Saturday, April 2, 2022

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Activision Blizzard will let studios decide their own COVID vaccine policy

Posted: 02 Apr 2022 02:16 AM PDT

Activision Blizzard's studios will have the power to determine their own return-to-office policies despite the company leaders' decision to drop its vaccine mandate. That's what Activision Blizzard executive Brian Bulatao said in a follow-up email after the company caught flak following the leak of his first one. In that first missive, Bulatao announced that the the company is lifting its vaccine mandate prior to US employees' return to office in the coming months. Not everyone's happy with the change, as you'd expect, and a group of workers scheduled a walkout for April 4th. 

The ABK Workers Alliance, a group that formed after California's fair employment agency filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the gaming titan, is staging a walkout to demand the "immediate reversal to lifting the vaccine requirement." It also wants the company to offer remote work as a permanent solution and to give each employee the freedom to decide whether to work remotely or in the office. An ABK Workers Alliance rep told Polygon that previous meetings with the company all ended with the decision to continue the vaccine mandate for workers returning to office. "This recent change was not run by any employees before being announced," they said. 

Bulatao sent out his second email following the walkout's announcement, telling employees that the company's individual studios can "determine the processes and policies that work best for their employees and locations based on local conditions and risk." Also, returning to office remains a voluntary decision at this time. According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra told staff in an email that the developer will continue its vaccine requirements "for at least the next few months." Ybarra also revealed that at least 80 percent of Blizzard personnel has already uploaded proof of vaccination. 

In a statement Activision Blizzard sent to Polygon, it didn't say whether its workers' reaction to dropping the vaccine mandate influenced Bulatao's follow-up email. It did say, however, that it will not retaliate against workers who participate in the walkout:

"The health and safety of our employees is at the absolute forefront of everything we do, including our return to office policy. While Activision Blizzard's U.S. vaccine mandate has been lifted, for the majority of our employees, we are still operating under a voluntary return to office opportunity. In addition, employees who are not comfortable returning to the office are encouraged to work with their manager and our HR team to explore options for working arrangements that suit their individual situations. We will continue to monitor conditions and make adjustments to the policy as needed.

We recognize some employees may be participating in a walkout to express their views. The company supports our employees' right to express their opinions in a safe and nonthreatening way, and will not retaliate for any decision to participate in this walkout. The company also hopes that those who walk out will conduct themselves in a legal, safe, and nonviolent manner."

Google ‘unfairly’ blocked rival payments, India’s antitrust regulator says

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 03:57 PM PDT

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Friday released early findings of an investigation into Google's app store and its payment system, Google Pay. As Bloombergreported, it found that Google's Play Store billing system for app developers is "unfair and discriminatory". 

Back in 2020, Google decided to delay enforcing its 30% commission for app developers in India following an outcry from the country's startup community. The tech giant agreed to defer the policy until this month. But in the interim, Indian developers lobbied the nation's government to stop Google from enacting what they felt was an unfairly high fee. Developers also believed that since Android phones are preloaded with the Play Store, it gave Google an unfair advantage over rival payment systems.

Of particular concern in India is whether Google Pay will undercut rival United Payments Interface (or UPI) apps, which allow users to directly debit payments from their bank accounts using just a virtual address. UPI payment apps like Google Pay, PhonePe and Paytm are currently the most popular way for Indians to make payments online. Critics have alleged that Google's control of the Play Store and the Android operating system gives it an unfair amount of control over India's digital payment ecosystem.

India's antitrust regulator echoed similar concerns over Google Pay. "Google's conduct is also resulting in a denial of market access to competing UPI apps since the market for UPI enabled digital payment apps is multi-sided, and the network effects will lead to a situation where Google Pay's competitors will be completely excluded from the market in the long run," wrote CCI in documents viewed by Bloomberg.

India's antitrust agency has yet to finish its investigation into Google. Upon its conclusion, the tech giant may be forced to pay fines or change its policies. 

The search giant has come under fire in India, both for its developer's fees and the potential threat Google Pay poses to domestic payment platforms. Last year Google announced that all Play Store developers would have to integrate with Google's payment system by October 2022.

The follow-up to 'Hyper Light Drifter' is a full 3D co-op slasher

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 01:15 PM PDT

Hyper Light Drifter's retro style and relentless action have prompted a spiritual successor and even an animated series, but what about a follow-up? Don't worry, it's coming. Eurogamernotes Heart Machine has unveiledHyper Light Breaker, a game set in the Hyper Light universe but with very different mechanics. Gone is the Zelda-like 2D view and solo-only gameplay — instead, you're slashing through your way through waves of enemies in a full 3D environment with optional co-op play.

The title isn't a sequel, either. Instead, you're fighting through a new land (the "Overgrowth") as you aim to topple the Abyss King and grapple with mysterious Crowns. You'll have access to tools that make use of the extra dimension, including a glider, hoverboard and wall dashes. While the fast pace and some "threads" from Drifter will carry over, Breaker is its own game.

Hyper Light Breaker is expected to launch on Steam in spring 2023. This might be disappointing if you were hoping for a straightforward continuation of the Drifter experience. At the same time, it's not often you see game developers leap from nostalgic 2D to a significantly different 3D experience — it might be refreshing if you wanted more than just a retread.

Twitch halts paid stream boosts after viewers abuse them to push porn

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 12:43 PM PDT

Twitch is halting a feature that lets viewers pay to promote their favorite streamers after bad actors used it to push porn and other NSFW content onto its homepage. First spotted by PC Gamer, a number of Twitch users on Twitter this week noticed that streams of porn videos were on the homepage, all featuring the caption "Promoted by the streamer's community." It appeared that a number of unidentified users were taking advantage of the platform's "Boost Train" program, which boosts streamers if enough fans create a "hype train" by purchasing subscriptions and bits.

Since Twitch only rolled out the Boost Train feature to partners and affiliates, only a limited number of streamers have it enabled. It's still unclear how the bad actors were able to access Boost Train-enabled accounts.

In an email to Engadget, a Twitch spokesperson said the Boost Train feature was paused "due to safety reasons." Twitch would not comment on whether it identified the users who were behind pushing the offending content, or whether it had plans to bring Boost Train back. 

While sexually explicit content is against Twitch's terms of service, some critics say the platform has been inconsistent about the kind of NSFW content it bans. The platform relies on a mix of community reports and AI to identify sexually explicit streams. Dot Esports this week reported that Twitch is considering a "mature label", which would allow streamers to experiment with more R-rated content — though it's still drawing a hard line on broadcasting masturbation or sexual intercouse.

Boost Train debuted just this month, replacing a widely-scorned "Paid Boosts" program that let fans pay Twitch directly to boost their favorite streamers. Boost Train, on the other hand, was aimed at rewarding smaller streamers with a growing fanbase.

The first episode of 'Halo' is free to watch on YouTube for one week

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 12:10 PM PDT

You don't have to start a Paramount+ trial just to figure out whether or not the Halo TV series is worth your time. The streaming service has made the first episode of the game-inspired show free to watch on YouTube for a week starting March 31st (sorry!). The freebie is only viewable in the US, but it's worth a look if you want to see Hollywood's take on Master Chief and the Covenant.

There's no mystery behind the strategy. Paramount+ is clearly hoping to build Halo's viewer base (and thus the subscriber base) as quickly as possible, and a free sample might help when trailers aren't enough. The provider has used this approach before with releases like Star Trek: Picard.

