The last time we updated you on the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation into Google’s method of bypassing the default Safari browser settings on iOS devices, reports claimed the company was facing possible fines that could reach tens of millions. Today, The Wall Street Journal said Google is close to reaching a $22.5 million settlement with the FTC, according to people close to the negotiations: The fine is expected to be the largest penalty ever levied on a single company by the U....

The third iOS 12 developer beta has been released for eligible iPhones and iPads, and we’ve taken it for a test drive to uncover what’s changed. Watch our video walkthrough for the hands-on details and comparisons. iOS 12 beta 3 changes and features covered: New Voice Memos UI on iPad Share Photos app content via expiring link Updated Assign to Contact button More detailed maps for certain locations Smaller Notification buttons...

We’ve reviewed several Ugreen products in the past, but this is probably the most useful one that I’ve seen thus far. It’s a huge 20,000 mAh MFi Power Bank, which is capable of recharging your iPhone five times over. That in and of itself is nice, but the real benefit of this particular USB power pack is its built-in Lightning cable, which easily tucks away inside the unit for storage....

Here’s a nice little shortcut in OS X Lion. Whenever you wanna define an unknown word on a web page, check out the exact definition of that adjective you’ve used in your resume or simply define any selectable word in third-party programs, just double tap with three fingers on a word. Up pops a handy Dictionary window that looks like this. Thanks, @AppleFortyTwo! By the way, Dictionary is getting a prominent role system-wide, and not only in OS X Lion....

Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has finally spoken out about the end of the epic show that culminated with the final episode ever, “The Iron Throne,” this week. In a touching post, the person who brought Westeros and all of its inhabitants to life in his fantasy novel series has penned a short piece that bids farewell to the show that catapulted him to fame. The show has been at the center of many people’s lives since it premiered in 2011, from the cast, crew, creators and legions of fans that quickly became immersed in its visionary production and groundbreaking storytelling....

American actor Glen Powell will portray a young pilot in Top Gun 2, but little has been revealed about the character. However, the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick offers a major hint about what to expect from his role in the film, which is scheduled for a June 26, 2020 release. Top Gun 2 stars Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, reprising his role from Tony Scott’s original 1986 film, Top Gun....

The report sent GlobalFoundries shares up 6% in late trading. CEO Thomas Caulfield remarked the year just ended “was an outstanding year for GF, during which we drove an acceleration of our business plan by capitalizing on the demand for pervasive semiconductor solutions and the vital role we play in the semiconductor supply chain.” Added Caulfield, “Our revenue grew 36% year-over-year, and we made significant progress towards our long-term financial profit model....

Kong: Skull Island will do more than just bring the King back to the big screen. It will also provide another building block in Legendary and Warner Bros.’ MonsterVerse edifice. That planned cinematic universe will include a sequel to 2014’s Godzilla, entitled Godzilla: King of Monsters. But outside of Godzilla and Kong, details have been slim on what other famous kaiju might be popping in to terrorize humanity as the MonsterVerse expands....

Chromecast Freebies To celebrate the second birthday of the Chromecast, Google is giving owners a couple of promotional offers. First, you can get a free movie rental from Google Play Video. The second offer is access to 90 days of unlimited music streaming via Play Music. Even if you currently don’t own one, you can still get these bonuses when you buy a new Chromecast. To get the free movie rental, you need to purchase and set up your Chromecast by 12/31/2015....

In beta, Google Domains was only available to users in the United States with prices starting from $12 a year. Coming out of beta, Google is offering to host domain names from $18 a year, which will vary based on the domain endings that users choose. There are more than 300 domain endings available. Google said to help users get started, it is offering new and returning users 20% off any single domain registration or transfer-in to Google Domains using the code DOMAINS25....

For the past several months, users running the beta version of macOS High Sierra have been out of luck when it comes to support for the Google Drive Mac app. Now, shortly before we’re likely to see the official release of macOS 10.13, Google has updated its software to work with the new Apple File System. When Apple released the beta version of macOS High Sierra this past June, users noticed that the Google Drive app (now Backup and Sync) wasn’t compatible with the new APFS....

“We’re proud of our one billion milestone, but we’re even more amazed at the way people have used Google Earth to explore the world,” writes Google Earth and Maps engineer Brian McClendon at his blog, posted early Thursday. With the addition of enhanced Google visual search tools, expected out early next year, my verdict: The world is getting smaller, but Google Earth is getting bigger. Check out Google’s new OneWorldManyStories site, a collection of innovative and just generally wild Google Earth use cases....

Over the past year (at least) Google has been street-testing a secret car project. Last weekend they announced the results, a self-driving robotic car. While it might not have a smack-talk personality and sophisticated AI like the Knight Rider car from television, these cars are able to get from point A to point B safely and efficiently. Google’s robotic cars have been on the roads for a while now, Google doesn’t confirm when the cars first started driving themselves but the earliest video capture of one of these was posted on Facebook back in November of 2009....

Apple Pay may be leaving Google Wallet in the dust when it comes to adoption, but Google hasn’t given up yet. It’s just updated its iOS app to support Touch ID, add optimization for the iPhone 6/Plus and enable you to split bills between friends … Don’t be fooled into thinking that Touch ID support means you can now use the app like Apple Pay, however: Touch ID only logs you into the app....

Growing up is a tough business, and one of the toughest things about it is feeling alone. Puberty means going through tons of physical and emotional changes - and that can be surprisingly scary. Kids can begin to feel like they’re starting to figure themselves out, despite having a long way to go. It’s a time of life that means realizing certain things about the world that will be eye-opening… and maybe even heartbreaking....

Apple is seeking to keep its involvement in GT Advanced’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing secret as it reportedly asked courts to file its objections in the case under seal. Bloomberg reports that Apple has requested permission to keep its comments in the case secret to avoid disclosing “confidential research, development, or commercial information regarding Apple’s business processes.” Despite previous reports that GT Advanced was requesting courts disclose more information about its relationship with Apple, Bloomberg reports today that the company has also asked the courts to file documents under seal....

James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 won’t start filming until after Warner Bros. and DC’s The Suicide Squad is all finished. The latter production is officially underway in Atlanta and is already shaping up to be an exciting venture for the writer/director. The cast is stacked with a variety of famous faces, including returning Suicide Squad actors Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, and Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag....

Anyone still playing Halo 5: Guardians can now use piping hot pepperoni pizza-themed gun skins in the game. Following news that Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to PC, as well as an additional confirmation that the long absent Halo: Reach will be joining the collection, fans began sending pizza to developer 343 Industries at an alarming rate. So much so that Halo’s Community Director Brian Jarrard had to begin asking people on Twitter to stop sending the team pizza, as it was becoming “logistically challenging” for the studio....

The popularity of Harry Potter has continued to live on for years through the digital age. Social media platforms have made it possible for the millions of fans of the franchise, to come together in their love for all things Hogwarts, Harry, and more. Gryffindors are the bravest and most daring bunch of students at Hogwarts. Most of the main characters belong to the Gryffindor house, and over the years these characters have given fans amazing meme-worthy content....

In the Harry Potter series, the Weasley family is one of the most beloved and solid families of all. They are all about doing the right thing and sacrifice a lot to fight against Voldemort both before and after he comes back to power. While the Weasleys are heroic in many ways, and overall good people, this doesn’t mean they don’t have their flaws. Each of the members of the Weasley family have their moments where they are shameless with the things they do, but this is what makes them interesting as characters....