News that GOG.com has delisted 29 games this month is a sobering reminder that at any moment the games you own could vanish from your PC game libraries at any time and there’s not much you can do about it. Admittedly, GOG’s games include titles that many gamers may not have heard about. But history has shown that this happens to well-known titles too and on platforms with millions of users like Steam and Origin. So how is it that something you’ve legitimately bought can be whipped away in a heartbeat? Don’t we have consumer protection laws against that? Personally, I’d like to see protections in place to keep games from disappearing for purely licensing reasons if they still have legions of fans and are being played by many… How is it that my games can just vanish? The laws around your digital assets will differ depending on where in the world you live, but in most jurisdictions there are no clear laws stating that you unequivocally own and have the right to your digital games in perpetuity. In the U.S. the Federal Trade Commission outlines some of the reasons why this is the case. By far the main reason has to do with the terms of the agreement you make when you create an account on a gaming platform or when you click purchase. When you buy a game on a digital platform, you’re essentially just paying to access the content — in other words, you own a license but not the actual game. Accessing content is not the same as owning it. It means that... Continue reading at 'PC World'
[ PC World | 2024-09-26 10:30:00 UTC ]
Regulators around world are cracking down on content being hoovered up by ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion and othersCutting-edge artificial intelligence systems can help you escape a parking fine, write an academic essay, or fool you into believing Pope Francis is a fashionista. But the virtual... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-04-10 09:10:17 UTC ]
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After the death last year of children’s author Shirley Hughes, her son took hundreds of her books, including the award-winning Dogger, to libraries in Ukraine, where reading is helping to heal the children traumatised by warThe National Library of Ukraine for Children in Kyiv, a city at war for... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-04-09 07:00:44 UTC ]
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Some of them posed for photos – and before they knew it they had become the face of skin lightening, bad boyfriends, penis disorders and Canadian immigration. What’s it like when your image goes around the world?Stock images are everywhere, and you probably rarely notice them: on billboards and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-04-08 09:00:18 UTC ]
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Anyone who stares at a screen all day probably doesn’t want to do so when they unwind with a book. But the convenience of getting a new read instantaneously and carrying a full bookcase in your pocket is pretty appealing. Ereaders combine the best of paper and computers, and they’re capable of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-04-04 13:00:13 UTC ]
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You might not want to use Google Drive for large system backups or other many-file transfers. Ars Technica has learned Google quietly instituted a user "creation limit" of 5 million files sometime in February. As Reddit user ra13 discovered, personal (Google One) and business (Google Workspace)... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-04-03 19:12:30 UTC ]
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Bilingual families, dual-language classes, and libraries serving communities with a large number of Spanish speakers are driving demand for dual-language titles for young readers in the U.S. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Nintendo eShop for the Wii U and 3DS game consoles officially closed for business on March 27th, 2023, permanently disabling all new purchases on the platforms. We knew this was coming. Nintendo quietly announced the eShop's closure over a year ago, asserting that it was the "natural life... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-27 14:00:52 UTC ]
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As a comedy about Canadian libraries Shelved is getting compared to Abbott Elementary, Superstore, Parks and Rec, and of course The Office. Its creator, and former writer for The Office, Anthony Q. Farrell is fine with that. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2023-03-27 08:00:00 UTC ]
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A federal judge has ruled against the Internet Archive in its high-profile case against a group of four US publishers led by Hachette Book Group. Per Reuters, Judge John G. Koeltl declared on Friday the nonprofit had infringed on the group’s copyrights by lending out digitally scanned copies of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-25 16:46:29 UTC ]
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Apple Music users on iOS are highlighting a fairly serious bug that is causing other people's playlists and songs to appear in their libraries, according to multiple Redditors. On top of that, some users have complained that their own playlists have outright disappeared or been replaced by... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-23 10:30:03 UTC ]
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A man so upset by the Pride programming at his local libraries that he felt moved to graffiti “GROOMERS” onto the windows has been charged with possession of child pornography, the Washington Post reports. The man, Charles M. Sutherland, vandalized two branches in Maryland’s Prince George’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-14 15:13:40 UTC ]
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Reading the titles that have been challenged and removed from public-school libraries across the country. Continue reading at New Yorker
[ New Yorker | 2023-03-10 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the headlines this week: a look at libraries some three years after the Covid-19 pandemic began; how the right wing culture war playing out in many communities has led to some librarians living in fear; the St. Paul Public Library's 'Read Brave' program enters its 10th year; and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-03 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Sydney is hosting WorldPride 2023! The celebration began 17 February with some of the best events available at local libraries. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-20 11:39:00 UTC ]
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From big-box stores and schools to banks and gymnasiums, here are some old buildings that were turned into libraries (and bookstores). Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-20 11:38:00 UTC ]
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A celebration of community libraries and their expanding role, and a look at the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Paul Harding. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-02-17 17:56:54 UTC ]
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So many libraries, so little time! As writers and readers, we here at Electric Literature know there’s nothing quite like stepping into a space that has been specifically designed to invoke and perpetuate a love of reading. With book-banning efforts escalating across the country and funding for... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-02-17 12:05:00 UTC ]
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At a glanceExpert's Rating ProsLight weight and sharp text make for hours of comfortable readingWaterproofBuilt-in OverDrive supportBook management offers many filtering and sorting optionsConsCan only play audiobooks from KoboBattery life not quite as good as on KindleOur VerdictNot only... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2023-02-16 23:20:00 UTC ]
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Plex now has the capability to skip intros and credits, so you don't have to sit through them if you don't want to. The streaming media service has introduced its new "Skip Credits" feature, a couple of years after a similar feature debuted for intros, and it shows up as a button at the bottom... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-16 12:45:54 UTC ]
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Booksellers from The Strand remember the coolest celebrity “cart shark” of them all: Television frontman Tom Verlaine. | Lit Hub Bookstores & Libraries Food as sustenance and political metaphor: How White House dinners shape presidential policy. | Lit Hub Politics “Will this book, like so... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-11 11:30:37 UTC ]
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