Author Archives: Brittany A. Roston

Some Fortnite players are currently experiencing issues logging into their game accounts, making it impossible to play the hit battle royale game. Epic Games, the company behind the title, has acknowledged the reports, stating the problem is currently impacting all platforms on which Fortnite is offered. The company has updated the game's status to reflect the problem and has been investigating the matter for more than an hour.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued its first approval for a gene therapy treatment targeting young children. The gene therapy is called Zolgensma, and it is designed to treat the rare genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy in children under the age of two. The FDA's Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless called the approval a 'milestone' for gene therapy.

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Officials at both the local and state levels consulted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about putting some people who were potentially infected with measles on the Do Not Board list, it has been revealed. The discussions aimed to reduce measles exposure to unsuspecting travelers, some of whom may have been vulnerable to the infection. The talks took place as the CDC reported record infection numbers in April.

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Earlier this week, Australian media reported that two different fireballs streaked over the nation's southern skies, including one on Tuesday that resulted in a stunning flash of light. The event was recorded by a number of cameras throughout South Australia, revealing the brief presence of a glowing ball that, in some videos, appeared like a blue sphere across the horizon.

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Researchers have published a study just ahead of Memorial Day that reveals a simple, safe way to avoid packing on pounds over the holiday. More than 100 adults participated in the research, which involved providing a behavioral, rather than dietary, modification for daily life. Those who followed the instructions maintained or lost weight despite the holidays, while the remainder gained weight.

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Instagram's standalone video platform IGTV finally supports horizontal videos, the company has announced. The video app was, until now, limited to vertical content, which is arguably better suited for mobile devices but overall less popular than landscape orientation. The change is based on feedback from both viewers and creators, according to Instagram, which revealed in a post this week that its users really want horizontal videos.

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A newly published Amazon patent application details technology that would enable Alexa to listen to what you say before you summon her. The 'pre-wakework speech processing' ability would support phrases that put the wake word ('Alexa,' for example) after the command instead of before it. The technology would fix the 'problem' of clunky wake word placement in phrases.

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Newly proposed legislation seeks the mandatory inclusion of forgotten child alerts in all new vehicles. The technology, which is currently available as third-party accessories, alerts drivers to the presence of a child in the back seat of a vehicle, helping reduce the number of tragic hot car deaths. The full legislation will be published for the public to read in coming days.

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Plex on Apple TV has been updated with new audio features that makes it far more appealing to audiophiles and other discerning music lovers. With the new software version comes support for direct playback of high-quality audio, including FLAC and AAC, as well as gapless transitions, soft pauses, and more. As well, Plex has refined some controls on iOS and previewed its new Web desktop and TV designs.

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Middle age tends to include select unwanted physiological changes, including potential decreases in cognitive performance. There's no clear explanation for what drives these issues, but the answer may partially involve gut bacteria changes that influence brain function. In a newly published study, researchers reveal that adding a widely available substance to one's diet may help reverse these mid-life cognitive impairments.

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On Wednesday, May 22, Panic revealed one of the most interesting handheld game consoles we've seen in years, the Playdate. This small device, which looks somewhat like a Game Boy crossed with an iPod Nano, will offer players mobile access to unique games utilizing the device's hand crank 'joystick.' Each game will be made available as part of a 'season of games,' according to the company, naturally raising some questions about how all of this will work.

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Questions remain over Epic's dragon plans for battle royale hit Fortnite. The company heavily teased the presence of these large, mythical beasts during Season 8, including the presence of dragon eggs in the volcano and a final Battle Pass skin with dragon themes. The end of Season 8 arrived without any dragon activity, but it looks like things are about to change in Season 9.

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