Today in Tech News Digest, RIP Windows XP, Hollywood sues Megaupload, Virus Shield scam, Xbox 360 emulation, multiplayer Goat Simulator, and Mario escapes into the real world.

Microsoft Ends Support For Windows XP

I have no strong feelings about the death of XP because I stopped caring about it 7 years ago.

— Carmen Crincoli (@CarmenCrincoli) April 8, 2014

Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows XP, with the ancient operating system no longer receiving updates after today (April 8, 2014). Despite Microsoft having given plenty of warning of the impending XPocalypse, around 30 percent of computers are still running XP.

The ending of official support for XP means there will be no more security updates or bug fixes from Microsoft itself. Every XP vulnerability discovered after today will remain active and unpatched, leaving users at an increased risk of having their systems compromised.

Windows XP is already targeted by cybercriminals and malware authors more than any other operating system, and that situation is only likely to get worse now that Microsoft has moved on. The problem is that a hefty dose of Windows users haven't moved on and are refusing to do so despite Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 all having been released in the meantime.

We're encouraging our readers to migrate away from Windows XP, whether upgrading to a more recent version of Windows or moving over to Linux. If you have a computer illiterate relative still using XP then please do inform them of the situation and explain the consequences of Microsoft ending support. It is your duty as a geek!

Hollywood Sues Megaupload, Kim Dotcom

Breaking: The @MPAA is suing me & #Megaupload. Read how the @MPAA and Chris Dodd forced Obama to destroy Megaupload: http://t.co/3X6XEAt6ni

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) April 7, 2014

Megaupload was taken offline and dismantled in January 2012, but that hasn't stopped Hollywood chasing down the people behind it. Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Warner Bros. are amongst the studios seeking damages of up to $175 million for the copyright infringements they allege took place on the file-hosting service.

The studios involved not only claim to be entitled to the maximum statutory damages of $150,000 per copyright infringement, but also all of the profits generated through the site. The defendants are Megaupload Ltd., its founder Kim Dotcom, the majority shareholder Mathias Ortmann, and the Chief Technical Officer Bram van der Kolk.

Virus Shield App Branded A Scam

oops! It's bad when number 1 paid app in google playstore is a fake virus scanner http://t.co/EaHPUtiuux

— Mac (@wmacgyver) April 8, 2014

A popular paid Android app called Virus Shield has been branded a scam and removed from Google Play. Virus Shield by Deviant Solutions racked up more than 10,000 downloads before being pulled, with people paying $3.99 believing Virus Shield "prevents harmful apps from being installed on your device," "scans apps, settings, files, and media in real time," and "protects your personal information."

It turns out Virus Shield does none of the above. In fact, according to Android Police, all the app does is prompt you to tap the screen, at which point an "X" turns into a tick. Thus fooling people into believing they're protected. Shameful.

Xbox 360 Emulation Coming To Xbox One?

Xbox 360 emulation on Xbox One? Yeah? http://t.co/hAxYnt83TQ At this point? I'm not saying no thanks, but I am saying, "Huh?"

— Ben Gilbert (@RealBenGilbert) April 7, 2014

Microsoft is considering bringing Xbox 360 emulation to the Xbox One. At the Build 2014 conference last week, Kotaku asked lead partner developer Frank Savage if there were plans for 360 emulation. He confirmed there are plans afoot, but said "we're not done thinking them through yet, unfortunately."

In other words, Microsoft would love to bring Xbox 360 emulation to the Xbox One, it just hasn't yet figured out how to do so because it's "hard to emulate the PowerPC stuff on the X86 stuff." Which is a crying shame for those of us who haven't got room for a multitude of different consoles under our TVs.

Goat Simulator Gets Free Multiplayer DLC

http://youtu.be/AyhtXe-y-l0

Fans of Goat Simulator will soon be able to enjoy double the fun, with free DLC adding support for local multiplayer. Goat Simulator Patch 1.1, due for release next month, will bring a new playable map, new goats, new achievements, and split-screen multiplayer. And it will be completely free.

Those of you currently sporting a confused look on your faces wondering what on earth Goat Simulator is should watch the video embedded above. It shows our own Dave LeClair enjoying playing Goat Simulator to an unhealthy degree.

Mario Escapes Into The Real World

http://youtu.be/QayKf02aDyw

And finally, Mario is an absolute legend amongst video game characters. But you still wouldn't want him to break out of his digital prison and join those of us living in the real world. No, really, you wouldn't. This video shows us why. A real-life Mario is bad news.

Tech News Digest… Breaking News Into Bite-Sized Chunks.

Image Credit: The Master Shake Signal via Flickr