Geek Trivia: Which Video Game Company Got Their Start Manufacturing Playing Cards?

Which Video Game Company Got Their Start Manufacturing Playing Cards?

Sega Atari Nintendo Playmore Think you know the answer?

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Changing viewing habits and desire for more ad revenue are prompting YouTube creators to post ever longer videos (Emma Grey Ellis/Wired)

Emma Grey Ellis / Wired:
Changing viewing habits and desire for more ad revenue are prompting YouTube creators to post ever longer videos  —  ONE MONTH AGO, a dog I have never met died.  His owners are YouTubers Simon and Martina, a Canadian couple who make videos about the delicious food they eat in Tokyo, where they live.

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Profile of Quanttus, a failed startup borne out of research to measure blood pressure with a watch, whose alumns now populate health teams at big tech companies (Christina Farr/CNBC)

Christina Farr / CNBC:
Profile of Quanttus, a failed startup borne out of research to measure blood pressure with a watch, whose alumns now populate health teams at big tech companies  —  - In 2012, a group of MIT researchers came up with an idea to measure blood pressure around the clock with a wristwatch.

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Xbox One will work with keyboard and mouse as of November 14th, starting with Fortnite

We knew the Xbox One was set to get keyboard and mouse support eventually, but now we know exactly when: November 14th.

Don’t expect all Xbox One games to play friendly with the new keyboard/mouse functionality right out of the gate. It’s up to individual developers to figure out if/how it works with their games and patch things up accordingly, so only a handful will support it at first.

But one of the first titles picking up support is a big one: Fortnite, the free-to-play third person shooter that has taken over the world, will roll out support with an update later this week. As will Warframe, the free-to-play coop shooter.

Bomber Crew, Strange Brigade, Warhammer: Vermintide 2, War Thunder, X-Morph: Defense, and Deep Rock Galactic will get support later in November, while Children of Morta, Vigor, Warface, Wargroove, DayZ, Minion Masters, and Moonlighter have pledged to add support at some less specific point down the road.

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Microsoft says mouse and keyboard support for the Xbox One is coming on November 14 (Morgan Little/CNET)

Morgan Little / CNET:
Microsoft says mouse and keyboard support for the Xbox One is coming on November 14  —  Microsoft revealed the timing for mouse and keyboard support for the Xbox One Saturday, announcing that it would launch Wednesday, November 14, among its many other reveals during its X018 event.

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The Disney+ Streaming Service Is Launching in 2019

Disney has announced that its forthcoming streaming service is going to be called Disney+, and is scheduled to launch in late 2019. The Mickey Mouse company has also announced more original content, with shows from the Star Wars and Marvel universes.

Disney’s Streaming Service Is Called Disney+

In August 2017, Disney announced it was launching its own streaming service, but details were thin on the ground. We now know Disney’s streaming service will be called Disney+, which mirrors the naming of ESPN+. Disney+ will launch in the U.S. in late 2019.

Disney+ is still a work in progress. However, it has its own website, and interested parties can sign up to receive updates about the streaming service via email. Which may be worth doing if you’re a fan of Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, and/or National Geographic.

Disney Announces More Original Content

Disney has already announced a Star Wars show, Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, as well as shows based on previous Disney movies, Monsters Inc. and High School Musical. All of which will be original content made exclusively for Disney+.

The Walt Disney Company’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service will be called Disney+, launching in the U.S. in late 2019: https://t.co/fqv1HFHtqw pic.twitter.com/ut3ojyusB1

— Disney (@Disney) November 8, 2018

Now, Disney has announced two more original shows made for Disney+. The first is a series about Cassian Andor, the Rebel spy from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The second is a Marvel series centered around Loki, the god of mischief, with Tom Hiddleston starring.

The Disney Juggernaut Continues to Grow

It makes absolute sense for Disney to launch its own streaming service. Disney is one of the few entertainment brands in the world which will be able to tempt people away from the likes of Netflix and Hulu. But this is mixed news for consumers.

On the one hand, Disney+ will lead to new shows in beloved franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel. However, there are too many streaming services to choose from, and Disney+ is yet another desirable streaming service people will want to pay for.

Read the full article: The Disney+ Streaming Service Is Launching in 2019

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Profile of Ivy Ross, Google's VP of design, who is working to make Google's hardware design aesthetic "human, optimistic and bold" (Katia Moskvitch/WIRED UK)

Katia Moskvitch / WIRED UK:
Profile of Ivy Ross, Google's VP of design, who is working to make Google's hardware design aesthetic “human, optimistic and bold”  —  Google's hardware is only a small part of its business, but it's one that's growing.  Vice president of design, Ivy Ross, is trying to help it compete with Apple and Samsung

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The top 10 cities for $100M VC rounds in 2018 so far

Jason Rowley Contributor

Jason Rowley is a venture capital and technology reporter for Crunchbase News.