It might also be a question of seizing on early success. Paramount+ was confident enough in Halo to renew it before the premiere, and that support was apparently well-founded. Deadlinereported that the series broke the service's one-day premiere viewership record, ousting the Yellowstone prequel 1883. While Paramount+ is still small compared to heavyweights like Amazon and Netflix, sustained interest in Halo could help the streamer grow and reduce its dependence on Star Trek.

Magnetic slime 'robot' could help recover swallowed objects

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 10:05 AM PDT

Soft robots may soon be more flexible than ever... and a tad creepy. As The Guardianreports, researchers have developed a magnetic slime "robot" that can shift into different shapes to grab objects. It can encircle a group of pellets, for instance, and even stretch out in multiple directions to grab items on opposite sides. It's self-healing, too. The result might induce some nightmares for the squeamish and is more than a little reminiscent of Spider-Man's symbiotic Venom, but it's surprisingly effective.

The slime is made from the blend of polyvinyl alcohol (a polymer), borax and neodymium magnet particles. The result is a non-Newtonian fluid that behaves like a liquid or solid depending on force, and can be controlled using external magnets. There are no robotics inside the slime at present, but you can steer it like a robot— and the "ultimate goal" is to use it like one, according to researcher and co-creator Li Zhang.

There are numerous problems left to solve. On top of fitting robotics into such a soft design, the scientists also want to prevent the toxic neodymium particles from seeping out. A layer of silica in this current slime helps, but safety inside a living being might depend on limiting contact. If the technology becomes sufficiently safe and effective, though, it could help doctors recover swallowed objects and otherwise squeeze robots into places where they were previously impractical.

Amazon warehouse workers vote to unionize in Staten Island (updated)

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 09:14 AM PDT

There should be at least one unionized Amazon warehouse in the US. CNBCreports Workers at the company's JFK8 facility in Staten Island have voted 2,350-1,912 in favor of joining a union in a late March election. While the official count isn't yet available, the remaining uncounted and challenged ballots aren't expected to sway the outcome.

The decision came after numerous challenges. Workers had to file a second petition with the National Labor Relations Board after they didn't get enough signatures last fall. The NLRB has also accused Amazon of interfering with unionization efforts at JFK8, including firing pro-union workers and intimidating them through surveillance and questioning.

The Amazon Labor Union at the heart of the vote has made multiple demands. Its requests include higher pay, "more reasonable" productivity targets and additional time off. Amazon has faced multiple claims it relies on unrealistic quotas and discourages time away from work stations.

We've asked Amazon for comment. It's likely to be unhappy with the results, though. Amazon spent $4.3 million on anti-union consultants just in 2021, and the internet shopping giant was accused of interference elsewhere. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union even claimed Amazon interfered with a second unionization vote in Bessemer, Alabama that the NLRB deemed necessary due to obstruction during the first election.

Provided the election results hold, the vote would make JFK8 the first Amazon warehouse with a union. There's no guarantee this will lead to other warehouses following suit. The second Bessemer vote was close enough that it will likely be decided by challenged ballots, to start. A second Staten Island location is due to vote April 25th, though, and this initial win for the pro-union camp might just influence other votes.

Update 4/1 1:50PM ET: In a statement, Amazon said it was "disappointed" with the Staten Island vote and was considering options that included filing objections to the alleged "inappropriate and undue influence" from the NLRB. It cited support from private business groups including the Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation.

Apple's new iPad Air is $30 off, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 08:45 AM PDT

While many of this week's deals only lasted for a limited time, some of them are still available. Apple's new iPad Air is $29 off and down to $570, while the iPad mini is $40 cheaper than usual and down to $459. Amazon's much-improved Echo Buds are 58 percent off and down to only $50, and you can still grab 8BitDo's Pro 2 controller for just over $40. Here are the best tech deals this week that you can still get today.

iPad Air (2022)

The latest iPad Air is $30 off right now, bringing the 64GB model down to $570 and the 256GB version down to $720. The new M1-powered iPad earned a score of 90 from us for its super-fast performance, long battery life and improved front camera.

Buy iPad Air (2022) at Amazon - $570

iPad mini

Apple's latest iPad mini is on sale for $459, which is $40 off its normal price. We gave the small tablet a score of 89 for its lovely display, refined design and excellent battery life.

Buy iPad mini at Amazon - $459

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd gen)

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd gen) review
Billy Steele/Engadget

Amazon's latest Echo Buds are a whopping 58 percent off, bringing them down to only $50. These were already solid, affordable earbuds at their regular $120 price, but they're an even better option at this price. We gave them a score of 80 for their improved sound quality, good ANC and smaller size.

Buy Echo Buds (2nd gen) at Amazon - $50

8BitDo Pro 2

8Bitdo Pro 2 controller
Mat Smith, Engadget

8BitDo's excellent Pro 2 controller is 15 percent off and down to $42.50. In addition to being compatible with Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS, Android and Raspberry Pi, the Pro 2 has a familiar layout plus two back buttons, and all of its inputs are customizable using the companion apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. The Pro 2 is included in a wider gaming accessories sale on Amazon, which includes other peripherals like the Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma controller for $127.50.

Buy 8BitDo Pro 2 at Amazon - $42.50Buy Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma at Amazon - $127.50Shop gaming sale at Amazon

Bose QuietComfort 45

The Bose QC45 headphones are on sale for $279, which is their all-time-low price that we saw last Black Friday. We gave the cans a score of 86 for their excellent sound quality, strong ANC and comfortable fit.

Buy QC45 at Amazon - $279

Samsung Galaxy S22

Samsung's Galaxy S22 and S22+ are the company's new mainstream flagship phones for 2022.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Amazon has knocked $100 off Samsung's Galaxy S22 smartphone, bringing the handset down to $700 for the 128GB model and $750 for the 256GB version. We gave the flagship phone a score of 87 for its slick design, strong performance and excellent camera array.

Buy Galaxy S22 (128GB) at Amazon - $700Buy Galaxy S22 (256GB) at Amazon - $750

Samsung T7 Touch (1TB)

The T7 Touch portable SSD in 1TB is on sale for $140 right now. This palm-sized drive works with most devices thanks to the duo of cables it comes with, and it supports 1,050 MB/s read speeds, 1,000 MB/s write speeds, AES 256-bit encryption and Dynamic Thermal Guard.

Buy T7 Touch (1TB) at Amazon - $140

New tech deals

Xbox Stereo Headset 20th Anniversary Special Edition

You can pick up this special edition Xbox headset for $50, which is 29 percent off its normal price and a record low. This is a wired headset that has green accents and support for Windows Sonic spatial sound.

Buy Xbox Stereo Headset at Amazon - $50

PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller (Xbox)

PowerA's Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox is 32 percent off and down to only $26. It's a good option if you want another controller for your console but don't want to pay the premium attached to the first-party options. This one has a familiar, ergonomic design, dual rumble motors and mappable buttons.

Buy Enhanced Wired Controller at Amazon - $26

65-inch Samsung The Frame smart TV

Samsung's 65-inch The Frame smart TV is $300 less than usual on Amazon right now, so you can grab it for $1,500. In addition to Quantum Dot technology and built-in Alexa, The Frame series has Art Mode, which shows artwork on the screen when you're not watching TV.

