Technology news

Google told us in May that it would eventually block Adobe Flash Player content on Chrome. And today, the company is making good on its promise. Google is slowly rolling HTML5 out to users over the next couple of months, starting with one percent of users on the current version of Chrome. Everyone should have an updated Chrome by February, when the most recent beta version goes stable.This means that unless a website has an HTML5 content player, the Flash content won’t display. Users will

Spotify is testing a new feature called Jump In that would let its free mobile users get on-demand features in certain playlist, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation. Spotify would roll back its shuffle-only mandate on the free tier — at least partially — allowing mobile users to choose what song they want to listen to in select playlists.That would be a substantial improvement for free users, who currently have to hope shuffle algorithm works in their

Back in June 2016, the news broke that distribution company Universal Pictures had pulled Spectral, a science-fiction thriller with a strong video-game flavor, from its fall release roster. Spectral’s production company, Legendary, had also handled the game-to-film adaptation of Warcraft, and industry insiders speculated that Warcraft’s North American box-office failure might have made Universal leery. Alternately, it might have just limited the budget Universal wanted to devote to a

Nvidia has been granted a permit by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to start testing self-driving vehicle technology on the state’s public roads. The company joins a growing list of autonomous vehicle testers in California that features the likes of Google, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Ford, and GM, as well as startups like Faraday Future and NextEV.While Nvidia is best known for its graphics cards, the company has spent the last few years steadily pushing into artificial intelligence

Facebook users on Android can finally upload videos in HD resolutions, nearly two years after their iOS counterparts. Android Police spotted the change, which is available in the app’s settings menu, next to the option to upload photos in HD as well. The change seems to have rolled out over the past few weeks, but now appears to be available to everyone. It’s kind of crazy that it’s taken this long; Android phones have been shooting HD and even 4K video for ages now. But

If you thought Facebook's Year in Review feature was all you had to worry about this week, we've got some bad news.
Thanks to a glitch on the social network, posts and photographs from days, months and even years ago are apparently resurfacing on the profiles of some unlucky and mortified Facebook users.
SEE ALSO: Everyone hates Facebook's 'Year in Review,' not just you
On Friday, PCMag reported several claims of outdated posts being re-shared on users' timelines without their permission. 

Damn, Bridget! Back at it again with the single Christmas cards.
Ever since 2010, internet hero Bridget has been creating hilarious Christmas cards that celebrate the eternal nightmare of being alone during the holidays. And of course, her 2016 edition nails it.
SEE ALSO: Single guy's romantic holiday photo is actually a hilarious goofImage:macbubs/reddit"I have four sisters (I'm the only brother).  Me and three of my sisters are married.  Bridget is not.  A few years ago, the mar

Why is Westworld so complicated? Is it really that dense? Is it too complicated, contorted, and confusing? Did we really need Burger Fiction to put together a super cut of the show that shows every question that was asked? Do you really need to watch it? Or do you merely want to watch it? Is free will a lie?
It this a cynical jab at the show? Or is this an earnest attempt to get to the bottom of some of Westworld’s biggest questions? Is this a great show? Or a good show? Or do the question

If you know anything about musician/writer Gerard Way, you're probably aware that he's not exactly a normal human being. We mean that as a compliment: Way marches to a very different drum. 
From his days in emo band My Chemical Romance, Way always had a penchant for theatrics, for the odd or abnormal, even the morbid. 
SEE ALSO: This week's 'Walking Dead' was ripped straight from the comics, and it was glorious
All of this comes together perfectly in the DC Comics imprint Young Animal,

I learned two things by scoping out Instagram account ‘Genderless Nipples:’ Nipples look really strange without the context of the surrounding area. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t discern the difference between male and female nipples. And I just learned a third thing: I’ve now used “nipple” four times in the first 50 words of an article (this mention included) — achievement unlocked. Genderless Nipples’ Instagram account has over 5,000 fo

