Microsoft is ready to present its own version of cloud-based gaming to the world, and it’s happening so, so soon.

Let’s be clear: Project xCloud isn’t the final Microsoft product that will bring cloud-streamed games to your smartphone, tablet, or some other screen with an internet connection. The thing that’s launching in October – yes, the October that’s just days away – is a preview program.

“Public preview is a critical phase in our multi-year ambition to deliver game streaming globally at the scale and quality of experience that the gaming community deserves and expects,” Microsoft exec Kareem Choudhry said in a prepared statement. “It’s time to put Project xCloud to the test in a broader capacity, with a range of gamers, devices, network environments and real world use-case scenarios, and this is where you come in.” Read more…

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On Tuesday, Warner Bros. released a statement regarding the controversy surrounding Joker. 

In theaters next weekend, the Joaquin Phoenix-led project chronicles the origin of the Joker in a way that —  according to some critics — paints the Gotham villain as a sympathetic outcast rather than a mass murderer. 

The depiction has raised concerns among many, most notably the survivors and families of victims of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting that took place during a showing of The Dark Knight Rises. The shooting killed 12, and injured 70. 

“Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies,” the statement reads, as reported by Entertainment Weekly. Read more…

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Facebook announced it’s letting politicians say the kind of stuff that normal users can’t — just in time for the heated 2020 presidential race.

Starting today, Facebook will now view all speech from politicians as “newsworthy content” meaning it will be exempt from the platform’s community standards. In addition, Facebook reiterated its existing policy that exempts politicians’ speech from its fact-checking program. 

The company notes that it has had a newsworthiness exemption since 2016, which allowed statements and shared posts that broke Facebook guidelines if the public interest outweighed the risk of harm. However, from today going forward, content from politicians will be seen as newsworthy as a “general rule.” Read more…

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Joe, java, jet fuel, go juice, the daily grind — whatever you call it, coffee is life. And when the Turks invented the first coffee pot all the way back in the day, humankind was given the greatest gift of all: a way to finally brew a decent cup at home. 

But as with all inventions, we lost our way over time. The simple became overly-complex. The home cuppa was replaced by expensive mocha lattes, trendy pumpkin spice frappuccinos with low fat milk froth, and ridiculous caramel-fused half-caff affogatos, all made by bored, tattoo-covered baristas in crowded, hipster coffeehouses. And that is no way to live.     Read more…

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The Last of Us 2 is real and it finally has a release date: Feb. 28, 2020.

The latest trailer, shared on Tuesday during PlayStation’s Nintendo Direct-like “State of Play” reveal stream, is filled with ominous signs of a brutal game. There’s blood and guts, sure. But there’s also plenty of human drama, and a none-too-surprising appearance from an older and rouged up Joel.

What horrible ends await him, Ellie, and everyone else? Will the Clickers get them, or will humans be the bigger villains? (My money’s on humans.) Basically: how many different ways will Naughty Dog find to torment us emotionally with a sad story of life after the end of the world? Read more…

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Tech contractors aren’t going to take it anymore. 

That message was sent loud and clear by a group of Google contractors in Pittsburgh who today successfully voted to unionize with the United Steelworkers. The contractors, not directly employed by the tech giant but doing work on the company’s behalf, voted 49 to 24 in favor, according to CBS Pittsburgh. 

The 80 employees of HCL Technologies, a self-described “next-generation global technology company” that does work on Google’s behalf, alleged their direct employer applied anti-union pressure in a United Steelworkers press release. 

“Over the past few months, management has implied — and in some cases outright told us — that it’s better to just be quiet than fight for what’s right,” HCL worker Johanne Rokholt is quoted as saying in the release. “Today we have proved that we are not willing to do that.” Read more…

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The Lyft app was overhauled more than a year ago to focus on shared rides. Now it’s got a new look for all the other ways you can get around with Lyft: bike-shares, e-scooters, car rentals, and even the city bus. 

Lyft’s new look brings all your available travel options to the home screen starting Wednesday. While we’re used to seeing only cars driving around, in the coming weeks users will see other options sitting on the map. If you live in a city where Lyft runs a bike-share program, you’ll see nearby bikes to rent. Same with e-scooters, rentals, and nearby buses or trains.

“The redesign will drive people in the direction of non-driving options,” Caroline Samponaro, Lyft’s head of micromobility policy, said in a phone call this week. Read more…

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King watched “Doctor Sleep,” which has an October release date, in advance. And the author made sure we knew his opinion about it. Read more…

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The product can be worn or used to help you out if you need a quick charge. Read more…

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It’s OK if you missed this in the flood of Apple TV+ original series announcements: Oprah’s Book Club is being reborn on the platform, no doubt bringing with it a new list of culture things you need to catch up on because everybody else is talking about them.

The benevolent multimedia mogul’s lit picks are famously powerful, but the Club itself has been a bit intermittent, with only 10 books selected overall since its 2012 relaunch on her own channel, OWN. The last was Michelle Obama’s blockbuster memoir Becoming in November 2018.

Her latest fave likely wouldn’t have needed her stamp of approval to be a big damn deal, but it sure can’t hurt.  Read more…

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