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Allison Walker poses for a photograph in Melbourne, Monday, August 29, 2022. (AAP Image/Diego Fedele) NO ARCHIVING

Game developer Allison Walker in Melbourne (AAP Image/Diego Fedele)

A Melbourne videogame developer has made an audio-only game for vision impaired people, featuring some specifically Australian sounds.

Sounds, Hidden to be Found, made by Allison Walker and Rebecca Dilella, enables players to catch cicadas, explore drains, and talk to birds, feeling their way in the game using sound only.

"It's about exploring your neighbourhood and listening to things, finding new places and hearing how the sound changes," Walker told AAP.

She recorded the sound effects herself and included bird sounds from Cornell University's Macaulay Library, a comprehensive online collection of the noises of the natural world.

Unusually for an audio-only game, players can move and explore the landscape in three dimensions, with no limitations on their movement.

Walker, who is sighted, found it challenging to play the game herself, and considers it a prototype from which more complex narrative games could be developed in future.

Audio games began to be produced as early as the 1980s, primarily by coders who were themselves blind and found visual games inaccessible.

But things are changing rapidly, according to US-based video game industry accessibility consultant Brandon Cole, with mainstream games that incorporate the needs of vision impaired players, and a range of audio-only games on the market.

For starters, there's Blind Drive - which Cole describes as hilarious, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, and Manamon, which he believes is the vision impaired person's answer to Pokemon.

Cole, who is totally blind, told AAP that video game accessibility is important for many people with disabilities.

"Video games are the one of the greatest mediums for escapism, because not only do they allow you to experience a story the same way a book or a movie would... you get to play those characters and interact with that world," he told AAP.

Cole tests out different games to advise on how user friendly they are, and says vision impaired gamers need all information necessary to play the game to be provided entirely through audio cues.

While Cole grew up patiently playing his way through mainstream games that weren't designed with his needs in mind, he said some younger blind gamers have grown up with audio-only, although whether these are in fact better is a question of taste.

He said mainstream developers are listening more when he talks about game accessibility, and audio-only games are one branch of a burgeoning number of options.

"There's a lot on the horizon, the future is bright for accessible gaming, it really is," he said.

Sounds, Hidden to be Found was funded with a Film Victoria grant.

© AAP 2022

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Undated file photo of Diana, Princess of Wales, who was killed on August 31 1997 in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. Issue date: Friday August 26, 2022.. Her greatest legacy has been her sons, the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, who embody her beliefs and values and have spoken about how their mother is still guiding them. See PA story ROYAL Diana. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire

Diana, Princess of Wales, who was killed on August 31 1997 in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris (John Stillwell/PA Wire)

Failing to track down a white Fiat Uno that may have been in the tunnel on the night Princess Diana was killed in a car crash is a lasting "frustration" of the French inquiry into her death, investigators say.

Diana was 36 when she was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, and her death has continued to attract conspiracy theories over the decades.

Detectives from the 1997 French Brigade Criminelle have told a Channel 4 documentary, Investigating Diana: Death In Paris, the driver could have helped explain the movements of the black Mercedes she was travelling in.

"The whole of the world has struggled to accept that the Princess of Wales died in a mundane accident," said Martine Monteil, head of the Brigade Criminelle.

"I have frustration about the Fiat Uno because I like a well-finished business.

"For sure, it's out there. Unfortunately we don't have it.

"But you know the driver of the Fiat Uno, he's not the real culprit.

"He's driving along quietly and then a Mercedes arrives at high speed and bumps into him. The responsibility remains with the Mercedes."

The black Mercedes Diana and her partner Dodi Al Fayed were travelling in was being pursued by the paparazzi after they left the Ritz Hotel in Paris.

It crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel.

EMBARGOED TO 2200 SUNDAY AUGUST 21 Undated handout photo issued by Channel 4 from the documentary Investigating Diana: Death in Paris of the Alma tunnel in Paris. Issue date: Sunday August 21, 2022.. The four-part series from Sandpaper Films is set to tell for the first time the full story of two police investigations into the death of Princess Diana, one by the French Brigade Criminelle in 1997, one by the Metropolitan Police in 2004. See PA story SHOWBIZ Diana. Photo credit should read: Sandpaper Films/Channel 4/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Undated handout photo issued by Channel 4 from the documentary Investigating Diana: Death in Paris of the Alma tunnel in Paris (Sandpaper Films/Channel 4/PA Wire)


Fayed, 41, son of Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, and driver Henri Paul died.

Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones survived.

A couple at the scene saw a white Fiat Uno coming out of the tunnel with a driver who was focused on his mirrors, the investigators said.

The couple described a brown-skinned man with short hair and a dog wearing a muzzle being in the car.

Traces of white paint were found on the black car and its tail light was broken.

Fabrice Cuvillier, of the Brigade Criminelle, says the Fiat Uno exists, telling the program: "It's not a hallucination. It's not something we threw out to create a diversion. It exists.

"We did not find this Fiat.

"But it would be dishonest of me to look you in the eye and say 'we didn't let the Fiat Uno slip through'.

"I don't think so, but I'm not 100 per cent sure."

Eric Gigou, of the Brigade Criminelle, said "we did everything we could to understand what happened" and more than 1000 people were interviewed in the investigation by the French authorities.

