Technology news

Microsoft's most fascinating announcement today was the introduction of its Surface Dial accessory. It's a Bluetooth-powered puck that can sit on your desk or attach to the new Surface Studio display to provide contextual radial menus that you can interact with. It feels like a new form of input alongside a touchscreen, stylus, and traditional keyboard / mouse, and the Surface Studio won't be the only device to benefit from it.
While you'll be able to use the Surface Dial with any Windows 1

Verizon said Wednesday it is buying the technology behind Vessel, the short-form video firm started by former Hulu CEO Jason Kilar.The telecom giant is acquiring Vessel’s product and technology, but plans to shut down the Vessel service. Kilar won’t be joining Verizon long-term, but his co-founder, Vessel CTO Richard Tom, will become the CTO for Verizon’s digital entertainment efforts, including its Go90 mobile video service.Continue reading…

Yesterday morning, Twitter user @Kuwaddo made a cheeky realization: By Google Trends’ count, the search term “memes” is now more popular than “Jesus.” We’ve reached peak internet in the year 2016.WE DID IT PEOPLE.
WE FUCKING DID IT.
HOLY SHIT. pic.twitter.com/RgfAM2H9W2— Quad (@Kuwaddo) October 25, 2016So, are memes bigger than Jesus? Not quite.
Google Trends is a sample of Google search data, not the whole package. It includes both real-time data pulled

Microsoft unveiled the Surface Studio today, the company’s first desktop computer. We shot a quick and dirty hands-on video with the all-in-one PC and its flagship accessory, the Surface Dial — you can view it below — and then we went back to spend more time with it.
First and foremost, the hinge on the Surface Studio is awesome. It’s smooth and effortless to move. We were a little disappointed that you can’t lay the display completely

ANALYSIS: Microsoft won’t skip virtual reality and jump directly to augmented reality. Instead, the company is combining these technologies into its Windows Holographic platform while also getting aggressive on pricing and capabilities.
Microsoft revealed a lineup of third-party VR headsets that start at $300 and run on the Holographic variation of Windows 10 today at an event in New York City. These headsets feature sensors that enable the device to track its position without externa

Microsoft's new Surface Book might look a lot like the old one, but there's one subtle change that the company didn't highlight at all at its event today. Comparing both last year's model and the new Surface Book, it's clear that Microsoft has managed to shrink the gap when the hinge is closed. It's a tiny change, but it might make a difference against guarding the keyboard against lint and other dirt. When I reviewed the Surface Book last year, it was something I noticed when I placed the lapto

GUEST: Your employees aren’t robots, and until they are, it is vital to incorporate who they are as humans in your workplace culture.
The most successful workplace cultures around the world are no longer focused in just one office, or even one geographical area. Globalization is now becoming necessary from a technical standpoint, and the most innovative and open-minded companies are adding a millennial attitude to their workplaces.
Millennials aren’t content with taking a product or

Google is gearing up for the release of Google Home in early November by updating the Google Cast app with a new design and a new name: "Google Home."
This marks, somewhat confusingly, the third name for Google’s companion application for controlling Google-branded connected devices, following the original "Chromecast" and "Google Cast" names. And while the consolidated branding is sure to be helpful going forward, as the Google Home app now serves as a one-stop shop to manage al

Tesla’s quarterly earnings report is out, and things are looking good for the upstart electric car company. Tesla claims to have set new records for vehicle production, deliveries, and revenue, while also posting a surprise net profit of $21 million in the third quarter of 2016. It’s Tesla’s first profit in eight quarters, according to Bloomberg. Shares of the company soared 6.33 percent to $215.05 in after-hours trading on the news of the company’s better-than-expected e

Yahoo Sports released a bot named Blitz today that gives fantasy football coaches advice about how to win each game.
Blitz tells you which players to start, helps you find top free agent talent by position, and draws data about the performance of a fantasy football team from a your Yahoo Sports account. Blitz operates on the newly released Yahoo Bots app on iOS and Android devices, and not on the Yahoo Messenger app like you might assume it would. Most tech com

Less than a week after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill that would severely limit the kind of properties New York City residents can rent out on Airbnb, about 50 hosts from the online service rallied outside Cuomo's office this morning to protest the new law. The new law prohibits Airbnb hosts from listing out unoccupied apartments for less than 30 days. Three days before Cuomo provided his sign-off, Airbnb attempted to provide a set of concessions that include setting

