Technology news

So you want to get a gift for your techie friend or family member, but they seem to have all the standard choices – consoles, phones, games, and you don’t want to get them something they’re never going to use. Or maybe you just want to treat yourself to something over the holidays. Fret not, as we get to try out a lot of products here at TNW – here are a few ideas for practical gifts that could make someone’s life just a little bit easier or fun. Fitbit Charge

Smartwatches might be in a slide, but the good news is that means we’re bound to see some decent deals as a result. Price was always one of our hangups with the second generation Moto 360, but Verizon is now selling it for $200 with free shipping — at least $100 cheaper than you can find most other places.Lenovo, LG, and Huawei all announced earlier this year that they aren’t planning to release new smartwatches anytime soon, so this is likely to be the last Moto 360 for a whil

GUEST: I’m not sure that Nintendo’s much heralded free-to-start (F2S) monetization model was worth the wait. It was a year-and-a-half ago that it was first touted, with Nintendo CEO, Satoru Iwata’s famous statement that indicated Nintendo would not be hunting for whales.
The F2S model goes all the way back to when games magazines came with CDs stuck to the front, containing the first few levels of a game to try out to encourage you to invest. However, with the accumulated learn

Nintendo might expand its mobile game universe well beyond Super Mario Run, according to an interview between the company’s president Tatsumi Kimishima and Japan-based media outlet Kyoto NP.Kimishima says the company is considering releasing two to three games every year, starting in 2017. Nintendo was already planning to release Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing on mobile next year, in addition to the Android version of Super Mario Run.Super Mario Run was the company’s first proper fo

GUEST: When VCs get excited about or interested in a new vertical, it tends to be all or nothing. I was recently putting together a presentation on one of these exact kind of verticals, Insurance Tech, when I came across the perfect line to crystallize the idea by TX Zhuo: “For those who follow technological innovation, it can often seem like certain areas of investor enthusiasm come out of nowhere — suddenly and with huge momentum.” There’s no question that cha

2016 was a great year for gaming. The unveiling of two ‘refreshed’ consoles — the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S — and a console-friendly VR headset — PlayStation VR — are undoubtedly the highlights, but graphics and hardware improvements aside, we saw some truly phenomenal games in 2016. These are some of my favorites, in no particular order. Dishonored 2 Set in the same locale as the 2012 original, Dishonored 2 opens the door to a sort of Victorian steampunk world

Martin Shkreli has no regrets. 
The poster boy for greedy drug companies who became a public figure in 2015 when he raised the price of an HIV medication by 4,000 percent overnight, would do it all again. 
Shkreli said in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday that he would "of course" make the same decision today. 
SEE ALSO: Ecstasy can reduce fears and stress in PTSD patients. Here's how.
“In terms of regret, maybe not seeing that as acutely would’ve been a minor regr

No need to take yet another online quiz: a new bath accessory can tell you exactly what kind of Hogwarts student you are.
Rebecca Lynn, who apparently designs handmade bath bombs for a living (what a life), recently designed and released a Harry Potter bath bomb. Once released in water, the bomb can tell you what Hogwarts house you belong to/exactly what your soul looks like.
SEE ALSO: These Hogwarts House prints could be the perfect 'Harry Potter' Xmas present
Who needs a sorting hat that's pro

Could an Instagram repost have just created a star?
Dr. Brandon Rogers has impressed thousands of viewers with his singing Insta videos, and now even Boyz II Men have him on their radar.
After posting an incredible one-minute cover video of the group's famous song, "On Bended Knee," Dr. Rogers got a surprising message from the Men themselves - a regram and shoutout on their official Instagram page.
"Who thinks we should bring @drb_rog out to Vegas for a show??" they wrote.
Check out the masterfu

A disgruntled Pakistani marketing agency has seized control of its client's Facebook page in order to demand payment supposedly owed by the brand. 
Yet the brand itself claims to have cleared all of its debts and is seeking help from law enforcement to wrest back its page.
In a Facebook post that appeared on the page of Pakistani dairy brand Haleeb Foods earlier this week, social media firm Viral Edge wrote that the account was "suspended due to non payment" alongside an image of a padlock

Brazilian YouTuber Carol Moreira was just trying to do her job when Vin Diesel took an interview as an opportunity to hit on her. 
Before the interview rolls, Moreira included a message about how uncomfortable she felt and explains that her laugher was just her nerves kicking in while she tried to figure out what to do. 
Things get awkward around seven minutes into the video when Moreira brings up Dungeons and Dragons and Diesel, aviators in place, starts babbling about her appearance

Mozilla today announced that it will continue to support Firefox for Windows XP and Windows Vista until September 2017. In March 2017, XP and Vista users will automatically be moved to the Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR), and in mid-2017 the company will reassess user numbers to announce a final support end date for the two operating systems.
Firefox ESR is a version designed for schools, universities, businesses, and others who need help with mass deployments. Firefox ESR releases are ma

