Apple’s VP of product marketing Greg Joswiak recently talked with Wired about the runaway success of AirPods. According to the Apple executive, the spread of AirPods throughout society has been “almost like wildfire.” Joswiak also elaborated on some of the inspiration behind AirPods, saying that Apple first had the vision for wireless earbuds in the early days of the iPhone: When the technology was there to create AirPods, Joswiak says Apple worked alongside Stanford to 3D-scan “hundreds of different ears and ear styles and shapes” to make a design that was a “one-size solution....

The original Apple Watch is one of my favorite Apple products of all time. From the day it was introduced in September 2014 until launch day in April 2015, I eagerly awaited its arrival at my door. Week after week, I poured through every image and line of text on the Watch webpage, studying each band design and finish option. I followed along as Apple showed off the Watch in Paris and Milan, and as celebrities posted photos of their exclusive band colors....

For example, you can watch almost all available games on Sling TV, except CBS (ZDNet’s parent company) Sunday afternoon games. So, before buying into a service, take a hard look to see if it will deliver your must-watch games. Also: Football fans don’t care about sports. Wait, what? DIRECTV’S NFL SUNDAY TICKET $73.49 a monthAvailable only if you can’t get DirecTV satellite service The most comprehensive package for Sunday NFL games is DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket....

A small but growing number of artists are combining emerging technologies with creativity to make the world a brighter place. These illustrators, designers, and digital sculptors believe that augmented reality (AR) has the potential to unlock new forms of storytelling and self-expression. It’s a bold bet, and the artists I spoke to aren’t waiting around to see if the future they imagine will come true — they’re creating it. You’ve heard that AR will be transformative....

How would Marvel’s original Phase 3 slate have affected Avengers: Endgame? Marvel Studios announced the Phase 3 slate back in 2014, revealing every film Marvel planned to release from 2016 and 2019. It was an impressive line-up, introducing new heroes/movies like Doctor Strange and Black Panther, and including event films like Captain America: Civil War and what was then called Avengers: Infinity War Part I and Part II. Although Marvel has a reputation for playing the long game, the truth is that this Phase 3 slate changed a lot over the years....

An absurdly named bill is set to form the latest attempt to create legislation requiring tech giants to provide a backdoor to encryption. The Eliminating Abuse and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act of 2019 (EARN IT Act) is co-sponsored by Lindsey Graham (R-SC), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)… The acronym is intended to suggest that tech companies should be required to “earn” the right to Section 230 protections, which mean that companies proving communication platforms can’t be held legally liable for things posted by users....

As the most controversial comic book movie in history, the debates over Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice rage on even years later. The online discussion divided audiences into either loving or hating Zack Snyder’s take on DC’s heroes, instead of discussing it as fans–a problem the Batman v Superman: By The Minute Podcast hopes to change. The questions posed by the movie itself–What does “the American Way” mean today? When does a hero become a villain?...

BattleTech: Heavy Metal adds some great new mechs and an engrossing campaign to the game, but it’s aimed squarely at people who are already fans. Of all the video games based on the BattleTech tabletop game, Harebrained Schemes’ Battletech may be the closest any of them has come to emulating the feel of the original. Its high-stakes turn-based combat and intricate inventory management put players in the role of both commander and quartermaster, replicating the sensation of poring over stat sheets and manuals to wage war over a hexagonal grid in a hobby shop....

NOTE: This article contains SPOILERS for Detective Comics #948 - There were too many bombshells to count in the comic book world of 2016, but on the list of characters who rose from the gathered masses to new heights, DC’s Batwoman must be among them. As the self-taught vigilante (and cousin of Bruce Wayne) Kate Kane who was kicked out of the military due to her sexual preference, and decided to follow in the Batman’s footsteps, Batwoman was always guaranteed to find a devoted fan base....

While the Apple Card gets the headlines, it’s not necessarily the best deal. Macworld has identified what it reckons is the best Apple Card alternative, along with four other options that may suit you better… If you want a card with most of the Apple Card’s features but better cash rewards, Macworld’s Alaina Yee says the Citi Double Cash hits the spot. So in situations where you can’t use Apple Pay and are not buying from Apple, the Citi card gets you 2% cash back against Apple’s 1%....

