OnePlus launches bug bounty program, offers as much as US$7,000

After a second data breach in the last two years hit OnePlus in November, the phone manufacturer launched a new bug bounty program to help improve its security. And now, you can start reporting any bug or vulnerability you find over at the OnePlus Security Response Center. You will need to make an account to make a report. OnePlus even has a leaderboard for top contributors on the bug bounty program's main page. 

If that isn't incentive enough, OnePlus is offering rewards based on the different tiers starting at US$50 up to US$7,000. We don't know how OnePlus is classifying each tier, but the company says the compensation you could get is "determined based on vulnerability severity and actual business impact."

Source: The Verge

Google acquires Montreal-based Typhoon Studio to develop exclusive Stadia games

Jade Raymond, vice president of Stadia Games and Entertainment, said Typhoon Studio's acquisition hopes to create "platform-defining exclusive content" for Stadia

Google just bought Montreal-based Typhoon Studio to help bolster exclusive content on its Stadia game streaming service. Game industry veterans, who have worked on titles like Batman and Assassin's Creed, head the small studio. They're now Google's first-ever first-party studio. We do not know how much the tech giant paid to acquire Typhoon Studio.

While the studio joins Google's Stadia Games and Entertainment Studio in Montreal, its first game, Journey to the Savage Planet, will still be released on different platforms, including the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the PC, on January 28, 2020. We would expect the game to make its way to Stadia in the future, too. Google still has a lot of improvements it needs to make to Stadia, but this acquisition might be a step in the right direction in offering exclusive content for its users.

Source: VentureBeat

Niantic to launch 'Pokémon Go' multiplayer Buddy Adventure in early 2020

Niantic will be officially introducing Pokémon Go's multiplayer Buddy Adventure in early 2020. It will be coming to both Android and iOS. The feature will use the game's existing buddy system and AR+ mode so you can bring a more realistic version of your favourite Pokémon into the real world. The feature will also take advantage of the augmented reality platforms that Apple and Google offer. You will be able to interact with your Pokémon, feed it snacks to earn special perks, and help it grow. It's giving us Tamagotchi vibes. Each Pokémon will have a different quirk or way to express itself.

Soon you will also be able to use the Shared AR Experience mode, which is the multiplayer component. Two players will be able to exist in a shared AR world, allowing you to see your friend's buddy Pokémon and interact with it. You can even take pictures together. This feature will launch after the initial release of Buddy Adventure.

Source: The Verge

Huawei P40 and P40 Pro first renders surface

We know that the Huawei P40 series will be coming in March 2020, with the launch rumoured to be happening in Paris, France. Now, we get our first look at the standard Huawei P40 and P40 Pro, which the company's CEO Richard Yu has said will feature a "never-before-seen" design. But from these renders, the phones look like they bear some resemblance to devices already out on the market. 

Leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks on Twitter), together with 91Mobiles, shared renders of the two devices. But they didn't mention where these designs came from. So, we must remind you to take them with a grain of salt. The renders also seem to be on the dark side, so we see more of a silhouette of the phones.

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