Avengers: Age of Ultron is soft science fiction and happy to be so. Between the god of thunder flying around in a cape, Scarlet Witch's magical mind control and telekinesis powers, and the giant green rage monster who can only be soothed by the touch of a beautiful woman, this is a fun summer action blockbuster from beginning to end. With that said, Marvel has not shied away from using fun summer action blockbusters as a means to explore ethical questions that society is already dealing with – or those that it might have to face in the future. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have said that during the development of Captain America: The Winter Soldier they heard about President Barack Obama's "kill list" of known terrorists, and it highlighted for them just how morally grey issues of security and freedom had become. "Cap is a representative of the Greatest Generation. The war, the conflict they were involved in, was very black and white,'" Joe Russo explained.

Hollywood can take almost anything and adapt it into gold. It's common knowledge these days that a movie based on a Marvel comic book can grow into a billion-dollar franchise, and producers have found lucrative source material in everything from theme park rides to toys. But movies based on video games have yet to hit the same stride, despite the fact that the global gaming industry is expected to generate close to 100 billion this year, more than Hollywood itself. The history of failed movie adaptations serves as a cautionary backdrop for "Warcraft," based on the popular Activision Blizzard game series, which will be released in North America June 10. At a time when all things geek are considered mainstream, there's still much uncertainty about whether "Warcraft" will be the one to end the cycle of bad video game movies.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said Thursday it was six to nine months from beginning to use drones to check warehouse inventories in the United States, taking a step closer to using the technology to compete better with rivals. In October 2015, the world's largest retailer applied to U.S. regulators for permission to test drones for home delivery, curbside pickup and checking warehouse inventories as it planned to use drones to fill and deliver online orders. Federal regulators are still considering rules for commercial operation of drones that would be involved in package delivery - viewed as the next frontier for big retailers such as Walmart and Amazon Inc (AMZN.O). Walmart's Vice President of Last Mile and Emerging Sciences Shekar Natarajan demonstrated the use of drones to reporters in one of the company's regional distribution centers. "We are still in early phases of testing and understanding how drones can be better used in different types of business functions," he said.

It looks like USA Today is officially not going to be the Los Angeles Times' tomorrow. During its annual shareholder meeting here Thursday morning, Tribune Publishing, the Times' parent company, won a key victory. Its tech-entrepreneur owner fended off two takeover attempts from Gannett, publisher of USA Today, and won approval of his board slate. Before the meeting, Bloomberg reported, Gannett was likely to pull out of acquisition talks pending the result of the vote, an outcome that seems almost perfunctory at this point. Now all Tribune chairman Michael Ferro has to do is make the futuristic vision he and the company's new vice chairman and second-largest investor, biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, have for the company -- which includes artificial intelligence, "machine vision" technology and new bureaus from Rio de Janeiro to Lagos -- a promising story about the future of news.

If folding the laundry is a step too far for you, help is at hand. A San Francisco startup has revealed an 850 robo-helper that does it automatically. Dubbed'Your laundry folding friend', FoldiMate uses a conveyor belt, several robotic arms and an adjustable tray that pushes out expertly folded apparel in less than a minute. A San Francisco startup understands most detest this chore and is set to release a device that does it for you – that only cost around 700 to 850. Dubbed'Your laundry folding friend', FoldiMate uses a conveyor belt, several robotic arms and an adjustable tray that pushes out expertly folded apparel in less than a minute Users simply clip their freshly washed garments to the integrated rack located on the outside of FoldiMate.

Much of that success can be attributed to the game's open structure and limitless potential. Players can build anything they imagine, provided its outward-facing geometry is made up of simple, colorful blocks. The focus on creativity is why so many players, young and old, have been drawn to the game and continue to play years after its release. Mojang has supported the game with a steady stream of updates that have added new mechanics, creatures and materials. The game's flexibility has also made it a smash-hit in the classroom, teaching art, geology, coding and other subjects.

When he's not building electric cars or helping to create the idea for a high-speed transit system, Elon Musk really wants citizens of Earth to go to Mars. During a wide-ranging interview at The Code Conference, the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX discussed everything from life to Mars to the possibility that life is just an elaborate computer simulation. This wouldn't be the first time Musk has shared some wildly ambitious ideas and thoughts. Let's break down the three most interesting things Musk shared during his Code talk: Musk predicts the first humans will travel to Mars eight years from now, arriving on the red planet by 2025. Musk founded SpaceX in 2002, with a goal of "enabling people to live on other planets," according to a description on the space tech company's website. In April, SpaceX announced the first unmanned mission to Mars would launch in two years using the company's Falcon Heavy rocket.

Uber is facing challenges in acquiring drivers, paying drivers and managing the liability of drivers, but these issues will vanish, along with a good chunk of its costs, if Uber can establish a massive fleet of self-driving cars,

BOSTON, MA – June 2, 2016 – Neurala, Inc., a creator of artificial intelligence, deep learning software for robots, drones, self-driving cars, toys, consumer electronics, and smart devices (ioT), today announced that it has completed a 1.2-million round of financing lead by the fund run by well-known venture capitalist Tim Draper, Draper Associates Investments, LLC, and by Haiyin Capital, a Beijing-based venture capital firm. This second round of financing brings the total external investment in Neurala to 2 million. Haiyin Capital is a new investor in Neurala. The firm actively invests worldwide in technology teams whose innovations are, in their opinion, poised for global impact. In addition to their financial investment in Neurala, Haiyin will provide access to its network of OEM and technology companies in China.

Join BetaKit for a panel discussion with Kik, Architech and 88 Creative about Artificial Intelligence, bots and how both will impact the future of social media and our interactions online. Come for the beer and pizza, stay for the insightful (human!) discussion. Tickets are just 5 (free beer and pizza). SMWiTO pass holders get in free! Social Media Week Toronto tickets purchased here: https://smwitoronto.com/ Paul's career spans 15 years in marketing, product management, strategy, brand development and IP creation roles based around the world.