| Nvidia's Shield TV gains Amazon Music streaming
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 Android set-top box Shield TV has already added Alexa and a fully-featured version of cloud game streaming service GeForce Now, but it's making room for another significant update in the lead up to Christmas. Chief among the new additions is an Amazo...
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| The best tech gifts under $50
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 It's no secret that the season of goodwill to all is expensive, especially for those with tech-savvy loved ones lusting after the latest kit that comes with eye-watering price tags. But gift-giving doesn't have to break the bank. Our 2018 holiday gif...
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| Streaming shows dominate SAG Awards TV nominations
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 Streaming shows stand a much better chance of winning SAG Awards in 2019 than they did this year -- in fact, they're guaranteed at least one. The Screen Actors Guild has announced its nominees for the 25th annual awards, and streaming productions ar...
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| FCC approves new text message rules, giving carriers more power
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 On a party-line vote, the FCC today approved a controversial measure that gives mobile phone carriers more power over text messages. The agency's Republican leadership has pushed for the measure, which would classify text messaging as an information service. The move will give carriers leeway to stop spam texts without fear of breaking the law, Chairman Ajit Pai and his Republican colleagues have argued, and will keep robotexts from taking over phones the way robocalls have. The classification, Republican commissioners at the agency have argued, will only preserve the status quo. Chairman Pai said ahead of the vote that "the FCC should not make it easier for spammers and scammers to bombard consumers with unwanted texts" and cited...
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| Epic will let other game developers use Fortnite's cross-platform tools for free
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 Epic Games today announced that it's going to offer up the underlying software infrastructure and tools used to run its massive, cross-platform hit Fortnite to other game developers for free. Those tools include the ability to sync a player's profile and in-game purchases across multiple platforms, to provide cross-platform voice communication, and to allow cross-platform partying and matchmaking, among other features. "Throughout 2019, we'll be launching a large set of cross-platform game services originally built for Fortnite, and battle-tested with 200,000,000 players across seven platforms," reads the announcement. "These services will be free for all developers, and will be open to all engines, all platforms, and all stores. As a...
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| Google will let Android users donate directly to nonprofits through the Play Store
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 Google is launching a new feature for Android phones today through its Play Store app marketplace that will let anyone donate to a number of US nonprofits, with 100 percent of the donation going to the chosen organization. Google is waiving its traditional 30 percent fee for apps and in-app purchases as part of the program, which the company is calling Giving Season on Play. Some of the nonprofits include the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders USA, Girls Who Code, and UNICEF. The full list of charities can be found here. This is a notable change in policy for Google, which has avoided letting app developers process donations to nonprofits in the past, for reasons likely related to the thorny regulatory and tax issues on...
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