More posts by this contributor

• The SaaS VC gap: China & other markets trail the US
• Early-stage SaaS VC slip snaps recovery as public software stocks soar

Crunchbase News recently profiled a selection of U.S. companies’ largest VC raised in 2018, and no surprise here: the 10 largest rounds all topped out well north of $100 million.

A major driver of global venture dollar growth is the relatively recent phenomenon of companies raising $100 million or more in a single venture round. We’ve called these nine and 10-figure deals, which shine brightly in the media and are hefty enough to bend the curve of VC fund sizes upwards, “supergiants” after their stellar counterparts.

And like stars, venture-backed companies tend to originate and co-exist in clusters, while the physical space between these groups is largely empty.

We noticed that many of the companies behind these supergiant rounds are headquartered in just a few metro areas around the United States. In this case, it’s mostly just the SF Bay Area, plus others scattered between Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego and one (Magic Leap) in the unfortunately named Plantation, Florida.

The San Francisco Bay Area is perhaps one of the best-known tech and startup hubs in the world. Places like Boston, NYC and Los Angeles, among others, are perhaps just as well-known. But how do these cities stack up as clusters for companies raising supergiant rounds?

Superclusters

That question got us wondering how these locales rank against other major metropolitan areas throughout the world. In the chart below, we’ve plotted the count of supergiant venture rounds¹ topping out at $100 million or more through November 5. These numbers are based off of reported data in Crunchbase, exclude private equity rounds and do not account for deals that may have already been closed but haven’t been publicly announced yet.

Although U.S.-based companies have raised more supergiant rounds (168 year to date) than their Chinese counterparts (160 year to date), Chinese companies raise much bigger rounds, even at this supergiant size class.

How much more? U.S. companies have raised $38.4 billion, year to date, in nine and 10-figure venture rounds alone. Chinese companies have raised $69 billion across their 160 supergiant deals, which includes the largest-ever VC deal: a $14 billion Series C round raised by Ant Financial.

2018 in perspective

2018 is already a record year for venture funding worldwide. With more than $275 billion in projected total venture dollar volume so far, 2018’s year-to-date numbers have already eclipsed 2017’s full-year figures (a projected $220 billion, roughly) by more than $55 billion.²

And there’s still about eight weeks left to go before it’s New Year’s Eve.

1. We use the same classification rules for what is and is not a “venture” round as we’ve used in our quarterly reports. Check out the methodology section of our most recent global VC report, from Q3 2018, to learn more about how Crunchbase News categorizes rounds.
2. We’re referring to the same type of projected data we use in the quarterly reports. Check out the methodology section of our most recent global VC report, from Q3 2018, to learn more about how Crunchbase News uses projected and reported data.

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Lime launches a global recall of scooters from one of its manufacturers after determining that the scooters could break apart while in use (Peter Holley/Washington Post)

Peter Holley / Washington Post:
Lime launches a global recall of scooters from one of its manufacturers after determining that the scooters could break apart while in use  —  The fast-growing electronic scooter company Lime has decided to immediately remove one of the company's brands from every city across the globe …

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As Trump administration reinstates economic sanctions, major US banks are bracing themselves against cyberattacks from Iran (CNN)

CNN:
As Trump administration reinstates economic sanctions, major US banks are bracing themselves against cyberattacks from Iran  —  New York (CNN)As the United States reinstated economic sanctions on Iran on Monday, American banks were gearing up for retaliatory Iranian cyberattacks.

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The Best Yoga Towels For Hot Yoga And More

Sweating during any workout or stretch shows that you’re working hard, but it can get in the way of your perfect yoga pose. If you use a yoga towel, slipping and sliding around will be a thing of the past.

Yoga towels are used to cover your yoga mat, wipe your body, and dry your hands—and we’ve rounded up towels great for all of that. Having a yoga towel during your yoga session can also reduce bacteria buildup on your mat since towels are easier to clean than a mat.

Whether you’re experienced or new, if you do Bikram, Vinyasa, hot, or any other type of yoga, you’ll find yoga towels helpful. 

