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First Click: Bill Murray, Facebook fate, a new Kindle, and more in the week ahead

April 11th, 2016

Listen up Gears of War fans because today’s the final day to qualify for early access to the Gears 4 beta. Just log on to Xbox Live and play Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Xbox One or Windows 10 by 11PM PT tonight to be eligible for the April 18th beta, or else you'll have to wait an additional week for the open beta. Gears of War 4 is the first installment not developed by series creator Epic Games, and stars a new cast including JD Fenix, the son of series hero Marcus Fenix.

Tuesday we expect to see the launch of the HTC 10, or whatever HTC will call its new flagship phone. With HTC’s sales in dramatic decline we have to wonder how many phone launches the company has left.

Facebook’s two-day F8 developer conference also kicks off on Tuesday. Expect Zuckerberg and crew to show up with a few product announcements, one of which is expected to be a new bot store for Facebook Messenger. The Verge’s Silicon Valley editor Casey Newton will be leading our coverage live from the event but you can check Re/code's preview now.

Friday will see the Netflix premiere of the second season of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It’s also the US theatrical release of The Jungle Book, the live-action adventure that follows Mowgli (Neel Sethi) who must abandon the only home he’s ever known. Directed by Jon Favreau, the CGI-heavy remake of the classic Disney film stars Bill Murray as Baloo the bear and Christopher Walken as King Louie the orangutan.

The 8th generation Kindle will also see a launch this week and we’ll have plenty to say about Dark Souls III. All this, and plenty of surprises are coming in the days ahead.

But first, let’s catch you up on the weekend that was.

  1. HTC 10 leaks in promotional video ahead of tomorrow’s event

    HTC's next flagship smartphone is expected to be announced tomorrow, but a promo video for the device leaked online offers an early sneak peek. The video fits what we've seen from previous leaks,...

  2. This tiny transformable home puts all others to shame

    If you’ve ever lived in a big city like New York, Paris, or Tokyo then you understand the compromise you make regarding space. After looking at rents you quickly give up dreams of having a guest...

  3. Watch Clarkson, Hammond, and May struggle to name their new car show on Amazon

    BBC silenced some skeptics when it released its first trailer for the new Chris Evans-led Top Gear, but Amazon doesn't want you to forget about the original trio: Clarkson, Hammond, and May. No,...

  4. How music streaming service exclusives make pirating tempting again

    Streaming services have been massively successful. Spotify debuted in the US in 2011 and has 30 million paying subscribers worldwide as of last month. Apple Music, which launched this past year, n...

  5. Watch the new Suicide Squad trailer from the MTV Movie Awards

    Now that Batman v Superman has been set loose on the world, Warner Bros is ready to ratchet up the hype for its next DC Comics film: Suicide Squad. The latest trailer for the band of misfits and...

  6. First Gears of War 4 trailer channels Sad Affleck

    It wouldn't be a new Gears of War without a trailer with sad music. Aired during Fear the Walking Dead's season two premiere last night, the new Gears of War 4 trailer provides a past and present...

  7. Tesla Model S may get 'Bioweapon Defense Mode' and 100kWh battery option this week

    The Tesla Model S will reportedly gain the "Bioweapon Defense Mode" air filtration system from the Model X and a 100kWh battery option. We've heard from a source that the new options may be...

  8. This Month in Luxury: Bulgari's mechanical smart watch

    Welcome to This Month in Luxury, presented by Micah Singleton, The Verge's resident Luxury Director. In this monthly (or whenever we remember) column, I will take you on a completely superficial...

  9. The official Lisa Frank Facebook page is an internet safe space for aggressively positive memes

    Consider your average internet meme. In a world of crying Jordans and Mr. Krabs blur memes, is there any place left on the internet that doesn't thrive off of laughing at someone else's misery? T...

  10. How to be human: I cheated on my girlfriend — is it possible to win her back?

    Leah Reich was one of the first internet advice columnists. Her column "Ask Leah" ran on IGN, where she gave advice to gamers for two and a half years. During the day, Leah is Slack’s user...

Perspective of the day

Amazing Isn't It?

Posted by Wonderful Engineering on Saturday, April 9, 2016