Sunday, June 5, 2022

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Clubhouse lays off some employees amid strategic shift

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 02:45 PM PDT

Clubhouse has laid off some of its employees, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. It's unclear exactly how many staff the company let go, but at least some now-former workers left voluntarily to pursue opportunities outside of Clubhouse. Among one of the more high-profile departures was Nina Gregory, a former National Public Radio editor who joined the company to head up its news partnerships initiative. Clubhouse also lost its community and international leads.

"A handful of roles were eliminated as part of streamlining our team, and a few individuals decided to pursue new opportunities," a Clubhouse spokesperson told Bloomberg. "We are continuing to recruit for many roles across engineering, product and design."

According to the outlet, the layoffs are part of a broader restructuring at Clubhouse as the company looks to rethink its growth strategy. Clubhouse found early success in the first year of the pandemic, thanks in part to the fact you needed an invite to start using the app. Unfortunately, it also quickly drew the attention of a handful of well-funded competitors, including Meta, Twitter and Spotify, all of which replicated the app's core functionality within their own platforms. Clubhouse has done its best to offer the best live audio experience it can, adding features like real-time captioning and high-quality audio streaming to match and surpass its competitors, but it faces an uphill battle against tech giants.

Sonos knocks 20 percent off Move and Roam speakers

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 01:30 PM PDT

With summer around the corner, Sonos has discounted both of its Bluetooth speakers. For a limited time, you can buy the Sonos Move and more affordable Roam for $319.20 and $143.20, down from their usual $399 and $179 price tags. It's a rare discount from the company, and Amazon is matching, with both Move and Roam available for less. If you're looking at buying a Roam speaker, note that the recently announced Wave, Sunset and Olive models aren't included in the sale.

Buy Sonos Roam at Sonos - $143.20Buy Sonos Move at Sonos - $319.20Buy Sonos Roam at Amazon - $143.20Buy Sonos Move at Amazon - $319.20

Of the two speakers, the Roam is probably the better purchase for most people. Not only is it more affordable than Move, but it's also more portable thanks to its smaller size and lighter weight. Engadget's Nathan Ingraham gave the Sonos Roam a score of 87 when he reviewed it in 2021, calling it a much easier sell than its predecessor. He praised the speaker for its audio quality and versatility but found battery life fell short of the 10 hours promised by Sonos.

Reviewing the Sonos Move in 2019, Ingraham awarded the speaker a score of 80. At nearly $80 off, the discounted Move addresses one of the major shortcomings of the speaker: its hefty price tag. The Move is one of the most versatile Bluetooth speakers you can find, with features like wireless charging and a water-resistant design included as part of the package. But that adaptability comes at the cost of a device that is heftier than your average portable speaker.

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

Bored Ape Yacht Club Discord reportedly compromised in $250,000 NFT phishing attack

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 11:59 AM PDT

Less than two months after someone compromised the official Bored Ape Yacht Club Instagram account to steal $2.4 million worth of NFTs, BAYC creator Yuga Labs is again facing questions about its security measures. In the early hours of June 4th, a scammer carried out a phishing attack that netted them 32 NFTs worth approximately 142 Ethereum, according to Web3 is Going Great. After obtaining the login credentials of a community manager, the hacker reportedly used the official Bored Apes Discord to promote a fake giveaway exclusive to holders of Bored Ape, Mutant Ape and Otherside NFTs.

"Do not mint through ANY other websites," the announcement said after linking to the website the hacker used to steal the NFTs. "This is the only official site!" According to data from blockchain security firm PeckShield, one BAYC and two Mutant Apes tokens were stolen in the scam. At the current Ethereum exchange rate, the entire 32 NFT trove is worth approximately $256,000.

We've reached out to Yuga Labs for comment. The company has yet to share an official statement on the incident – though it quickly locked down the Bored Apes Discord after the scam took place. The server, among a handful of other ones tied to high-profile NFT projects, was also hacked at the start of April when a bad actor compromised the CAPTCHA bot Yuga Labs used to deter spammers.

