Google has quietly acquired a startup that was working on using AI to generate avatars for social media users and brands. According to TechCrunch, the company recently paid about $100 million to buy Alter. The acquisition went through about two months …
‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II’ update fixes party-related crashes
If Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has crashed when you’ve tried to play with a party of friends, you’ll want to download the game’s latest update as soon as possible. In a tweet spotted by Eurogamer, developer Infinity Ward said early Friday morn…
Mark Zuckerberg will testify in the FTC’s antitrust case against Meta
The Federal Trade Commission will call on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify in its upcoming case against the company. The FTC sued the social media giant in July in an attempt to block it from buying Within Unlimited, the creator of the popular VR wo…
Amazon issues ill-timed advice after driver dies of apparent dog attack
One day after an Amazon driver in Missouri died of an apparent dog attack, some workers are accusing the company of sending an ill-timed, tone-deaf message in light of the incident. On Wednesday, Vice News reported that some drivers received a “Dog Awa…
Xbox Game Pass accounts for 15 percent of Microsoft’s gaming revenue, says Phil Spencer
Microsoft’s Game Pass service is profitable and accounts for about 15 percent of the company’s overall Xbox content and services revenue. Microsoft Gaming chief Phil Spencer shared the tidbit of information in an on-stage interview at The Wall Street J…
GM says it’s ready to power all its US facilities with renewable energy by 2025
General Motors is on track to secure 100 percent of the electricity it needs to power all of its US facilities with renewable energy by 2025. On Wednesday, the automaker announced it recently finalized the sourcing agreements it needs to make that feat…
Samsung’s Maintenance Mode protects your personal data while your phone is out for repair
Back in July, Samsung began testing a new privacy feature on Galaxy S21 phones in Korea. Dubbed Maintenance Mode, the tool allowed users to secure their personal information – including photos, messages and contacts – when sending their device in for r…
Apple’s Freeform whiteboard app is now available for developers
With the first betas of iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1 rolling out earlier today, Apple is letting developers try its Freeform app for the first time (via MacRumors). Announced at WWDC this past June, Freeform is a whiteboard-style collab…
Hinge is adding video identity verification to combat scam accounts and catfishing
Starting next month, dating app Hinge will begin rolling out a new profile verification feature to combat a surge in fake accounts. Dubbed “Selfie Verification,” the feature will prompt users to upload a video of themselves, which the app, with a combi…
Bumble open-sourced its AI tool for catching unwanted nudes
Since 2019, Bumble has used machine learning to protect its users from lewd photos. Dubbed Private Detector, the feature screens images sent from matches to determine if they depict inappropriate content. It was primarily designed to catch unsolicited …