Model Deddeh Howard was sick of the lack of diversity in major fashion campaigns. 
So, the Liberian model collaborated with photographer Raffael Dickreuter on the Black Mirror project, in which Howard recreated nine fashion brands' advertisements that feature white models.
SEE ALSO: What models of diverse identities really think of the Victoria's Secret Fashion ShowImage:Raffael Dickreuter"When you browse through the average fashion magazine you almost never see any black models. Same for b

"If I fall, I will get back up."
"I am little, but I'm a force."
"I have black girl magic."
"I have wings to fly. I see no limit."
"I can achieve anything with hard work."
These are just a few of the awesome affirmations dads taught their daughters in a video released by The Scene. Each giggly pair looked in the mirror, with each young girl confidently repeating affirmation after affirmation.
You might want to write some of these down for yourself.The path from mechanic to techie Soldier
Couple

Cpl. Delgado's passion for fixing things began with a toaster, and grew through his love for mechanics and motorbikes.
He turned his passion into a job at a mechanic shop after studying at technical school, then took it one step further.
Today, Cpl. Delgado lives his passion daily as a Computer/Detections Systems Repairer in the U.S. Army. He repairs night vision goggles and other equipment to help his fellow Soldiers on the battlefield. 
Check out how CPl. Delgado turned his passion into

So this was inevitable: the Samsung Galaxy S8 rumor mill is in full swing, and one of the reports suggests that Samsung will be removing the headphone jack from the next generation of its flagship phone, just as Apple did with the iPhone 7. (The rumors also suggest the company will go with an “all-screen” bezel-less design that hides the home button, which sounds neat and also almost exactly like the rumors about the next iPhone design. Samsung, you know?)
Anyway, the conventional wi

Bose has quietly launched a new set of around-the-neck earbuds called Hearphones that can apparently augment the sounds of the world around you, something first spotted by a user over at Hacker News. While the company is known for its active noise-cancellation technology, these new earbuds — which look an awful lot like the QuietControl 30s released earlier this year — take the idea to a new level, giving users the power to pick and choose what kinds of outside noises make it into th

Be careful with those melon seeds.
Youtuber Devon Spittle and his wife adorably documented their pregnancy with their first daughter, Poppy, in a very creative stop-motion video.
Check out what the creative duo imagines happens when you eat watermelon seeds above.
Who knew a melon could be so cute?Dad builds giant 'Star Wars' AT-ACT playhouse in backyard
'War for the Planet of the Apes' trailer sets stage for a species-ending battle
'Westworld' meets pop music in cover of 'Rather Be'
Ryan Gosli

These holiday cards are perfect for the font lover in your life. And yes, we know you have a font lover in your life.
Milan-based illustrator and graphic designer Luca Milani makes the festive designs for his cards, which are part of his ongoing Font Love project, out of standard typography characters.
The designs are festive, yet unfussy — perfect for the loved one who prefers a minimalist approach to holiday décor. Behold, for example, a stately Christmas tree made from curly brac

We all know that one person who maybe likes whiskey a little too much. 
The world of whiskey is vast and confusing, especially if you don't know your rye from your scotch. This can make buying a gift for the whiskey aficionado in your life a little bit overwhelming. 
So if you're fresh out of ideas or you need a shove in the right direction, check out these gift ideas that every whiskey lover will love.  1. The Glencairn Whiskey Glass
Image:Crate and Barrel Price: $7.952. Whi

Following Fitbit’s acquisition of smartwatch maker Pebble, it seems obvious that Fitbit is considering a deeper dive into the smartwatch market. The more important question is whether that’s a smart move or not, with a recent report suggesting smartwatches will likely continue to struggle in the near term.But just because the smartwatch category isn’t working now doesn’t mean it can’t in the future with a “different approach,” according to co-founder and

Just when it looked like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was finally going the way of the dodo, the biggest mobile carrier in the U.S. has stepped in to give the explosive handset's loyalists another excuse to cling to it a little longer. 
SEE ALSO: Samsung gets a big chunk of money back from Apple
Shortly after Samsung announced its plan to issue a software update to permanently disable any remaining Note 7's active on U.S. networks, Verizon issued its own news release declaring that the carrier

