Spotify founder Daniel Ek is stepping down as CEO
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has announced that he’s stepping down as CEO, two decades after founding the music streaming service. Ek will transition to an executive chairman role at the…
What EA’s buyout might mean for its future
Electronic Arts just announced that it is going to be acquired and taken private in a massive $55 billion deal led by an investor group composed of Saudi Arabia’s Public…
PlayStation is getting a big, fancy art book full of unused designs
PlayStation: The First 30 Years provides a rare look at what could have been. | Image: Read-Only Memory It’s been 30 years since the original PlayStation was released in North…
Larry Ellison’s quest to run the world
For most of his career Larry Ellison has been content to quietly let Oracle be the company, behind the company, behind the technology that makes headlines. Its biggest products being…
I spent three months with Telly, the free TV that’s always showing ads
The last few months, I’ve felt like I’m living in a cyberpunk movie. Each night, when I get ready to wind down, I reach for the remote to turn on…
How the voice of Silksong’s Hornet brought her to life through gibberish
Silksong resembles the original Hollow Knight in many ways, though right from the start, you can hear one key difference: Hornet. Hollow Knight‘s protagonist was silent, but just as Hornet…
How generative AI boosters are trying to break into Hollywood
A still from the Critterz short film. This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the intersection of entertainment…
Martin Shkreli can be sued for copying Wu-Tang’s one-of-a-kind record
Wu-Tang’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin Disgraced pharma bro, convicted felon, and perennial challenger for America’s Most Hateable Man, Martin Shkreli will have to face a lawsuit for making…
The strangest game of the year is a channel-surfing simulator
It’s not quite October yet, and there are still plenty of video games set to be released before the end of the year. Even still, I’m pretty convinced that Blippo…
ABC affiliates end their boycott, putting Jimmy Kimmel back on the air nationwide
Sinclair Broadcasting and Nexstar Media Group, whose stations account for about 25 percent of ABCs national audience, will air Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show on their ABC affiliate stations once…