peach is here with her army of Toad shields and OP butt smashes, peach is a safe choice for any brawler despite her lack of speed, She has allot of recovery potential and can deal some massive damage.

Bowser

Have you ever hated someone so much that you just dream of one day pummelling their face into the dust? Well Brawl is once again making Bowsers dream come true because what is Mario without the King Koopa?.. Happy? Bowser is your typical tank Big, Slow and Packs a Punch. I find Bowser a hard beast to tame although he does pack some handy self-sacrifice moves if you’re in a pinch.

Donkey Kong

He’s the leader of the bunch, you know him well.
He’s finally back to kick some tail.
His Coconut Gun can fire in spurts.
If he shoots ya, it’s gonna hurt!
He’s bigger, faster, and stronger too.
He’s the first member of the DK crew!
Well he doesn’t actually have a gun, but this old school Kong has a cannon for a right hook. Dk’s AOE attacks coupled with that crazy charge punch makes him a favourite among newcomers.

Kirby

SUCK IT UP SOLDIER!!! This little pink puffball is tougher than he/she/it…(I don’t fucking know) looks Kirby’s ability to mimic a foes B move makes him a force to be reckoned with, and the fact that he can fly for a considerable amount of time only makes him more of a threat.

King DeDeDe

Announced earlier this week the King of Dreamland has marched his army of Waddledoo’s to the gates of Smash. Another heavy hitter DeDeDe’s Jet powered hammer can clear a screen in seconds; his main downfall is his incredibly risky recovery move that makes him plummet down after reaching its apex.

Link

Hey! Listen! Link has been a part of Nintendo for just as long as the Plumber himself so know how to hold his own equipped with the triple B assault (that’s Bow, Bombs and Boomerang) Links agile move set means he’s one to watch out for. If you prefer a fast character but still want to pack a punch then Link is the Brawler for you

Zelda

Another princess has decided to take matters into her own hands Zelda packs a gigantic arrow of light to smite her enemies, now normally Zelda can transform into Sheik but judging by the screenshots on the smash website Sheik is missing from Zelda’s move set instead she is seen controlling a Darknutt to smack the triforce of wisdom right out of Fox McCloud.

Toon Link

With Windwaker back on shelves it’s no surprise that Toon Link is back for round two, his small stature in no way limits his strength in brawl he pack more of a punch than the original Link but was always a little slower. Toon Link is my choice just because well just look at that face.

Marth

Marth …. Marth …. I should really play Fire Emblem at some time …. Fuck, Oh well on to the fighting style. Marth has similar speed and reach as Link but packs a bit more of a punch, his downside is allot of his power moves require a short charge time meaning that if you pick this Lord you’ll need to time your strikes well.

Sonic

Rolling around at the speed of sound this Speed daemon debuted in Brawl but was the subject of numerous playground rumours during the Melee days. Sonic used his crazy speed to run rings around other Brawlers but my god be careful with him because I guarantee that 90% of your deaths as sonic will be self-inflicted.

Pikmin & Olimar

This little green thumbed Spaceman has returned to throw his sentient vegetable patch about the battlefield. Olimar’s power is in his Pikmin making him very difficult to play unless you’ve practised. Looking at the screenshots it appears that the Stone and Flying Pikmin from the 3rd instalment won’t be joining his arsenal.

Samus

From Brinstar to Zebes, Samus is one chick that can kick your teeth in across the cosmos. Her massive arsenal of Charge Cannons, Missiles and Morph Bombs makes Samus a versatile Brawler that can take on any matchup.

Fox McCloud

He’s becoming more like his farther. Fox is a Nintendo classic but he’s not saving Slippy or that small triceratops (not sure which was more annoying) today instead he’s using his Cyber legs to dart across the battlefield and put a size 9 up your backside. He’s become the staple for showdown matches in Smash (Final Destination, Not Items, Fox only) for a reason. Now I just wish they could make another Starfox with Arwings AND NOT FUCKING DINOSAURS!!!!