Microsoft hosted its Windows 10 event today in New York and, to my surprise, it was quite awesome.
Today’s ride started off pretty smooth with some “hmm’s” and “cool’s” regarding the Windows 10 update: augmented reality and MS Paint on steroids aka Paint 3D. Then it got wild when Microsoft introduced Surface Studio, a neat desktop that is any creator’s dream, and the tech world stopped for a second — insert praising-hands emoji.
Bra

Snap, the company formerly known as Snapchat, is reportedly looking to raise up to $4 billion when it files paperwork for its initial public offering (IPO). In doing so, the company could have a valuation of between $25 billion to $35 billion.
On Wednesday, sources informed Bloomberg of the company’s plan, but the exact timing of the filing hasn’t been made — likely next year. If things change enough, it’s said that Snap’s valuation could jump to $40 billi

The movie theater is becoming a more interactive place.
Super League Gaming announced that it has raised $5 million in Series C funding for its business that hosts esports events in movie theaters across the country. Venture firm Toba Capital and aXiomatic, the esports group that owns Team Liquid, were the main investors. This brings Super League Gaming’s total funding to $20 million since its founding in 2014.
“Inspired by the world’s biggest esports events, Super League

Apple is delaying the launch of its first pair of wireless headphones, the AirPods, which were supposed to come out sometime this month.
In a statement, first given to TechCrunch, Apple says that it "need[s] a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers." It didn't provide an estimate for when the headphones would launch, only saying that "We don’t believe in shipping a product before it’s ready." Continue reading…

A triple-star system has been captured in the middle of its birth, giving astronomers one of the first direct glimpses into how multiple-star systems come to be. The image of the star trio, taken by the ALMA telescope in Chile, shows two young stars forming in a spiral around an older star in the system’s center. And this positioning confirms a major theory that researchers have had about how multiple stars wind up next to each other. Continue reading…

At public events like conventions, strapping a virtual reality headset onto your face can feel uncomfortably intimate. Face masks can get sweaty and grimy, and lenses can fog up with other people’s breath. But earlier this week, an anonymous chat transcript suggested that headsets were spreading something even less savory: herpes.
“Ocular herpes is going around VR headsets, ones that are used to share with people,” wrote an unnamed developer, according to logs posted by YouTube

Some outside help is stepping in to up the PlayStation 4’s controller game.
Sony has revealed two new “pro” controllers on its PlayStation Blog: the Razer Raiju and Nacon Revolution. Before third-party devices will come out before the end of year, although we do not know how much they will cost.
This could be Sony’s way of competing with Microsoft’s Elite controller for the Xbox One, which costs $150, has replaceable sticks, detachable back triggers,

Not to be outdone by apps like Prisma and Artisto, Google today unveiled new research that enables an application to apply an artistic style over a video and then switch to different artistic styles on demand. The work, which involves a type of artificial intelligence known as deep learning, suggests that Google wants to advance the state of the art after being inspired by the apps that go beyond simple photo filters like what you find in Instagram.
The release of the work comes a day after

GUEST: A dramatic shift in how consumers interact with brands is underway. While this felt like a minor development at first, we’ll all look back and recognize a key turning point. Over the next five years, rich, interactive chat will become the dominant means for most of us to interact with technology. As each domino falls, we tumble into a world of interaction with artificial intelligence, voice-activated operating systems, and even thought-based computer systems. Leading tech

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner has found his next TV project. Deadline reports that the writer-producer has inked a $70 million deal with Amazon and The Weinstein Company to create a new series for streaming audiences. The deal calls for an eight-episode straight-to-series order, and Weiner is expected to direct about half the episodes in the first season.
Weiner’s new series will be set in the present dayNot much is known about the currently untitled project, but sources tell Deadline tha

Prepare to start seeing more celebrity-endorsed ads on Facebook.
The social network is now extending its rules about how verified profiles can share branded posts, officially letting stars and influential personalities monetize their Facebook audiences — something that was already happening but wasn't allowed.
While celebrities have always used Facebook as a soapbox to push the brands that sponsor them, the company's rules had technically banned profiles from such practices in an attempt t

