Technology news

During a special fan event for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling pulled the equivalent of Steve Jobs’ "One more thing," and dropped some hints about what the future of the franchise might look like: she’s planning a total of five films, rather than three.
Rowling revealed the news at the end of the event (50:46 mark):"We always knew that it was going to be more than one movie — we knew that from the start — so we set a trilogy as a

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton revealed her stance on the GIF debate today during a San Francisco fundraiser. Yes, in a country divided in practically every imaginable way, the pronunciation of an acronym will please one group of people, and perturb another.
Referring to the comments of her rival Donald Trump, Clinton says, "It make you want to unplug the internet or just look at cat gifs." As ABC News reporter Liz Kreutz clarified via tweet, Clinton pronounced "GIF" with a hard

For a few days now, WikLeaks has been publishing select emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta — and the leaks are starting to cause serious damage. Most likely obtained from a hacked archive file, the latest dump contains all sorts of sensitive info on Podesta with no obvious news value, including his Social Security number and enough info to compromise his Twitter account.
But the most painful casualty of the latest dump may have been Podesta’s iPhone. The leak con

Brent Callinicos has a reputation as one of the smartest financial minds in Silicon Valley.He helped spearhead Uber’s fastest years of growth as the ride-hailing startup’s chief financial officer, and served similar roles at Google and Microsoft. Now he’s heading to Hyperloop One, a futuristic transportation startup that has both a lot of potential and a lot of baggage.
Callinicos will serve as a full-time strategic advisor to Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd, as well as to the boar

Cloud file syncing and sharing software company Dropbox today announced that it has appointed Aditya Agarwal as its new chief technology officer. Agarwal is taking the place of Arash Ferdowsi, who founded Dropbox in 2007 with chief executive Drew Houston.
Agarwal arrived at Dropbox in 2012 when Dropbox acquired Cove, at which Agarwal was cofounder and chief technology officer. That was Dropbox’s first acquisition; at the time reports suggested that Dropbox had done the deal in order to app

I’m Batman. You’re Batman. We can all be Batman now.
DC Entertainment has released a new video nterview with developer Rocksteady Studios’ social marketing manager Gaz Deaves about Batman: Arkham VR, the virtual reality game available now for PlayStation VR. Analysts predict that the VR market could generate as much as $40 billion in revenues by 2020, but it’ll need compelling software if it wants to catch on. What could be more appealing than becoming Batman?
DC has

The Verge turns five on November 1st, and we’re in the process of refreshing our entire brand for the next five years. In Refreshing The Verge, we’ll be looking at how that refresh process works, and what it’s like to adapt a brand like The Verge to a world where media platforms have become dominant.
When we launched The Verge in 2011, our founding team was a very small group of people who’d worked together for a long time, joining a company called SB Nation that had

Microsoft today released a new Windows 10 preview for PCs and phones. This build adds customization options for three and four finger gestures and offers a new option to turn Wi-Fi back on after a certain time.
Windows 10 is a service. As we wrote in our deep dive on how Microsoft is still building Windows 10, this means Windows Insiders are getting new builds even though the operating system launched in July 2015. The most recent significant update is the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, released

Scientists have discovered the first ever physical evidence that a giant comet or asteroid slammed into Earth around 56 million years ago — the same time the planet went through an abrupt warming period. The timing of the two events is pretty tantalizing for researchers, and seems to suggest that this impact may have been the catalyst for Earth’s ancient temperature rise. And learning more about this past climate change event can potentially help scientists better understand today&rs

Facebook is bringing the videos you love to watch on its social network to a much bigger screen. Today, the company announced you can stream content through Apple TV and Google Chromecast devices, so you won’t be limited to huddling together in front of an 11-inch computer screen just so you can view the newest Star Wars “Rogue One” trailer.
Support for the Apple TV is now available, along with other AirPlay-enabled devices. If you have a Chromecast, you can now stream through

Excitement is building about a possible manned mission to Mars, and virtual reality is going to play a role. Startup 8i and Time Inc. announced a partnership to bring holographic messages from former astronaut Buzz Aldrin and musician Reggie Watts to VR in early 2017.
Time will use 8i’s holographic imagery technology to create lifelike versions of Aldrin and Watts in VR, as part of Life VR‘s “Message to Mars” VR applications. In addition, NASA is using the 8i tools as a w

Publisher 2K and developer Gearbox has revealed new content for Battleborn, the hero-based shooter with multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) influences. It includes new story content that you can play solo or with friends and a new multiplayer mode, both of which will be available today.
New content like this can keep current players engaged, which is especially important for Battleborn, which has an in-game shop. More players means more people who are likely to buy additional cosmet

PRESS RELEASE: NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–October 13, 2016– Contessa Health, Inc., a leader in episodic risk arrangements and home hospitalization programs, raised $7 million in funding led by Noro-Moseley Partners, with participation from existing investors BlueCross BlueShield Venture Partners, Martin Ventures and Sandbox Advantage Fund, as well as new investors, Nashville Capital Network and the Marshfield Clinic Health System. The proceeds of the financing will enable

