Geek News

- Fixed various bugs with Dota Plus Assistant suggestions via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2HA58oU"

Science Our history is complicated. Our pre-history, even more so. Discoveries pushing back milestones in human development happen all the time. That can get confusing. So here’s a very basic (but not very brief) cheat sheet of the… via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2GvTUCf"

Technology Lyft said they’d like to eventually offer a subscription option. Would you subscribe to ride-hailing service like Lyft if you could, just as you might sign up for Netflix or Spotify? via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2FM8Yuy"

A former Walmart director claims the company lied about results and online growth in order to, “win the e-commerce war at all costs,” according to a lawsuit. The news comes just a day after Walmart announced a big push to spread its online grocery delivery and online ordering services to the vast majority of its US stores in a bid to fend off rival big box stores, as well as Amazon. According to Bloomberg , Tri Huynh, a former director of business development for Walmart, raised concerns about possible improper practices the company was using to show e-commerce growth, its progress ahead of competing retailers, and how competitive the company was against Amazon. Huynh claims he was terminated in January 2017 as a result. These... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GAxrnS"

PAYDAY 2: VR is Now Available on Steam! Step into the world of a heister! PAYDAY 2 VR is the full PAYDAY 2 experience, where you really get a sense of every cop, dozer, cloaker and medic closing in on you. PAYDAY 2 VR is free to all PAYDAY 2 owners! via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2GxCFR9"

#WarGames is Now Available on Steam and is 20% off!* #WarGames is a new interactive show from Sam Barlow. You shape the story as Kelly (aka L1ghtman) and her clan of misfit hackers transform from pranksters to international hacker celebrities, taking on the powers that be under the handle #WarGames. *Offer ends March 21 at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2HCSbuj"

iPhone users in Iran discovered today that they’re no longer able to access the App Store, in what appears to be a total block of the country, according to Bleeping Computer . While Apple doesn’t sell phones or operate the App Store in Iran, Iranians could still import Apple products from another county and set them up to access portions of the App Store meant for other regions. It appears that now, Apple has closed that loophole, blocking any traffic coming from inside Iran from accessing the App Store in any capacity. It’s not clear what prompted the change, but it presumably goes back to US sanctions on Iran, which President Trump amped up last year. Apple hasn’t made a statement on the changes, and it didn’t immediately return a... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2tVrEqm"

Environment Scientists can help them save their polymer-based collections. Museums are struggle to cope with plastic decay. But a new research paper says we should follow our noses to the solution. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2HzF8Kk"

Facebook now has an app that lets people in developing countries pay for Wi-Fi. The company has launched an Express Wi-Fi app in Google Play to go along with its distributed Wi-Fi network. It currently only works in Indonesia and Kenya. The app provides users a way to buy data packs and find nearby hotspots more easily, as first spotted by TechCrunch . Previously, to access Express Wi-Fi, users would either have to open a mobile web browser or download an app from a local telecom company, which would ask them to reconfigure their phone settings. Neither method gave users a way to figure out where the hotspots were located. While the app is only available in two countries for now, Express Wi-Fi as a local service is already live in five... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FXDEwg"

Eastern Arsenal Nuclear submarines, giant aircraft carriers, robot warships. A giant Chinese shipbuilder leaks out a plan for a massive naval build up of nuclear powered aircraft carriers and submarines, and underwater combat robots. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2GvSac9"

Facebook Lite , a version of Facebook made for developing countries that is designed to run on 2G networks, is rolling out to more countries, including developed ones, according to Reuters . Like Messenger Lite , the thought is that people with older Android devices or slower internet connections would benefit from the stripped-down app. Launched in 2015, Facebook Lite was first tested in Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe, but is now available in over 100 countries. It’s lightweight at only 252 kilobytes, and it’s based on the Snaptu version of Facebook that runs on feature phones, but with functionality like push notifications and camera integration. In the forthcoming rollout, the app... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FFI9vW"

Gadgets First day and they are already on sale. New PowerWave Series wireless chargers from Anker are optimized for iPhones, packed with fast charging tech, and are on sale right out of the gate. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2phuKjx"

Save big on the Call of Duty® Franchise as part of this week's Weekend Deal*! Introducing two new Steam Complete-the-Set Bundles: the Call of Duty® Franchise Collection and the Activision® Collection, which provide extra discounts and make it easy to upgrade if you already own any of the included games. *Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2Dv9Em1"

From apps that diagnose irregular heart rhythms to phone cases that claim to measure blood pressure , there has been a wave of technology promising to use our everyday devices — smartphones and wearables — to fight heart disease. But why heart health, and how much can these gadgets really do? Heart disease is the most common cause of death around the world, according to the World Health Organization , so of course companies want to work on a problem that could have a huge impact, and bring in lots of money. Apple, for example, has launched a study to identify irregular heart rhythms with its Apple Watch . Plus, many sensors and wearables lend themselves particularly well to helping with cardiovascular problems, says Greg Marcus , a... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2DuMbl2"

Surviving Mars is Now Available on Steam! There will be challenges to overcome. Execute your strategy and improve your colony’s chances of survival while unlocking the mysteries of this alien world. Are you ready? Mars is waiting for you. via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2pfyvpP"

Science Para hockey has its own unique biomechanics. When it comes to para hockey, the biomechanics are completely different than playing upright. So most research is basically useless to players and coaches. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2Gv0gSx"

Today's Deal: Save 60% on Obduction !* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Saturday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2IstaDf"

John Chen will remain BlackBerry’s chief executive through at least November 2023, the company announced today . BlackBerry credits Chen with reversing what once appeared to be doomed prospects by eliminating the company’s storied mobile hardware business and shifting its primary focus to “investments in cybersecurity and embedded software that today are delivering the vast majority of the company’s revenue and growth.” In today’s press release announcing his contract extension, BlackBerry’s board of directors expressed “tremendous confidence” in Chen, saying “John engineered a successful turnaround and has the company repositioned to apply its strengths and assets to the Enterprise of Things, an emerging category with massive... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2HCGmEC"

