Electronic Arts announced the closure of its Canadian studio BioWare, eliminating 400 positions and canceling the next Mass Effect game as part of a broader cost‑cutting drive.
News Raise
Apple has begun setting up large, cloth‑covered structures at its New York flagship store, hinting at giant iPhone Duo models before the device’s Friday debut.
Microsoft has introduced a new a la carte Cloud Playtime option that lets owners buy streaming hours for games they already own, starting at $0.24 per hour.
SpaceX lifted off a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on Oct. 20, deploying the Starfall reentry capsule and 31 customer payloads as part of the Bandwagon‑5 rideshare mission.
Japan’s Martian Moons Exploration spacecraft lifted off on an H3 rocket, beginning a $578 million mission to collect at least 10 g of material from Phobos and return it to Earth by 2031.
Physicists have suspended a single positron in mid‑air and cooled it to its ground state, opening a path to ultra‑precise magnetic measurements that could reveal differences between matter and antimatter.
The 2026 Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is advancing at a speed far exceeding the 2014 West African epidemic, driven by a rare Bundibugyo strain and weakened health infrastructure.
A US‑backed study testing hepatitis B vaccination in African newborns has been stopped after lacking government approval and drawing sharp criticism from vaccine experts.
A large genetics study finds that about 25% of severe depression cases show a distinct pattern of circadian disruption, with unique symptoms and lower response to standard antidepressants.
Airbnb has revised its house‑rule policy, prohibiting hosts from requiring guests to perform tasks like stripping beds or washing dishes, with the changes effective for bookings after 20 November.