An exploding phone seems like a freak accident, but the same chemical properties that make batteries work also make them likely to catch fire. Samsung is learning this the hard way, as it becomes the latest company to recall a device — in this case, its new Galaxy Note 7 phone — because the batteries could be dangerous.
When batteries explode, it’s often the failure of manufacturers to make sure no explosion will happen. Exploding batteries can be the consequence of overeager c

The Braven 705 Bluetooth speaker may be small, but it packs an auditory punch. It’s the perfect way to bring the party to any setting. It’s normally $99.99, but you can now grab it for just $49.99 from TNW Deals. With the Braven 705, taking your music anywhere is as easy as stowing it in your bag. Switch it on, and you’ll get resonant sound thanks to its two built-in drivers. And you won’t have to worry about your device getting damaged, thanks to its shock-absorbent, wa

When Samsung’s Note 7 troubles first started, it offered users $25 – in addition to a device exchange – for all the turmoil. But as users started switching to other brands instead, it seems the company realized it might have to offer users a bit more incentive to to stay on the Galaxy platform now that the Note 7 has been discontinued altogether. The company today announced that starting 3 PM ET, customers can return their devices and receive “up to a $100 total bill cre

Flipboard today introduced its Storyboard offering, a new ad and content unit that enables brands to curate articles, images, GIFs, videos, and audio in one place to paint a more complete picture for the customer. It will appear as a browsable carousel that shows up in a user’s feed.
Brands interested in implementing this option will work directly with Flipboard, submitting all their creative assets beforehand. The final product will be stitched together in a grid-like format to

Africa hasn’t participated in the global game economy much, but some entrepreneurs in Nigeria want to change that by diving into esports. Amaete Umanah and his cofounders have launched the African Gaming League, which held is first tournament in four cities across Nigeria in August.
Umanah said in an interview that it is a long-held dream of his to create a game company in Africa that takes advantage of the fact that there are lots of players on the continent, which has largely been i

PRESS RELEASE:Company to present on October 17, 2016 at 2:00pm ETPORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–October 13, 2016– Pulse Evolution Corporation (OTC: PLFX), a recognized pioneer and leading developer of hyper-realistic digital humans, today announced that the Company’s Chairman, John Textor, will present at the SeeThru Equity Fall Microcap Investor Conference in New York City on Monday, October 17th at 2:00pm ET. Mr. Textor will demonstrate Pulse Evolution’s pro

 This article is in the Bots Channel. View the high-resolution landscape.Kik took new steps today to detect illegal images — like child pornography — and protect young users of the messaging app.
Roughly 60 percent of Kik’s 300 million registered users are between the ages of 13 and 19.
“Some of the stuff that may seem commonsense to us [adults] isn’t intuitive for young teens on a social messaging app, so we want to make sure people have the tools th

Nathan Copeland hasn’t been able to move his legs or hands since he broke his neck in a car accident more than a decade ago. But now that scientists have implanted four chips in his brain, Copeland can control a robotic arm with his mind and feel when someone touches its fingers. This is the first time that a neural implant has allowed a person to feel touch through a prosthetic by directly stimulating his brain.
"It felt like I was getting my fingers touched or pushed."
"It worked great,"

When Oculus announced its new Oculus Avatars project last Thursday, I got a message from The Verge team asking if I wanted to write about it. I cover the vast world of clothing, not gadgets or gaming, but where there’s self-styling — and the Oculus team made it pretty clear that there’s plenty of room for that with its new avatars — there’s fashion.
Adi had it right when she said that these avatars are classy. A sketch of the human form is much more evocative than f

 It’s been a good week for Science, a five-year-old, L.A.-based startup studio that’s known for both funding nascent startups and incubating them, including FameBit, a three-year-old outfit that helps marketers connect with digital influencers and which sold on Wednesday to Google.
Science was the majority owner. FameBit was the firm’s third exit of the year… Read More

Periscope is getting a big new feature today aimed at helping brands and companies share ‘professional, produced live video.’ Basically, Twitter wants Periscope videos to stop be more than just blurrycam messesshot on cellphones. In its current form, Periscope only streams from consumer cameras devices, meaning brands with the resources for expensive equipment would be relegated to shooting video with their phones. That doesn’t make for exciting options when Facebook, YouTube,

The battle for your livestreamed content continues to rage on, with Twitter introducing a new capability for Periscope. Rolling out today is a service called Periscope Producer, which lets brands, media organizations, and other creators broadcast professionally produced, high-quality live video made through external cameras, an Xbox One, virtual reality headsets, a computer or web cam, and other devices.
Today’s announcement is the culmination of an experiment run by Twitter over the