Blue Apron will start selling meal kits in stores in an attempt to bolster its lagging business, as reported by The Wall Street Journal . Blue Apron was one of the first meal kit delivery companies on the market, but with increasing competition, it now seems to acknowledge that relying on a subscription-based model isn’t enough. As of last month, Blue Apron had 750,000 subscribers, a hefty dip from its peak of over 1 million subscribers last year. Its stock has also plummeted, and it’s currently trading at about one-fifth of its debut price of $10. Independent surveys have pinpointed the loss of interest on the expense and commitment of a subscription, but an increase in shelf-ready meal kits at supermarkets is also a factor. Walmart... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FVw9Wn"

Rihanna posted an Instagram Story today to denounce Snapchat after the platform showed an offensive ad featuring the artist to users. The ad was for a smartphone game called Would You Rather that appeared inside Snapchat on Monday asking users if they would rather slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown. Many users caught the thinly veiled reference to the infamous 2009 incident when Chris Brown violently assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna. Brown choked, bit, and punched Rihanna and threatened to kill her, landing her in the hospital. Many on social media have called out Snapchat for making an advertisement out of a terrible incident. Chelsea Clinton said it’s “awful that any company would approve this.” Is it just me, or is this ad that... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FW3y3n"

If you were wondering why Nintendo Labo , the DIY cardboard accessory kits for the Switch, costs at least $70, Toy-Con Garage is why. As we approach the April 20th release date for Labo, Nintendo has finally revealed more details of Toy-Con Garage, a software feature included in each Labo kit that teaches kids basic If This Then That programming. It’s an ingenious feature that lets the cardboard toys be combined and remixed with each other, opening up way more possibilities for them to be played with. Labo offers two Toy-Con Kits right now: the Variety Kit and the Robot Kit. The $70 Variety Kit — which comes with five mini-games and the cardboard sheets ready to make an RC car, a fishing rod, a house for a Tamagotchi-like friend, a... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2HAPFom"

Lenovo announced the Mirage Solo — the first standalone Daydream VR headset that wouldn’t require a smartphone to use — at CES earlier this year for a mid-2018 release. And now we’ve got a price and release date for the device courtesy of B&H , which has the headset available to preorder for $399.99 for an expected May 11th release date, via Ubergizmo . The Mirage Solo is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 VR platform, with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 5.5-inch LCD display that offers 1280 x 1440 pixels per eye, and an estimated seven-hour battery life. There’s also a “WorldSense” tracking feature that claims to let users walk around digital spaces, which is new to Daydream VR. The May 11th date puts the Mirage Solo’s release right... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2tVgVw0"

Microsoft is unveiling its first major update to the SwiftKey keyboard it acquired back in 2016 . Today’s 7.0 release replaces the existing hub found in the keyboard with a new toolbar that expands to provide access to stickers, GIFs, and soon some useful location and calendar features. The new toolbar is designed to make it quicker to insert GIFs, emoji, and the new sticker packs that Microsoft will be making available. The most interesting new additions, location and calendar, are coming to the toolbar soon. The location feature will allow SwiftKey users in India or the US to share their location in many apps, and the calendar integration will let people insert calendar appointments in any app straight from the keyboard toolbar. Still,... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2pfnyVf"

The Android Wear brand introduced in 2014 is going away and being replaced with a new name: Wear OS. A new area of Google’s website has officially confirmed the change. Wear OS even has a new slogan: “Make every minute matter.” For now, that’s really all the news there is; since it works on both Android and iOS, Google’s smartwatch platform is being given a more flexible moniker that doesn’t tie it to a specific mobile operating system. “We’re announcing a new name that better reflects our technology, vision, and most important of all — the people who wear our watches. We’re now Wear OS by Google, a wearables operating system for everyone,” Google’s Dennis Tropper said in a blog pos t. “You’ll begin to see the new name on your watch and... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2IuOB6Q"

7.11: == * This version is focused on changing how the gold and buyback formulas work * Buyback cost changed from 100 + ( Level * Level * 1.5) + (Time * 0.25) to 100 + Networth / 13 * Buyback no longer reduces gold earned after respawning * AoE gold for the losing team no longer scales with the overall team networth difference, just the individual networth of the dying hero. Previously, a core on your team doing really well meant that a support on your team dying gave an increasing amount of gold to the enemy. - The comeback component is now just: ( DyingHeroNetWorth * 0.026 + 70 ) / # of killers This takes the place of the components below that considers Networth For example in the 1 killer case, it replaces (NetWorthEarlyFactor * 90 + NetWorthFactor * 0.03375). Like the previous formula, it is only given to the losing team. * The gold multiplier based on the dying hero's net worth rank changed from 1.2/1.1/1.0/0.9/0.8 to 1.2/1.05/0.9/0.75/0.6 * For reference, ...

Massdrop has collaborated with Hasbro to create this delightful Scrabble keycap set that comes paired with an entry-level tenkeyless keyboard (a keyboard without a number pad) from WASD, as spotted by Gizmodo . The custom keys come in classic Scrabble colors — beiges, a soft red and blue, and baby pink — and each one of the letters sports its Scrabble value. The keyboard also sports Cherry MX Brown switches, which give a tactile bump when pressed, so you can really be reminded of the clacking from placing down Scrabble tiles. In addition, Massdrop’s Scrabble keyboard comes with some fun extras — one star, two triple word score keycaps, and two double letter score keycaps — so you can swap out some of your keys to give yourself a few... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Isqdm8"