It takes a lot of gall and apparently very little fear of legal consequences to copy an Apple product design while portraying it as your own — then using crowdfunding support to bring it to market. But that’s what Dune Case is attempting with Dune Pro, a PC enclosure that clones Apple’s 2019 Mac Pro desktop computer, with hopes to lure Kickstarter backers into the endeavor. And…
Google’s AI explains how image classifiers made their decisions
October 14, 2019
It’s often assumed that as the complexity of an AI system increases, it becomes invariably less interpretable. But researchers have begun to challenge that notion with libraries like Facebook’s Captum, which explains decisions made by neural networks with the deep…
With the apocalyptic black hole event, Fortnite’s storytelling has grown increasingly ambitious
October 14, 2019
Last night, I spent six hours staring at a black hole. The anomaly appeared on multiple screens surrounding me: it was on a TV playing a Twitch stream, on my Switch as I logged into Fortnite, and in countless images and GIFs that popped up in my Twitter feed as I tracked…
Microsoft tests content filters for Xbox messages
October 14, 2019
The gaming community can be ruthless and often outright abusive. In an attempt to make Xbox more welcoming and inclusive, Microsoft is introducing new content filters. Beginning today, Xbox Insiders can select one of four filters that will automatically block abusive and offensive messages.
The filters include four levels: friendly, medium, mature and unfiltered. The friendly filter will be…
Fortnite Chapter 2 trailer leaks, and it has boats on a new map
October 14, 2019
Fortnite isn’t over quite yet. Epic Games is about to bring the game back with Chapter 2 – Season 1, according to a leaked trailer. Twitter account SkinTrackerCom tweeted the 30-second promo for Fortnite’s latest Battle Pass. That tweet is now gone, but I…
Microsoft is starting to test new content filters for its Xbox Live messaging system today in an effort to thwart toxicity on its platform. Microsoft has handled moderation on Xbox Live for almost 20 years, including the ability to report messages, Gamertags, photos, and…
YouTube TV is quickly becoming one of the most popular options for live-streaming traditional TV channels, but it appears to have just lost the ability to run its subscription through Apple’s iTunes.
A couple of months ago, Google removed the option for new YouTube TV subscribers to sign up for the service using Apple’s iTunes. This feature allowed iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV users…
Fortnite Chapter 2 hype builds as Epic shuts it down
October 14, 2019
Developer Epic Games is using a classic strategy to build up excitement for Fortnite Chapter 2. The studio is hoping that the absence of its free-to-play battle royale shooter will make players’ hearts grow fonder. And it seems like it’s working. Fans are engaging…
Razer's Blade 15 Advanced gets an optical mechanical keyboard
October 14, 2019
We’ve seen gaming laptops with mechanical keyboards before, but Razer is taking things to a new level with the latest Blade 15 Advanced. It’s the first notebook to feature an optical mechanical keyboard, meaning it relies on light sensors instead of physical…
5 early-stage startups show AI’s potential across industries
October 14, 2019
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rarely out of the headlines these days, due in large part to a steady stream of controversies from many of the major tech players. Facial recognition software is increasingly permeating society without much regard for ethics or accuracy. And crashes and near-misses blighted the recent launch of Tesla’s new Smart Summon feature, which allows drivers — in…
