A newly published report claims Verizon and AT&T are the subject of a Department of Justice investigation. According to the sources cited, officials are looking into whether the two carriers, as well as telecom standards organization GSMA, colluded to make it harder for customers to switch providers. The Justice Department hasn't confirmed the allegations at this time.
Listing content on eBay is a tedious process that, at minimum, requires the user to select a bunch of items from drop-down menus. Here to simplify things is an update for the service's iOS app that adds a barcode scanner. With this feature, the user can scan the barcode on the product they want to list and the platform will take care of the rest.
Amazon has mildly annoyed some consumers by locking Star Wars and Marvel physical movie discs behind a Prime paywall. Anyone who tries to order DVDs and Blu-ray discs from either franchise via the online retailer must subscribe to Prime, otherwise the purchase is unavailable. The good news is that Amazon is only one of many online retailers and you don't need it to get any of these movies.
Sorry folks, but there won't be a green moon tonight. The hoax appeared on social media in recent weeks claiming that a special planetary alignment, which supposedly happens every 420 years, would cause the moon to appear green on April 20, every marijuana enthusiast's favorite day. As with many things you see on social media, this isn't true and never will be.
Alienware is behind a special room at the Hilton Panama City hotel that caters to gamers. The room was created in partnership with Dell, according to a local report, and it features a battlestation complete with a huge display and Alienware logo. The room isn't just for show, though -- anyone can rent it for about $359/night.
AT&T has tweaked its prepaid plans, making them slightly more attractive than before. Of note, users now have the option of an 8GB prepaid plan that costs $50/month, double or more the high-speed data you'll get from similarly priced plans elsewhere. As is common with prepaid plans, the carrier is making it attractive to set up auto pay by reducing the monthly fee in return.
Ashland University, a private university located in Ashland, Ohio, is the first of its kind to add Fortnite to its esports gaming list. The university's head coach Josh Buchanan announced the addition on Wednesday, expressing an optimistic outlook about the title and its massive popularity. Players with the university will have a chance to get an esports scholarship.
The Centers for Disease Control has updated its report on E. coli infections resulting from romaine lettuce, revealing that illnesses have appeared in new states and include additional hospitalizations. According to the update, five more states have reported cases of E. coli, and a total of nine more hospitalizations have been reported. Of those hospitalizations, two resulted in kidney failure.
Diagnosing cancer early enough to effectively treat it is difficult, but a new early warning system could change that. Researchers with ETH Zurich have developed a bio-implant that creates an artificial mole when it detects one of four types of cancer. The system works by detecting calcium levels in the blood; high levels for a prolonged period of time indicate a tumor may be growing somewhere in the body.
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract valued at nearly $1 billion to develop a hypersonic missile for the US Air Force. According to the Department of Defense, Air Force Life Cycle Management received three offers to develop the technology, though it didn't reveal the two other entities. The agency also revealed a second contract for nearly $12 million awarded to Applied Technology for a ground-based EO/IR direct imaging system.
Netflix has come a long way since its days of mail-order DVDs. The streaming company is driving original content production, pumping out its own shows and movies that, in many cases, have earned it critical acclaim. The industry has, at times, pushed back against Netflix's evolutionary presence, but it can't slow the company down. Underscoring that reality, Netflix is reportedly looking to buy physical theaters.
Nest is helping address the energy burden in America with Power Project, an initiative that earmarks 1 million Nest Thermostat E units for low-income homes. The devices will be provided to needy homes in partnership with energy companies, non-profits, and housing agencies over the next five years, says Nest. Recipients are promised them "at little or no cost."