Bill Willingham, the creator of the comic book series Fables, says you now own his work, fully and for all time. Willingham has released his work, which served as the basis for Telltale Games' The Wolf Among Us, to public domain — mostly because he can't afford to sue DC Comics. In a lengthy post on his Substack page, the artist went pretty in depth in explaining his beef with the publisher. He said the people he negotiated with 20 years ago had already been replaced by people "of no measurable integrity, who now choose to interpret every facet of [their] contract in ways that only benefit DC Comics and its owner companies."

Based on Willingham's account of what happened, DC would routinely overlook his input on things like artists for covers or formatting for new collections. That's pretty innocuous compared to his other allegations, though, including getting royalties late or DC under-reporting royalties so as not to pay him what he's owed. But the artist said that the company recently went beyond these "mere annoyances" and tried to forcibly take Fables' ownership from him. 

He mentioned Telltale Games in particular, when he talked about how DC execs allegedly admitted that they believe they could do anything with the property. That's including not protecting the integrity of its stories and characters from third parties — Telltale Games, in other words — that want to radically alter them. Further, he apparently gets no money from DC licensing his work to third parties.

While Willingham knows that he's still bound by his contract with DC and cannot release anything Fables related without the company's consent, he argued in his post that you're not. "[Y]ou have the rights to make your Fables movies, and cartoons, and publish your Fables books, and manufacture your Fables toys, and do anything you want with your property, because it’s your property," he said.

DC, however, has disagreed with Willingham and his interpretation of their contract and copyright law. "The Fables comic books and graphic novels published by DC, and the storylines, characters, and elements therein, are owned by DC and protected under the copyright laws of the United States and throughout the world in accordance with applicable law and are not in the public domain," the company told CBR in a statement. "DC reserves all rights and will take such action as DC deems necessary or appropriate to protect its intellectual property rights."

It's unclear if this development will have any effect on Telltale's The Wolf Among Us 2, which is scheduled for release in 2024. The game was supposed to be available this year, but the developer chose to push back its launch, because it needed time to switch from using Unreal Engine 4 to 5 and that involved changes to personnel and the development process. 

European authorities have found that Twitter had violated General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules when it comes to how it processes its younger users' personal data. Along with its decision, the regulator has revealed that it has slapped the social network with a €345 million ($368 million) fine. As the regulating body where TikTok is headquartered and where its first data center is located, the Irish Data Protection Commission investigated whether TikTok adhered to its privacy protection obligations for users between 13 and 17 years old between July 31 and December 31, 2020.

The regulator said it found that TikTok set child users' — or users that fall within the aforementioned age bracket — profiles to public by default. That means their information was easily accessible, especially since the videos they posted were also made public by default and anybody could comment. Further, TikTok didn't make Duet and Stitch opt in features for their accounts, so anybody could take parts of their videos to create new ones. 

In addition, the regulator found that TikTok allowed child users' accounts to be paired with adult users', without verifying whether that person is their parent or guardian. It even allowed that adult user to enable direct messaging for both of them, when the feature shouldn't be available for the underage user. 

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) fined TikTok £12.7 million ($15.75 million) earlier this year for misusing children's data, as well. To be exact, it found that the service allowed 1.4 million UK children to sign up even when they were under the age of 13. The Irish Data Protection Commission didn't establish whether TikTok had violated GDPR rules with regards to letting kids under 13 sign up. However, it did find that TikTok was in violation of GDPR for not implementing the proper measures and allowing anybody, regardless of their age and including kids 12 and below, to view content on its platform.

Meta has taken a step towards achieving its goal of making Horizon Worlds more accessible by bringing it to the web and to mobile devices. The company has announced that Super Rumble, the first game out of its in-house studio Ouro Interactive, is now available to a small number of mobile users through the Meta Quest app on Android. It's also making its way to the app on iOS devices in the coming weeks, while those who want to play on desktop can access it — or request access to it — through Horizon's official website. 

When Meta launched the first-person shooter, it said that Super Rumble would be one of the first worlds to be available when its new app comes out. It also said that the game will feature cross-platform play, so people can enjoy it with their friends, whether they're also on mobile, the web or a VR headset. It looks like Meta has stayed true to its word. The company also announced that it's rolling out more worlds over the next few months to give people a way to hang out, chat and even enjoy free concerts in the metaverse, regardless of what device they're using. 

Meta explained: "The metaverse should be available to everyone — no matter what device they’re on. And while Quest headsets are the most immersive way to access the metaverse, we believe there should be multiple entry points. Bringing Worlds to more surfaces is a step toward delivering on that vision and opening up the experience to more people."

Since each device has a different interface, though, Meta had to optimize the game's controls like mute and pause for mobile devices and computer. It's unclear how the experiences across platforms differ from each other, but Super Rumble on mobile and the web is still in the testing phase, so players could encounter bugs and other issues.

