Technology

T-Mobile will fire corporate employees who aren’t fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by April 2nd, according to an internal email viewed by Bloomberg. T-Mobile’s head of human resources, Deeanne King, reportedly says employees who’ve only received one dose as of February 21st will be put on unpaid leave. There will be “limited” exceptions for certain employees “T-Mobile’s badge-controlled offices continue to be accessible only to those who are vaccinated against COVID-19,” T-Mobile said in a statement to The Verge, referencing the digital pass system the company uses to keep track of employees’ vaccination status. “We have shared with employees that we are requiring office workers to be fully vaccinated by April 2.” The mobile carrier also stated there will be “limited” exceptions “for cert...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced over $1.2 billion in funding through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to expand broadband service across 32 states. The FCC calls this “the largest funding round to date,” and notes 23 broadband companies will provide service to more than one million new areas. In addition, the FCC also introduced the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan, which will double the number of audits and verifications performed this year in comparison to 2021. It will also require the FCC to make the results of verifications, audits as well as speed and latency tests public on the Universal Service Administration Company’s (USAC) website. The new Rural Broadband Accountability Plan will streamline our audit and verification processes while also making the...

Basketball legend LeBron James‘ Ohio charity LeBron James Family Foundation has partnered with cryptocurrency platform Crypto.com to educate underserved communities on blockchain-related topics. Students and families in Akron, Ohio, that are a part of the I PROMISE School, a public school founded by the LJFF, will receive access to the educational resources necessary to successfully build in Web3. “Blockchain technology is revolutionizing our economy, sports and entertainment, the art world, and how we engage with one another. I want to ensure that communities like the one I come from are not left behind,” said James. “Crypto.com and I are aligned on the need to educate and support my community with the information and tools they need for inclusion. I’m looking forward to working with them...

Joni Mitchell has decided to remove all of her music from Spotify, joining Neil Young in protest of Joe Rogan’s podcast that Young says spreads misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines (via The Wall Street Journal). “I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue” “I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify,” The Canadian singer-songwriter writes in a post on her website. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.” Mitchell also includes a link to an open letter to Spotify, which was signed by dozens of medical and scientific professionals in mid-January. It urges the platform to establish a ...

Another Samsung launch event is nearly upon us. The South Korean tech giant has announced that its next Unpacked event will take place on February 9th, during which we’re expecting to see the official announcement of the Galaxy S22, its latest flagship phone series. Samsung’s Galaxy S devices are typically its highest-specced non-folding phones, and they’re typically our first look at trends major smartphone manufacturers will be following for the year. This being Samsung, however, it’s unlikely that phones will be the only thing announced on the 9th. Recent rumors suggest they’re likely to be joined by a new lineup of Galaxy Tab S8 tablets, which would both succeed the Tab S7 devices that debuted in 2020 as well as adding a new, larger “Ultra” branded tablet into the mix. There are even r...

Ladies and gentlemen, the weekend deals! While some of us on the East Coast may be busy shoveling snow this Saturday morning, we hope many of you are having a restful weekend chock-full of deals and discounts. Kicking things off on the deals front is Logitech’s StreamCam, which is currently on sale in its graphite colorway at Amazon for $108. That’s about $62 off the regular price of this excellent webcam, one we consider to be the best webcam you can buy in terms of image quality. The StreamCam is Logitech’s flagship 1080p camera and is able to achieve 60 frames per second, allowing for a smooth, crisp look. The Capture software can also keep you centered in the frame, much like the Center Stage feature found on Apple’s newer iPads, and the compact webcam can record in either landscape or...

The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are reportedly looking for alternatives to the controversial facial recognition software ID.me, according to a report by Bloomberg. As Bloomberg notes, the agencies didn’t cite a reason for the possible change, and also didn’t mention any privacy concerns about the service. The IRS can’t establish its own software due to a “lack of funding” “The IRS is consistently looking for ways to make the filing process more secure,” Treasury Department spokesperson Alexandra LaManna said in a statement to Bloomberg. “We believe in the importance of protecting the privacy of taxpayers, while also ensuring criminals are not able to gain access to taxpayer accounts.” LaManna also told Bloomberg users aren’t obligated to file their taxes online a...

Grammy-nominated DJ and producer Steve Aoki has unveiled the A0K1VERSE, a new platform that merges the real world with web2 and web3 through rewards for NFT collectors. Aoki’s new blockchain-backed initiative provides a multitude of both physical and digital rewards for fans, including free Steve Aoki concert tickets, early access to his NFT releases, private events, metaverse experiences, free merchandise, digital wearables and exclusive access to apparel and collectible collaborations. “Since I started my first company Dim Mak back in 1996 I have cared for, grown and embraced the concept of community,” Aoki said in a statement. “Now as we look at the future of what our community wants, I believe that the utility needs to be diverse, engaging, and evolving with culture. This is where IRL ...

NFT marketplace OpenSea has reimbursed about $1.8 million USD to its users after a mechanism on the site was exploited and allowed people to buy and flip NFTs for cheap. Earlier this week, a number of blue-chip NFTs, including Bored Ape Yacht Club, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, Cool Cats and Cyberkongz, were resold for well-below market value without the seller’s knowledge. The issue was initially dubbed a bug, but OpenSea has since explained that the debacle was caused by a mechanism that had been exploited by savvy traders. GM ? This is the first edition of weekly threads we’ll be doing to announce platform updates to the OpenSea community. Let’s dive in! — OpenSea Support (@opensea_support) January 28, 2022 “When a user transfers an NFT out of a wallet (“Wallet 0xABC123”) while a listing ...