Gizmodo

Anybody who played Cyberpunk 2077 would immediately recognize the name Victor Vektor, the affable and surprisingly kind ripper doc who plays a pivotal role in the game's opening segments. He's also featured in CD Projekt Red's new Phantom Liberty expansion, but those playing the Polish version of the DLC will find...Read more...

President Joe Biden is reportedly considering a new measure that hopes to block the small number of American chips that still make their way to China, in spite of an export ban, according to Reuters Friday. A United States rule restricting the export of advanced chips to China was revised this week, and yesterday went...Read more...

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters wants to introduce some new Titans to Legendary's Godzilla universe. Get a look at the return of the world of Orphan Black in Echoes' new trailer. Plus, a new poster for Hunger Games prequel Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and updates on the future of Gen V. Spoilers, away!

Microsoft finalized its purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc. for $69 billion after it received approval from UK regulators on Friday. The Xbox maker's acquisition of the gaming company known for its Call of Duty franchise marks the end of a nearly two-year fight with regulators who attempted to block the deal.Read more...

The original Pixel now takes 15 minutes more to charge than it did before. But longer charging times aren't necessarily a bad thing. They can ensure good long-term health for your battery and device.

It's the season for spooky movie marathons-and Elijah Wood, best known for Lord of the Rings but no stranger to the quirkier realms of cinema-is here to help you with your next binge. On Wednesday, October 18, Wood and his SpectreVision production company co-founder Daniel Noah present a free marathon of offbeat picks...Read more...

The rise of our animatronic overlords just got a lot cuter with Disney Imagineering testing out Star Wars universe BD droids at Disneyland.Read more...

Readers beware, you're in for a new take on Goosebumps scares.

Rick and Morty returns this Sunday, and while the Adult Swim show is used to plenty of fanfare heralding each new season, its seventh is under particular scrutiny for one big reason: it marks the debut of Rick and Morty's new voices after Justin Roiland's departure made recasting urgently necessary.Read more...

A federal judge responsible for deciding the fate of Montana's unprecedented TikTok ban poked holes in the state's argument during a hearing Thursday and questioned why the government should prevent users and creators from willfully handing over data to the app. Donald Molloy, the judge overseeing the hearing, said...Read more...

The anti-vaccination movement is going to the dogs. Recent survey data has suggested that a substantial proportion of American dog owners have doubts about their pets' vaccines, including the rabies shot. Rabies is almost always fatal if not treated promptly, and routine canine vaccination has helped make pet and...Read more...

Even if you're one of the many fans who used to religiously watch The Walking Deadand fell off somewhere along the way, there's one project coming you are still curious about. It's, of course, the Rick and Michonne spinoff show called The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.Read more...

A new survey suggests that American teens-a generation that doesn't know what life was like without streaming-now favor watching videos on YouTube rather than the previously all-powerful Netflix.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned six flavored Vuse Alto e-cigarette products on Thursday amid a nationwide crackdown on vape and e-cigarette sales in the U.S. The FDA cited concerns that Vuse Alto applied targeted marketing to children as it became the top-selling vape product, surpassing Juul.

They've raced for the moon, they've raced for Mars, and now the astronauts of For All Mankind are racing after an asteroid. The first trailer for season four of Apple TV+'s incredible alternate reality show is here, and it's a perfect illustration of what sets the series apart from everything else.Read more...

Threads may not be the place to go for news, but it now has an edit button. And unlike a certain other social media platform, it didn't take 16 years to get it.Read more...

Lower Decks does a lot with its love of story threads and nods to past Star Trek, but when it comes to carving out its own true additions to the trope canon those results are often a little mixed-and, weirdly enough, have so far largely focused on one very specific trope, in the form of Trek's litany of asshole AI...Read more...

Alphabet's Google is setting itself up to be a one-stop shop for all sorts of climate- and sustainability-related decisions. The company announced a series of updates this week that aim to help users make more informed choices, whether they're about buying an electric vehicle or preparing for extreme weather.Read more...

There's been a lot of talk recently about NFTs, mainly that the vast majority of them are now damn near worthless.Read more...

Netflix is planning to open new immersive locations created around its original TV shows where fans can shop, eat, and play some games. The two new locations will be Netflix's first permanent fan experience locations its Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos announced on Thursday during the Bloomberg Screentime...Read more...

You never want to see Michael Myers anywhere near your home, but he may soon be coming to TV near you. Miramax just scored the TV rights to the very popular Halloween franchise with an eye on developing not just a TV show but a full universe that expands into film as well.Read more...

After the most recent negotiations between striking SAG-AFTRA members and the AMPTP broke down, a discussion draft of the bipartisan bill aims to protect performers and artists from having their likeness generated by AI.Read more...

When the Arab Spring unfolded just over ten years ago, Twitter played a pivotal role. The site was both a source for up-to-the-minute information and an organizing tool for protestors, and some celebrated Twitter as part of a new, digital revolution. But this week, a less hopeful moment in the Middle East proved once...Read more...

As NASA looks into the most recent incident of a leak from the International Space Station (ISS), two spacewalks have been delayed until ongoing investigations are complete.Read more...

On October 14, sky-watchers across North America will have the opportunity to witness a stunning annular solar eclipse, provided the weather plays along. Here's your guide to when and where to catch this celestial event, from the vibrant ring of fire" to varying degrees of partial obscurity.Read more...

Sony recently opened pre-orders for its new Access controller which launches on December 6 and costs $89.99. Consumers can head over to Amazon, Best Buy, or the Playstation Direct storeto place an order. The company also published a blog that highlights the ways in which the controller can be personalized for folks...Read more...