Pikachu

PIKA! Everyone knows Pikachu with his face so cute you just want to punch it. Pika packs more punch than a 9V battery calling down Thunderbolts like Thor. Pikachu’s ranged mores will rack up damage to any foe.

Pit

From the land of ancient myth, where gods and titans make the Sky fall and the Earth shatter comes a little fairy boy who has the spammiest attacks this side of 2,000 B.C. Pit is and easy character to pick up but my god do I hate him with an unquenchable passion? Fuck his buzz saw move.

Now on to the new comers this is the best part of a new smash seeing all the new fighters that we can play with for 5 min before going back to our mains. So in true smash fashion.

[*ALARM*]
A Challenger Approaches

Rosalina & Luma

Rosalina has been appearing all over the mushroom kingdom of late, most recently appearing in Super Mario 3D World so it’s no wonder that she is taking up wands in smash and she’s not alone she has her trusty companion Luma that by the looks of it will mirror her moves in an ice climber type fashion.
But so far all I’ve had to go off is the announcement trailer so all theories in the comments please and I’ll try and include them in Smashdate #2

Villager

This is an odd one, now I’ve never played animal crossing but if it’s not a game about serial Killers I’d be surprised because that is the face of death right there… but the villager does seem to have a very interesting move set, with his pocket move that allows him to steal any projectile headed his way and his axe …. OH GOD THE AXE ….. AAAAAAAAAgh!!!

Megaman

Now I’m quite a calm person with emotions ranging from Meh to Meeeeh on a good day but OH MY FUCKING GOD if I didn’t lose my shit when Nintendo reviled Megaman at E3 last year. I played my first Megaman game last year and I’ve been in love ever since. The move set he comes to Smash with is equally as phenomenal with moves from all the NES robot masters he will me a fun character to play around with.

also I really want to find that Dr. Willey Metal Mix

Wii Fit Avatar

Yeah… ok … this is a thing. Not sure who wanted it buuuuut ok. Fighting style wise she look ok agile with decent jump height but I just feel that they have used up a space they could have given to a far more intriguing character.

And if you want to see who I think would be a better contender check out this video I made god know how long ago (NSFW)

Well that’s all the fighters up to date and I’ll be back with another Smashdate! soon. In the meantime I’m gonna sit here and hope the bring Wario back I am literally losing sleep over it. But there was a screen cap of Ashley from the Wario Ware games so it’s looking promising for my Garlic fueled Main.

So a new type of gaming headgear has just come out.

The headset from foc.us is the first wearable transcranial Direct Current Stimulation or tDCS. This device sends a low electrical current to your brain, improving brain power. This is achieved by 4 electrodes located at the front of the headset while the headset rest on the back of your head.

This headset claims to overclock your brain, improving your cognitive performance. The headset can be controlled manually by using either a touch sensor or your iPhone. Later models will include control via Android phones. Currently, you can only change whether it’s on or off, the mode or the current level with the app. There is no way to change the duration of the current.

This cool device will be sold $249 for US customers and £179 for UK customers and the rest of the world. They will ship to Canada, US, UK, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and continental Europe. It comes in two colours black and red.

If you want to check this cool headset for yourself head over to http://www.foc.us/.

Have you ever watched those old school Kaiju films and thought “Man I could take control of a giant Mechanoid Bunny and lay the smack down on their candy asses!”

King of Tokyo is a board game for 2 – 6 players, where you take control of your favourite Kaiju from Giga Lizards to The King (a giant Cybernetic Gorilla) and even a carrot smoking bunny in a giant pink death machine. (I think you can all guess who I picked)

The objective of this mutagenic smack down is to either pound you friend’s faces into the floor or survive long enough to claim 20 victory points from dice rolls and remaining inside Tokyo.