Buy 65-inch The Frame at Amazon - $1,500

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

House committee launches investigation into Amazon labor practices

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 08:07 AM PDT

Amazon's labor practices are facing political scrutiny following a tornado that collapsed a warehouse and killed six people in Edwardsville, Illinois last December. The New York Timesnotes the House Committee on Oversight and Reform has launched an investigation into Amazon's practices in severe weather conditions. Committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney as well as member Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush are worried about reports Amazon forced staff to work at and around the Illinois facility despite the tornado threat, jeopardizing the safety of employees and contractors.

After the collapse, reports emerged that Amazon supervisors threatened to fire or otherwise punish workers if they left to take shelter. One contracted driver, for instance, was told to keep delivering packages or risk losing her job. The representatives also pointed out previous concerns, such as workers being made to stay through two days of air quality warnings during California's November 2018 wildfires.

Maloney, Ocasio-Cortez and Bush sent a letter to Amazon chief Andy Jassy requesting communications and documents surrounding the Illinois collapse. They also asked for documents covering firings or other discipline around the time of seven labor incidents, including at Bessemer, Alabama and Staten Island, New York warehouses where workers have tried to join unions. Amazon has until April 14th to respond.

Amazon didn't directly address the letter in a statement to The Times. Spokeswoman Kelly Nantel told the newspaper the company would answer the letter "in due course" but that its focus was on supporting "all those affected by the tornadoes."

The House investigation won't necessarily result in legislation or other actions requiring Amazon and other companies to better protect workers in extreme weather. It may draw more attention to Amazon's labor policies, though, and comes soon after senators began an investigation into possibly illegal terminations for employees who took time off. Amazon is under close watch, and it's unlikely to get a break any time soon.

‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director’s Edition’ makes its glorious return

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 08:00 AM PDT

If there was ever a Star Trek film that needed a do-over, both artistically and reputationally, it was The Motion Picture. Dismissed by critics as boring and sterile when it came out, its nickname inside Trek fandom has long been "The Motionless Picture." In 1997, director Robert Wise started the process of re-examining the film, with a Director's Edition being birthed at the dawn of the DVD era in 2001. For a couple of reasons, the altogether better version of that movie fell into obscurity, unavailable for most people to see. Now, twenty years after Wise's amended film made its debut, the film has been given a second do-over in the form of a 4K remaster for Paramount+.

The Abandoned Picture

You can buy a shelf's worth of books discussing the troubled production of The Motion Picture, and its creative failures. Paramount wanted a new Star Trek TV series, until the money men balked at the cost and potential disinterest from advertisers. The pricey show got crunched into a single movie-of-the-week, right until the moment that Star Wars (and Close Encounters) swallowed 1977 whole. Bosses wanted a slice of that late '70s sci-fi movie pie and upgraded the Trek project to a big-budget movie. Except none of the already-made material was movie quality, and the effects house wasn't up to the task at hand.

The Motion Picture was directed by Robert Wise, a footnote in a career that started in 1934 and ran through 2000. Wise got his big break as Orson Welles' editor on Citizen Kane and, more controversially, The Magnificent Ambersons. He'd won enough Academy Awards that The Motion Picture wouldn't be in the top ten of his most notable achievements. The special effects were eventually completed by the recently-departedDouglas Trumbull and John Dykstra; both could point to 2001 and Star Wars as the highlights on their own resumes. Even so, Wise was battered by the process of making it, hand-delivering the prints to the film's premiere and declaring it to be a rushed, unfinished job.

Length was a problem for the film, a 90-minute TV pilot expanded to more than two hours, bloated with too many special effects shots. Paramount would subsequently produce an even longer cut of the film, letting ABC screen a super-sized, 143-minute TV version which included deleted and unfinished scenes. (There is a rumor, apparently tied to this forum post from 2016 (via Memory Alpha), which suggests that Wise re-cut the film in 1980 to be 12 minutes shorter, but producer David C. Fein doesn't believe it to be true.)

The Director's Edition

Image supplied by Paramount
Paramount

In 1997, Wise, through his company Robert Wise Productions, enlisted the help of producer David C. Fein, post-production supervisor Michael Matessino and visual effects supervisor Daren R. Dochterman to help fix the film. They examined the original storyboards, fixed some of the more egregious effects choices and tightened the editing. While the runtime was longer, a snappier edit (more or less) helped contextualize some of the choices made back when the film was shooting. It also helped to kickstart the reappraisal of the film as something more valuable than the big-budget catastrophe it was treated as.

Part of that work was to broaden the visual palette, especially in some of the key sequences which weren't fully-realized in '79. The inconsistencies during Spock's first scene – which were shot in broad daylight but painted on a matte implying darkness – are fixed. Many sets that were constrained even with matte paintings were broadened out and CGI – by pioneers Foundation Imaging – used to fill the gaps in the action. The film remained, more or less, like it had two decades prior, but was a much more joined-up experience on screen.

But this edition, while considered "definitive," was never re-released beyond its original 2001 DVD printing. According to Memory Alpha, it's because Paramount never kept its own archive copies of the CGI files for its projects. And when Foundation Imaging went under after the death of its founder, Ron Thornton, it was believed that those files were gone forever.

The Re-Remaster

Image of the 4K Version of the V'Ger Dock
Paramount

"Completely untrue," said David C. Fein who produced both the first Directors Edition and its 2022 successor, to Engadget. "Everything was designed to be able to go to film, but the resolution [in those original files] wasn't there, [...] so it couldn't just be re-rendered," he said. "It had to be recreated by people who knew what we were going for, because we're now able to put the detail in for it to be full-size." "We re-did all the visual effects, not from scratch – the setups [from 1999] were there – then we worked in all of the new levels of technology and information," said Fein.

Fein says that the project, which was announced in July 2021, is "not a restoration," and that his team wasn't just "polishing this film," but working to tweak it to improve the overall storytelling. That meant scanning the raw material and re-compositing everything to make a fresh, 4K scan off the original 35mm live-action footage. (Douglas Trumbull, to avoid detail loss, would shoot on 65mm film, and so his material was scanned in at 8K, while Dykstra's VistaVision material was scanned in at 6K.)

The project is, if we're being a little too honest, long overdue, since Paramount opted to offer the theatrical print of The Motion Picture for all of the Blu-ray releases. "Unfortunately, when the hi-def [versions of the Star Trek films] came out, Bob [Wise] got to watch the fact that it was the original theatrical version," explained Fein. "And he sat me down in his kitchen and said, 'I need you to promise me something Dave' – 'I don't care how long it takes, I need you to finish the director's edition and it needs to be finished,' meaning film quality." But Fein says that the lag time was down to a need for the technology to improve, and also for the "guardian angels" at Paramount+ to greenlight the work.

There are a number of small tweaks to the film, designed to smooth out even more of its visual rough edges. Keen-eyed fans will enjoy spotting the additions and changes, an early highlight is the addition of Shuttle Pod 5 to the exterior of Starfleet's orbital office. "Just about every shot [in the film] has been touched in some way, there's a lot of subtlety added to shots," he said. "There's [also] at least one clearly new shot in the film that helps continuity, and I hope no-one else notices it."

One sequence that Fein spent lots of effort on, both then and now, was when the V'Ger probe attacks the bridge. The original film sequence was projected through a bent mylar filter with intentionally harsh lighting to create the alien effect. "The way that it looked, was almost like [our] film stopped and another one started," he explained, looking at the washed-out colors, high grain and poor continuity. Fein credits the power of HDR which enabled his team to create a harsh overexposure of the probe without dulling the rest of the film.

