Microsoft's 2019 purchase of Double Fine gave the studio's developers the peace of mind and added finances to make next month's "Psychonauts 2" a bigger and possibly better game, its developers told Axios.
Why it matters: A comedic follow-up to 2005 cult classic about adventuring through people's minds, "Psychonauts 2" has taken a strange path to existing at all.
In a two-tweet salvo this morning, Nintendo denied that the new Switch OLED model will increase the company's hardware profit margins and that a better Switch is waiting in the wings.
Why it matters: Nintendo is trying to counter criticism that its new Switch has been priced too high and that it is a skippable half-step.
Gaming's annual event where developers attend talks and share industry knowledge returns today for its 35th year, now as a fully virtual event.
Why it matters: Game Developers Conference is arguably one of the most important events of the year for developers because it focuses on education and networking.
President Biden attempted to clarify comments he made last week about Facebook, saying on Monday that the company itself is not "killing people" — but those who post misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines are.
Why it matters: The Biden administration has ratcheted up pressure on social media companies, especially Facebook, to increase their efforts to eliminate misinformation on vaccines and the virus from their platforms.
No-fee trading app Robinhood on Monday disclosed details for its upcoming IPO, with plans to raise around $2.2 billion at a $33 billion valuation.
Why it matters: This is expected to be one of the largest and most closely-watched IPOs on 2021, as the company's fortunes are closely correlated to the stock-trading among young, retail investors.
The U.S., NATO and other allies are collectively calling out China for malicious cyberattacks, including a March attack that exploited a flaw in Microsoft's Exchange Server.
Why it matters: It's the first time that NATO, a military alliance founded in 1949 to confront the Soviet Union, has signed onto a formal condemnation of China's cyber activities.
The Daily Wire on Monday launched its newest podcast, "The Morning Wire," a 14-minute morning news update that's being pitched as the conservative alternative to shows like "The Daily" from The New York Times and "Up First" from NPR.
Why it matters: Conservatives have been very successful at building popular podcasts, but to-date, there haven't been any break-out conservative morning news podcasts that set the agenda for early risers, commuters and professionals.
Face-recognition tech is coming to a store near you, if it's not there already, and that's sparking a new wave of opposition.
Why it matters: The systems can scan or store facial images of both shoppers and workers. Their use accelerated during the pandemic as retailers looked for ways to prevent fraud, track foot traffic with fewer employees, and offer contactless payments at a time when consumers were wary of interacting with others.
Israeli cyber intelligence firm NSO Group's hacking software has been used to spy on heads of state, journalists, activists and lawyers across the world, per an investigation by 17 news organizations and nonprofits, published Sunday.
Why it matters: Authoritarian governments and others have used this spyware "to facilitate human rights violations around the world on a massive scale," with 50,000 phone numbers of targets leaked — including the family of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, alleges rights group Amnesty International, which helped research the report, which NSO called "false."
