Apple relaxes App Store rules to permit game emulators

Apple has loosened its App Store rules to permit the inclusion of "retro game console emulator apps" on its platform.

This move comes after years of pressure from users and legislators, particularly in Europe, where enthusiasts previously had to resort to jailbreaking their devices or using complex workarounds to access emulation apps on their iPhones.

In an update to its App Review Guidelines at the end of last week, Apple confirmed the policy change. While app...

JetBrains launches 2024.1 with local AI code completion

JetBrains has released the 2024.1 updates for its IDEs with several major new features, headlined by full-line code autocompletion powered by local AI models.

The new full-line code completion functionality ensures code suggestions are processed entirely on the user's device, minimising latency and providing a seamless offline experience.

“We’ve developed models that run directly on your device, and the IDE verifies each suggestion,” explained Mikhail Kostyukov,...

PyPI suspends registrations amid malware attack

The Python Package Index (PyPI) has suspended new project creation and user registration to mitigate an ongoing malware upload campaign. This move comes as security researchers at Checkmarx uncovered a campaign involving multiple malicious packages related to the same threat actors.

The attackers are targeting victims through typosquatting attacks, tricking users into installing malicious Python packages through their command-line interface. This multi-stage attack aims to steal...

Puppet explores the benefits of platform engineering for security

An increasing number of organisations have built platform teams to help improve the developer experience – and the latest State of DevOps Report from Puppet has looked to show how platform engineering is improving security as well.

The 13th annual State of DevOps Report – which is also being called the State of Platform Engineering Report by Puppet – polled approximately 500 respondents, drawn primarily from IT practitioners and leaders who work either as part of or...

Backend Software Engineers are Designers Too

In technology, we typically associate 'design' with front-end developers and visual aesthetics - a beautiful website or a visually appealing user interface. But, backend developers are designers too. They are masters of System Design, meticulously crafting the architecture, dependencies, and data structures that influence user experiences. This post will explore the hidden artistry in their work.

The internet is overflowing with memes of “dev vs designer”, and it’s...

New OutSystems data fabric unifies data across the enterprise  

OutSystems, a specialist in high-performance application development, has unveiled what it describes as one of the most significant updates to OutSystems Developer Cloud since its initial release.

With the launch of OutSystems Data Fabric, organisations can lay the groundwork to build dynamic applications, harness data across the enterprise, and increase developer productivity. 

In an era where outdated data can cost businesses more than $15 million annually (per IDC...

GitHub’s code scanning autofix enters public beta

GitHub has announced that its code scanning autofix feature, powered by GitHub Copilot and CodeQL, is now available in public beta for all GitHub Advanced Security customers.

The autofix tool aims to remediate over two-thirds of vulnerabilities found during code scanning with minimal editing required by developers.

"Our vision for application security is an environment where found means fixed," said GitHub in a blog post. "By prioritising the developer experience in...

AI in game development grows despite concerns

A growing number of game development studios are embracing AI to streamline their processes, according to a new industry report from Unity.

The report finds that 62 percent of studios now utilise AI tools at some stage of development. The top use cases include improving character animations, code writing assistance, art and level generation, narrative design, and automated playtesting:

Credit: Unity

68 percent leverage AI specifically to accelerate prototyping. World...

Discord announces SDK for in-app experiences

Discord has announced the upcoming launch of its Embedded App SDK, allowing developers to build apps and games that can be played directly within the platform.

Set to become available globally on March 18th, the Embedded App SDK lets developers create apps embedded in an iframe within Discord, essentially enabling the creation of new 'Activities' that users can play together.

"We want Discord to grow into the best place for developers to do it all: build, share,...

Microsoft’s latest Agility SDK packs cutting-edge graphics features

Microsoft has released the latest version of its Agility SDK, packed with innovative graphics features that will be showcased at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2024.

The SDK 1.613.0 introduces Work Graphs, Shader Model 6.8, GPU Upload Heaps, and several other enhancements aimed at empowering game developers to create more efficient, flexible, and creative experiences.

Work Graphs: Unlocking the full potential of GPUs

The highlight of the Agility SDK is Work...