And a less obvious change – unless you're like me and watched multiple versions side-by-side – is a vastly improved color grade. Because the film was so rushed, Fein explained, the process of color grading, which can take months, was crunched down to four days. He said that the crew's opinion, at the time, was "just 'let's get it done as flat [as we can] so everything matched, and [get it done] as quickly as it could." The film's colors are, traditionally, washed out, leaden with that '70s sci-fi beige that makes even the actors look like pieces of furniture. "Now that we're working from negative scans, we're able to do what [Robert Wise's] real intention was."

The final task Fein had to oversee was to ensure that The Directors Edition is no longer a rare curio. Fein explained that, having worked with the digital negatives and produced a new print designed for theatrical distribution, the film is now "future proof." That should ensure that it never again becomes the sort of film you have to actively seek out to watch. Not to mention that Fathom events will offer a handful of screenings (in select theaters) for viewers to see the film on the big screen once again.

Give me a Good Time

I don't want to be facetious when I say that The Motion Picture is less of a film and more of an experience. For all of the complaints that the film was slow, antiseptic and cold, it also offers something a little more heavyweight than you may expect from a franchise movie. The team behind the film may not have been making Solaris, or 2001, but those influences are keenly felt through much of the movie. It's not dumb noisy fun, and it's not as clever as it thinks it might be, but it's trying to deal with some weighty issues around what it means to be human. A computer looking to understand if there's any meaning beyond its existence is something fiction has come back to again and again – it's always been a fascination for Star Trek, too.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to watch the 4K transfer in all of its glory, since previews were capped at 1080p (I know). What is obvious, however, is that the new version is a whole lot brighter, with much more detailed CG models and much better sound, in most places. The new color grade makes a huge difference, with actors no longer blending into the background of their own film. There are only a few moments where the transfer seems less kind than you may expect, and that's mostly when you go looking for matte lines. You can clearly see some of that hand-cut wonkiness in the more detail-heavy sequences, like the drydock scene.

(While we're on the subject; the Drydock sequence is considered, by non fans, as the ne plus ultra of pointless fan service. Yes, it's a six-minute scene in which Kirk stares, milky-eyed at the refitted Enterprise, well-known enough that even nĂĽ-Trek repeatedly tipsits hat to it. But let's be honest, if you wanted to spend six minutes staring at a model, you might as well make it the most beautiful model ever to be created.)

And as much as it's Wise's name on the film, in these modern eras, I think we should also offer kudos to Trumbull and Dykstra for their contribution. The effects sequences are, for their age, some of the best ever put to film and the trippy late '70s sci-fi visuals during the spacewalk sequence are on a par with anything 2001 offered. I can't not also say that, without Jerry Goldsmith's score, one of the best ever written, much of this film wouldn't hold together nearly as well as it does. While the finished product is not to everyone's taste, you can tell it is the product of a number of virtuosos all working to produce their very best work.

It's funny, because I'd say that I've seen this film more times than I should probably admit, especially the first 40 minutes. Something that only occurred to me during this rewatch is how Wise's direction, and the acting, loosens up as things go on. Kirk, Spock and McCoy all start this film stiff and stagey, acting like they're all trying to act under the effects of a sedative. But once they've returned to the Enterprise and you see Kirk visibly relax into his chair, Spock and McCoy start bantering, and you could almost frame this as a deliberate choice to make the film a form of origin story.

While researching this piece, I went hunting for critical reviews of the film back when it first debuted in 1979. (The best modern essay on the film, and the best modern essays on any of the Star Trek films, is Darren Franich's 2016 retrospective, which I urge you to read.) Weirdly, Roger Ebert wrote the smartest take on the film back then, and I reckon the conclusion of his review is probably the most elegant way anyone could discuss it. He wrote, "Some of the early reviews seemed pretty blase, as if the critics didn't allow themselves to relish the film before racing out to pigeonhole it. My inclination, as I slid down in my seat and the stereo sound surrounded me, was to relax and let the movie give me a good time. I did and it did."

Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition, will be available on Paramount+ on April 5th, 2022. A physical media release will follow with new special features.

JackRabbit review: If a scooter and an e-bike had a baby

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 07:45 AM PDT

In a world where most e-bikes are trying to blend in, JackRabbit, well… stands out. In fact, it's unique enough that you're either going to love it or at the very least be curious. As a pedal-free e-bike, it's aimed at those in the market for a scooter rather than an electrified road bike. But, unlike a scooter, the JackRabbit can handle more than just paved sidewalk while remaining about as portable. All this to say, the JackRabbit bike is a curious proposition, but don't let its quirky looks deceive you.

First, let's back up a little. The JackRabbit is an electronic bike, but it's categorized as a scooter in some jurisdictions. Thanks, in part, to its size, at 48 x 21 x 39 inches (122 x 53 x 100 cm) it's comically/helpfully small. There are no pedals, chains or gears – it's throttle mode only, like a tiny electric motorbike. At 24lbs (11Kg) it's also pretty light. The advertised range is 12 miles, the top speed is 20mph delivered by a 300W motor / 150Wh battery combo and it will cost you $1,200 new in a range of four spiffy colors.

As alluded to above, comparing the JackRabbit to most other e-bikes doesn't really make sense. This is something you'll want to ride for short to moderate distances or for that famous last mile. It can fold down to a degree (you can pop out the handlebars and invert the front wheel) at which point it's only slightly less portable than most scooters. That said, lugging it around is a little bit different – it doesn't fold down as small, but you can also wheel it over/up things instead of just carrying it.

Maybe you really just wanted a bike that did all the work for you, in which case, that is this. For example, if your commute is up to five miles each way across town, and you normally ride a bike, the JackRabbit could be a viable alternative if you want something that can cut through traffic but won't mean showing up at the office needing a shower. Oh, assuming you're under 6'2" that is (the maximum height according to the company).

Or, if like me, you live in an apartment block and maneuvering a full-size bike downstairs with a small elevator is just straight-up hassle, the JackRabbit is a pure delight. No kidding, I have to stand a regular bike on end and hope no one's waiting downstairs as I barge the door open with the front wheel. With the JackRabbit, I can actually just ride into and straight out of the elevator if I want.

The JackRabbit looks like a regular bike, until you realize there are no pedals!
James Trew / Engadget

The first time you take the JackRabbit out, the center of gravity takes a little getting used to. Especially once you hit higher speeds which can make the ride feel a little invigorating – in the most danger-fun sense of the word. But it doesn't take long before you're settled in and starting to think about what street obstacles you can try to bunny hop off of/over.

From there on out the ride is pretty smooth, though there are a few things to keep in mind. While the top speed is 20mph, it's hard to get there in anything other than optimal conditions. The acceleration isn't slow, but once you get to around 15/16mph it tails off enough that you need a clear road ahead to hit that top speed. This is still an improvement on the previous JackRabbit that seemed to take even longer to get there.

Inclines are also not the JackRabbit's forte. If you hit a modest gradient at a good speed you shouldn't have any problems, but once things get steeper and/or you hit them slower you might have to help finish the job with your feet, like a kid on a balance bike. It's not the most gracious thing, but you shouldn't have to get off and push – unless you live somewhere like San Francisco. That said, this latest JackRabbit does a much better job of the model before it, so that's something.

Some other quirks of the JackRabbit's size include your feet occasionally rubbing against the wheels, tight turns definitely require a little more forethought and I do wonder the addition of footrest pegs on the front wheel too might give an alternative riding style – almost putting you in a slight "chopper" seating position.