Hey girl, need a badass Halloween costume?
Look no further, because these DIY tutorials are here to help you transform  into some of the most iconic female characters in television and film.
SEE ALSO: 35 group Halloween costume ideas your friends will love
Instead of being a princess for the third year in a row, this Halloween celebrate your love for the ladies of comic books, anime and sci-fi with these brilliant recreations.Harley Quinn Harley Quinn's legendary Suicide Squad look is

Paid content by the U.S. Air ForceWhile U.S. Air Force pilots are a crucial component of our country's defense capabilities, there's more to being an airman than hitting Mach 3. The Air Force offers over 200 careers for STEM-minded individuals to pursue their interests, find their strengths and elevate their skills, all while serving their countryYou can translate your degree or into a fulfilling role in the armed forcesCurious how your skillset matches up with a career in the Air Force? Check o

If Overwatch had a blooper reel this would be it. Watch Reinhardt, Roadhog, Zarya, Mei, and D.Va dance on command in this video made by iDeViL360. 
The best part of the whole thing? They did these synchronized dances in live matches. How many times they were wiped out while trying to capture these clips? What did the opposing teams think when confronted with this ridiculousness?
Pondering those questions makes this video all the better.Girl with head stuck in pumpkin is really committed to

GUEST: Recently, I needed to book a lunch meeting. To help coordinate, I asked Amy to assist and cc’d her on the email. “Amy,” I wrote, “please help us find a time to meet. Let’s plan for sushi at Tokyo Express on Spear Street.” Amy looked at my calendar, found an open time suitable for everyone invited, and booked the meeting.
Amy works just like a human assistant, except she’s not human. She’s an AI bot made by X.ai, a company specializing in sch

In a distant part of space, 750 light-years from Earth, three young stars are being born together while scientists are watching.
Researchers think that stars condense out of clouds of dust and gas in various parts of space, and a new study in the journal Nature details what scientists have learned about the three nascent stars developing closely together in the L1448 IRS3B system.
SEE ALSO: The first photo of Earth from space was taken 70 years ago
"We've seen three stars forming together, but t

Never stop, Husky Raid crew.
The team behind 2015's glorious Gwen Stefani and Backstreet Boys music videos, as choreographed in the video game Destiny, is back with an equally super Michael Jackson medley. We won't spoil all of it but, well... it is Halloween season.
Husky Raid takes advantage of all the new tools and customization features in Destiny to deliver this carefully constructed medley that sets a scene using everything from in-game emotes to weapon and ability visual effects. It's ex

No, seriously, what's earlier than the first day of the year? BBC announced via Facebook today that Sherlock will return after three years on January 1, 2017.
SEE ALSO: Benedict Cumberbatch hints that 'Sherlock' may be coming to an end"The Six Thatchers" will be the first of three episodes including "The Dying Detective" and a third, unnamed episode.
Star Benedict Cumberbatch said earlier this month that the latest season "feels like the end of an era." 
"It goes to a place where it will be

After the 2016 World Championship in November, the competitive Hearthstone scene is getting some major updates.
Hearthstone is adjusting its Championship Tour schedule to sync with the standard season schedule (which starts with new expansions in the spring), introducing seasonal global championships with regional playoffs, changing up competitive points and cups, upping prize pools  and offering new ways to play.
SEE ALSO: How to get free 'Hearthstone' card packs during the 'Hearthstone' W

In April, Facebook changed its branded content policy to allow media companies, publishers, and marketers to share their self-created content on the social network. It was originally limited to accounts with verified Pages, but now the policy has been extended to cover verified profiles.
Defined as any post that includes text, photos, videos, Instant Articles, links, 360 videos, and even live videos featuring a third-party product, brand, or sponsor, branded content is used as way for influencer

Let's get something straight: This is definitely a photo of Bill Murray.
And yet skeptics on the internet are pretty sure that, no, this is actually a photo of Tom Hanks making a baby cry.
SEE ALSO: Noted Cubs fan Bill Murray is the White House press secretary of your dreamsThe photo, posted to the Reasons My Son Is Crying Facebook page three years ago, is making the rounds again as people debate the subject's true identity. 
All this, despite the caption, "He met Bill Murray," and confirma

I'm a big fan of Microsoft's Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard. Marco Arment's thorough review convinced me to fork over around 80 bucks for the mouse-included Desktop bundle (on sale) several months ago; you can't buy the keyboard standalone. It made an immediate difference in keeping my hands comfortable and ache-free when working from home and typing away. Today, Microsoft introduced a successor to the three-year-old Sculpt model: the Surface Ergonomic Keyboard. It's available to pre-order

