Geek News

Facebook is continuing to move into game streaming with a new program designed to attract notable creators to the social network. Today the company revealed its “gaming creator pilot program,” which it says is a “concerted effort” to work with streamers and tailor Facebook to better suit their needs. Among the program’s goals are helping streamers build communities on Facebook, creating new tools specifically for live streaming games, and utilizing other Facebook platforms like Instagram and Oculus. The company says that it is “actively exploring ways for fans to back their favorite gaming creators via payments during select live streams on Facebook.com.” While details are slight right now, the pilot project sounds a lot like Twitch’s... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2BvT846"

ESPN and Disney are about to get a significant influx of eSports content. Through a new multiyear deal announced today, the two networks will broadcast a number of Madden NFL tournaments as well as an episodic series featuring Madden NFL 18 Ultimate League players. "Through this collaboration with ESPN and Disney XD, we'll provide ongoing coverage for fans worldwide across a variety of ESPN and Disney platforms, but also digitally through our own Madden streaming and social channels," Todd Sitrin, EA's competitive gaming division general manager, said in a statement. Competition coverage kicks off tomorrow when ESPNEWS airs the Madden NFL 18 Club Championship quarterfinals. The tournament is taking place at the Pro Bowl and features players repping all 32 NFL teams. The Club Championship finals will then take place at the Super Bowl Experience on February 1st and will air on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. Starting February 2nd, Disney XD and ESPN video on demand will ...

One reason Facebook struggles to earn our trust is because at the individual level, no one at the company can tell us why we’re seeing what we’re seeing in the News Feed. The company can talk about the content of the feed in general terms — mostly posts from friends and family, ranked by how close Facebook believes you to be with them — but were an engineer to browse your feed alongside you, they couldn’t explain why the posts appeared in the exact order they did. A few years ago I was interviewing Chris Cox, who leads product across the company, and asked something about my feed I had always wanted to know. Sometimes I would open Facebook after being away for an hour or so and the News Feed would show me one or two posts I had already... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GjyqrQ"

Bungie is still learning lessons about rewarding Destiny 2 players for their commitment, and that's reflected in its January 30th update . To begin with, it's promising much better loot for raids. You're now guaranteed raid-only equipment when you complete an encounter, and you'll always have a chance of scoring exotic gear you can start using right away. Those who go on Prestige raids get normal drops at the same time. Also, you can buy gear if you'd rather not grind the raid hoping to get that last armor piece you need -- so long as you've completed the raid that week, you can buy hardware from a rotating selection at Benedict. When you throw raid-specific mod perks and a drop-enhancing Ghost into the mix, you might be more inclined to come back to the raid without feeling like you have to repeat it ad nauseam . Fans of the competitive Iron Banner mode (which is making its Season 2 debut on the 30th) might also have a reason to come back. You can now buy ...

DRAGON BALL FighterZ is Now Available on Steam! DRAGON BALL FighterZ is born from what makes the DRAGON BALL series so loved and famous: endless spectacular fights with its all-powerful fighters. Partnering with Arc System Works, DRAGON BALL FighterZ maximizes high end Anime graphics and brings easy to learn but difficult to master fighting gameplay. via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2DEVj7t"

Today's Deal: Save 40% on The Jackbox Party Pack 4 !* 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 Sunday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2GjqVBh"

Toxic players are a big problem for the Overwatch team. As game director Jeff Kaplan explained in a developer update last September, they're actually delaying maps and feature updates by forcing the developers to create measures to stem the tide of crappy player behavior. Those tactics seem to be working. In a new video, Kaplan reported that competitive play has less abuse and players are reporting more often. But the Overwatch team has gone further with at least one new proactive strategy: Find toxic behavior uploaded to 'social media sites like YouTube' and punish the accounts responsible. Via: Polygon Source: 'Overwatch' developer update 1.26.18 via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2DI4ckV"

Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke would have turned 100 years old in 2017. Over the course of his long career, he left a legacy that science fiction authors still follow, by putting a premium on the scientific realism in his stories. A new anthology aims to honor the late author’s legacy by collecting a series of stories. Each story will have exactly 2,001 words, a reference to his most famous work, 2001: A Space Odyssey . The team behind the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award — an annual recognition for the best science fiction novel published in the UK — is assembling the anthology in partnership with NewCon Press . The anthology will honor the century of Clarke’s life and his works. The organizers say they “wanted to make sure... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GhCoRX"

Google's said before that Chrome OS would be used for tablets, but so far we've only seen whispers of such a device. Now, it seems that Twitter user Alister Payne (@Alister_Payne) got an early look at what appears to be an Acer tablet that operates on Chrome OS. The tweet and picture, taken at BETT 2018, has since been deleted, but Chrome Unboxed preserved it. The device appears to have a screen between 8 and 10 inches, but further details are unavailable. This isn't the first hint at a Chrome tablet that we've seen. Samsung may also prepping a detachable Chrome OS tablet called "Nautilus. " Lenovo's Yoga Book was also available with a Chrome OS, though it's a convertible laptop, rather than a true tablet. This is just another peek to whet our appetites for the what will hopefully be a slew of tablets introduced in the near future. Via: The Verge Source: Chrome Unboxed via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2E8ZTvD"

Laser League Beta is available to play on Steam now through Sunday 1/28! LASER LEAGUE - Easy to pick up, difficult to put down - what starts as a simple test of your reflexes, soon becomes a strategic showdown with deep team tactics. *Offer ends Sunday 10 PM PST via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2rFb2BT"

By Grant Clauser This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter , reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . Everyone loves watching a great movie on a big screen with a kickass speaker system, but few would complain about losing the sticky floors, uncomfortable seats, and kids with smartphones (unless they're your own kids). Our A/V team spends thousands of hours each year to find the best-looking and -sounding home theater equipment. Whether you have a dedicated theater room planned or are thinking of upgrading your weeknight living room movie night, we have recommendations covering whatever space and budget you have. The best home theater projector If your room is large enough (you can check using this calculator ) and you want the best picture quality, we heartily recommend the Sony VPL-HW40ES . After testing five lead...

When HTC unveiled its higher-end Vive Pro VR system back at CES, the company was suspiciously quiet about the dual cameras on this VR headset: there were no related demos, and the company reps remained tight-lipped. The smart-ass in me assumed that based on the similar looks, this module was probably a variant of the inside-out tracking sensor on the standalone Vive Focus , while others speculated that it would bring AR capability. Well, today we finally have an answer: it's actually a depth sensor, and it'll apparently enable basic hand tracking without additional hardware. This new bit of information came straight from the horse's mouth. By that I mean HTC Vive's Vice President Raymond Pao, who I bumped into at the company's Shenzhen event earlier this week -- it was celebrating the commencement of the Vive Focus' shipment, as well as introducing the Vive Pro to the Chinese media and partners. It wasn't until I sat down with Pao afterwards when he shed...

PayPal has finally rolled out its Instant Transfer feature on Venmo after first announcing that support would be coming last summer . The option allows Venmo users to pay an extra 25 cents to deposit funds to their debit cards in a matter of minutes rather than days. This is particularly useful if you need to cash out right before a holiday or on Sundays, which are times when banks typically do not process the withdrawal. Instant Transfer was previously available only for PayPal beta users. It promises to transfer funds to your account within 30 minutes even on holidays and weekends. A free option will still remain for those who don’t mind waiting the one to three days for payments to process. According to PayPal, Venmo instant transfers... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GkKfxW"