Best Overall Yoga Towel for Your Mat: Healthyoga ($20)

Covering your yoga mat with a towel can be helpful for not only keeping your mat clean and sweat-free (and ultimately bacteria-free), but also for improving your grip and stability. And with the Healthyoga Non-Slip Yoga Towel, you won’t be slipping around. This towel has a corner pocket design that folds over each corner of the mat. When you’re in the middle of a stretch, the towel will stay taut and in place.

No more worrying about positioning your towel during yoga with the Healthyoga! Plus, the towel has a two-sided dual grip that keeps it firmly in place, even when you’re moving around. Not only will the towel stay in one position, but the grid-like texture can also enhance your poses by providing a better grip while the absorbent microfiber wicks up sweat and moisture to prevent slipping. Towels also help you maintain a hygienic yoga space, and are easier to clean than a mat.

The Healthyoga comes in two different towel sizes (depending on the size of your mat), and 6 different colors. While this towel will work for most mats, if you’re looking for a towel that will cover your mat but is just a few inches longer than the Healthyoga, check out this SYOURSELF Yoga Towel.

Buy on Amazon

Best Yoga Towel for Hot Yoga: Shandali ($20)

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The Best Sites for Creating Digital Music

When you’re at home with your favorite instruments, it’s easy to create a masterpiece. But, musical inspiration can strike anywhere. What do you then? The following websites will help you create digital music right in your browser. All you need are some skills (not always) and an internet connection.

Soundtrap

Soundtrap is a slick, easy to use, and a powerful DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that works in your browser. You’ll need to create an account to start using the browser-app, which will also give you a trial of their premium features. Once the trial expires, you’ll be downgraded to a free account that has certain limitations.

There are plenty of instruments and loops that you can experiment with and create music. You can also connect a MIDI-compatible instrument and record music in the app. Soundtrap also has sharing and collaboration features, using which you can share your musical projects with your friends, and they’ll be able to listen and even edit your music.

AudioTool

AudioTool is a fantastic music production site that has been around a while. Its interface has always been easy to use, but the regular updates keep polishing it even further. You can connect various virtual-devices like synthesizers, equalizers, effect pedals, and more to create a virtual mixing desk inside AudioTool.

As powerful as it is, AudioTool has a steep learning curve. If you’re starting out or just want to have fun, then AudioTool might be overkill for your needs.

Soundation

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A detailed look at SIM swapping, a complex form of mobile phone fraud that is often used to steal large amounts of cryptocurrencies and other valuable items (Brian Krebs/Krebs on Security)

Brian Krebs / Krebs on Security:
A detailed look at SIM swapping, a complex form of mobile phone fraud that is often used to steal large amounts of cryptocurrencies and other valuable items  —  KrebsOnSecurity recently had a chance to interview members of the REACT Task Force, a team of law enforcement officers and prosecutors based …

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5 Free PDF Editor Websites to Create, Fill, Annotate or Alter PDF Files

PDF is the default file format for important documents. Whether it’s a form you need to fill or something you need others to read, these web apps will help you get everything done with a PDF, without ever installing any software.

You probably interact with PDFs many times a week, or even every day. Since these files look the same on any device, we still rely on PDFs heavily. There are a few tasks you typically want to do with them:

• Fill or edit a PDF
• Create a PDF form or document
• Reduce file size (since PDFs can be much larger than a Word document)
• Annotate a PDF or add notes that others can see
• Split a PDF file
• Merge multiple PDF files
• Unlock a password protected PDF file

There is much more too, but these are the most common tasks. And the good news is that you don’t need to download any special software for that. These are free

Paperjet (Web): Fill PDF Forms and Sign Them

The most common task you need to do with a PDF is to fill it. The best PDF readers on Windows, macOS, Linux, or Chrome OS don’t let you change anything in a PDF. The quickest and simplest way is to use Paperjet.

You’ll have to sign up to Paperjet to use the service. Upload your PDF document and it smartly adds text boxes for fields in the document. If a textbox isn’t available where you want to write, you can add one yourself. The font, size, and color are customizable. You can also attach pictures, in case it’s a form that needs your passport photo.

Paperjet is free for 10 PDF files in a month, but you’ll have to pay $5 per month for anything more. It’s well worth it if you use a lot of PDF files for your work, but you might want to look at other ways to edit PDF files online for free.

Jotform (Web): Create PDFs for Common Forms and Documents

While most online PDF editors are all about editing a form you already have, very few tools give you the option to create a PDF form yourself, such as when you want to create a contract. Jotform is a fantastic free web app to create PDFs for common forms and documents from templates.

The collection of templates is what sets Jotform ahead of everyone else. The templates are neatly divided into categories, such as a certificate, consent agreement, contract, employee records, event planning, invitation, invoice, job application, lease agreement, medical history, performance evaluation, scholarship application, ticket, and voucher. Each category has several different types, and you can search Jotform too.