The dice have several actions in game:

Numbers 1,2,3
Netting 3 of a matching number will bag you that number of victory points i.e. 3+3+3 will give you 3 victory points

Claws
Each claw will deal 1HP of Damage either to the Player inside Tokyo or to each player outside (if you are the one inside the city at the time)

Hearts
Hearts will heal you 1 damage up to 10HP (probably the most useful Die you could get) but if you are inside the city NO HEALS FOR YOU!!! You sit there and suffer

Lightning Bolts/Energy
This will give you 1 energy cube, these cubes are essentially currency you can use to buy cards and use your abilities

So before we talk about these cards, let’s find out why this game is called the king of Tokyo, there are two battle positions in the game Tokyo and the outskirts. Creatures in Tokyo can’t heal whilst inside but they do attack every creature outside the city meaning you can deal massive damage with each turn. And if you hold Tokyo for an entire round you gain an extra 2 victory points so it’s a very high risk reward position.

The creatures outside the city can only attack the occupant of Tokyo and can heal up ready to take the hill. So how do you take control of the city? Well it’s not up to you, whenever the player inside Tokyo becomes too butthurt to stay they can swap with the last creature to attack them, conversely if you take out the creature in the city you have to take his place.

This leaves an interesting tasty in your mouth as a player where you are torn between dealing the big hits in the city and hoarding heals and energy outside. You’re never sure whether or not to take the hill, but it gives the game a real think on your GIGANTIC feet feeling it’s a strategy game where it’s good to live in the moment.

One last area that I should cover is the ability cards, these cards can be purchased with energy cubes allowing the player to change up how they play the game. Now I play every game like a Glass Cannon I always look to deal massive damage as quickly as possible so when a Spiked tail or Extra head card turned up allowing my creature to add an extra damage or die to each roll, my game turns completely to hoarding Cubes to purchase these boosts. So imagine my brain exploding after I purchased these and a new card showed up, the Nuclear Blast that allowed me to hit everyone inside or outside Tokyo.

But it’s not all damage cards, in one game I purchased the heal ray that allowed me to sell one of my hearts to other players in exchange for cubes, which made me start acting like the mafia commenting on other players lack of health in order to solicit more energy.

Overall King of Tokyo is a quick game to get your friends in the gaming mood. Now it’s not going to hold an entire evening unless you are playing with a full roster of friends, but it’s definitely a great game to break the ice between new people, People that say meet up every Tuesday evening at Copa in Cheltenham at 7pm GMT. (If you’re local come along). It’s fun and if you’re with a good group of people can test your wits quite considerably.

Needless to say we’re all looking forward to testing out some of the games expansions.

King of Tokyo gets a: GOOODZILLAAAAAAAA!!!/10

The news of Machinima and Microsoft’s shady promotion deal (covered in this previous article) has already caused some waves in the Youtube gaming review community. Seems that it’s also given other content creators troubled by this courage to come forward with other such deals: EA has just been outed as allegedly offering a similar deal.

A post supposedly showing a deal to promote EA’s games in a positive light for CPM bonuses has emerged on NeoGAF. The ‘assignment’ has a set of guidelines outlined which specify certain games to be covered which have to be played on certain platforms, that focus is not to be put upon ‘major bugs’ in most games (although minor bugs are allowed to be highlighted in Need for Speed Rivals) and attention should not be drawn to glitches in Battlefield 4. The list of games include titles such as the afore-mentioned Need for Speed Rivals, Battlefield 4, Madden 25 and FIFA 14.

The deal was apparently for $10 per CPM (that’s a bonus $10 per thousand views), with ‘view count’ caps varying between games with Battlefield 4’s being a massive 20 million views. With Microsoft only offering $3 per CPM and capping views of all Xbox One videos in the promotion at just under 1 million, it seems that EA’s deal is the much bigger… well, deal.

But just like the Machinima/Microsoft deal it seems that no creator who signs for the deal is allowed to make the details of the arrangement public. This is a breach of the FTC guidelines in America which state that if a content creator is being sponsored for making a video promoting a product or service, they must disclose this in public.

Machinima has since claimed that their NDA only applied to the detail of the promotion, not the existence of the deal itself and in a statement to IGN, EA says that the offer was only for their Ronku program; for which they compensated fans for their EA content-containing videos and that they encouraged all creators to comply with the FTC guidelines and tell their viewers if a video was ‘sponsored’.