Facebook Aims to Drive Down Tech Prices to Expand Its Reach and other top stories.

• Facebook Aims to Drive Down Tech Prices to Expand Its Reach

  

  Open source typically refers to freely shared code or even development plans that companies and people collectively create at a fraction of the price of traditional tech products. Bits of open-source technology can be found in all sorts of things, including Google’s Android operating system and web browsers.Companies like Facebook often contribute to open-source projects since they don’t make money selling products — instead, they have to buy products that help them offer their service. Keeping..

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• HTC 10 will be released in Australia on May 3

  

  The HTC 10 is the Taiwanese company’s big hope in recovering the momentum it lost with its previous flagships. These phones, especially the HTC One M9, weren’t even evolutionary for a lot of critics – they were more of the same, with no killer features or differentiating factors to speak of. And with HTC having high hopes for its new flagship, the phone appears to be close to getting a release Down Under. Earlier speculation suggested that Australia may be a bit late jumping on into the HTC 10 p..

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• Qualcomm says it's fine to fast-charge your phone over USB-C

  

  Well, not quite. The Qualcomm statement doesn't address whether or not the USB-C phones using QC3.0 really are honoring the port standard. It's notable that Google's own USB-C phones, the Nexus 5X and 6P, don't use Quick Charge precisely because of concerns that it's out of spec. This doesn't mean that companies like HTC or LG are living dangerously by implementing speedy charging tech, but you shouldn't be surprised if they're the exceptions rather than the rule.

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• Star Fox Zero review

  

  Nintendo has been working on the latest title in the Star Fox franchise for a long time. After over a decade without a console installment, a few delays, and some help from Platinum Games, Star Fox Zero is finally here. Taking advantage of Wii U’s unique GamePad, this aerial shooter brings more depth to the gameplay and combat in the Star Fox franchise, but is that what this franchise needed? While there are a lot of new features added to Star Fox Zero, it also does a great job at keeping many ..

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• Sirin Labs blasts into the secure smartphone space with a $72 million seed round

  

  Dennis Mitzner Crunch Network Contributor Dennis Mitzner lives in Tel Aviv and writes about startups and technology trends. More posts by this contributor: How to join the network  Sirin Labs, a new high-end smartphone manufacturer, has raised a $72 million seed round from Singulariteam founder Moshe Hogeg, Kazakh businessman Kenges Rakishev, and the Chinese social networking service Renren to launch a new, secure smartphone. The phone will be revealed in May at Sirin Labs’ flags..

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• Google is building its own in-house incubator

  

  Editor's Note: Our annual Vator Splash Spring 2016 conference is around the corner on May 12, 2016 at the historic Scottish Rite Center in Oakland. Speakers include Nigel Eccles (CEO & Co-founder, FanDuel), Andy Dunn (Founder & CEO, Bonobos), Mitch Kapor (Founder, Kapor Center for Social Impact); Founders of NextDoor, Handy, TubeMogul; Investors from Khosla Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Kapor Capital, Greylock, DFJ, IDG, IVP and more. Join us! REGISTER HERE. Over the last few years Googl..

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• Amazon Echo Update: You Can Now Add Events To Google Calendar By Voice Via Alexa

  

  Amazon Echo just got a lot more capable. Users can now have Alexa add events to Google Calendar through voice command, making things a lot easier for people who stay on top of their schedule.(Photo : Amazon) Amazon Echo gets updated to make things a lot more convenient for everyone in organizing their plans and schedule. Thanks to the developers' hand in the wireless speaker, users can now have Alexa add events to Google Calendar via voice command. To get things started, those who want to take..

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• 'Ark: Survival Evolved' mods will become part of the main game

  

  Wildcard doesn't say whether or not modders will get compensation for their efforts (we've reached out for details). However, this could still be a welcome move in a game that's defined by its community. After all, mod developers rarely get more official acknowledgment from game studios than the creation of a toolkit -- this exposes their work to a much wider audience. VIDEO

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• Game review: Dark Souls III

  

  In 2009, I picked up a game called “Demon’s Souls” on a whim. I had next to no knowledge about the game — I just thought the box art looked pretty cool. Unbeknownst to me at the time, it was the best impulse buy I’ve ever made and the beginning of seven-year-long love affair. “Demon’s Souls” never technically received a sequel. Instead, the game’s developer, FromSoftware, released a spiritual successor: “Dark Souls,” which is a sequel in everything but name. “Dark Souls,” its sequel “Dark Souls..

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