Apple's 2022 MacBook Air reportedly won't come in a selection of iMac-like colors

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 10:11 AM PDT

The 2022 MacBook Air may not come in as many colors as anticipated. Tweeting on Friday evening, Bloomberg's Gurman said reports that the new model would come in "several colors" were likely "exaggerated." He expects Apple to sell the 2022 MacBook Air in four hues: space gray, silver, blue and gold. The final color will look more "champagne-like" than the current gold offered by Apple, according to Gurman.

Going into WWDC 2022, most reports had suggested the 2022 MacBook Air would feature a redesigned chassis reminiscent of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Additionally, leaker Jon Prosser and others have said the new model would come with a white keyboard, leading to speculation that Apple would offer the computer in multiple colors like the recently redesigned 24-inch iMac.

Apple is widely expected to announce the new MacBook Air on day one of WWDC 2022. "I think the only way it doesn't is if the China factory shutdowns created such a supply and release date gap that it wouldn't make sense to announce it on Monday," Gurman later tweeted. With WWDC mere days away, we won't have to wait long to see what Apple has planned for the MacBook Air.

Apple is reportedly enlisting Hollywood talent to create content for its upcoming AR headset

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 08:46 AM PDT

Apple has reportedly enlisted Hollywood directors like Jon Favreau to create video content for its long-rumored mixed reality headset. According to The New York Times, the filmmaker is developing an experience that brings the dinosaurs from Prehistoric Planet, the Apple TV+ original series he helped produced, to life on the device.

Corroborating recent reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, The Times states the headset is "expected to ship next year." It will reportedly feature a design that's reminiscent of a pair of ski goggles. With the start of WWDC 2022 mere days away, it's unclear if Apple will have anything to say about the device on Monday.

However, The Times reports the company plans to announce new software tools that would allow developers to add additional camera and voice features to their apps, thereby creating the framework for experiences that you could navigate without a visual interface.

Citing "two people familiar with the project," The Times reports that "continuing challenges" with battery life made Apple decide to delay the headset to 2023. That broadly aligns with reporting Bloomberg published at the start of the year that said the company was likely to delay the device due to development issues like overheating.

New York lawmakers pass bill limiting warehouse productivity quotas

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 07:53 AM PDT

The New York State Assembly has passed a bill that aims to limit productivity quotas in warehouses shortly after it was approved by the State Senate. Introduced by New York State Senator Jessica Ramos and Assembly Member Latoya Joyner back in April, the Warehouse Worker Protection Act takes aim at Amazon's labor practices. Ramos and Joyner strengthened the language and expanded upon a similar bill in California that was signed into law back in 2021.

As CNBC notes, the legislation will require Amazon and any other company that operates warehouses to provide workers with documentation of their productivity quotas and to notify them of any changes. It can make the process easier for workers seeking changes in their workplace for health purposes, and it will require companies to go through an ergonomic assessment of all tasks workers need to accomplish. Companies could face penalties if the New York State Department of Labor finds them non-compliant. In addition, it would prohibit companies from implementing quotas that would prevent workers from taking meal and bathroom breaks. 

Amazon workers have long complained that the company's internal system marks them as taking "time off task" when they take too long between scanning packages. That generates a warning that could lead to being fired. Ramos explained when they introduced the bill that productivity quotas prevent workers from complying with safety standards and contribute to rising injury rates in warehouses. The company consistently makes it on the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health's list of most dangerous workplaces in the US. Heather MacDougall, Amazon's workplace safety head, claimed at a recent event, however, that it's a misconception that the company has quotas. "We do not," she said.

The bill's fate is now in the hands of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Recommended Reading: High-tech COVID-19 testing at home

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 07:00 AM PDT

Behind the high-tech COVID-19 tests you probably haven't heard about

Victoria Song, The Verge

Rapid antigen tests are all the rage these days, but there are some tech-based options that offer the accuracy of a PCR lab test with at-home convenience of what you can get at your local pharmacy. The Verge examines a few options with the pros and cons of each one, from pricing to the time it takes to get the results.