But as much as the unusual dimensions of the JackRabbit present some minor challenges, they are also what makes it so much fun to ride. There's something about its slightly "dirt bike" aesthetic that makes you want to deviate from the well-paved sidewalk and into more adventurous terrain. I live near a very long park that has everything from railway sleepers to block-paved cycle paths to small dirt tracks and gravel – the JackRabbit loves ate them all up.

I also discovered that it can fit in the back of my small hatchback without any folding – it sits perfectly with one wheel behind each seat making it easily transportable, too. You can fold it down somewhat if you need to. The handlebars pop out easily and there's a clip to hold them while the front wheel folds inwards. It shrinks the profile down enough if you either want to take up less space on the metro or simply stow it somewhere when not in use.

It actually didn't take long before I found myself just taking this thing out for fun rather than as a means of getting somewhere. Although it had already usurped my scooter and regular-size e-bike as a means of transportation, I was now just using it for the fun of the ride, too.

And then that's when it happened.

The JackRabbit ebike has a handlebar mounted LED display and throttle.
James Trew / Engadget

Three LEDs to indicate battery power is not enough. I found this out about a mile away from home where, with one shiny LED remaining on the handlebar-mounted throttle, the JackRabbit suddenly lost most of its power. I pressed my thumb down in vain only to remain at a crawl – I had been having so much fun I had drained the battery and the three-LED power indicator clearly isn't detailed enough to let you know you're really in the danger zone.

Luckily, where I live is very flat and I was able to push my way home without too much trouble. It turns out you can pump like a skateboard with one foot if you really don't want to get off and walk this thing home. Worst of all, I had mentally calculated that I was well within the claimed 12-mile range, and tracing the route out on Google Maps suggests it was a shade over six miles.

I subsequently discovered that each LED appears to remain on as you accelerate until it's about to drop down to the next one. At which point the LED remains lit unil you apply the throttle and it dims. This is a way of letting you know you're at the lower end of that section of the battery indicator. So it's slightly more informative than just three LEDs, but it's still not a great indicator of remaining time or range.

I spoke with JackRabbit about this and we did some back and forth which included checking the battery with a voltmeter to make sure it wasn't faulty. The company's own testing is, like most of these things, done without going full speed and with a payload a bit lighter than me it seems. So my full-throttle approach and extra weight seem to be enough to drag down the range somewhat.

For me, it's less about the actual range (although that's a factor) but more about having detailed information. Most scooters will give you either a numerical percentage of battery remaining, or a higher resolution graphical indicator. So for me, it's more about not having the information I needed to know I was about to empty the proverbial tank.

From the side, the JackRabbit looks like a tiny mountain bike.
James Trew / Engadget

Thankfully, the batteries are removable and they are portable enough that you could definitely slip a spare into a backpack. But at $200 each, that's a reasonable spend just to relieve some anxiety. It's also slightly frustrating that if you have the previous JackRabbit, the battery from that won't work on the latest model, despite being nearly identical.

If there was another small addition that might help here, it would be regenerative braking. Right now, the JackRabbit doesn't have it, but with just one rear brake to speak of, it seems something that might be easy to implement and enable a modest saving of power, especially as most inner-city commutes require a fair amount of stop-starting anyway.

The above might sound like there are still quite a few areas for improvement, but the JackRabbit remains about the most enjoyable electric ride I've tried in a long while. It's form factor is going to sing to some users while being a little impractical for others. But that's true of scooters, bikes and any other form of transportation. The JackRabbit just presents another option. I would also strongly consider how many inclines are on your route. For the most part cities with moderate inclines, they shouldn't present a challenge but hillier locations won't be as much fun.

But if you don't want/need a full-size bike and you find scooters uncomfortable or impractical this is a refreshing alternative. Throw in the fact that you can also cover terrain that scooters can't (or fit places where most bikes won't) and the JackRabbit really does make a good, if specific, case for itself. The fact that it's wildly fun is just an added bonus.

Washington is first state to guarantee pay and benefits for Uber and Lyft drivers

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT

Washington State legislation guaranteeing pay and benefits for ride-hail workers has become a practical reality. Reutersreports Governor Jay Inslee has signed into law a measure setting minimum pay guarantees of $1.17 per mile and 34 cents per minute, with trips costing at least $3 each. Drivers at Uber, Lyft and other companies will also have benefits like paid sick leave, access to workers' compensation and family medical leave. They can also appeal if they believe they've been unfairly terminated.

The law has garnered support from both labor organizers and companies. The Washington Drivers Union billed it as an "unprecedented victory" that would reverse years of shrinking pay and improve the overall quality of life. Uber said in a statement that the law "decisively" gave drivers the mix of independence and safeguards they were asking for, while Lyft said this was a "win" that emerged when unions, politicians and companies "worked together."

There are concerns the law strips power away, however. It declares that drivers for ride-hailing apps aren't employees, potentially limiting access to further benefits and more consistent hours. The law also bars cities and counties from applying additional regulations beyond those in effect. Seattle will still offer higher pay ($1.38 per mile, 59 cents per minute and at least $5.17 per trip), but companies like Uber and Lyft have effectively limited the scope of regulations they might face.

This is still the first state-level law to set pay standards for gig-based rides, though. Until now, only New York City and Seattle had established minimums in the country. This could make ride-hail work viable for considerably more people, and might prompt other states to enact their own guarantees.

Sony shouldn't have killed the Vita

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 07:00 AM PDT

I loved the Vita. I have vivid memories of playing Persona 4 Golden for hours in the dark on my dad's couch in Chicago flying around the world of Gravity Rush from an airplane seat and playing Murasaki Baby before bed. The Vita felt good and it made me happy. And then, Sony killed it.

For the past seven years, I've been wondering why the Vita had to die. So today, we're finally going to grieve and analyze together: What happened to the Vita, and what if it were still around today?

It's been difficult to not think about the Vita recently. The mobile market is on fire right now, with Valve's Steam Deck shipping out, the Playdate on its way from Panic, and of course Nintendo's Switch and Switch Lite at the top of the charts. Not to mention, Microsoft is courting the handheld space with Cloud Gaming and Game Pass, and mobile gaming represents the largest and fastest growing segment in the industry. From consoles to PC, it seems every company is investing in handheld play. Every company except Sony.

To be clear, Sony doesn't have to compete in the handheld market just because everyone else is doing it, but the tragedy here is they were doing it with the Vita – and as LL Cool J would say, they were doing it well. Even with an embarrassing amount of options in the handheld space, I still want a new Vita. I want one in black and another in a peach colorway; I want the entire back panel to be a touchpad with DualSense-style haptics and I want a little hole in one of the corners so I can attach charms, just like I did on the original. And, charm-hole aside, I don't think I'm alone here.

Persona 4 Golden
Atlus

So, why don't we all have shiny new Vitas in our hands right now? Basically, I think Sony got scared and scattered, and not necessarily in that order.

The Vita was a commercial failure, but its numbers weren't completely tragic and there were even bright spots in its sales history. The Vita was an evolution of Sony's successful PlayStation Portable line, with enhanced input mechanics, an OLED touchscreen and upgraded guts, and it first hit the market at the end of 2011. This was just before the launch of the Wii U, PS4 and Xbox One, and right after Nintendo dropped the 3DS.

As another handheld device, the 3DS is a good comparison point for Vita sales, and it doesn't end up looking good for Sony. In 2012, Nintendo sold more than 13 million 3DSes, and that same year, Sony sold about 4 million Vitas. Sony stopped reporting Vita sales figures on their own after its first year on the market, and despite a few hardware iterations, the studio stopped building new devices in 2015. Sony essentially wrapped up support for the Vita by 2019, and best estimates place total global hardware sales around 16 million units. The 3DS, meanwhile, is at more than 75 million.