Threads was missing a few features when it launched for the web back in August. One of those is the ability to quote other people's post, which would be the equivalent of a retweet in a pre-X world. Now, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has announced that Meta has rolled out the ability to quote posts on desktop. All they need to do is click on the familiar repost icon at the bottom of a post, and then choose the option "Quote." By doing so, they can repost someone else's thread while adding commentary of their own. 

In addition, Mosseri has announced that users can now follow the responses for a specific thread on mobile by turning on notifications for 24 hours. To do that, they only have to tap on the bell icon at the top-right corner of a post.

Meta released Threads from the start with a bunch of missing features, at an opportune time when X users were getting frustrated by the company's attempts to make the service less useable for non-paying members. It's only earlier this month, two months after the service went live, that Meta added the ability to search keywords and find content. Even so, this latest update shows Meta is working to add the features people want, which it frankly needs to do if it's looking to get the users who've lost interest in the social network to come back.

Before CD Projekt Red releases Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion, it will first roll out an update that brings massive changes to the action role-playing game. The developer has announced that update 2.0 will be available starting on September 21st, and it will be free for everyone who already owns the title. This patch adds new skill trees and perks that weren't previously seen in the game. It also gives the universe's police system a revamp, so that it operates on what the developer describes as "clear, simple rules." 

Criminal activity in the game is punished, with cops going after runners and killing individuals afflicted by cyberpsychosis with no questions asked. The game's interface will now show how likely the cops are coming after a player through a Heat system displayed on screen. Those who reach the maximum level of Heat — 5 stars — will encounter a Max Tac mini-boss experience. If they choose to run from authorities, they'll get into car chases and road blocks that they'll have to escape. In case the cops manage to catch them, they will not be able to surrender peacefully or bribe their way out. But if they manage to shake off the cops, then they'll know when they're no longer being chased when NPCs start leaving the scene. 

Update 2.0 also gives players new ways to take out enemies from their vehicle. They can now shoot their weapons from the back of their motorcycles and through their car's windshield or out of its side window. They can also use new mounted weapons for certain nomad cars. Meanwhile, netrunners can hack and take over their enemies' cars and make them explode. In addition to all those, the update also comes with UI and UX improvements, new loot, crafting changes and new radio stations. 

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, on the other hand, adds a brand new storyline, characters — including one modeled after Idris Elba — and quests to the game. It will be available on September 26 and will cost players $30. 

Google teamed up with iFixit in mid-2022 to give you access to authentic components that you can use to repair Pixel phones. Now, it seems like the two parties have expanded their partnership. As 9to5Google reports, iFixit has started selling several original parts for the Pixel tablet that Google had released in June. One of the most expensive components now available for sale is the tablet's rear case, which costs $200 and comes with three microphones, antennas, a power button with fingerprint unlock and volume controls.

If your tablet's battery gets busted, you can now purchase an authentic replacement for $67, while a rear facing camera to replace one that's having issues will set you back $25. One replacement speaker will also cost you $25, as will a replacement for the device's USB-C port. But if it's the tablet's screen that needs replacing, you'll have to pay $200 or more. You can either get the part only — consisting of a front glass digitizer screen, a 10.95-inch 2560 x 1600 pixel LCD and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera — for that price or get a pack with tools you'll need to open up the tablet for $6 more. 

iFixit, of course, doesn't just sell the parts: Its Pixel tablet portal also contains guides on how you can repair the model for each component it's selling. You can follow them if you want to be sure you're doing the right thing, even if you're pretty good at tinkering with electronics. Aside from Google, iFixit also has partnerships with other brands, including Samsung, which teamed up with the how-to website last year to launch a fix-it-yourself program for its Galaxy devices.

You might see more sponsored recommendations when you fire up your Spotify app, now that the music streaming giant has started offering artists a new paid tool they can use to promote their music. "Showcase" gives artists a way to put their music in front of more people, whether their tunes are newly released or are something from deep in their catalog. They can create multiple campaigns for different content, and they can use Spotlight to promote not just singles, but also EPs and albums. 

These sponsored recommendations will appear under various headlines — succinct information about them designed to get your attention, really — provided by Spotify, depending on what the artist's team chooses. They can promote their stuff as "new music," for instance, or use the headline "on tour," if they're on the road and want to drum up more interest. In the image above, the single that's being promoted entitled White Winter Hymnal uses the headline "seasonal vibes." In addition, artists can choose the people they want to target and can go for both active listeners and previous ones. 

According to Spotify, Showcase ads will be shown in 30 markets. The streaming giant also claims that people who do see them are six times more likely to stream whatever it is being promoted. If you stream music you've seen through a particular Showcase ad, you won't see it again for 28 days. Musicians are charged per click, after all, with prices starting at 40 cents. Initially, though, Spotify will only offer Showcase to artists with at least 1,000 streams over the past 28 days and whose billing country is set to the US. It will roll out the tool within the Campaigns tab for eligible artists in the US over the coming weeks, but it says it will expand access to it worldwide over time. 

