Technology: What Geeks are talking about from TechSpot

Online multiplayer, Battleborn DLC, practice mode and more coming to Rock Band 4

The crowdfunding campaign to bring Rock Band 4 to the PC may have fallen short of its goal but developer Harmonix still has big things planned for the rhythm game later this year.

Apple reportedly turns to Magna for electric car project after talks with BMW and Daimler fail

Rumors that Apple was in talks with BMW and Daimler for the Cupertino company’s electric car project, codenamed Titan, have been circulating for about a year. But according to German news outlet Handelsblatt, discussions between the three parties have broken down.

Mexico’s voter database containing the records of over 80 million citizens leaked online

Earlier this month, it was reported that hackers had infiltrated the Philippines’ Commission on Elections database and leaked the personal information of up to 55 million people. Now, Mexico has become the latest country to have its entire voter database posted online.

The Witcher 3 Blood and Wine DLC: new Gwent faction and screenshots revealed

New images and information regarding The Witcher 3’s second and final piece of DLC, Blood and Wine, have been revealed. As well as showing more screenshots of the Southern France-style area of Toussaint, CD Projekt Red has announced that a new faction will be added to everyone’s favorite card battling…

The Best Headphones: In-ear, over-ear, gaming, wireless and more

There’s an endless selection when it comes to headphones and finding the right pair of can be not only tough but there’s a lot of subjectivity involved depending on what matters most to you — audio quality, comfort, features, and so on. Here are our picks for the best headphones…

Weekend tech reading: A year with the Apple Watch, have smartphones peaked?

About a year ago, Apple announced and released its first Apple Watch. The long-rumored product was Apple’s first all-new product category since the iPad and its first under CEO Tim Cook. To say that expectations were high would be an understatement…

Broadband data caps are having their intended effect: punishing cord-cutters

During a recent conversation with a close friend of mine, I mentioned the fact that I’ve gone over my 300GB broadband data cap a handful of times since switching from AT&T U-Verse to Comcast for my home Internet needs last September. He was flabbergasted and questioned how I could possibly…

Apple: All new Watch apps submitted from June 1 must operate natively

Apple has issued an ultimatum to Apple Watch developers. Starting June 1, 2016, all new apps for its smartwatch must be native apps built with the watchOS 2 SDK or later. New apps that don’t comply with the updated guideline will be rejected.

Gearbox Software shares new details on Borderlands 3

Gearbox Software said back in January of 2015 that it was getting all of the pieces in place (i.e., recruiting talent) to begin work on the next Borderlands game. During a recent panel at PAX East in Boston, Gearbox chief Randy Pitchford shared additional details about the game that are…

Microsoft releases Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14328 for PC and mobile, here’s what to expect

Microsoft on Friday released Windows 10 build 14328 for PC and mobile to Windows Insiders participating in the Fast ring.

Accidental breakthrough could lead to batteries that last 400 times longer

The problem with modern rechargeable lithium battery technology – well, one of the many problems – is that over time, the materials on the inside become corroded which lessens their ability to hold a charge.

Weekend Open Forum: Is Jon Snow really gone?

HBO’s hit show finally kicks off its sixth season this weekend after teasing us with several trailers over the past few days. It’s a pivotal time for the series as all of the plots will now extend beyond the storylines of George R.R. Martin’s published books. Also, we’ll soon learn…

Mobile gaming revenues forecasted to surpass those of PC gaming for the first time ever

The gaming industry will generate nearly $100 billion in revenues in 2016 according to new data from market research firm Newzoo.

Cooler heads prevail as Microsoft, Google agree to drop regulatory complaints against one another

Enough is enough. Microsoft and Google have agreed to drop all pending regulatory complaints waged against each other according to a report from Re/Code.

PC version of Doom will have lots of advanced rendering options, no framerate cap

With a closed and open beta of Doom under its belt, Bethesda and id Software collected a wealth of useful information that it says will be put to good use.

Chinese government shuts down Apple’s iTunes Movies and iBooks Store

While many American firms have struggled to make a mark in China as a result of the country’s reluctance to allow foreign companies too much influence, Apple has long been the exception. But it looks as if this may be changing, as regulators have reportedly shut down iTunes Movies and…

AMD stock soars on news of x86 licensing agreement with Chinese consortium

AMD’s share value is surging on news that it has licensed its x86 chip technology to a consortium of public and private Chinese companies.