That's the surface-level analysis, but I think comparing the Vita to the Wii U actually offers more insight into Sony's mindset at the time, while offering a clear picture of what could have been.

By the beginning of 2013, the Vita and the Wii U were on shockingly similar trajectories. They were both iterations of previous hardware, trying new things and fumbling along the way. Nintendo's Wii U came out in late 2012 and wasn't nearly as well-received as its predecessor, the Wii, offering players a bulky gamepad with an uncomfortable UI and crappy battery life. In its five-year lifespan, Nintendo sold about 14 million Wii U consoles – 2 million fewer than the Vita's estimated total, even.

Here's where Nintendo and Sony pivoted away from each other. In classic Nintendo fashion, the designers of the Wii U kept their heads down and continued building their vision of a hybrid console. The Wii U wasn't perfect, but that didn't mean the entire concept was trash, and Nintendo's blind focus eventually resulted in the Switch, a console with an emphasis on mobile play. Today, it's one of the best-selling systems in history.

But where Nintendo chose to stay the course, Sony decided to turn around and go back home. It simply killed the Vita – and I think this was the result of internal turmoil at Sony proper. There was a disconnect in the way Sony marketed the Vita to different regions, and even in the way it explained basic ideas behind the hardware itself – like with its confusing and expensive memory card plan.

Since Sony stopped divulging Vita information early on, I'm using stats compiled by a self-professed data nerd at Kresnik258Gaming for this bit: The Vita sold best in Japan, where it enjoyed a sweeping marketing campaign complete with unique hardware bundles, models and games. The North American audience didn't get the same attention, with limited advertising, few hardware bundles and only a couple of half-hearted attempts at regional software. By the time the second-generation Vita and Vita TV came out in 2013, Sony seemed barely interested in explaining the benefits of these systems to US and Canadian players, and Redditwasfilled with complaints about the company's lack of support.

Murasaki Baby
Ovosonico

This regional disparity happens to align with some major managerial shifts at Sony, and a larger change in its approach to players and developers. With the launch of the PS4 in 2013, Sony was on top of the world – interactive entertainment president Jack Tretton obliterated the Xbox One during an iconic E3 show, and once both consoles hit the market, the PS4 emerged as a clear winner in terms of sales numbers. Then, Tretton left Sony in 2014 and Shawn Layden took his place. By this point, the Vita was clearly an afterthought in North America. With Layden at the helm, Sony's E3 shows took on a more business-oriented tone, and by 2016, it felt like an entirely different company on-stage. And this wasn't just external: Sony had been saturating its systems with innovative and award-winning indie titles throughout the 2010s, but in 2016, two of the company's pivotal indie evangelists, Adam Boyes and Nick Suttner, left, and indie developers said they felt abandoned by Sony's system.

Honestly, it seems like Sony had too much going on internally to properly focus on the Vita, and in the chaos, it lost its sense of experimentation. Since this time, Sony has doubled down on the things it knows, like upgrading its console hardware and releasing first-party games, and it's simply following the crowd when it comes to things like PlayStation Plus and streaming. I guess PSVR is cool, but it certainly doesn't have the same impact as the Vita once did.

Or, as the Vita could still have. Imagine if Sony had a sequel to the Vita around today to market alongside the PS5 as a connection point for its streaming ambitions and an attractive hub for developers of all sizes. While Microsoft is busy buying up every mid-tier studio in town, a Vita would offer Sony a chance to collaborate in unique ways with smaller developers, giving the company even more exclusives, the currency of the modern market. We know that players today appreciate a sleek handheld component to their consoles, and Sony could use something to compete with Microsoft's vast cloud capabilities and funding in R&D. It could use something that Microsoft doesn't have. PSVR can't fulfill this role – but Vita totally could. 

At least, that's how I feel. Let me know if I truly am alone here, or if you also want a handheld system from Sony – only rule is, you have to say whether you want the charm hole.

Alexa can alert you to upcoming deals on Amazon

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 06:00 AM PDT

You won't have to camp in front of a screen the next time you want to take advantage of an imminent Amazon sale. The company has updated Alexa with a Prime-only feature that alerts you to the availability of an Amazon deal up to 24 hours in advance as long as the relevant item is in your cart, saved for later or on your wish list. You can also remind Alexa to notify you when the deal is live, or even have the assistant buy the item when the deal takes effect.

You can enable the feature by leaving products in the relevant lists. If there's a deal, you'll see Alexa's familiar yellow light or pop-up notification.

Access to the deal alerts is relatively limited. Prime customers need to live in the US and use a "newer generation" Echo speaker. Still, this could be helpful if there's something you really want but refuse to buy at full price — you now just have to wait for Alexa's heads-up.

Samsung's Galaxy S22 is down to a record low of $700 at Amazon

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 05:45 AM PDT

Both Samsung and other retailers have offered a few ways to save when picking up one of the latest Galaxy smartphones, including offering a discount on higher storage models during the pre-order window. But Amazon's back now with a new discount — $100 off the Samsung Galaxy S22, bringing the 128GB model down to $700. The same discount applies to the 256GB versions, which are on sale for $750.

Buy Galaxy S22 (128GB) at Amazon - $700Buy Galaxy S22 (256GB) at Amazon - $750

While the Galaxy S22 isn't a huge departure from last year's flagship phones, Samsung made some useful changes and welcomed upgrades this year. The handset's design remains attractive and now has Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus+ for added protection against drops and scratches. The S22 sports a lovely 6.1-inch 2,340 x 1,080 resolution touchscreen with a 120Hz variable refresh rate and an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint reader, too. The panel is impressive, reaching up to 1,300 nits of brightness, and the new Vision Booster feature automatically ups things like color saturation and contrast depending on your environment. Plus, the fingerprint reader is really fast, so you'll never have to wait long for the device to unlock.

The S22's triple rear camera array takes sharp photos and much-improved images in low-light conditions. Even though we think Samsung's new Adaptive Pixel feature, which uses multi-frame image capture to combine high-quality pics with lower-res pixel-binned shots to create a final composite image, is a bit overhyped, the S22 still has some of the best cameras you can get on a smartphone at this price.

General performance is stellar as well thanks to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip inside the handset. You're also getting 5G support and a decent battery life. In our testing, the Galaxy S22 lasted just under 15 hours (if battery life is your biggest concern, you're better off going for the S22+, which lasted about 2.5 hours longer). Overall, if you're looking to upgrade to a new Android phone, the Galaxy S22 is one of the best out there right now — and it's even better at this sale price.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Dell’s new rechargeable stylus has Tile tracking built-in

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 05:27 AM PDT

If you've hesitated in getting a PC stylus because it's one more thing to lose, Dell has a possible solution. The company's latest Premiere Rechargeable Active Pen has Tile tracking built in, so you can use the Tile app to make it emit sound and LED light. If it's not close enough to hear or see, the app will show the pen's last known location and track it down via the Tile network.

The $110 Premiere Rechargeable Active Pen works with compatible Dell 2-in-1 laptops and offers a 40-day battery life with 80 percent charging in just 20 minutes. The programmable top and side buttons give easy access to commands and it attaches to laptops via a magnet tether. 