Mac users who want to play Baldur's Gate III on their computers only have to wait a few more days: Larian Studios has announced that the full version of the game will be available for Mac on September 21. It has been available for the OS for quite some time, but as a limited, early access version. Fans can only play the first act of the game and can't go any further than what the developer previously described as "approximately 25 hours of self-contained content." Soon, Mac gamers will be able to continue playing until they reach the Moonrise Towers and until secrets are revealed in the third act. 

Baldur's Gate III was initially released for Windows PCs on August 3 before it came out for the PlayStation 5 earlier this month. For consoles, it remains a PlayStation 5 exclusive, but not because the developer struck a deal with Sony Entertainment. What happened was Larian Studios couldn't cross a technical hurdle, preventing it from launching the game on Xbox at the same it came out for the PS5. 

Microsoft has rules requiring developers to ensure that games released for the Series S and Series X have the same features. In Larian Studios' case, it couldn't make the game's split-screen coop feature work on the less powerful Series S. After meeting with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, though, the developer was given permission to release the title for the Series S without the split-screen function but with cross-save progression between Steam and the two Xbox consoles. The Xbox version of Baldur's Gate III doesn't have an exact release date yet, but it's expected to come out before the year ends. 

The latest software update for the PlayStation 5 adds a number of useful features to the console, starting with the ability to enjoy its 3D Audio powered by Tempest 3D AudioTech on compatible Dolby Atmos-enabled HDMI devices. Sony first made the feature available, along with the other ones we're mentioning here, as part of a beta update released back in August. Now, it's available to all PS5 users.

Another notable upgrade brought by the new software is support for larger capacity M.2 SSDs. You can now use SSDs up to 8TB, double the previous limit of 4TB, so long as they meet the requirements for compatibility. And if you're playing with someone who may need help beating a particularly difficult level or boss, the console will now allow you to assign a second controller as an assist controller. By doing so, your PS5 will recognize two controllers as one device, and either can control whatever's on screen. 

PS5's latest update also comes with enhancements for the console's social features. When you're invited into a closed party, you won't automatically get added to the group anymore, so you don't have to interact with anyone you don't want to. And if someone is sharing a screen in the party you're joining, you'll see a preview of it even before you jump in. If you're the one inviting people, take note that you can now send both closed and open party invitations to several players at the same time. In addition, you can now see which of your friends are doing an activity you can join under the Friends tab, since the interface will now show a "joinable" icon next to them. 

Aside from those features, the update will give you the ability to stream PS5 or PS4 games from devices running Android TV OS 12. So far, Sony has verified that the PS Remote Play app is compatible with the 4K Chromecast with Google TV device and the BRAVIA XR A95L model smart TV. In the US and in UK, the update adds new voice commands you can use: Simply say "Hey PlayStation, help" to quickly bring up help pages or "Hey PlayStation, what’s new?" to check for the latest features and the current PS Plus lineup. And if you want to game in the middle of the night and don't want anybody else hearing what you're up to, you can now mute the beep sound the console makes when you turn it on or off. Simply go to Beep Sound under System in Settings and then mute or or adjust its volume. 

After September 29th, Netflix will no longer rent DVDs by mail and will be winding down that part of its business altogether. Most people might be surprised that the streaming giant is still even renting DVDs, but if you're one of its subscribers who'll be sad to see the service go, there's now another rent-by-mail option you can use anywhere you are in the US. Scarecrow, the largest independent video store in the US, has launched its own rent-by-mail service that will send DVDs and Blu-ray discs straight to your door. 

The store first piloted the service back in 2019 before it started working on making its library available to people across the country during the pandemic. As The Seattle Times reports, it launched a campaign in 2021 to raise funds for an overhaul of its aging website, making it more searchable and giving it a more modern look. Now, Scarecrow's rent-by-mail website is live, with step-by-step instructions on how to avail of the service and a searchable library divided by genres. 

To be able to rent from Scarecrow, you'll need to sign up for an account, which will have to be verified and approved by a staff member. After that, you can start adding DVDs to your cart. Titles are priced individually, but shipping will cost you $12 for up to six discs. That's discs, not titles, which means if one movie has six discs, you can't add more to the same shipment. The rental window is 14 days, including shipping, after that you can either renew by phone or pay late fees. 

Scarecrow has 140,000 titles in its collection — comparably, Netflix has around 5,000 titles in its US catalog, according to CordCutting — most of which you can rent by mail. There are exceptions, however, including rare and out of print videos that require a security deposit, newly released movies and adult titles. It also doesn't mail VHS tapes and laser discs, so you'll have to go elsewhere for those formats.