Once you’ve found the form you want to work with, open it in the Jotform editor. Now you can edit any part of the form, whether it’s text, alignment of boxes and fields, or anything else. The only thing you can’t remove is the Jotform watermark, which requires a premium plan.

Shrink PDF (Web): Reduce the File Size of Multiple PDFs

PDF files generally tend to be much larger in size than a document. And a lot of sites where you need to submit a PDF will restrict the file size. Head over to Shrink PDF (especially if you have many files) to compress without any major loss.

You can upload up to 20 PDF files at a time to Shrink PDF. You can’t change any settings, the app has its own methods to reduce size. Once it is done compressing, you will see how much it reduced the file size in percentage. You can download all those files individually, or download them all as a group in a Zip archive.

There are plenty of other ways to compress and reduce the size of a PDF file, including web apps, but we love Shrink PDF’s no-nonsense, no-fuss approach.

Sumnotes (Web): Collect and Export Notes and Annotations on a PDF

A PDF file can’t be easily edited, but you can add notes and annotations for others to see. In fact, you can annotate a PDF file with built-in tools on Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or macOS Preview. Sumnotes collects and exports these annotations.

Upload a PDF to Sumnotes and in a few seconds, it will show you all the annotations in that file. Seeing them in a list is actually quite helpful as you can go from one to the next quickly. You can copy-paste any note, or even export all annotations in a DOC or TXT file. And of course, you can delete any annotation you don’t want.

It’s a simple, useful tool that ensures you don’t miss any annotation or note made by someone else.

PDF Candy (Web): All-In-One App for Various PDF Tools

There are several free online PDF tools to save you work, but why go to different places for all those tasks when PDF Candy has them in one place. It’s a fantastic web app that aggregates the most common PDF editing tasks.

Here’s a brief list of what you can do at PDF Candy:

• Convert PDF to Word, JPG, DOCX, RTF, TIFF, BMP, PNG
• Convert Word, JPG, DOCX, HTML, EPUB, MOBI, FB2, PNG, TIFF, BMP, RTF, ODT, XLS, PPT to PDF
• Rotate PDF
• Resize pages
• Crop PDF
• Compress PDF
• Merge multiple PDFs
• Split PDF into separate pages
• Delete pages
• Rearrange pages
• Unlock or password-protect PDF
• Add watermark
• Extract images or text
• Add page numbers
• Edit metadata

All of these functions are completely free and don’t even need you to sign into PDF Candy. This is as easy as it gets.

For More Heavy-Duty PDF Needs

These free apps perform the most common tasks any person requires with PDFs. And since they are all online, you don’t need to install anything. But when you’re working with PDFs regularly, you might need offline apps, or something more robust.

If you’re a heavy user, you should check out these free tools to edit PDF files. From creating PDF booklets to a powerful PDF editor, you can get everything for free even offline.

Read the full article: 5 Free PDF Editor Websites to Create, Fill, Annotate or Alter PDF Files

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Buying a Domain Name? This Is What You Need to Know

A domain name is your website’s location on the internet. It translates the digits that make up your IP address into something catchy that people can remember. Domain names are bought through Domain Name Registrars, companies that manage the reservation of domain names and point them to your website.

RELATED: What Is DNS, and Should I Use Another DNS Server?

Where To Buy a Domain Name

When you buy a domain name, you do so through a “Domain Registrar” that manages the registration of that domain name. For most registrars, you’ll buy the domain from them and then use a hosting provider to manage the website. Some companies provide both services.

Google Domains is a great tool for finding domains and integrates well with Google’s mail services. Namecheap and Hover are other great options and offer good DNS support and mail hosting in addition to low prices on domains.

You can also buy directly from your hosting provider (like GoDaddy), but if you want to switch providers, it’s generally more difficult as you’ll usually have to transfer the domain to another registrar, sometimes even having it locked down to that specific host.

What if My Domain is Already Taken?

If someone already has your domain, you might still be able to buy it, but it will cost more. This is because instead of buying it from a registrar for a standard price, you’ll have to buy it off of whoever has it. Many people register domains they think could be profitable and then sell them on domain marketplaces like Sedo and Afternic. You can try searching those services if you need that specific domain.

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Geek Trivia: What Was The First TV Show To Use Computer Generated Models?

What Was The First TV Show To Use Computer Generated Models?

Viper M.A.N.T.I.S. Star Trek: The Next Generation Babylon 5 Think you know the answer?

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