Marvel’s ‘What If?’ expands beyond its anthology beginnings

The following contains spoilers for episodes three and four of ‘What If…?’ There’s a Twilight Zone episode I’m particularly fond of called “A World of His Own,” where a writer discovers that everything he speaks into his dictaphone comes true, and he can undo it by simply burning the tape. By the end, even narrator… Continue reading Marvel’s ‘What If?’ expands beyond its anthology beginnings

CDPR still plans to release ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ and ‘The Witcher 3’ console upgrades in 2021

CD Projekt Red hasn’t revealed exactly when it will roll out the long-promised PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrades for Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. However, it says it’s still on track to release them by the end of the year. The studio listed “late 2021” as the timeframe for those… Continue reading CDPR still plans to release ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ and ‘The Witcher 3’ console upgrades in 2021

TimTheTatman is the latest major Twitch streamer to defect to YouTube

DrLupo isn’t the only big-name Twitch streamer leaving for YouTube. TimTheTatman (aka Tim Betar) has announced he will stream “exclusively” on YouTube Gaming as of September 2nd. He didn’t explain the reasons behind the leap, but it comes less than two years after he (plus DrLupo and Saqib “Lirik” Zahid) signed a multi-year deal with… Continue reading TimTheTatman is the latest major Twitch streamer to defect to YouTube

Twitter tests new harassment prevention feature with ‘Safety Mode’

Twitter is experimenting with its most aggressive anti-harassment features to date. The company will start testing “Safety Mode” a new account setting that automatically blocks accounts using “potentially harmful language.” Twitter first previewed the feature back in February during its Analyst Day presentation, but is now starting to make it available to “a small feedback… Continue reading Twitter tests new harassment prevention feature with ‘Safety Mode’

Alexa will now speak louder if it detects a lot of background noise

Amazon has rolled out a new feature for Alexa that can make sure you hear what the voice assistant says even while the TV’s on or while people are talking. According to The Verge, the new feature called Adaptive Volume will make Alexa speak louder if it detects a lot of ambient noise. The goal,… Continue reading Alexa will now speak louder if it detects a lot of background noise

Twitch streamers are taking a day off to protest hate raids

Twitch streamers are planning to step away from the platform on September 1st for a day of protest, the Washington Post has reported. The #DayOffTwitch action aims to bring attention to a recent burst of harassment in the form of “hate raids” directed toward marginalized creators.  The day long walkout was spearheaded by Twitch streamers… Continue reading Twitch streamers are taking a day off to protest hate raids

Privacy advocates raise concerns about US-built biometric system for Afghans

The United States created a biometric system to register as many Afghans as possible over 15 years ago, and it’s become a cause for concern now that the Taliban has taken over. According to NBC News, privacy advocates are worried [PDF] about the possibility of the Taliban using the database to identify and target individuals… Continue reading Privacy advocates raise concerns about US-built biometric system for Afghans

Google delays mandatory return to office until January 2022

Google is once again pushing back its return to in-person work. CEO Sundar Pichai told employees the company is delaying the mandatory return to office until January 2022. The current voluntary scheme will last through January 10th. From then on, Google’s offices will make the decisions about when (and if) to make office work mandatory.… Continue reading Google delays mandatory return to office until January 2022

Google adds shipping and return labels to product listings in search and shopping tool

With the holiday season quickly approaching, Google plans to surface the shipping and return policies of stores that list items on its platforms to help consumers quickly find out if they can get free delivery and returns on their purchases. You’ll see the labels appear across both free and paid listings. “Free delivery by Friday,… Continue reading Google adds shipping and return labels to product listings in search and shopping tool

LinkedIn is shutting down its Stories feature after a year

LinkedIn is ditching Stories. The company will shut down the feature by the end of September, a year after rolling it out. As it turns out, ephemeral posts aren’t a perfect fit for every social network. Perhaps with ROI and KPIs in mind, LinkedIn says its users want videos that stay on their profiles permanently,… Continue reading LinkedIn is shutting down its Stories feature after a year