A trip to a Victoria's Secret store in Oxford, Alabama ended in tears after a black woman says she was asked to leave simply because of her race.
Kimberly Houzah was left confused and distraught on Wednesday when a manager of Victoria's Secret in the Quintard Mall reportedly asked her and another black woman to exit the store after a woman of color was caught shoplifting.
In the midst of processing situation, Houzah decided to live stream her experience on Facebook to share her feelings with her

La La Land  —  which opens Friday in limited release — is poised to steal millions of hearts with a seamless blend of artistry, music and romance that filmmakers consistently strive for. In India, that combination is the go-to recipe for filmmaking, as Hindi-language Bollywood films combine all three in major global blockbusters. 
In La La Land, director Damien Chazelle clearly had many influences for this opus, not least of which is old-school movie musicals from Holl

Shaq's taste in Beyoncé songs proves that he is a sensitive soul. 
The legendary basketball star shared a video of himself lip syncing to "All Night," declaring it his favorite song ever, along with "Halo."Dear Beyoncé this is my favorite song ever, thank you . This and HALO is my jam
A video posted by DR. SHAQUILLE O'NEAL Ed.D. (@shaq) on Dec 8, 2016 at 8:16pm PST
SEE ALSO: Beyoncé could soon have the most Grammys of any female artist ever
These are not casual Beyonc&e

For a young Star Wars fan, an enormous AT-ACT walker that you can actually play in is a dream come true. Inventor and YouTube personality Colin Furze partnered with eBay to bring the fictional cargo carrier to his own backyard.
In the span of just a few weeks, Furze and a team of builders erected an enormous AT-ACT replica featuring a motorized drop-down staircase, a comfortable interior (stocked with Star Wars merch) and switches that operate the replica's head and "guns".
But delighted as his

A battle for the planet is a classic movie premise, but in War for the Planet of the Apes, both sides lay claim to Earth. Like 1973's Battle for the Planet of the Apes, War sees the sentient simians rising against the humans they see as oppressors and waging a full-on rebellion.
SEE ALSO: Aaron Taylor-Johnson stands off with a sniper in white-knuckle trailer for 'The Wall'
"All of human history has led to this moment," says Woody Harrelson's colonel over a chilling shot of him shaving his own h

When Neil Armstrong became the first man to step foot on the moon in 1969, I doubt he gave much thought to the dank memes that would one day come of it. I also doubt he knew what ‘dank’ or ‘meme’ meant, but it really doesn’t matter; I’m painting a picture here. NASA already taps over a dozen social media networks to share its imagery, but today it’s adding two more: Pinterest and Giphy. The former, Pinterest, will be used to pos

If you pay $14 to watch a movie in theaters, would you pay $25 to watch that same movie at home?
The biggest tech and media companies believe the answer is yes, and they're now jockeying for position in a market that many in the industry are convinced will be the next big thing in entertainment — home access to movies shortly after they debut in theaters.
It's an idea that's been around for a while, but one that always seemed to be a ways off. But with executives publicly teasing the idea

There’s something about the Microsoft Surface Book that has always caught my attention whenever I see one in public. Its design is weird, but unique; it’s portable, but still has the power to outperform most 2-in-1s in this category. We’ve already covered the basics of how the laptop performs for everyday use, so I spent some time with it to see if it could work as my primary go-to laptop when I need to edit videos (a big part of Microsoft’s creative pitch behind the Surf

The Obamas have sent their final Christmas card from the White House and as you might expect, it's perfect.
SEE ALSO: The internet takes a fond look back at the Obama presidency
Twitter user @j3ssir posted a video showing the full card.Got the Obama Xmas card 💅🏼 pic.twitter.com/VBr963HUl5
— Jess (@j3ssir) December 8, 2016Even Bo and Sunny signed.
Of course, given the card's level of perfection, Twitter users are not okay.@BmoreFab pic.twitter.com/IK7wEzFfMn
— lul1104&

