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Latest by Eric Brackett

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Spotify may eventually allow free users to skip all ads

Spotify is rolling out a new feature that may allow free users to skip ads whenever they want. Currently, the test is being conducted in Australia but, if successful, it may be spread to other countries. Spotify believes users will only skip ads that are not of interest to them.
moviepass

MoviePass forces customers to choose between only two movies

Times are tough for MoviePass and it is starting to impact the company's customers. The company is now forcing customers to choose between only two movies. This appears to be a temporary measure, but it may not sit well with fans. In September, it will limit customers to three movies a month for $10.
pennsylvania paper trail voting machine people in booth

At Def Con, children show how easy it can be to hack an election

How hard is it to hack a voting machine or government website? Well, it turns out that it is literally child's play. Def Con, an annual hacker's convention meeting in Las Vegas, tasked a group of children with hacking replica government websites -- and many proved successful.
Fallout 76

Want to kill unwilling players in Fallout 76? You can, but it will cost you

The team behind Fallout 76 outlined the systems they are putting in place to help protect players from griefing, including a bounty system that forces murderers to pay their own bounties. A player who engages in murder will be marked on the map with a red star that will display their location to other players.
fake switch controllers unofficial pro controller

Fake Pro Controllers for the Nintendo Switch hit the internet

Sometimes a deal is too good to be true and that may be the case with a new series of third-party Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers. The devices are available on eBay and they go out of their way to mimic the layout, style, and advertising of Nintendo's official offerings.
Taiwan Semiconductor

Unknown computer virus halts factories that make iPhone chips

On Friday, a virus forced several factories owned by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, to shut down for the day, and possibly for longer, which could affect production of Apple's upcoming line of iPhones. The news came as TSMC was ramping up production for the launch of APple's latest smartphones.

Google gives YouTube Music a makeover with new features

Google is committed to a two-week patch cycle intended to bring improvements to YouTube Music. First among these changes is an improved UI, YouTube Music users will also be getting several new options when it comes to downloading, streaming, and storing their music.
tesla surfboards

Tesla tackles the waves with new limited-edition surfboards

Tesla has launched a new limited-time product. This time Elon Musk’s electric automaker has teamed up with Lost Surfboards to produce limited-edition surfboards.
Castlevania renewed season 2

More tales from the crypt: Netflix drops trailer for season 2 of ‘Castlevania’

While Castlevania has been renewed for a third season on Netflix, the anime show's fans are still waiting for the second season to arrive. The animated series was launched in 2017 with four episodes, but was then quickly renewed for a second season with double the number of episodes.
periscope super hearts lauunched application on a cell phone

Twitter’s new guideline seek to curb abusive comments on Periscope

Twitter recently announced a new set of policies regarding how it handles abusive comments on its video streaming service, Periscope. In addition to allowing community members to report abusive comments, the company will soon start suspending or banning repeat offenders.
tesla model 3 review rec

Tesla faces third safety investigation from state agency in California

Tesla is going through a bit of a rough patch. The electric car company is currently facing a health and safety violation after a factory worker was hospitalized with a broken jaw. Tesla has issued a statement saying that the injured worker was a contractor who was not under Tesla's direct supervision.
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Netflix will soon remove all user reviews from its website

Netflix has announced that it will be removing user reviews from its desktop website. Starting July 30, users will no longer be able to add new reviews of shows or movies. And by the middle of August, users will no longer be able to read previously written reviews either.
MoviePass card and iPhone app

MoviePass offers refunds to users affected by service outage

MoviePass, the subscription-model movie ticket service, has announced that it will be offering refunds to users who were affected by last night's service outage. However, based on past service issues, some users question whether they will in fact receive their refunds in a timely manner.
10 strange facts about Dr. Strange, Marvel's surgeon turned sorcerer

Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and others, has died

Legendary comic book creator Steve Ditko has passed away at the age of 90. The artist was best known for his work at Marvel, but went on to influence the industry as a whole.
Mark Zuckerberg Keynote Address in front of F8 logo

Facebook and Twitter introduce new tools regarding ad transparency

Facebook and Twitter are getting serious about how they deal with advertisements on their platform. The social media networks are introducing tools to make it easier to see how ads work on their platforms.
japan private rocket launch

Japan’s latest attempts at a private aerospace industry goes down in flames

Japan's latest attempts to build a private aerospace industry have hit another snag. Interstellar Technologies latest attempts to launch a rocket into space have gone down in flames.
tesla model 3

Tesla to downsize solar panel production as part of wider job cuts

It isn't a good time to work for Tesla. A few weeks ago, the company laid off most of its contract workforce. Now, the company is cutting about 9 percent of its staff, including many within its solar panel division.
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Facebook wants to help you spend less time on Facebook

Facebook is working on a new feature that should help you spend less time on Facebook. The site's upcoming time management tools will better help users track the time they spend on the site.
iPhone X.

Increased LCD production hints at more affordable iPhones for 2018

Apple is reportedly expecting increased demand for affordable alternatives to the iPhone X and has increased production of the LCD panels necessary for those phones.
facebook-f8-2018-mark-zuckerberg

Facebook updates its policies regarding weapon accessories and minors

Facebook has announced a change in regards to its policies on weapons-related advertisements on its platform. Ads for firearms-related accessories and services will no longer be allowed to target minors.