Twitter wants to help you step up your livestreams. 
The social network's livestreaming app Periscope is opening up its app so that users can live stream directly from cameras other than the ones on their smartphones. The effort, called Periscope Producer, is meant to help broaden the reach of live video on Twitter by making it more accessible to professional broadcasters.
SEE ALSO: If you don't see Moments in your Twitter app anymore, here's why
At a basic level, Producer allows broadcaste

The Ghostbusters franchise has seen a huge resurgence in popularity since the new reboot. But what ghoulish secrets did the original hide?
Our CineFix series, Things You Didn't Know, throws caution to the wind and crosses the streams to give you some little-knowns about 1984's classic supernatural comedy.
Subscribe to CineFix for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/cinefixJimmy Fallon and Barry Gibb harmonize about your favorite fall things
Impatient driver gets a healthy dose of instant kar

Pinterest revealed today that more than 150 million people use its visual bookmarking and ideas service, with more than 75 billion “ideas” shared. This is a 50 percent increase from more than a year ago, when the company first revealed its usage numbers and declared it had 100 million monthly active users.
More than half of the people using Pinterest and 75 percent of new sign-ups are from outside of the U.S., according to company chief executive Ben Silbermann. The service is no lon

2016 has been a remarkable year in the world of headphones. The very high end has been shaken up by Focal and MrSpeakers, each setting new benchmarks for dynamic sound that’s enjoyable for both discerning perfectionists and casual listeners. Then, in the more affordable realm, the second edition of the $299 Beoplay H6 grabbed the crown for being the best portable over-the-ear headphones. And on a personal note, I discovered the headphone world’s best kept secret in in the Zero Audio

Samsung and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission formally recalled the Note 7 overnight, requesting that every single unit immediately be powered down and returned. That’s 1.9 million phones in total — 1 million of the original Note 7, and 900,000 “replacement” Note 7s — that need to go back.
To date, Samsung has received 96 reports of overheating phones in the US, with 23 of those coming after the initial recall. But most of those were the original devices. Th

Leica unveiled a new limited edition camera this week that costs as much as four Vespas and uses a material you might be familiar with if you enjoy playing ping-pong. The new special edition Leica M-P is wrapped in red ping-pong paddle material and was designed by the photographer Rolf Sachs. That paddle material is known as "pimple-out rubber" in table tennis parlance, but Leica prefers to describe it as "rubber elements with red nubs." I can see why.
Only 79 sets will be made and sold at

With 100 million copies sold, it’s no wonder that Minecraft’s build-anything sandbox has been a target for copycats. Few manage to capture the charm and magic of Mojang’s phenomenon, though.
Square Enix’s Dragon Quest Builders makes the short-list of successful Minecraft descendants, because it takes the concept in a new direction. For those that haven’t been able to get into the LEGO-inspired construction game because of its open-endedness, Dragon Quest Builders of

If you're a celebrity who didn't write a memoir, are you even a celebrity at all? We're no closer to finding the answer, since Reese Witherspoon just tossed her hat in the ring for a publishing deal with Touchstone.
SEE ALSO: Elton John to pen 'first and only' memoir
The memoir will focus primarily on Witherspoon's Tennessee upbringing, but is described by Touchstone as a lifestyle book, likely tied into Witherspoon's brand. According to the Associated Press, Witherspoon described this as a "uni

REVIEW: Sony has the most refined design of any virtual reality headset on the market, and it’s the one I would most likely recommend to VR rookies — even if it have a few serious problems.
PlayStation VR is a $500 virtual reality system from Sony Interactive Entertainment. It requires a $300 PlayStation 4, and it ships October 13. With this head-mounted display, Sony joins companies like Oculus and HTC in the high-end VR space — but the publisher actually undercuts those compe

This isn't the first time CineFix has covered Back to the Future (or even its sequels), but when a film is running at 88 mph, there's always more to learn. 
Our CineFix series, Things You Didn't Know, climbed back into the DeLorean to gather some more behind-the-scenes trivia on this classic franchise. 
Subscribe to CineFix for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/cinefix Read more...More about Mashable Video, Back To The Future, Things You Didnt Know, Movies, and Cinefix

If ever there was a franchise in need of a reboot, it was Mafia. The original pair of games pastiched the Italian mob films of the 1970s and ‘80s, giving the player a fedora, a pistol, and a hit on some ruddy-faced upstart on the wrong side of town. Like the actual Italian mob, the games centered on a white male who makes a name for himself by keeping locals under his thumb, and like so many Martin Scorsese knockoffs, fetishized this behavior without vigorous analysis or reflection.
Mafia

There's nothing quite like a duet between two Barry Gibbs to remind you that summer is over and it's time to turn up your autumn enthusiasm. 
The silhouettes of Gibb, and Jimmy Fallon dressed as Gibb, use their perfect vocal chords to bring your favorite fall things to life—from corn mazes to pumpkin spice lattes. Watch the festive fun above and you'll be singing "haunted hayride" to the tune of "Stay Alive" for the rest of the day. Impatient driver gets a healthy dose of instan