-
1 day ago | 
cnet.com | Omar Gallaga |Peter Thayer Butler
If you're one of the Fortnite gamers who were deceived by Epic Games' in-game purchase process, but you missed the October and January deadlines to file for compensation from a settlement, you've got another chance. The Federal Trade Commission has reopened the process for eligible claimants to get money back in the $245 million settlement related to the use of illegal tactics that boosted in-game sales.
-
2 weeks ago | 
cnet.com | Peter Thayer Butler |Brittany Vincent
It might not be rare for the 13th day of the month to fall on a Friday (it happens 1-3 times a year), but it's still a great excuse to travel back in time 45 years to Camp Crystal Lake for one of the most famous horror movies of all time -- Friday the 13th. The 1980 slasher film, featuring the tormented killer Jason Voorhees and his hapless camp counselor victims, was hated by critics yet loved by audiences.
-
3 weeks ago | 
cnet.com | Peter Thayer Butler
What started as a pandemic-related substitute for the long-running E3 trade show has turned into the one of the biggest video games event of the year. Fans and journalists will get early looks at the most anticipated AAA and indie video games, and we'll all get tons of new trailers.
-
3 weeks ago | 
cnet.com | Peter Thayer Butler
With the massive waves of layoffs in the US federal government, along with job cuts and downsizing in the tech industry, retail, media and manufacturing, hundreds of thousands of workers are unemployed for the first time in years. And many of them are having trouble accessing the unemployment benefits they're entitled to. According to multiple news reports, some recently laid-off employees have been frozen out of the system, waiting for approval or being denied outright.
-
3 weeks ago | 
cnet.com | Peter Thayer Butler
When the long-running videogame trade show E3 was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, journalist Geoff Keighley launched the Summer Game Fest as an alternative event for game studios and publishers to showcase their creations for journalists and everyday gamers. Five years later, E3 is gone for good, and the Summer Game Fest has become the biggest event of the year for early looks at upcoming video game announcements and trailers.
-
3 weeks ago | 
cnet.com | Peter Thayer Butler
Google rocked the search engine landscape a little over a year ago when it launched an AI Overviews feature in its search results. These AI summaries synthesize real-language answers to search queries based on information from sites in Google's search results. While AI Overviews can occasionally be helpful, the software has also been known to give terribly wrong answers or make stuff up completely.
-
3 weeks ago | 
cnet.com | Peter Thayer Butler
Even though a new Real ID is now required to fly domestically in the US, if you're planning to travel outside the country this summer, you better make sure your passport is up to date well ahead of your trip. If you wait too long, you might have to pay $60 extra for expedited processing and $21.36 for the delivery. Luckily, it's not quick and easy to renew your passport online, with only a few restrictions, and you'll receive your new passport faster than ever before.
-
3 weeks ago | 
cnet.com | Peter Thayer Butler
When a horror movie hits big in theaters or on streaming, I always expect to see at least a trilogy. (And if the sequels are popular, we'll see nine or 10.) If a film only gets one sequel, you might assume that the second movie wasn't so great. The double feature of Creep and Creep 2 from Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice -- streaming now on Netflix -- might be the strongest argument against that.
-
4 weeks ago | 
cnet.com | Peter Thayer Butler
One of the biggest problems with older smartphones is keeping the battery charged. Conventional wisdom says that the lithium-ion batteries in iPhones will maintain 80% capacity up to 500 charges, or about two to three years. After that, you'll start to notice your iPhone needing to be charged more often. Optimized charging and setting a charge limit can extend the health of your iPhone battery, but what about Low Power Mode?
-
1 month ago | 
cnet.com | Peter Thayer Butler
Your credit score plays a big role in your financial life. It affects everything from getting approved for loans to opening new credit cards, and in some places, it can even impact your car insurance rates. Most people know that paying bills on time is key, but there's another factor that's just as important - your credit utilization ratio. If you're trying to raise your score, understanding how this ratio works can make a big difference.