Welcome to another GamesBeat weekly roundup! This time, we talk about our favorite Star Wars games, Super Mario Run makes a lot of money, and we listen to the beautiful voice of Waluigi sing a Christmas carol.
Enjoy, and have a happy holiday!
Pieces of flair and opinion
The DeanBeat: My favorite games of 2016
Steam Store is down as the winter sale goes live
10 great and cheap Steam Winter Sale games
Worldwide game industry hits $91 billion in revenues in 2016, with mobile the clea

Just as it was starting to seem like no one would agree to perform at Donald Trump's presidential inauguration Jan. 20, it was announced that the Rockettes would be dancing at the event.
Some of the renowned dancers and other allies have started to post online about not wanting to perform for a man who has openly objectified women and has been accused of sexual assault.
In response, the Rockettes' union, the American Guild of Variety Artists, was reportedly forcing all full-time Rockettes to per

Kentucky Fried Chicken is once again showing how tech-savvy it is.
The fast food chain's Chinese division, reports TechCrunch, is partnering up with Baidu (essentially China's Google) to create a new tech-infused "smart restaurant" in Beijing that'll use kiosks with facial recognition technology to scan a customer's face and make food order suggestions based on their mood, age and gender.
SEE ALSO: KFC Japan offers two-finger plastic condoms so you can eat chicken like a civil person
The idea is

Times are moving. Fast. If you haven’t been keeping up, it’s time to crawl out of the medieval rock that you’ve been hiding under. In just a single year, we have learned more about space than we have in the past decade and the likes of Pokémon Go gave us a sneak peek into the potential of virtual and augmented reality. Our better understanding of artificial intelligence has also enabled the likes of Google and Tesla to develop autonomous or self-driving cars (also the c

More like Pokémon Ho-Ho-Ho, amirite?
December has already brought more Pokémon to more places (including Apple Watch), but developer Niantic has one, last treat. And it's a festive Christmas surprise.
SEE ALSO: Behold, all your favorite viral trends in one viral video
Starting on Dec. 25 and ending on Jan. 3, Pokémon Go players will have an increased chance of receiving Togepi, Pichu and other newly added Pokémon from hatched eggs. The Santa hat-wearing Pikachu that's

Pokémon Go developer Niantic expanded the roster of catchable Pokémon a few weeks ago. But if you’re still having trouble finding and hatching them, a new holiday promotion might be able to help you out. Starting on the morning of December 25th through the the afternoon of January 3rd, Niantic says there will be “a greater chance of finding eggs that hatch Togepi, Pichu, and several other recently found Pokémon, originally discovered in the Johto region.”Wh

I hope you are getting a warm pair of boots for the holidays, because it’s time to go back outside and catch pocket monsters.
Pokémon Go is getting a holiday event beginning December 25, according to developer Niantic. As part of this in-game celebration, players will get a couple of bonuses that make it more likely to find certain kinds of creatures and eggs in the location-based critter-catching mobile game. The event will run through January 3.
When the studio launched Pok&e

The United States government has started asking a select number of foreign travelers about their social media accounts.
The news came on Thursday via Politico and was confirmed to Mashable by a spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after the new procedure reportedly began earlier in the week. 
The process dovetails with what has been expected for months and has been slammed by privacy advocates.
SEE ALSO: YouTube blocked North Korean government’s channel
Here's what we

Has anyone checked in on Nate Silver lately? Is he doing OK?
The FiveThirtyEight editor and statistician tweeted out a fairly apocalyptic (though probably not inaccurate) tweet Friday morning, analyzing who would win if only states that weren't burned in a nuclear holocaust could vote.
SEE ALSO: 30 gifts for the person in your life who is still mad at Nate Silver
Silver's tweet appears to be in response to Trump's announcement on Twitter yesterday that he wanted to expand the United States' arse

Why bother spending hours decorating the tree when you know your ostensibly adorable cat plans to undo your work?
This little fluff ball managed to climb half-way up the tree, tangle itself in garland and knock ornaments to the ground. Destruction is all around us.
Yet another soldier takes up arms in the war against Christmas. 'Planet Earth II' replaced with human screams is hilariously disturbing
Watch this combustion tube obliterate a Mac in explosive slow motion
'Super Mario Run' remak

After nude photos of Pretty Little Liars actress Lucy Hale leaked online, she fired back with a message for the people responsible and anyone who feels that she should be feeling ashamed. 
“Once again, a woman in the public eye was violated, stolen from and her private life and body were exposed for anyone to see,” writes Hale in an iPhone note she tweeted following the leak. “I will not apologize for living my life and having a personal life that is all mine. It’s t