What happens in a world where immortality is possible if you take the right drug? That's the seed of the new sci-fi film Divinity from writer and director Eddie Alcazar. Scott Bakula plays that drug's inventor and Stephen Dorff is his son.

A man's love of mushrooms left him with bizarre red streaks across his back. In a case study released this week, doctors describe how the unlucky fellow developed a rare skin condition from eating undercooked shiitake mushrooms. The condition is only temporary, thankfully, and he recovered with no issues.Read more...

Late last month, what should've been a cutesy, even educational collaboration between Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum and Pokemon flared up into an absurd disaster as scalpers hungry to continue turning a profit on rare Pokemon merchandise raced to get their hands on as many behatted Pikachus as humanly possible. Now...Read more...

OpenAI has shocked the world with ChatGPT-4, but now it has to win over the developers who will actually build the future of artificial intelligence.Read more...

Starlink is rolling out its Direct to Cell service starting in 2024, SpaceX announced on its webpage that went up on Tuesday. The new service will use its satellites to provide users with talk, text, and data in remote regions.Read more...

The new trailer for Wonka is here and it picks up where the last one left off. Hugh Grant is an Oompa Loompa. And it only gets weirder from there.Read more...

All of our discarded toys are adding up to a big problem. According to a new report from the Waste Electronic and Electric Equipment (WEEE) Forum, one-sixth of all annual e-waste by mass is what is called invisible" waste, since they're tossed in the trash without most folks considering it to be a big deal the way...Read more...

Twin rocket boosters of the retired Space Shuttle have made the trek to Los Angeles, where they will be stacked in a launch-ready, vertical position for the first time in over a decade.Read more...

In the wake of the WGA's incredible success on strike and in the negotiation of its own contract with the AMPTP, when it was announced that studio representatives would return to the bargaining table with the still-striking actors' union SAG-AFTRA last week, there was hope that a similar labor win could be on the...Read more...

It's about to be a big time for Scott Pilgrim fans, between Netflix's new anime adaptation of the series and the comic's 20th anniversary next year. To celebrate both, Oni Press is kicking off a whole initiative to mark the anniversary-starting with a gorgeous collection of the original comic.

Archaeologists scrutinizing two groups of runestones from Denmark have determined the name Thyra' mentioned in the two inscriptions refers to the same woman: Queen Thyra, wife of Gorm the Old, and mother of Harald Bluetooth, the ruler whose name adorns the technology that connects modern wireless devices.Read more...

Weeks ago during its animation showcase highlighting its future animated shows, Netflix revealed a first look at Blue Eye Samurai. Unlike most of what was shown during that event, the upcoming series is an original property from co-creators Amber Noizumi and Logan writer Michael Green, and it's just received a new...Read more...

On Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) notified Microsoft that it may owe $28.9 billion in back taxes, plus penalties and interest, from 2004 through 2013. The IRS says it believes that as of Sept. 30, its tax adjustments are correct and will elevate the issue to judicial proceedings, if necessary.Read more...

Recent rumors have suggested that Apple will release its first M3 MacBooks this year. However, a new five-year global notebook shipments forecast published by DigiTimeshas suggested we won't be seeing them until 2024.

A new Monarch: Legacy of Monsters poster has double the Russells. Get a look at the Go Go! Loser Ranger anime adaptation. Disney+'s new Goosebumps show drops a creepy new clip. Plus, what's coming on Chucky, Quantum Leap, and more. Spoilers get!

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said Wednesday that Threads will not amplify news on the platform. Users are flocking to Threads for up-to-date information about the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Ukraine war, and the 2024 election, but the platform will not be making the content any easier to find.Read more...

On Hideki Kamiya's first video for his new YouTube channel, the man who helped direct landmark games like Bayonetta, Okami, Viewtiful Joe, and Devil May Cry is seen walking out of Platinum Games' headquarters carrying the trademark cardboard box of the recently laid off. He's wearing shorts and an orange bandana.Read more...

Scientists appear to have developed a hand prosthetic that provides much more control and comfort than those available today. In new research this week, they've detailed the case of a Swedish woman who has successfully worn the advanced bionic limb for years with no major issues, while experiencing significantly less...Read more...

On the eve of this year's New York Comic Con, some sad news-but delivered by its subject himself in wry style. According to a post on his official Facebook page that was reposted on his X account, legendary comic book artist Keith Giffen-co-creator of Marvel's Rocket Raccoon and DC's Lobo-has passed away.Read more...

The ending of John Carpenter's sci-fi creature feature The Thing is one of genre cinema's greatest puzzles; with just two characters left alive, the viewer is never sure who's human, and/or who's secretly an alien. Now, a popular theory about the scene has been dismissed by the director.Read more...

As Venom and Bane, Tom Hardy has already proved he can bring larger-than-life comic book characters to life. Now he's set to tackle a larger-than-life comic book universe too.Read more...

Halloween stores are already getting wiped out of costume options, so if you're here, chances are you're in need of ideas for something to wear to those upcoming spooky soirees. You come to io9 in your hour of need, on this week of Friday the 13th? Don't worry, we got you.

A California judge has ruled to consolidate 80 lawsuits against Uber from women who claim the company hasn't taken necessary steps to protect its riders from sexual assault. The ruling marks a major victory for the women who want to show the extent of the alleged sexual assault from Uber drivers.Read more...

Set in the Forgotten Realms of Dungeons & Dragons, The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin is a new novel from bestselling author Jaleigh Johnson. The novel centers around an all-new adventuring party whose exploits will be chronicled across multiple publishing initiatives," according to the press release.