Tile also announced that it has added its tracking tech to several new Intel-powered laptops. The latest to include it are Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 and latest ThinkPad T Series, making for a total of seven Lenovo laptops with the tech. MSI's new Intel 12th-gen Summit and Prestige series laptops are also equipped with Tile tracking, along with Fujitsu's FMV Loox PCs in Japan. To activate tracking, you just need to install the Tile Windows App and activate your PC as a Tile. The Android or iOS app will then "ring" your laptop to help you find it nearby.

Tile announced in 2020 that it was teaming with Intel to help users find lost notebooks. It also struck a deal with Bluetooth chip companies to allow its tech to be placed in nearly any kind of device. Its tech can currently be found in HP Dragonfly laptops, Fitbit wearables, Skullcandy products, Sennheiser headphones and other devices, around 55 in total according to Tile. 

The original 'Angry Birds' game returns to app stores

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 05:20 AM PDT

The original Angry Birds game is back. Sure, there are other, newer entries in the Angry Birds franchise out there — and even a couple of movies — but this one's for those who have a special place in their hearts for the game that started it all. In a letter to fans published last year, Rovio explained that it had to take its older titles out of circulation, because they used outdated game engines and design. "Today's mobile technology and games landscape has evolved to a place where supporting them was untenable," the company wrote. The developer also couldn't leave them up without updating them, because they'll soon be incompatible with the latest mobile operating systems. 

Apparently, there was a "big outcry" for Rovio to bring back the older games, especially the original, so it decided to work on bringing the classic experiences back. The company said at the time that it has to figure out "what is possible and for which games," so it's unclear if other older titles will also get remakes. Rovio rebuilt the original Angry Birds from the ground up using Unity, which allowed the company to recreate the feel of the classic for newer devices. That's a much more involved process than simply touching up older graphics or updating game mechanics. 

The new version of the game called Rovio Classics: Angry Birds, is now available from the Apple App Store and from Google Play. It will set you back 99 cents to download, but it doesn't have in-app purchases and even makes the Mighty Eagle (an old in-app purchase) available at no extra cost. 

Apple's 2021 iPad mini falls back to an all-time low of $459 at Amazon

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 05:05 AM PDT

The latest WiFi-only iPad mini in space gray has been on sale for $459 at Amazon since the beginning of March, but if you'd rather get one of the tablet's other color options, here's your chance to grab it at a discount. For the first time ever, the iPad mini in Starlight is now also available for $459, which is an all-time low for the device on the e-commerce website. The purple version is now also back on sale for the same price, or $40 lower than retail. 

Buy 2021 Apple iPad Mini at Amazon - $459

We gave the 2021 iPad mini a score of 89 in our review, praising it for its fresh "all-screen" design without the home button its predecessors have. It has a Liquid Retina 326ppi panel with a 2,266 x 1,488 resolution. The tablet's edges are flat, and it features a TouchID-capable power button and a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port. We felt like we were using a smaller version of the iPad Air when we tested it out. 

We also praised the device for its improved cameras, including its new 12-megapixel ultra wide front camera with Center Stage support. That's the Apple feature that automatically pans a device's camera and zooms it as needed to keep the user on screen during video calls. The tablet's 12-megapixel rear wide camera is better than its predecessor's, as well. 

Thanks to the A15 Bionic chip powering the tablet, it was also able to handle everything we tried during our test, running games, videos and other types of apps quickly and smoothly. We also appreciated that the tablet lasted for 12 hours during our testing before it needed to be plugged in. And, yes, it works with the second-gen Apple Pencil so you can use it for your art or your note-taking needs.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

UK police charge two teens in connection with Lapsus$ hacking group case

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 04:35 AM PDT

After arresting seven alleged members of the hacking group Lapsus$ last week, London police have charged two of them with multiple computer crimes. The teenagers, aged 16 and 17, remain in police custody in connection with the investigation. 

"Both teenagers have been charged with: three counts of unauthorized access to a computer with intent to impair the reliability of data; one count of fraud by false representation and one count of unauthorized access to a computer with intent to hinder access to data," the City of London Police said in a news release. "The 16-year-old has also been charged with one count of causing a computer to perform a function to secure unauthorized access to a program. They will both appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court this morning (April 1st)."

Lapsus$ claimed to have downloaded 37GB of Microsoft source code for key products like Bing and Cortana, along with mobile apps. They also reportedly compromised the security system of MFA company Okta, forcing the company to admit that it made a mistake in the way it handled the attack. 

One of the teens arrested was reportedly a 16-year-old Oxford resident known as "Breachbase" or "White," who has supposedly made the equivalent of $14 million in Bitcoin. London police have not released any names, however, nothing that the people charged are juveniles and that reporting any identifying information about them is prohibited. 

The Morning After: GoPro’s new battery grip fixes the Hero 10’s biggest issue

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 04:15 AM PDT

For GoPro cameras, battery life has never been a strong feature — in fact, the Hero 9 outlasted the Hero 10 by almost half an hour when we tested out the newer camera. Now, the company has launched a new battery grip, called Volta. Combined with the GoPro's own battery, the Volta grip can deliver up to four hours of 5.3K recording at 30 fps. It also comes with integrated camera buttons to give you access to one-handed controls while the GoPro is mounted. You can even use it as a remote control up to 98 feet away, and if you need a tripod for your shoot, you can flip out its built-in legs. The versatility goes further: You can use it to charge, well, anything from its USB-C port.

If you're in deep with GoPro's camera series, this could very well replace half of your existing peripherals. You might also like the new Creator Edition package, which includes two mods that feature a built-in directional microphone, 3.5mm mic-in, HDMI-out ports and LED lighting.

The standalone Volta grip will set you back $130, and it's available now.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Wyze was aware of a major camera security flaw for three years

The vulnerability let intruders access your stored videos.

Bitdefender says it informed Wyze of a major security vulnerability in the Wyze Cam v1 in March 2019, but that the device maker didn't inform customers, recall the product or fully patch the problem in the three years since. In fact, Wyze couldn't completely fix the issue — while it did mitigate the problem with patches, the company appeared to discontinue the camera in January as "hardware limitations" prevented a proper update.

The vulnerability let attackers remotely control the camera without having the value normally needed to authenticate. While they couldn't watch live video as it was encrypted, they could steer the camera, switch it off and access videos saved on the SD card.

Continue reading.

OnePlus 10 Pro review

It charges incredibly quickly, but...

TMA
GoPro

OnePlus' latest flagship phone is a stylish device with a powerful processor and the ability to recharge incredibly quickly thanks to 65W (and in some regions 80W) SuperVOOC tech, courtesy of Oppo. However, the OnePlus 10 Pro can't quite stand up against the best phones out there, with a sometimes middling camera performance. At least it's cheaper than last year's OnePlus 9 Pro.

Continue reading.

Scientists sequence the most complete human genome yet

The Human Genome Project 'only' sequenced 92 percent.

If you're thinking "Wait a minute — didn't scientists produce the complete human genome sequence almost two decades ago?" Well, you wouldn't be wrong. The Human Genome Project finished sequencing 92 percent of the human genome back in 2003, but the techniques available at the time left the remaining eight percent out of reach until recent years.

In a series of papers published in Science, the T2T Consortium has reported how it managed to fill in almost all of the missing spots except for five, leaving only 10 million and the Y chromosome only vaguely understood.

Continue reading.

Boston Dynamics begins selling its Stretch warehouse robot

But units won't be delivered until 2023 to 2024.

