Xbox’s weirdest studio is on a roll
Xbox’s weirdest studio is on a roll

For a while there, it seemed like Double Fine might be struggling under the Microsoft corporate umbrella. The game studio led by Tim Schafer is beloved for offbeat titles like Brütal Legend and Broken Age, but after being acquired by Microsoft in 2019, its only new release for years was a long-awaited sequel to Psychonauts. […]

A new Republican privacy bill could be ‘worse than no standard at all’
A new Republican privacy bill could be ‘worse than no standard at all’

Congress is once again attempting to pass a national data privacy law. But while it would introduce new protections in some states, it would weaken privacy rights in others – and it’s missing several elements that privacy advocates deem necessary. The SECURE Data Act is the product of a Republican data privacy working group led […]

Musk vs. Altman is here, and it’s going to get messy
Musk vs. Altman is here, and it’s going to get messy

Elon Musk cofounded OpenAI, and then flounced off in a huff when he wasn’t anointed CEO, leaving Sam Altman as the last power-hungry man standing. Now, Musk is back with a lawsuit, and a trial is scheduled to start in Oakland, California, on April 27th. Theoretically, it’s a legal case about whether OpenAI defrauded Musk. […]

Netflix can’t seem to follow up its biggest shows
Netflix can’t seem to follow up its biggest shows

It hasn’t been that long since Stranger Things ended, but even still fans are clearly clamoring for more. The finale was overshadowed by a conspiracy about a secret episode, and an otherwise standard behind-the-scenes documentary became a hotbed for theorizing. Of course, given the scale of Stranger Things, Netflix was never going to let the […]

Will a new CEO help realize Apple’s smart home potential?
Will a new CEO help realize Apple’s smart home potential?

It took Tim Cook years to launch Apple into major new hardware categories, such as the smartwatch. But John Ternus could start his tenure right away with an ambitious new project: smart home hardware. All signs point to a strong lineup of new smart home devices coming potentially this fall, putting Apple back in the […]

Call of Duty never made much sense for Xbox Game Pass
Call of Duty never made much sense for Xbox Game Pass

Yesterday Microsoft announced some surprising news: at a time when everything in gaming is getting more expensive, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was actually getting a price cut. Going forward, the subscription service will drop from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, less than a year after getting a major hike. But there’s a caveat. Along with […]

First vacuums — then the world
First vacuums — then the world

Many startups spend years trying to become a household name. Others just spend $10 million on a Super Bowl ad. That’s Dreame’s bet. The little-known Chinese robot vacuum company has grand ambitions to become a global consumer electronics giant and chose to run a pricey 30-second spot as its opening move. If it works, the […]

The Mac is in good hands in Apple’s post-Cook era
The Mac is in good hands in Apple’s post-Cook era

The Mac reached a series of low points in the Tim Cook era: the fiasco of the butterfly keyboard, the clunky transition to USB-C, the underutilized potential of the Touch Bar, and the occasionally lackluster Intel chip performance. For a while, it seemed like Apple had shifted all of its attention, innovation, and care toward […]

John Ternus’ first big problem is AI
John Ternus’ first big problem is AI

Less than a year ago, Apple made headlines for a lack of AI announcements at its annual WWDC event. Ten months later, the company has announced that hardware executive John Ternus will succeed longtime CEO Tim Cook as chief executive – and the official release doesn’t mention AI once. Ternus, currently Apple’s SVP of hardware […]

Tim Cook will still be Apple’s Trump whisperer
Tim Cook will still be Apple’s Trump whisperer

Though Tim Cook is shedding his CEO title for the role of Apple’s executive chairman, it appears he’ll keep one of his most important duties: that of the company’s Trump whisperer. “As executive chairman, Cook will assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world,” Apple writes in a press […]