With Google’s entering the smartphone game for real with its Pixel phones, it seems Android manufacturers have been scrambling to get software updates to their devices more quickly than ever. ZTE is the latest, with a beta update to Nougat available for those who sign up via its community forums. There’s an approval process, but it bodes well for a release not too far off in the future. The Axon 7 joins several other devices in Nougat support (if still preliminary), which appea

This is one unusual forest that visitors aren't likely to forget soon.
At the National Museum of Singapore, a new permanent exhibit will come alive as more people fill the room.
SEE ALSO: Flying an X-Wing in virtual reality is absurdly cool
Housed in a three-story deep circular structure, visitors enter at the top floor into a dark room with a panoramic full-ceiling projection of falling petals.Pushing a curtain aside, they're then invited to walk down a 144-meter (472 ft) spiral pathway. The wa

Nilay, Dieter, Lauren, and Ashley are back! This week on Vergecast, we talk about Fitbit buying Pebble, the status of the gadget universe, and Microsoft bringing Windows desktop apps to mobile ARM processors. Lots of tech, lots of jokes, here we go.01:34 - Fitbit / Pebble / wearables
18:23 - Gadgets aren’t dead
33:10 - Windows / ARM
53:23 - Lightning round (Westworld spoilers 53:23–55:10)
If you enjoyed this podcast and love it unconditionally, The Verge has more you can listen to! T

President Obama has directed US intelligence agencies to produce a report on attempts to influence the 2016 election through hacking, according to an Obama homeland security adviser.
Report may not be publicly released
Adviser Lisa Monaco told reporters that the country may have “crossed into a new threshold” of hacking threats, and said “it is incumbent upon us to take stock of that,” according to Politico, who attended the announcement.
Monaco reportedly said the review

The trailer for the third film in the modern Planet of the Apes reboot, War for the Planet of the Apes, was released earlier this morning, and based on this admittedly early impression, the story will build on the rapidly escalating conflict between the apes and humans from the first two films. In sum, the trilogy that began in a world like our own, will end in an apocalyptic battle between humans and the other primates over what remains of civilization. In the sea of other series reboots, prequ

The fantasy world of Eos is a precarious place. To stay alive, FINAL FANTASY XV players need to be slippery as a salmon and constantly conscious of their magic management skills.  And while your Sunday magic management is on point, your Monday time management could probably use some work, what with all the daydreaming of rescuing the world’s last remaining crystal and slaying Daemons of the night. 
We can identify with the struggle of taking the identity of Noctis Lucis Caelum, p

During Microsoft’s Build Conference earlier this year, CEO Satya Nadella delivered the three-hour keynote address, in which he highlighted his belief that the future of technology lies in human language. In this new wave of technology, conversation is the new interface, and “bots are the new apps.” While not as flashy as virtual reality nor as immediately practical as 3D printing, chatbots are nevertheless gaining major traction this year, with support coming from across the e

LONDON — Each year, the run-up to Christmas is bursting with twinkly lights, festive music and Christmas adverts. And, every year, there's always one advert that guarantees to reduce you to uncontrollable tears. 
SEE ALSO: This Polish Christmas ad has gone viral because, well, just watch it
This year, the most powerful advert didn't come from big brands, like the UK retailer John Lewis or the clothing giant H&M. 
The tear jerker of the season came from an erstwhile unknown a

Kanye West was finally spotted after disappearing from the public eye following the abrupt cancelation of his Saint Pablo tour and the ensuing stint in the hospital. 
Rumors regarding the rapper have been swirling around since his admittance to the hospital for his mental health, but until getting caught on the 'gram just yesterday, no one had actually seen West since his November performance in Sacramento — in which he called out Beyoncé and Jay Z and then walked off stage aft

Facebook is having a difficult time counting. 
The social network revealed new measurement errors Friday related to engagement on live videos and any links to direct users outside of Facebook. That's the third time since September Facebook has admitted to miscalculations, drawing ire from publishers and advertisers and reemphasizing a need for third-party verification. 
SEE ALSO: Advertisers want Facebook to stop 'grading its own homework'
Facebook reported that none of the errors dire