Unlocking the San Bernardino iPhone cost the FBI over $1.3 million

It’s been a few weeks since the FBI dropped its pending legal case against Apple after it paid a third party to help break into the San Bernardino iPhone. Now, we know how much of the taxpayers’ money was spent unlocking it.

More than a million people are now using Tor to access Facebook anonymously

Facebook on Friday said that more than a million people have used the Tor anonymizing browser to connect to the social network over the past 30 days. That’s up from an average of 525,000 people during a typical 30 day period in June of 2015. Either way, it seems a…

Comedy Central, BET, MTV, Spike and other Viacom networks are coming to Sling TV

Dish Network and Viacom have come to terms on a multi-year contract renewal that’ll ultimately result in select Viacom live and video-on-demand content making its way to Sling TV, Dish’s over-the-top Internet television service.

Uber agrees to $100 million settlement in driver lawsuit to keep them as independent contractors

Uber announced yesterday it had agreed to settle a pair of class action lawsuits that could see the company pay out as much as $100 million to the drivers represented in the cases, but it will continue to classify them as independent contractors and not employees – representing a significant…

Hackers responsible for SpyEye botnet toolkit sentenced to nearly 25 years in prison

An Atlanta judge has sentenced two international hackers to a combined 24 years in prison for their roles in creating and distributing the SpyEye botnet creation kit.

Steam is about to start accepting Bitcoin payments

Steam is about to become the latest service to accept Bitcoins as a means of payment. The news comes via a post from the platform’s private developer forums, which was republished on Reddit. There’s no exact word on when the system will be implemented, but it looks as if it’ll…

Amazon is preventing non-Prime members from buying some games and DVDs

It appears that Amazon has added a number of video games and DVDs to its list of Prime-exclusive goods. First spotted by Videogamer.com, several of the online giant’s UK customers (and now in the US, too) have discovered that they are unable to purchase certain titles without being a member…

Cherry launches MX Speed mechanical key switches, a Corsair exclusive for six months

Mechanical keyboard switch maker Cherry has developed an all-new switch designed specifically for fast and frequent typists as well as gamers that demand low response times.

Google will soon add live TV listings to search results

Google recently announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference that it’ll soon be adding live TV listings to its search results.

Driverless public transit pods to hit Singapore roads later this year

By the end of the year, residents in Singapore will be able to hop into a futuristic-looking driverless pod that’ll whisk them away to work, school or other destinations thanks to a joint venture between Singaporean transportation operator SMRT Services and Dutch pod maker 2getthere.

Apple patent details hybrid wired / wireless headphones

Evidence continues to mount that suggests Apple will ditch the 3.5mm audio jack on its next iPhone, leaving only the Lighting port to serve as a physical audio interface (wireless is also an option, of course). A patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday serves as…

Acer’s Switch Alpha 12 is the first fanless 2-in-1 with a proper Intel Skylake Core series processor

Liquid cooling a PC is far more common than it used to be thanks to a barrage of self-contained, plug-and-play kits. The one common theme you’ll find, however, is that nearly all liquid-cooled PCs are of the desktop variety which makes products like Acer’s new Switch Alpha 12 a rarity. …

This animated short from Nintendo sets the stage for Star Fox Zero

Star Fox Zero lands on Nintendo’s Wii U in less than 24 hours (it launched in Japan earlier today). While the jury may still be out regarding the game’s controls, it’s already receiving praise from reviewers for its strong environmental design, intricate scoring system, solid storyline and of course, the…

Inbox by Gmail’s new features make tracking events, reading newsletters, and saving links easier

Google has announced that users of Inbox by Gmail will find three new features have been added to both the desktop and mobile versions of the email service.

Amazon adds new color, storage options to entry-level Fire tablet

Amazon on Thursday announced a minor refresh of its Fire tablet that introduces new color and storage options.

Sega is bringing mod support to its 16-bit console titles with the Genesis games hub on Steam

Sega has some good news for fans of its much-loved Genesis console. The Japanese company is launching the new Sega Megadrive (the European/Japanese name for the Genesis) Classics Hub on Steam, which will not only provide a 3D recreation of a mid-90’s bedroom where you can play all your 16-bit…