Tech Boys

Roblox announced that it aims to roll out age estimation technology to all of its users by the end of 2025. Users on the gaming and social network will have to confirm their age in order to access communication features within the platform under the new policy. Roblox initially rolled out an age verification option to teen accounts in July as part of an effort to keep users younger than 13 from accessing select chat features. In addition to confirming ages for individual accounts, Roblox also said it plans to adopt new systems that will limit communication between adults and minors unless they already know each other offline. Age verification can be completed by providing a selfie that Roblox and its partner will analyze or by submitting an accepted form of identification. Roblox has drawn criticism for what many claim are failures to adequately protect younger users from bad actors, including facing lawsuits . The platform started rolling out more stringent policies aimed at chil...

After six seasons, five Christmas specials, and three feature films, Downton Abbey finally ends where it all began: with the illusion of change. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing for longtime fans of the upstairs-downstairs drama, which debuted in 2010. Downton has always tried to have its cake and eat it too, with stories that nominally challenge the early 20th-century British aristocracy while also luxuriating in the premise. In its final act — a two-hour theatrical release by Simon Curtis, appropriately titled Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale — it brings more of the same to the table, but peppers it with just enough hints of nostalgia (and narrative finality) to make this umpteenth ending feel definitive. SEE ALSO: 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' trailer includes heartfelt tribute to Dame Maggie Smith It's no secret that the series has long outstayed its welcome, having now played past the onscreen death of its most electric character: the witty, cantankerou...

With more than 1.6 billion global visits across its 80 domain names over the last year, Streameast was easily the world's most popular illegal sports streaming platform. On Wednesday, however — just in time for the NFL season — Streameast suddenly shut down , just as the anti-piracy group Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) announced that Streameast was no more. “Today, ACE scored a resounding victory in its fight to detect, deter, and dismantle criminal perpetrators of digital piracy: by taking down the largest illegal live sports platform anywhere,” ACE Chairman Charles Rivki said in a statement . “With this landmark action, we have put more points on the board for sports leagues, entertainment companies, and fans worldwide—and our global alliance will stay on the field as long as it takes to identify and target the biggest piracy rings across the globe.” This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. According to ACE, the group wor...

Google is breathing a big sigh of relief today. Why? A judge has ruled that the company  will not be forced to sell Chrome or Android , two suggestions that were being pushed by the U.S. Department of Justice as a result of the search giant losing a major antitrust case last August brought against it by the government. On Tuesday, Sept. 2, District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington rejected the DOJ's push to break up Google. Instead, Judge Mehta ruled that Google can no longer take part in exclusive deals regarding its search engine, such as the one that saw Google pay billions of dollars to Apple in order to maintain its search dominance on iOS devices. In addition, the judge ruled that Google must also share some of its search data with competitors. SEE ALSO: Google just lost a big antitrust case for running illegal ad tech monopoly The judge's decision marks a judgment in just one of Google's antitrust cases, which spanned from President Donald Trump's firs...

The Federal Trade Commission announced that Disney will pay $10 million to settle allegations that the entertainment giant allowed data collection on YouTube videos meant for children. Under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, also known as COPPA , companies are required to notify parents and obtain parental consent if they collection information from minors. According to the FTC complaint, Disney failed to properly label some YouTube videos as "Made for Kids," which allowed the company to collect data and deliver targeted ads to viewers younger than 13. The proposed order from the FTC would also require Disney to create a review process for determining when and how videos are correctly designated with YouTube's Made for Kids label. YouTube rolled out the Made for Kids tags following a $170 million settlement in 2019 on charges that the video platform had violated COPPA. Google faced an additional settlement of $30 million last month from a similar clas...

The Apple iPhone 17 event is now just one week away. On Tuesday, September 9, we'll finally get to see the new iPhone 17 lineup , and — assuming Apple sticks to tradition — we should be able to install iOS 26 around a week or so after the event. But you don't have to wait to test out the new features because you can download and install the newly released public beta 6 (or iOS 26 developer beta 9 for developers). You can see a more complete view of the new features in our preview of the iOS 26 public beta release , which shows off the fresh home and lock screen redesign. Called Liquid Glass , the translucent look will extend across all of Apple's upcoming operating systems. The overhaul is one of several big changes coming to iOS, macOS , iPadOS and the rest of Apple's software suite, all of which were showcased during the company's WWDC keynote on June 9. After overpromising on AI plans last year, Apple kept its iOS roadmap focused more on basic quality of l...

SAVE $110: The 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G55C Series curved gaming monitor is on sale for $219.99 at Amazon. That's down from the normal price of $329.99. Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G55C Series $219.99 at Amazon $329.99 Save $110 Get Deal Searching for a little treat this Labor Day ? Your hard work deserves recognition today and if your well-being has any connection to gaming, now is a great time to invest in your setup. We're only a few weeks away from fall's rainy weather and that means gaming season is about to begin. Luckily, Amazon's Labor Day sale includes a sweet gaming monitor on sale. As of Sept. 1, the 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G55C Series curved gaming monitor is on sale for $219.99 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $329.99. That's a 33% discount that shaves a healthy $110 off the list price. The 27-inch model is also on sale for $219.99, so you're pretty much getting five inches for ...

TL;DR : Keep track of wallets, passports, and more with the sleek KeySmart SmartCard Lite tracker for just $19.99 (reg. $24.99). Opens in a new window Credit: KeySmart KeySmart SmartCard Lite $19.99 $24.99 Save $5 Get Deal AirTags are great for certain things, but they weren’t really designed for wallets. The KeySmart SmartCard Lite offers the same convenient tracking in a sleek design that easily slides into tight spaces — from wallets to passport holders or luggage tags. Right now, you can get a KeySmart SmartCard Lite for just $19.99 (reg. $24.99). Never lose your wallet again with this $20 tracker Stop wasting time hunting for your wallet in the couch cushions or digging through drawers for your passport. The KeySmart SmartCard Lite makes it easy to find your belongings with a 2-millimeter-thick tracker that is compatible with the Apple Find My app . That means it just takes a few clicks to locate it on the map, play a sound to find it, or get an instant aler...

Google is officially debunking a series of reports that claimed Gmail has been hit with a "major" security issue in recent days. "We want to reassure our users that Gmail’s protections are strong and effective," the company said in a somewhat unusual statement. "Several inaccurate claims surfaced recently that incorrectly stated that we issued a broad warning to all Gmail users about a major Gmail security issue. This is entirely false." Google doesn't detail the erroneous claims in its post. But, as Forbes points out , it seems to be referring to several recent reports that stated the company issued an "emergency warning" to all of its 2.5 billion users in response to a phishing attack that targeted a Salesforce instance used by the company. That incident, however, was first reported by Google in early June , and the company said in an August 8 update that it had finished notifying everyone affected. It's not clear why that report ...

SAVE $100: The Sonos Roam Gen 2 soundbar is on sale for $399 at Amazon. That's down from the normal price of $499. Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Beam Gen 2 Soundbar $399 at Amazon $499 Save $100 Get Deal Many (if not most) TVs come with pretty lame built-in speakers. The same can be said of most projectors . But sound is such an important part of the TV, movie, and sports-watching experience. You deserve to have great sound in addition to a great-quality display. Instead of making do with your TVs internal speakers, upgrade to a soundbar while this top-tier model is discounted during Amazon's Labor Day sale . As of Sept. 1, the Sonos Roam Gen 2 soundbar is on sale at Amazon for $399, marked down from the list price of $499. That's a 20% discount that takes $100 off the price. It's also worth mentioning the sale price on the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar during this Labor Day sale . The Arc Ultra is down to $899 from its normal price of ...