Uber has ended its brief driverless car experiment in San Francisco — though not before trying to pull off a bit of corporate gymnastics. 
Earlier this month, Uber announced it had brought "self-driving" cars to its hometown, with much fanfare. Two days later, however, Uber was clarifying that the vehicles aren't really as "self-driving" as the name suggested. In fact, they require a human operator.
SEE ALSO: Lyft will give you an exact price now, not just an estimate
The clarificatio

Did we just find the real Santa Claus?
One adorable New Orleans Santa has been dutifully taking pictures with children for decades. He's appeared in so many pictures with children, in fact, that Twitter user 504Reminisce says that there's a "9/10" chance that if you're from NOLA, you have a picture with him.
SEE ALSO: Cosplayers pull a 'Nightmare Before Christmas' prank on mall SantaIf you're from New Orleans 9/10 you got pic with this Santa 😂 pic.twitter.com/4YHeDoQPQV
— Everythin

Japanese role-playing game fans have something new to look forward to.
Atlus has created a new development team, Studio Zero, where Katsura Hashino is directing a new fantasy title. Hashino has been in charge of some of the most popular RPGs of the century, including Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, Persona 3, and Persona 4. His latest, Persona 5, is coming out in the U.S. on April 4 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. Sales of the Persona series have reached over 6 million

Regardless if you’re purchasing gifts online or in-person, you still want to save money. While many people smartly use rewards cards and coupons, they’re still missing out on valuable savings. which can cost you hundreds. These companies can help. From the right rewards programs to do-good discounts – check out the following and start saving today. Get smarter about rewards Curious which reward program fits you best? Birch helps you find new credit cards based on your spe

Image: Library of CongressThe rapid commercialization of the holiday season began in Victorian Britain when manufacturers and shopkeepers realized that the season’s themes of generosity and giving could be powerful motivators for shoppers.The holiday shopping season was born, and quickly expanded from December to November, even bumping up against HalloweenWhile many lamented the drawing out of the season and the appearance of Christmas decorations in mid-autumn, others promoted it on behal

Uber's short-lived experiment with self-driving cars in San Francisco isn't the only thing that's freaking out its users. The app recently invited controversy after it changed how its location-tracking works. 
Prior to the update, users could choose two location-tracking options: "Never" and "When using the app." But after the update, users noticed the latter was replaced with "Always," leading many to fear Uber's overstepping with collecting location data even when the app's not in use.
SE

Nothing says commitment more than convincing an airport to bend its rules for a surprise proposal.
According to a Facebook video post from the Akron-Canton Airport in Green, Ohio, the United Airlines team helped a student pilot named Evan propose to his girlfriend Elizabeth, who works in the aviation industry in Seattle.
SEE ALSO: These photos are your holiday travel nightmare come to lifeThe clip shows Evan seated on the airport's baggage carousel, strumming an acoustic guitar as he rolled arou

Christmas came early for one Aussie mum.  
A week ago, Daniel Knust shared a touching video on Instagram of a holiday surprise he and his brother Jason had spent years saving for: a brand new car for their mother. 
SEE ALSO: Robots will walk you and drive you: Hyundai reveals its future
"Showing gratitude to our beautiful Mom who's worked so hard to give us everything in life," Knust wrote on Instagram. "I've wanted to do this for 10 years, and today a long-term dream came true."
Her r

Now that Microsoft’s $26 billion purchase of LinkedIn is final, here are some suggestions for things that Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella could do to improve the huge — but sometimes annoying — business network.
Based on a very informal poll of about two dozen colleagues and friends, nearly everyone agrees that that LinkedIn’s database is an incredible trove of information about current or prospective employees or employers. It’s useful for finding a

We'd hate to break it to you, but there's a very good chance you're being super annoying without even realizing it.
A survey conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion earlier this month asked 1,005 U.S. adults to confess their most despised phrases, and lets just say the results are...enlightening.
Though it may be hard for some people to hear that the commonly used, "whatever," has ranked most annoying word for the eighth year in a row, this survey has come at a perfect time.
If you'

We'd hate to break it to you, but there's a very good chance you're being super annoying without even realizing it.
A survey conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion earlier this month asked 1,005 U.S. adults to confess their most despised phrases, and lets just say the results are...enlightening.
Though it may be hard for some people to hear that the commonly used, "whatever," has ranked most annoying word for the eighth year in a row, this survey has come at a perfect time.
If you'

Safe sex is, obviously, extremely important.    And so is safe sexting.    
You don't need to put on a condom to engage in some light sexting (unless things are getting really weird), but it's still important to protect yourself and your sexting partner(s) while you're sending racy content back and forth. If you're not practicing safe sexting, you could find yourself in a slew of negative (non-sexual) positions.   
So let's all resolve to practice safe sex