Indulge your nostalgia with a brand-new iPhone 3GS

Did you miss out on owning one of the most popular smartphones from the 2000s? Well, thanks to a South Korean mobile carrier, you can make it up to yourself by buying the iPhone 3GS for 44,000 Won, or 40 U.S. dollars.
ibm summit supercomputer computer

IBM and the Department of Energy show off the world’s fastest supercomputer

IBM and the Department of Energy have teamed up to create the world's fastest and most powerful supercomputer. Code named Summit, it will be used for machine learning and artificial intelligence research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
fcc chairman pai makes net neutrality plans official ajit

FCC adopts news rules to stop phone companies from ‘slamming’ and ‘cramming’

The FCC has issued new rules meant to provide safeguards for consumers against deceptive practices by mobile carriers. More specifically, the organization is taking aim at what is known as "slamming" and "cramming."
amazon hoverboard lawsuit fire

Amazon is not liable for an exploding hoverboard that burned down a house

A Tennessee judge has ruled in Amazon's favor in a recent liability case. The judge said that Amazon was not responsible for a hoverboard which caught fire and burned down a Nashville family's home.
tencent tos operating system news logo

Tencent wants to bolster China’s chip and semiconductor industry

After the near shutdown of ZTE due to a U.S. import ban, Tencent has said that it wants to help bolster China' domestic semiconductor industry. The gaming and social media company is one of the most valuable in Asia, but has little experience in the area of hardware so it may not directly build chips themselves.
google

Google awards teenager $36,000 as part of its bug bounty program

Google has awarded Uruguayan teenager Ezequiel Pereira more than $36,000 as part of its bug bounty program. Pereira found an exploit that would have allowed hackers to make changes to Google's internal systems.
total biscuit passing tb image

John Bain, better known to gamers as TotalBiscuit, dies at 33

YouTuber and video game commentator John Bain, more famously known as TotalBiscuit, has passed away at the age of 33 after a battle bowel cancer. Bain was known for his outspoken support of indie games and consumer-friendly practices. He is survied by his wife and son.

Google Home speakers outsell Amazon Echo in first quarter of 2018

For the first time since 2017, Google has sold more Home smart speakers than Amazon has sold Echo speakers. Google's success is driven in large part by emerging markets, but Amazon is hardly out of the game.
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U.S. news sites block European readers over GDPR concerns

A number of US-based news websites, most notably those owned by Tronc, have blocked all European traffic over concerns that they are not compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation.
online mugshots header

Owners of Mugshots.com charged with extortion and other crimes

The owners of Mugshots.com have been arrested and charged with money laundering, extortion, and identity theft. Some are hopeful that this will mark the beginning of the end for Mugshots and similar sites.
what is prime now amazon packages

If Trump doubles USPS shipping rates for Amazon, will you end up paying?

President Donald Trump is reportedly pushing the USPS to double Amazon's shipping rates. The USPS and Amazon insist that the postal service is making money off the current arrangement, but Trump does not agree.
Kamala Khan Ms. Marvel

Mindy Kaling and Riz Ahmed nominate themselves to write ‘Ms. Marvel’

Kevin Feige has confirmed that Marvel Studios is working on an adaptation of Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel. As of right now, it is unclear whether it will be she will be given her own movie or TV series, or will co-star in a feature-length film, but Mindy Kaling and Riz Ahmed are ready to get involved.
Ctrl, Alt, Delete

Bill Gates shows how the flu could kill more than 30 million people

Bill Gates and Larry Page are teaming up to bring an end to the flu once and for all. The Microsoft and Google co-founders pledged to give $12 million to researchers working to develop a universal flu vaccine. Gates released a simulation showing the virus' effects.
A cop wears a crown while standing next to his commanding officer.

NBC picks up Fox’s ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ a day after its cancellation

After both Hulu and Netflix decided against picking up Brooklyn Nine-Nine many fans began to lose hope for the show's future. However, NBC has officially announced that it has ordered a sixth season of the popular comedy.
iPhone X tips and tricks

Shrinking demand forces Apple to slow down iPhone X production

The iPhone X was a major hit when it launched last holiday season, but demand has slowed since then. Industry analysts report that slow demand has forced Apple to slash production of the iPhone X and consider more affordable alternatives.
Tesla Roadster

Tesla requires all contractors to have an employee vouch for them

Elon Musk is sick of Tesla's over-reliance on contract labor. The CEO recently sent out a series of emails warning that the company would be firing the majority of its contract workers
facebook congress privacy laws zuckerberg feature

Facebook opens A.I. research labs in Seattle and Pittsburgh

Facebook has opened two new A.I. research labs in Seattle and Pittsburgh. The company has hired professors from local universities which some worry could make it harder to train new researchers. Facebook says that is working to ensure a symbiotic relationship.
foxconn factory

Foxconn to divert 7 million gallons per day from Lake Michigan for LCDs

Against the protests of numerous environmental and conservationist organizations, Foxconn has been approved to divert seven million gallons of water per day from Lake Michigan in order to make LCD screens at a new factory in Wisconsin.