TMA
Boston Dynamics

Stretch is not quite as exciting or as terrifyingly adorable as the Hyundai-owned company's Spot robotic dog, but it can make loading, unloading and moving boxes in warehouses a lot easier. Boston Dynamics is now accepting reservations for deliveries in 2023 and 2024, because it's already sold out this year due to strong pre-order demand. DHL is one of the early Stretch customers, signing a $15 million deal with Boston Dynamics to equip its warehouses in North America with the robots over the coming years. TechCrunch reports both Gap and H&M will have the robot in their warehouses, as well.

Continue reading.

E3 2022 is canceled

But it might be back next year.

In January, the ESA announced E3 would be an online-only event, citing concerns over "COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees." According to a statement yesterday, even that isn't happening. The ESA said "E3 will return in 2023." The association added it "will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer."

Continue reading.

Xbox Game Pass will reportedly get a family plan

Up to five players could share a subscription at a special rate.

Unlike Netflix, Spotify and many other subscription services, the Xbox Game Pass currently has no option for multiple users to share one account. This has been a common frustration among Xbox players over the years, particularly those who live with other Xbox gamers. Game Pass subscriptions are tied to specific Xbox profiles, allowing players to sign-in from anywhere. The family plan will reportedly allow up to five players on a single subscription and should debut later this year. A family plan could give Microsoft an extra edge over Sony's Playstation, which recently announced its revamped set of subscription plans.

Continue reading.

Aurora from 'Child of Light' is the latest playable character in 'Bloodstained'

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 03:40 AM PDT

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has a new playable character, and it's one that contrasts a bit with the action RPG's gothic vibe. In the latest free update for the spiritual successor to Castlevania, developer ArtPlay has added Aurora, the fairy princess heroine from Ubisoft's Child of Light.

Her arrival could give seasoned Bloodstained players a good reason to play through the Metroidvania again. She has her own moveset and abilities as well as a new storyline with rhyming cutscenes and dialogue inspired by Child of Light. 

Aurora can use a sword and Light Ray ability, and get some help from her companion Igniculus, who can heal her and slow enemies. By defeating opponents, Aurora will gain Shards you can use to upgrade her abilities. The character will also become older and stronger after you kill certain bosses. She'll be able to fly after she finds wings and swim underwater after she becomes an adult.

While Child of Light is rooted in fairy tales, it too is a 2D action game with elements of darkness, so perhaps it's not too much of an unexpected choice for a crossover and the final playable character. With her red hair and bright yellow dress, Aurora's aesthetic might clash a bit with Bloodstained's look, but she certainly seems to pack a punch.

You can select Aurora from the main menu now on the PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One versions of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The Nintendo Switch patch will arrive soon.

'Mappy-Land,' 'Dig Dug II' and 'Earthworm Jim 2' come to Nintendo Switch Online

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 03:15 AM PDT

The latest Super NES and NES games for Nintendo Switch are now available, and they may bring up nostalgic feels. Players can now access the 1995 SNES run and gun platformer Earthworm Jim 2, along with NES titles Dig-Dug II (an action puzzle arcade game released in 1985) and Mappy-Land (a video console sequel from 1986).

As Nintendo details in its YouTube description, Earthworm Jim 2 picks up where the original game left off, "after Jim's successful rescue of Princess What's-Her-Name." This time, the aim this time is to stop her marriage with the evil Psy-Crow, with aid from Jim's pal Snott. 

In Dig-Dug II, meanwhile, you have to clear an island of vacation-crashing intruders by inflating them untl they burst or digging traps they'll fall into. Mappy-Land, finally, lets you play as a mouse attempting to defeat Nyamco and his cats who have hidden presents around Mappyland. 

Along with SNES an Super NES titles, the September Switch Online Expansion Pack added Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Nintendo 64 games as part of the plan. That bore fruit in March with the addition of Alien Soldier, Light Crusader and Super Fantasy Zone to the Mega Drive library, with Banjo-Kazooie coming to N64 in January.

Apple's latest iOS and macOS updates patch two zero-day vulnerabilities

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 02:40 AM PDT

Apple has rolled out updates for its mobile, tablet and desktop operating systems, and they come with a fix for two zero-day vulnerabilities. As Ars Technica notes, the bugs can give bad actors access to the internals of the operating systems if exploited. Apple said in its patch notes that it's aware "of a report that [the issues] may have been actively exploited," but it didn't expound on whether it has detected instances of the bugs being used to gain entry to customers' devices. The tech giant attributes the vulnerabilities' discovery to "an anonymous researcher."

One of the vulnerabilities called CVE-2022-22675 affects all three operating systems and gives hackers a way to execute malicious code with kernel privileges. That means they can get complete access to their target's system and hardware. The other vulnerability, CVE-2022-22674, affects macOS and could lead to the "disclosure of kernel memory" or the the memory used by an operating system. They're the fourth and fifth zero-days Apple has fixed this year so far, which includes one that can be exploited to track sensitive user information.

In addition to fixing the zero-day vulnerability affecting iPhones, iOS 15.4.1 also remedies an issue caused by the update before it. Apparently, iOS 15.4 went out with a bug that could cause an iPhone's battery to drain more quickly than expected. The update fixes an issue that could render Braille devices unresponsive, as well.

Brandon Sanderson's record-breaking Kickstarter campaign ends with $41.7 million

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 02:15 AM PDT

Appropriately enough, the famously fast writer Brandon Sanderson took no time at all to break Pebble's record for the most-funded Kickstarter project ever. The fantasy and sci-fi author's project, which is funding the self-publication of four secret novels, topped the $20.3 million that the Pebble Time smartwatch raised in 2015 within just three days. After 30 days, Sanderson's campaign has now wrapped and, buoyed by his fervent fanbase, he has raised $41,754,153.

Sanderson plans to release all four books next year, three of which are set in his Cosmere universe. His backers will receive them as e-books, audiobooks or physical editions based on their level of backing. The campaign rewards also include eight boxes of swag that backers will receive throughout 2023.

To celebrate his success, Sanderson and his team have donated to all literary projects on Kickstarter that aren't too unsafe for work and don't break the platform's terms of service. As noted by The Mary Sue, they donated to more than 300 projects altogether and highlighted some of them in a video, which should direct some more backers their way. One project the team backed is a parody of Sanderson's record-breaking campaign called "Surprise! Four secret books NOT by a famous fantasy author!" — Sanderson backed it with $1.

Amazon spent $4.3 million on anti-union consultants in 2021 alone

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 01:20 AM PDT

Amazon spent around $4.3 on consultants last year in an effort to prevent unionization of its warehouses, according to company filings with the US Department of Labor. Workers were required to attend meetings led by the consultants who discussed anti-union talking points ahead of key union votes in Bessemer, Alabama and Staten Island, New York, HuffPost has reported.

Companies are required to disclose financial details when consultants speak directly to workers about unionization. Very few have spent even $1 million on union avoidance over several years, according to a recent report, while Amazon spent multiple times that in just 2021 alone. Some consultants were paid up to $3,200 per day.

The meetings are legal and usually held when employers discover efforts to organize unions. They're called "captive audience meetings" by labor organizers because attendance is normally non-optional. Typically, the consultants will focus on union dues and potential loss of wages due to work stoppages. They also help company's come up with strategies to defeat unions.

Amazon workers recently voted in two union drives in Bessemer and Staten Island. At Bessemer, workers voted 993-875 against unionizing, but 416 votes have been challenged, so the final result is far from established. However, as it stands now, the Staten Island union is currently ahead 1,518 to 1,154 (a margin of 364) votes, with counting set to resume today.
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