Brick by brick, selfie by selfie, the Kardashians are returning to their total domination of pop culture. 
A spokesperson for E! confirmed to Mashable that, "Full production has resumed on Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” 
It's currently unclear if Kim Kardashian West's role in the series will be reduced while she takes time to recover and continues to stay out of the spotlight. Following the traumatic robbery in Paris, the long-running reality show ceased production.
SEE ALSO:

Terry Francona, the Cleveland Indians manager who just can't stop flipping off TV cameras, is on a roll. 
His Indians beat the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night. But the victory marked more than just a one-game advantage for Cleveland in this historic Fall Classic.
Francona has managed in three World Series, and he still hasn't lost a game. 
SEE ALSO: A Cubs fan's World Series diary: Game 1 goes from memorable to nightmare
In 2004 and 2007, Francona led the Bo

Microsoft surprised everyone with a refresh of its Surface Book today, but it's not a design overhaul at all. At an event in New York City this morning, I got a chance to get a closer look at the new Surface Book, and it looks very much like the same model from last year.
Microsoft's big reason for refreshing the Surface Book is to give it more battery life and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M GPU. Microsoft is claiming up to 16 hours of battery life in total, thanks to more space for the battery itse

Kid Cudi has had a significant impact on both artists and fans, and since his admission into rehab for suicidal thoughts and substance abuse, the rapper has sparked serious discussions about mental health. 
Pete Davidson, the youngest cast member of Saturday Night Live, opened up about how the artist helped him deal with his own suicidal thoughts.
SEE ALSO: Drake took a swing at Kid Cudi —and people aren't too happy about itAt around the 10:40 mark during an interview on The Breakfast

Microsoft just spent a full two hours presenting the future of Windows 10 and its Surface line on stage in New York City. And it wasn't exactly padding out that time — aside from a lengthy demo of Paint (something I think no one expected in 2016), Microsoft really did have a lot to cover. You can read our roundup right here, and above, you can watch our trimmed down cut of the two-hour event, which puts it all into a much snappier eight-and-a-half minute presentation. When y

Facebook’s Oculus VR division and Kaleidoscope announced DevLab, a new initiative to support independent VR creators as they create new virtual reality experiences.
The collaboration will bring together 28 VR artists from around the world to incubate new work, explore new ideas, and create the next wave of great virtual reality experiences, the companies said.
The initial creators were selected for the inaugural DevLab class because they represent innovative artists who have either already

YouTube is giving creators a new mobile-friendly End Screens tool to encourage viewers to keep coming back.
With End Screens, creators can include small overlays during the last 20 seconds of a video that prompt viewers to subscribe to their channel, watch another video, and more.
It’s worth noting here that YouTube has offered a similar tool called annotations since 2008, one it has iterated on and improved in the years since, and which was capable of creating something similar to what En

The HIV virus entered the United States around 1971, a decade before AIDS was recognized as a disease, new research confirms. The new study dispels the "Patient Zero" myth that a handsome, sexually active flight attendant named Gaétan Dugas knowingly spread the virus to North America in the late 1970s. That could have implications for the nation’s controversial laws that criminalize knowingly exposing another person to HIV.
"In the context of the origins and evolutionary history of

Microsoft wants artists and content creators to want its products. The company unveiled multiple creative-minded products at its keynote today, including a major Windows 10 upgrade called the “Creators Update” and a gorgeous PC called the Surface Studio. It has 80 custom parts in its arm alone! Most of today's announcements were about advancing into the future, but Microsoft also stayed true to its roots with an update to Paint. We have all the highlights below.Continue reading&helli

In a world where snappy short-form video is seemingly the way to go when it comes to keeping eyeballs on social media, it turns out people also quite enjoy watching.... not very much at all.  
Video streaming tools like Facebook Live, Periscope and YouTube are full of fast paced action. But recently there has also been an increasing trend towards "slower" content. It's boring and gripping at the same time. 
SEE ALSO: The eviction of a refugee camp is being live streamed on Facebook
On

Blizzard has announced major changes for its 2017 Hearthstone Championship Tour. This series of competitions is the esports component for the digital card game leader. Notably, the prize pool will double next year from $1 million to $2 million.
The new format will combine the old regional Season Championships into global Season Championships. Regional Season Playoffs will take place at each of the four regions participating in the tour: Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europ