Faraday Future, the much-hyped electric carmaker that lately has descended into turmoil, just lost two of its top executives, two sources confirmed to The Verge.Marco Mattiacci, chief brand and commercial officer, and Joerg Sommer, vice president for product marketing and growth, have left the company, the sources said. Both have been removed from FF’s website, two blank spaces where their profiles once stood.The Verge has reached out to an FF spokesperson for comment, and we’ll upda

A cardboard box may seem unimportant once it's emptied of exciting purchases, but now you can use those boxes to make a difference in the world.
Amazon and Goodwill have teamed up to remind shoppers of "Give Back Box" — a no-cost program that allows people to donate to Goodwill via mail by reusing their extra cardboard boxes.
SEE ALSO: 16 incredible gifts that give back this holiday season
The purpose of the program, started by Monika Wiela, is to "provide an effortless and convenient met

Winter is coming, and so are the holidays.
Shockingly, life must go on while we wait for Game of Thrones Season 7 to begin — and that means holiday shopping is still in full-effect.
Keep your Thrones-loving friend's spirit alive with a gift inspired by the show.
SEE ALSO: Here's your first sweet glimpse of 'Game of Thrones' Season 7
Here are 30 ideas that might take their mind off whether or not Bran is going to bring down the wall for one freakin' second.
1Winter is Coming Sweatshirt
Imag

The internet has proven many times in the past that animals and human voices can be a winning combination.
SEE ALSO: 9 times 'Planet Earth II' took 2016 by storm
Turns out the same goes for Planet Earth II. YouTuber Matt Amys recently decided to share his own version of David Attenborough's hit nature documentary, but with all the animal screams replaced with human screams.
It's kind of disturbing, but we like it.Watch this combustion tube obliterate a Mac in explosive slow motion
'Super Mario

Let’s face it: 2016 was a bad year in so many uncountable ways. But when it comes to video games, it was a great year to have some relief with the escapism that games offer when you need a break from the real world.
We’re blessed to have another year of great games, and that makes the process of putting them in order on my favorites list difficult again. These games gave me moments of wonder, joy, sadness, and fun. They’re both as complex as they can possibly be and simple at t

Whether it was what she intended or not, Taylor Swift threw down the “exclusive” gauntlet with her 2014 Wall Street Journal op-ed about the future of streaming services. In it, she referred to music as something “important and rare,” and therefore, “valuable.” She was arguing about something only tangentially related to streaming exclusives, but she was also framing a mindset towards music that would morph into the industry standard over the next two years. An

Steam’s big winter sale is live, but the servers are not.
Valve’s PC gaming portal is seeing connection errors as gamers rush to get deals on software. The service is famous for these seasonal discounts on most of its library. As millions of new customers join Steam each year, Valve’s servers struggle through the early hours of these sales.
The connection issues for the Steam Store is primarily affecting people trying to check out, so you may have no problems browsing the store

Fear is an essential part of the human condition that’s deeply rooted in our most primal instincts. For most of the hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution, this was a very good thing: It was necessary for our very survival.   
In most parts of today’s modern world, however, we’re no longer subject to the bulk of the dangers these instincts originally developed to protect us from. This means that fear often manifests itself in unexpected or just plain bizarr

Retro gaming fans are getting good news just in time for Christmas, as the long-awaited Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega+ handheld gaming console has now been given an official launch date of February following a number of delays.
Announced in February this year, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega+ is a product of Retro Computers, with an endorsement from none other than Sir Clive Sinclair himself. He emerged as a key figure in the U.K. gaming industry in the 1980s, following the success of 1982&r

Not long after Clash of Clans launched, Rob LaZebnik’s then 12-year-old son introduced him to the mobile strategy game. LaZebnik, a writer and producer on The Simpsons since 1999, was hooked almost instantly. Like the flu, the game spread amongst the show’s writers, and like the flu, it crated work responsibilities. The staff formed a Simpsons clan in the game, and regularly sent each other messages during the workday to initiate battles. It almost became an obsession — one tha

Artificial intelligence can imitate the works of Bach so well that you (probably) can’t tell the difference. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself.The computer-generated music in these samples is the work of DeepBach — a deep learning-powered program created by Gaetan Hadjeres and François Pachet of the Sony Computer Science Laboratories in Paris. This is the institution that previously gave us the “world’s first” AI pop song (though that had quite a bi

LONDON — There are few issues in Britain more hotly contested than the correct ranking of Celebrations chocolates.
SEE ALSO: British tea drinking etiquette perfectly explained in charts
While many people (although not me) agree that Bounty is the worst, the definitive ordering of the remaining chocs continues to divide the nation.
In the early hours of Friday morning, though, one man made a bold statement.People need to recognise that this is the hierarchy 👌🏿 pic.twitter.co