Before Uvalde, a platform fails to answer kids' alarms

Casey Newton, Platformer

Livestreaming app Yubo appears to have been the Uvalde shooter's primary social platform. Despite many threats of violence that were reported by several other users, no action was taken. Newton discusses why platform reporting tools aren't effective. the state of content moderation and what needs to be done to strengthen these systems.  

Installing a payphone in my house

Bertrand Fan

This excellent blog post chronicles how a game of cat-and-mouse setting up ISP service via payphones and fake credit card numbers as a kid created a life-long fondness for old tech. 

Activision Blizzard faces unfair labor practices complaint over staff unionization efforts

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 06:00 AM PDT

The Communications Workers of America has filed an unfair labor practices complaint against Activision Blizzard, accusing the company of retaliating against workers over their unionization efforts. If you'll recall, the quality assurance workers at the Activision studio Raven Software announced their plans to unionize in January. That's after Activision laid off 12 of its QA contractors despite Raven asking to keep them on. Workers at the studio went on strike following the event, demanding that all contractors be hired as full-time employees. 

In its complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board, the CWA accused the company of violating federal law by terminating those QA workers. The group also pointed out that Activision reorganized the studio by disbanding the QA team and embedding testers in other departments just mere days after they requested union recognition. In addition, Activision Blizzard allegedly withheld pays and benefits in April in response to the workers' unionization efforts. 

According to previous reports, the company also actively and strongly discouraged workers from voting to unionize. Union organizer Jessica Gonzalez revealed on Twitter back in January that Activision VP of QA Chris Arends posted a message on a locked Slack channel diminishing the benefits of unionization. "A union doesn't do anything to help us produce world-class games, and the bargaining process is not typically quick, often reduces flexibility, and can be adversarial and lead to negative publicity," Arends wrote

A piece by The Washington Postalso said that company leadership held town meetings to dissuade workers from organizing and sent out emails with a message that says "Please vote no." Those efforts had failed, and CWA won the election to unionize at Raven with a vote of 19 to 3. Xbox head Phil Spencer reportedly said before the vote that he would recognize a Raven union once Microsoft's acquisition of the developer is complete.

Game Workers Alliance/CWA organizing committee members Erin Hall, Lau Nebel-Malone and Marie Carroll said:

"The reorganization and withholding of pay raises and other benefits and the company's failure to rehire laid off QA testers were clearly attempts by Activision to intimidate us and interfere with our union election in violation of the National Labor Relations Act."

Meanwhile, an Activision spokesperson disputed the allegations in a statement sent to Bloomberg:

"We respect and believe in the right of all employees to decide whether or not to support or vote for a union, and retaliation of any kind is not tolerated."

As the news organization notes, complaints filed with the NLRB are investigation by regional offices. In case they're found to have merit and aren't settled, they can be prosecuted by the agency's general counsel.

Watch Blue Origin's fifth crewed New Shepard launch at 9AM ET

Posted: 04 Jun 2022 04:00 AM PDT

After delaying the planned launch from May 20th due to an issue with backup systems, Blue Origin is finally ready to send New Shepard on its next journey to the edge of space. The NS-21 mission is New Shepard's 21st flight and its fifth with passengers on board. It takes place today at 9AM ET and you can watch it live below. The stream will start an hour before launch.

The passengers include electrical engineer and former NASA test lead Katya Echazarreta, who will become the first Mexican-born woman and youngest American woman to fly to space. She's making the trip as part of Space for Humanity's sponsored Citizen Astronaut Program. 

Civil production engineer Victor Correa Hespanha, meanwhile, will become the second Brazilian to reach space. The other passengers are business jet pilot Hamish Harding, co-founder of private equity firm Insight Equity Victor Vescovo, Dream Variation Ventures co-founder Jaison Robinson and investor Evan Dick, who was part of the NS-19 mission in December.

Blue Origin's first crewed flight took place last July, with founder Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark and, at the time, the youngest and oldest people to travel above the Kármán line on board. William Shatner became the oldest person to reach space on the second crewed mission. Subsequent flights took place in December and March.

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