Following this morning’s WWDC keynote, Apple has quickly updated their Design Resources page, adding new elements introduced in iOS 12. Prior to today, Apple had provided designers with iOS UI templates in formats for popular tools like Sketch and Adobe’s Photoshop and XD. For the first time, resources are now available for one of Apple’s own apps, Keynote. While built as a presentation tool, Keynote has become popular with many designers for prototyping applications....

In terms of smartwatch technology, the Apple Watch Series 5 offers only very minor upgrades over its predecessor, apart from the welcome ability to always have the display on. While the Apple Watch 3 does not have a price hike and offers more storage, many people will find it more appealing to buy the cheaper Apple Watch 3. Since the Watch 5 has mostly stayed the same as the Watch 4 design, it’s not unexpected....

The hackers also targeted the attendees of European defense exhibitions, including the EuroNaval 2014, EUROSATORY 2014, and the Counter Terror Expo and the Farnborough Airshow 2014. The majority of the files analyzed by FireEye were set to Russian language settings; this circumstance suggests, “that a significant portion of APT28 malware was compiled in a Russian-language build environment consistently over the course of six years.” As usually happens in these cases, in order to profile the attacker the researchers analyzed compile times and discovered that they were aligned with working hours in Moscow and St....

At long last, Archer season 11 is set to answer its fans’ burning questions. For two seasons, the show has genre-hopped, using Archer’s coma-induced dreams as an opportunity to explore noir, treasure island, and space-adventure plotlines. Meanwhile, the events following Archer’s shooting in season 7 have remained a mystery, with fans unsure that he was even alive for an entire season. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Archer regained consciousness in the final moments of season 10 and put its animated cast firmly back in their original timeline - albeit three years later, adding a fresh layer of questions to the ever-growing pile....

Arrow season 7, episode 17, “Inheritance”, told the tale of two daughters - Black Siren and Emiko Queen - who both turned to crime while desperately seeking their father’s approval. Ironically, the story pit these two characters against each other, despite their having so much in common. The lion’s share of “Inheritance” was devoted to Emiko Queen, whom Black Siren suspected had a much darker past than she let on before she became the new Green Arrow....

The slate was clear for the minds behind the Assassin’s Creed movie, being given fee rein (unlike most video game adaptations) to tell a new story in the world of Abstergo, and not adapt an existing game or character. What came as a result was the tale of Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender), the (unknowing) son of an Assassin family recruited by the evil Templars after his execution. But the Templars’ plan failed: Cal mastered his memories, escaped their prison, and killed their leader....

We broke the news just a month ago that AT&T looked like it was prepping to limit the use of FaceTime over cellular, and we find today that limitation was indeed the intention. As with most Friday after-work announcements, this is bad news – for AT&T customers. We just got the word directly from AT&T that Facetime over 3G and 4G would only be available on AT&T for those who choose to go with its new “Mobile Share” plans....

Owning a car is not necessarily a valuable commodity. When you consider future vehicle expenses, such as registration, insurance, gasoline and maintenance costs, you might wonder if your investment is really worth it! Fortunately, we’ve collected the most important car running costs statistics to help you decide whether you should buy that car you’ve had your eye on or stick with Uber for just a little longer! Up for a ride?...

For fans of James Cameron’s Oscar-winning sci-fi epic Avatar, the wait for the planned followups has been interminable. Always the perfectionist, Cameron is taking his time developing the projects, as he plans to film four installments in one massive undertaking. Fortunately, Avatar 2 is finally taking some steps forward. The plan is for production on the sequel to begin this summer, but Fox has yet to officially confirm a release date....

WARNING: Major spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo explains why Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) didn’t get a funeral in the movie. One of the original six members of the Avengers, Natasha Romanoff receives one of the more prominent roles in the 22nd Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. After the film’s five-year time jump, the former spy is now leading the Avengers from behind a desk, but then jumps back into action when the possibility of time travel opens up a way for the team to bring back everyone who was snapped by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War....