Science fiction can be extra enjoyable when it’s written by real scientists. The latest Humble Book Bundle offers sci-fi novels written by practicing scientists specializing in genetics, astrophysics and psychology. Humble Bundles let you pay what you want for select digital media, with some proceeds typically supporting charity. In this case, money goes to organizations …

Twitter won its NFL livestreaming debut by a wide margin. The social network received rave reviews Thursday for the first of its 10-game package of Thursday Night Football games, a slugfest between bitter AFC East rivals the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills. The Jets hung on to win a 37-31 thriller. Fans such as Chaz Warner wasted no …

What are you doing this Saturday? If you answered “tailgating at my alma mater’s football game,” then get pumped up. This week we’re giving away a Nima football helmet Bluetooth speaker to satisfy all your pregame audio needs. Nima aptly describes the design as “baller.” The helmet features speakers on both sides that provide a full-range, 360-degree sound. It has …

Now playing: Watch this: The Galaxy Note 7 is the “hoverboard” of 2016 4:21 Are you, or someone you know, still hanging on to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone — despite the explosion risk? Here’s the latest reason to switch: It’s now illegal to use a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 aboard an aircraft under FAA jurisdiction. The Federal Aviation …

To hear the rhetoric, you’d think Russian President Vladimir Putin is going to take over the internet on October 1. That’s the date the US Commerce Department has said it will transfer a final aspect of internet governance to a nonprofit international group called ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Under the plan, the US government will …

Mode Media, a Silicon Valley-based lifestyle company, has reportedly shut down, despite its once lofty valuation. The company, which used to call itself Glam Media, had raised about $225 million over the years by offering a collection of sites created mostly for women. You may not have heard of many of those sites, but together they drew in 137 million …

Apps. How retro. Bookings by bots are outstripping the growth of the early app economy, according to a Citigroup research note reported by Bloomberg. Bots, short for chatbots, are software applications that use artificial intelligence to do simple tasks: answer a question, write an email or book travel. Earlier this year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company’s messaging service, …

Now playing: Watch this: iPhone 7 launch leaves some fans disappointed 1:32 For some, Apple launch day didn’t bring the usual joy and excitement. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus officially went on sale as the clock ticked over to Friday morning in time zones around the world. The first big moment fell to Australia, with Sydney’s George St. …

Just FYI, Apple’s new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus come in two new colors: black and black. But there’s a difference. We have both here at the office, and I’ve been living with them for a week. Black is a nice, matte anodized aluminum, much like Apple’s iPod Nano used to have way back. It looks sharp, and a lot …

A teardown of an Apple iPhone 7 has found an Intel mobile cellular platform inside. Earlier this year, reports speculated that some versions of Apple’s flagship phone would include an Intel wireless chip rather than one from Qualcomm. Apple makes its own processors for the brains of its devices, but companies like Qualcomm and Intel build components that connect the …

Google Street View cameras don’t discriminate. They see everything in their path, whether it’s a building, a person or a beast. People get their faces obscured for the sake of privacy, but Google’s automated blurring software got a little impulsive when it smudged out a cow’s face. Related stories Forget Google Street View. Meet this tiny island’s sheep view India …

You may want to think twice about ordering an Apple Watch from Best Buy or Target. On Wednesday, Best Buy reportedly emailed customers who preordered the Apple Watch Series 2, saying that they would not receive their shipments on the expected September 16 release date, according to MacRumors, which apparently obtained a copy of the email. Instead, the big-box store …

When I reviewed Epson’s original laser projector I called it a technological tour de force with a fabulous image, albeit one that didn’t quite beat the best from Sony and JVC. Its replacement is very similar on paper, with one big difference: compatibility with HDR (high dynamic range) sources. The LS10500 costs the same ($8,000, available this fall) and has …

I’ve been writing about Audeze headphones since 2010, when I reviewed the company’s LCD 2 over-the-ear headphones, and every new model broke new ground, including the Sine on-ear headphones I reviewed just a few months ago. Audeze was in New York Tuesday night to premiere its upcoming iSine10 in-ear headphones, which look and sound like a game changer to me. …

If you’re not convinced smartwatches are worth buying, you’re not alone. But you might change your mind by 2020, when sales are expected to surge, according to analyst firm IDC. From 2015 to 2016, smartwatch shipments worldwide will rise a mere 3.9 percent from 19.4 million to 20.1 million, IDC said Thursday. But by 2020 it should grow to a …