"In my mind the only door that remains open is the testimony of the driver of the Fiat Uno," he told the documentary.

Diana's death became the subject of many conspiracy theories, from claims by Dodi's father that the couple were murdered in a plot hatched by MI6 on the orders of the Duke of Edinburgh, to suggestions Diana was pregnant.

Other theories centred on the lack of CCTV footage from the tunnel and the mysterious white Fiat Uno, which is said to have come into contact with the Mercedes, but which has never been traced.

Ten years after the crash, an inquest found the princess was unlawfully killed because driver Henri Paul was drunk and driving too fast, the car was being chased by photographers and Diana and Dodi might have survived had they been wearing seatbelts.

© PAA 2022

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Taylor Swift has taken home the top prize at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards before closing out the show with a surprisingly big announcement - her new album.

"I thought it would be a fun moment to tell you that my new album comes out October 21," said Swift after winning video of the year for her project All Too Well: The Short Film (10 minute version), which claimed best long form video. "I will tell you more at midnight."

Swift said on social media her upcoming 10th studio album would be called Midnights, which she says will involve "stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life".

 

Check out the video here:

 

The pop star's reveal came at the end of her acceptance speech where she praised the other women in the category, which included Doja Cat and Olivia Rodrigo.

"I know with every second of this moment that we wouldn't be able to make this short film if it weren't for you - the fans," she said. "I wouldn't be able to re-record my albums if it wasn't for you. You emboldened me to do that."

Rapper Jack Harlow made his mark throughout the entire show. He kicked off his performance inside a mock airplane walking down the aisle while performing his hit song First Class, which samples Fergie's Glamorous.

The rapper joined Fergie onstage - who wore a sparkling silver dress with the red words First Class - while she sang her 2006 jam.

During the show, Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance as the Moon Man nearly three months after the verdict in his defamation trial with his former wife Amber Heard.

The 59-year-old actor floated from the ceiling while wearing the iconic astronaut outfit with his face digitally inserted into the helmet.

"And you know what? I needed the work," Depp told the audience at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday night.

Lizzo had Taylor Swift dancing out of her seat while she performed her new single 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready). She won an award for video for good for About Damn Time.

Harlow, in addition to performing and winning awards, joined LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj as the show's hosts.

Minaj performed a medley of her career's biggest hits from Roman's Revenge, Chun-Li, Moment 4 Life, Beez in the Trap, Anaconda and Super Bass.

After her set, the rapper accepted the show's Video Vanguard award, which MTV has said she's receiving for her artistry, barrier-breaking hip-hop and status as a global superstar.

During her acceptance speech, Minaj paid tribute to other music icons such as Whitney Houston, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. She spoke about the importance of mental health.

"I wish people took mental health seriously, even when you think they have the perfect lives," said Minaj, who later won best hip-hop for her song Do We Have a Problem? featuring Lil Baby.

Harry Styles won album of the year for Harry's House. He was unable to attend the awards due to his show at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Bad Bunny won artist of the year and performed his hit Titi Me Pregunto from Yankee Stadium.

Eminem and Snoop Dogg brought the metaverse to the VMAs as the duo performed From the D 2 The LBC, which was featured on Eminem's greatest hits album Curtain Call 2.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage as the recipients of the Global Icon award after being introduced by Cheech & Chong as their favourite band of all time.

The band performed several songs and their drummer Chad Smith dedicated the award to Taylor Hawkins, the late Foo Fighters drummer who died early this year.

Madonna, who is the most awarded artist in MTV history with 20 wins, became the only artist to receive a nomination in each of the VMAs five decades. She earned her 69th nomination for her 14th studio album Madame X.

© PAA 2022

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TikTok has grown to be one of Australia's most popular apps but it could be banned because of the results from this latest report.

The report was put together by an Australian-US cyber security company Internet 2.0 and the report has since been published in the Australian Financial Review among others.

The report has found that the app is collecting "unnecessary" data and experts are saying the app could potentially know things like when you last visited your GP, your movements over the weekend and even how fast you drive according to experts.

Internet 2.0's report also reveals that the iOS version of TikTok has connection to the server on mainland China, which raises concern that TikTok the Chinese government access to the data which would put the privacy of its Australian users at risk.

But what data does the app actually collect?

According to the findings in the report, the app maps each users device, which means it gathers information about every other app that is running and installed on the device.

The Android version also collects location data from the device, which reportedly happens at least once per hour and on top of that, the app repeatedly requests access to the users contacts.

TikTok also requests access to any external storage, which according to experts is a very normal request for a social media app but once allowed, not only does the app have the ability to see all of the folders on the device, it can also put together a list of all of the files in those external folders.

The data that is harvested in social media apps is then analysed and used to identify individuals’ behaviour, build a profile and share it with third party organisations.

In a statement to 7NEWS.com.au, TikTok rubbished the report and firmly denied having any IP links to China.

“The IP address is in Singapore, the network traffic does not leave the region, and it is categorically untrue to imply there is communication with China,” a spokesperson said in response to the report.

“The researcher’s conclusions reveal fundamental misunderstandings of how mobile apps work, and by their own admission, they do not have the correct testing environment to confirm their baseless claims.”

TikTok said it collects user information upon consent and keeps the data secure.

But the concern stems from that in China tech companies are required to share collected data with the government upon request.

 

Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa (aap)