Technology

Bored by the few Apple-certified MagSafe accessories like the MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe wallet (2021), or the MagSafe Duo Charger, and feel stifled by its small ecosystem? If you want to expand your MagSafe-compatible collection, you’ll need to look to third-party accessory makers like Anker for some fresh ideas. Anker, known for its affordable charging products like portable batteries and universal plugs, is introducing its own suite of MagSafe-compatible gadgets called MagGo that go beyond just wirelessly charging your iPhone 12 or 13. Its opening lineup has six new gadgets that take advantage of the convenience and security of attaching to the phone by magnets — these products are ideal for when you’re on the move and at home. Because Apple is so reluctant to certify third-party acc...

An email sent to Jeff Bezos from an Amazon warehouse worker began an internal investigation that found that the e-commerce giant falls behind when it comes to supporting its 1.3 million employees, according to The New York Times. From unjustified terminations to losing benefits with no warning, the employees inside the warehouse and the ones administering the leaves found themselves on the brink of burnout and sacrificing their lives to make up for countless HR issues related to paid and unpaid leave. Employees struggled to reach case managers, and doctor’s notes seem to simply disappear as paychecks were docked. To add to the dysfunction, Amazon’s team didn’t have any policies to accommodate local laws like one in its home state. An employee filing for unpaid leave under a Washington stat...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he’s redirected teams within his company to “make serving young adults their north star.” The comment, made on a call with investors this afternoon, speaks to Facebooks’ concerns about declining usage among teens and young adults. “So much of our services have gotten dialed to be the best for the most people who use them, rather than specifically for young adults,” Zuckerberg said. TikTok is “one of the most effective competitors we’ve ever faced” He suggested the change will be more than just lip service. Facebook usage among older users will grow slower than it otherwise would have because of the changes, Zuckerberg said. Even with those tradeoffs, he said, “I think it’s the right approach.” Zuckerberg expects the changes to take years. One of the more i...

When you buy a product labeled “smart,” it should be better than the “dumb” version, especially considering it costs twice as much (at least). But that’s not the case with smart alarm clocks, which are very dumb in one specific way. Smart alarm clocks are bedside buzzers with smart features, letting you set an alarm with just your voice, waking you up with your favorite Spotify playlist, possibly tracking your sleep, and definitely controlling your smart home. Most have touch screens, some have radar, very few have cameras (thankfully), and others can use lighting to wake you up more naturally than a jarring buzzer. But what none of them have is a backup battery, something that’s been standard on the dumb versions for decades. If your power goes out in the middle of the night and doesn’t c...

Facebook probably wishes it had a delete button for its timeline now that it’s threatening an upcoming TV show with a lawsuit for potentially tarnishing the brand’s reputation. Doomsday Machine is the upcoming television adaption of An Ugly Truth, a book that exposes Facebook’s missteps on issues like misinformation, hate speech, user security. The drama will star Claire Foy as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and will tackle the chaos surrounding misinformation during the 2016 election, as well as more recent controversies like the XCheck program, which let celebrities and other high-profile figures bypass content moderation. As the series begins to come together, Facebook is threatening producers Anonymous Content with a lawsuit — and it’s using Britney Spears’ lawyers to do so (via Deadline...

The latest version of macOS, Monterey, is now available to download according to Apple. The software has been available in public beta for several months, but today’s release means Apple thinks the software is ready for everyday use. As is tradition, Apple announced its latest version of macOS at WWDC in June. New features include the ability to set Macs as an AirPlay target to play content from iPhones and iPads, as well as Shortcuts, Apple’s iOS automation software. There have also been improvements made to FaceTime, as well as a new Quick Note feature. For a full rundown of what’s on the way, check out our preview from July, as well as Apple’s own feature list. Apple’s drag-and-drop demo from WWDC 2021. Unfortunately, some of Monterey’s biggest new additions, Universal Control and Share...

Samsung has announced three new additions to its Galaxy Book line: the Galaxy Book, the Galaxy Book Odyssey, and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G. While none of the models have features that will knock your socks off, they seem like a natural progression of Samsung’s recent efforts to bring the Galaxy Book line out of the enthusiast space and into the mainstream. The most accessible offering looks to be the regular 15.6-inch Galaxy Book. This is the only one of the three that’s available now; the other two products hit shelves November 11th. I’m currently seeing a $749.99 model at Best Buy that includes a Core i5-1165G7, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage, as well as a Core i7-1165G7/16GB/ 512GB configuration for $999.99. Those seem like reasonable prices to pay for these specs, assuming that t...

The National Transportation Safety Board is not happy with Tesla’s failure to respond to its safety recommendations made four years ago concerning the company’s controversial driver assist feature, Autopilot. In 2017, NTSB recommended that Tesla and five other automakers install driver monitoring systems in their vehicles to ensure that drivers stay vigilant even when active safety systems are engaged. The board also implored automakers to limit the use of driver assist features on highways. The recommendations were made in response to an investigation into a crash in which a Tesla owner was killed when his car slammed into a truck that was crossing a highway. The five other automakers officially responded to the recommendations within the 90-day window that the safety board prescribes, an...

Faze Clan is on track to become a publicly traded company. The competitive esports group is merging with B. Riley Principal 150 Merger Corp. in a deal that values the combined companies at $1 billion (via Markets Insider). As a part of the deal, Faze Clan estimates it can get up to $291 million to help fund its growth, according to a post on Faze Clan’s website. Faze Clan is known for its teams that compete in Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and more. With an audience of about 350 million people on social media, the group opened up Faze Studios last year with one of the producers behind the Netflix original 13 Reasons Why. To further bolster its reputation, celebrities like NBA star Ben Simmons, hip hop artist Offset, and popular Twi...

Apple announced a long-awaited update to the AirPods at its Unleashed event earlier this month. The AirPods (3rd generation) — Apple’s first major redesign of its popular flagship wireless earbuds — introduces an entirely new look while also adding in great features like spatial audio and Adaptive EQ borrowed from the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, alongside longer battery life. Most striking is the new design of the AirPods, which offers a shorter stem and a larger earpiece that is less prone to slipping out of your ears during an intense running session (a longstanding gripe of AirPods users). The more snug fit also means the audio quality is less disturbed by the outside environment, making sounds more crisp and direct. To create the new contoured shape, Apple took thousands of ear scans ...